Thinking of the stang for track car and have some questions

[Ajcjr]

Right now i race a SRF Gen3 and i was thinking of tossing the porsche and picking up a stang for something to bring on track while not racing. My questions are:

Without buying a gt350 (hopefully the normal model can withstand track action)what do you recommend for a car an options.

Are the motors and tranny up for the challenge or do you need major upgrades?

Im all about safety and would like to run harnesses and hans , i saw the brey krause bar and seats, how do they perform?

Does the car need crazy mods for brakes and suspension? Im not worried about motor performance as far as speed, but want to make sure the car stops and turns.

Thanks in advance for the answers!

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[cop on my back]

Clutch won't survive, rest should be ok especially with the performance package.

 

[SteveW]

It's hard to beat the Performance Pack value when it comes to the big Brembo brakes and Torsen diff. All you need is a base GT with that package then add your seats and safety gear.

How well you want it to turn and stick is up to you from there. I would highly recommend at least changing the brake fluid out to a proper track/race quality fluid and think hard about better pads maybe after it's broken in.

19 or certain 18 x 10" wheels fit easy and there's lots of good tires to pick from.

Earlier this year I chased a SRF for a few laps in an instructor training session. That was fun and welcome to the forum!

 

[F0J]

Doing the exact same thing.

*opens up notes*

I'd suggest going with the Performance Package. I regret not doing it myself. You'll replace the wheels with something wider and square but the rest of the kit is worthwhile.

I really like the Recaro seats. If you change the seats to something non OEM I believe that you'll lose driver airbags and have an annoying reminder.

Endurance:

* Engine: there are parts available but I don't know if these are required for a stock engine
* Transmission: holds up
* Clutch: stock is randomly failing so an upgrade is necessary
* Diff: overheats very easily - no clear solution yet though changing the oil or wrapping the exhaust helps until someone builds a worthwhile oil cooler
* Brakes: The stock and PP brakes are pretty good. You'll need to replace the brake lines and the brake fluid - maybe the pads
* Chassis: Better camber plates are almost required. As much as the car handles pretty well in stock form, a little bit of money goes a long way here. Many options.
* Fuel: up to par except on long fast turns, some starvation has been observed
* Engine Oil: does its job though I think that it will be the next thing to sort out after the diff

All-in-all a pretty good deal if you ask me. Huge quality aftermarket.

*edited to add:

There has been some observations of bolts becoming loose when losing control on a road course. To be clear, if the car sees a little off-road abuse, it might be necessary to give the car's bolts a check-over to make sure everything is ok.

 

[GT_Roadcourse_Newb]

It is possible to have a bad experience, just fyi.

 

[Ajcjr]

Thanks for the info

 

[Dirty-EB-Chicago]

Without as much detail nor experience in the mechanical aspects of the car (as I'm not a mechanic) I can honestly say I was blown away driving my 2016 EB auto base on the track in the Chicagoland area. I realize this may be slightly off topic but 2 cents is 2 cents if you don't need it drop it in the beggars cup yknow. The agility of the car alone was bewildering to me considering how mocking I've been towards mustangs handling in past years. I can say without a doubt that before I hit road America in October I need upgraded brakes and fluid, and I'd like to splurg for some better tires (as I'm rocking the goodyear a/s) but on a 22 turn course I was just drilling my car and it never disappointed me besides losing brake feeling after 30 4 mile laps. For the money this thing is an animal, after I'm done modding this thing will be a monster, I'd buy it hand over fist 8 days a week. The handling is superb, and the car I've spend the most track time in is a lotus exits s.

 

[402]

Depending how crazy you are going to get. BUT
I would just get the cheapest GT you can find. You will end up replacing anything and everything that makes up the "track pack" or other packages so no point in wasting that money up front.

 

[c_reber]

Depending how crazy you are going to get. BUT
I would just get the cheapest GT you can find. You will end up replacing anything and everything that makes up the "track pack" or other packages so no point in wasting that money up front.

I think the Performance Pack is worth it if you are planning to track the car. The Brembo brakes, extra cooling, and Torsen diff are worth the extra price. Yes, you'll want to replace the PP dampers.

I did base GT with PP and recaro seats as the only options. Only been on track once, so can't comment on reliability. But my 2013 Mustang was always reliable, and fun, cheap to run.

 

[SteveW]

I think the Performance Pack is worth it if you are planning to track the car. The Brembo brakes, extra cooling, and Torsen diff are worth the extra price. Yes, you'll want to replace the PP dampers.

I did base GT with PP and recaro seats as the only options. Only been on track once, so can't comment on reliability. But my 2013 Mustang was always reliable, and fun, cheap to run.

I'm with you except for the Recaros. IMO, they are too squishy for track work and if you plan to install a cage, harnesses and HANS like the OP, then a proper race seat is the only way to go. I have the Recaros and they are sweet but there's no comparison to a real race seat and harnesses on the track at full boogie.

I say save the money on the Recaro option and put it towards safety

 

[c_reber]

I'm with you except for the Recaros. IMO, they are too squishy for track work and if you plan to install a cage, harnesses and HANS like the OP, then a proper race seat is the only way to go. I have the Recaros and they are sweet but there's no comparison to a real race seