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Mach V - cuz I'm tired of waiting for Mach 1

KazzMANIA

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Hi everyone! My name is Kirk Kelln (aka, KazzMANIA). We owned a 2011 Shelby until just recently. I upgraded the suspension, kicked up the HP with a Brenspeed Phase 2 kit, and did a few other little things. Sold it and just started a new project car: the goal is to transform a 2017 Mustang GT Premium w/ PP into a car that accelerates faster, handles as well, and looks more exotic than a 2017 Shelby GT350R, all while costing less and without losing its suitability as a daily driver - tough but doable.

While I could be the arbiters of my own success, thereā€™s no glory in that. Instead, Iā€™m asking Matt Farah, real deal and big wheel of ā€œThe Smoking Tireā€, to take this pony out, give it the spurs, and tell Internetland whether he thinks I accomplished my goal or made a Pinto. #FARAHwillBELIEVE #betterTHANaPINTO

Iā€™m calling this project-- bite down on something-- ā€œMach V". V as in Velocity! V as in Value! ā€œVā€ as in Vulva ā€“ yes, this will by my wifeā€™s car once done which is only fair because sheā€™s paying for it. #sheTHEman

ā€˜Machā€™ seemed the perfect moniker. When launched in 1969, the ā€œMach 1ā€ line of Mustangs was performance oriented: intending to offer Shelby-beating acceleration for just a little more than Mustang GT money. For years, it seesawed with the Shelby (and Boss) offerings in terms of performance but always won the value race. That is, it did until falling into the dark ages with the rest of the American auto industry: a near extinction event brought on by acid rain, fuel shortages, and increased foreign competition. The Mach 1 stopped production in 1978 and almost no one cared; after all, we still had disco and velour. #BeeGeesFOREVER

The 80s saw great change and the 90s brought significant improvement in American-made automobiles: Mustangā€™s sales, quality, and performance came roaring back. The Mach 1 badge was resurrected for a limited production stint in 2003/04 to try and increase sales of the soon-to-be-replaced SN95 Fox chassis. The effort was a lot of sizzle and a plate full of steak, helping sales figures and pleasing baby boomers. When the new chassis came out, the Mach 1 badge went back on the shelf in good condition, where it still sits waiting.

That was almost 13 years ago. Itā€™s been rumored that Ford will be releasing a new Mach 1 in 2018 that delivers on itā€™s historical promise better than ever. Of course, that same rumour was floated for 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 201ā€¦
NO MORE WAITING! Iā€™m taking the ā€œMachā€ name and delivering on the Mach promise RIGHT BLOODY NOW (well, in the coming weeks) and the lawyers be damned!


THE DETAILS:

The project aims to increase stock horsepower from an estimated 378 RWHP to 640+, an increase of over 260HP to the wheel. This will be accomplished via Roush Phase 2 supercharger kit, Kooks/Roush 1 7/8 inch free-flowing exhaust system, Lund Racing tune, and functional ram air hood Ć  la Cervini. To effectively transmit all that extra power to the pavement, Iā€™m putting on Vredestein Vorti R tires staggered 265/35/20 in the front and 305/30/20 out back. I know-- I know: Farah is already groaning, ā€œIf itā€™s not square, you are,ā€ but I have my reasons for doing this and am confident it will work. After all, staggered works for the GT350R and thatā€™s what Iā€™m chasing.

To improve handling and performance, the project aims to reduce the car's total gross weight by 50+ pounds and reduce total rotating mass by 100+ pounds. It may not sound like much of a diet but Iā€™m bolting on a lot of stuff that adds weight so ending up with a net reduction isnā€™t easy or cheap, and the reduction in rotating mass is expected to be a big payoff in performance.

Weight reduction will be accomplished by replacing the 15" performance pack Brembos up front with an ultralight 13" street racing kit from Aerospace Components. I intended to put them in the rear too but they don't accommodate the e-brake so it's a no-go. Please understand, it's not that I'm afraid of dying in a fiery crash owed to no backup brakes - though there's a hint of that too - rather, the mod won't pass inspection where I live and I can't afford to have a purely-for-show car. To further cut the fat, I'm installing a carbon fiber driveshaft, larger but lighter Vossen VFS1 wheels, and lighter but stiffer sway bars. I'm replacing the motor mounts and battery and deleting the engine sound tube. If that's not enough, Iā€™ll delete the rear seat and replace the driverā€™s and passengerā€™s seat. If thatā€™s still not enough, Iā€™m feeding an unsuspecting Farah an innocent-looking cocktail of laxatives and water pills at the mixer I assume he hosts the night before every test drive: thatā€™s another 30lbs gone, easy!

To further improve handling, I'll replace the sway bar linkages and various bushings, add an IRS lockout and other suspension stiffeners, replace the shocks and dampers with Roushā€™s 3-way adjustable coilover kit (made by KW), drop the nose and rear 1.75 and 1.5 inches respectively, drop the motor 0.5 inches, and relocate the battery to the trunk.

To be sure, matching the handling characteristics of the GT350R is the most difficult aspect of this project and might not be possible with the current plan. Still, I got a good feeling about this setup. #DREAMERgonnaDREAM

To create a car that is more exotic than a stock GT350R, Iā€™m starting with the lineup's best interior options and most striking (and expensive) color: yellow. I'm adding a new hood, chin spoiler, upper and lower grills, pedestal spoiler, and possibly window louvers and side scoops (if I can get past my disdain for all things faux), all from Cervini. Iā€™m replacing the rear tail lights, rear sidelights, and upgrading the front turn signals. All exterior badging is being skinned, replaced, or modified and the car will have a custom decal scheme. The word Roush will only appear once and that will be under the hood ā€“ my promise to you, Farah. #roushAINTpimpnME

Inside, all lights are being upgraded to LED, the shift knob is going retro, the shifter and e-brake boots are being replaced with leather, and a GT350 steering wheel and start button are being swapped in. Iā€™m putting in billeted aluminium pedals and Iā€™m painting elements of the dashboard pearl white.

To ensure the car can handle the increased stress of the added performance and to improve general drive-ability, Iā€™m upgrading the half shafts, shifter assembly, clutch, flywheel, radiator, thermostat, and a few other tidbits.

I'll post pictures and updates as we go and record any problems that might come up. Feel free to share your thoughts and advice. Most parts have arrived and the build started yesterday!
20161129_190041.jpg
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KazzMANIA

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I will post updates here as the car transforms including pictures, talk a little about any snags, give a total parts list including cost, and solicit advice.

I also have a Facebook project page set up. It has a lot of general information including reviews of the parts I selected and installation procedures from the web. It also introduces some the companies and people that are working on the project. Not sure if we are allowed to post FB page links here or not. Hope so. Here is a link to the Mach V project page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2017MachV/

I also have the project listed on WheelWell.com: https://wheelwell.com/profile/58415f7e4d64c74a039a79a8/vehicles/58415f7e4d64c74a039a79aa/specs/
 
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KazzMANIA

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i dont think you can host pics off facebook and see them here, and taking off the intake manifold is hardly open heart surgery...:p
Actually, taking off the intake manifold is exactly like open heart surgery. "Open heart surgery" does not mean 'opening the heart' - it means opening the body to reveal the heart. If you're going to be a smartass it helps to know something. :D
 

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jpilone

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Might I ask a simple and stupid question: did you do a cost comparison between building this versus buying a GT350 or GT350R?

Not knocking this at all, I'm sure it'll be a killer car when it's done!

I had a 2016 GT and traded up to a GT350, simply because I realized no matter how much time and money I spent, it will never be a GT350.

I didn't see your notes about it, what are you doing for bodywork? changing the front bumper cover and adding a rear spoiler?
 
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KazzMANIA

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Might I ask a simple and stupid question: did you do a cost comparison between building this versus buying a GT350 or GT350R?

Not knocking this at all, I'm sure it'll be a killer car when it's done!

I had a 2016 GT and traded up to a GT350, simply because I realized no matter how much time and money I spent, it will never be a GT350.

I didn't see your notes about it, what are you doing for bodywork? changing the front bumper cover and adding a rear spoiler?
I'm chasing the GT350R and not the 350. The list price of the GT350R is $99,000CAN tax in. I could not find any dealers that would sell it to me for that price. The cheapest I could find for the R was $120,000CAN taxes paid. That is for a fully appointed 2017 GT350R - $21,000 over suggested retail. OUTRAGEOUS!


The GT350 was much more reasonably priced. Fully loaded (again, in yellow) for 2017, suggested retail is $88,000CAN taxes paid. I found several dealers that would do it for net $85,000. I did find a fully loaded 2016 GT350 for $81,000 tax in. Again, not the car I wanted.

The GT Premier loaded except without the adaptive cruise control option cost me $51,000CAN tax in. The cost of all the parts (see list below) is $43,000CAN tax in. So, total cost of project is $94,000CAN tax in, rounding things off to make it easier to discuss. That is about $9k more than the GT350 but $26k less than the R. For my money I am getting a car that will FAR out accelerate the R, corner about as well as the GT350, and should be able to work harder and longer at the track than either of them. It will also have a significantly better looking exterior, better interior, and better sounding exhaust. If I were to take off all the exterior and interior components and just make performance improvements and durability improvements, I would reduce project cost by about $13K meaning car would significantly outperform the GT350 while costing about $4k less and still have much nicer rims and exhaust.

So, my math tells me I'm making a good choice in terms of value. There is an argument to be made that backend resale cost needs to be considered. That argument worked on me when I bought my 2011 Shelby GT500. Sold it with only 30,000 miles on it a few months ago. Shelby dealer offers $27,000CAN firm. Was still under ford warranty! Shopped around and couldnt do much better. So much for shelby's holding their value.

Here is complete list of components costing the $43k - this includes paint and install:

POWER UPGRADES

Roush supercharger phase 2 kit
JLT Oil Separator
BMR motor mounts
Air temp sensor and harness for Lund Racing nTuner (tuner/tune not included in this price - will get after car has 1000 miles on it)
Adler Radiator
TSS oil pump gears
TSS crank sprocket
Innovatorā€™s West harmonic dampner
Reische 170 thermostat


BRAKES

Aerospace Pro Street brake kit with calipers and rotors (front)
Aerospace stainless steel braided brake lines


EXHAUST

Ford Racing X-pipe
Roush axel-back exhaust
Kook's 1-7/8ā€ long tube headers (non-catted)


WHEELS & RUBBER

Vossen VFS1 20x10.5 in the back and 20x9.5 up front
Vredestein Ultra Vorti R tires 305x30R20 front and 265/35R20 rear


EXTERIOR

Cerviniā€™s C-Series upper and lower kit
Cerviniā€™s C-Series chin spoiler
Cerviniā€™s C-Series rear pedestal spoiler
Cerviniā€™s C-Series side scoops (may not install ā€“ I hate faux)
Cerviniā€™s Stalker ram air hood (functional)
Cerniniā€™s window louvers (may not install ā€“ I hate faux)
Raxiom LED Switchback turn signal
Raxiom reverse light LED/ 4th brake ligfht
Modern Billet solid aluminum fuel door
Raxiom Halo tail lights w/ sequencer
Supercharged and Mach V billet badges
Raxiom LED side marker lights


INTERIOR

Ford GT350 steering wheel
Ford GT350 start button
Premium black leather shift boot
Premium black leather e-brake boot
Raxiom interior LED replacement lights
Drake e-brake handle cover
Action Artistry map light button cover
Weathertech Floor Mats (front annd rear)
Billet aluminum performance pedal covers
Billet aluminum pedal Extension


DRIVTRAIN

Barton short throw shifter
Barton reverse lock-out adapter
White ā€˜cue ballā€™ shifter knob
Driveshaft Shop carbon fiber shaft
Driveshaft Shop left and right half-shafts 800RWHP
Roush triple-adjustable stainless steel coilover (made by KW)
McLeod Racing RXT Twin Disc 1000HP clutch
McLeod Racing lightened aluminum flywheel
McLeod Racing hydraulic clutch line
Exedy slave cylinder
Whiteline positive transmission mounting bushing


SUSPENSION

Steeda IRS Subframe Bushing Support System
Steeda Rear Subframe Support Braces IRS Fastback
Steeda IRS Subframe alignment kit
Steeda Extreme G-Track brace
J&M Sport caster/camber plates
SR Performance billet aluminum vertical links
SR Performance bumpsteer kit
SR Performance adjustable rear toe links
Whiteline ā€˜heavy-dutyā€™ adjustable hollow sway kit with links
BMR IRS cradle lock


OTHER

Modern Billet chrome oil cap
Modern billet chrome oil dipstick
Modern Billet chrome windshield washer fluid cap
Modern Billet chrome radiator cap cover
Modern Billet chrome Brake fluid cap cover
Ford Racing coil covers (blue)
Battery Master on/off
Redline tuning hood strut kit
Ford Performance Fastener Kit
Blowfish sound tube delete kit
 
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KazzMANIA

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Car will look very similar to this when done but all black parts (chin spoiler, hood vents, rocker panels, rear lower valance, pedestal spoiler undermount, and roof) and mirrors are high gloss black. Badges are all skinned and car totally redecalled.
Hood2.jpg
 
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jpilone

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sounds good. I'm impressed that you did all the number crunching and justification!

Are you going to do track days with it I hope?
 

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jpilone

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If you didn't get the exhaust yet. I have a quad tip magnaflow competition cat back I am selling, just FYI. I had it on my former 2016 GT for 7 months/6k miles.
 
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KazzMANIA

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jpilone - thanks for the offer. I was just at the dealership yesterday and we started up another similar project car with Roush Phase 1 supercharger, Ford X pipe, longtubes, and roush quad tip active exhaust. On a cold start, wide open exhaust, standing behind the car, I did permanent damage to my ears. Then he gunned it - my lungs collapsed. Engine was cold, I was standing right behind the beast - 20 feet back, and we were in a concrete garage with the door closed. He dialed the active exhaust down to whisper and it was still throaty but completely subdued. My wife is driving this car as her DD from our garage to her garage at her office. It is a concrete bunker with wicked reverb. I got concerned she would get complaints (legitimate) from people she shares the garage with for being too damn loud. Yesterday I decided to swap out the regular roush exhaust for the active so she doesnt get snotty notes on her windshield - or a good old fashioned keying.

As for the track, I'm too old for that. I'll be handing the keys to a couple guys that are into it to get 0-60 and quarter mile times. My goal is to drive it down to LA this spring to let Matt Farah give her the spurs. The last Roush he took out was owned by a professional drifter and Matt basically hated it. This ride addresses most of his concerns and I'd really be interested in hearing what he thinks about the project. He loves the GT350R (and for good reason), but I think the GT can be made to beat the 350R in acceleration and looks and hold its own in handling, all for a lot less money. A man's gotta have a dream.
 

jpilone

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No tracking? That's like paying for a lap dance and saying "no thanks" and letting her keep the money..
 
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KazzMANIA

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HAHAHA! Very true and very sad, all at the same time. Truth is my health isn't great. I don't have the strength or reflexes to be out and given'r on the track. Perhaps it will change and one day I'll be able to stomp it - I hope so. But just because I can't ride well anymore doesn't mean I don't still take pride in breeding a horse that can run like the wind or take pleasure in watching other people make her sweat. Sometime the best we can accomplish is to live vicariously through others.
 

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Nice build. I'd recommend getting Steeda's bumpsteer kit. I had the SR Performance copy and the bearing is garbage compared to Steeda's - held them both in my hand.
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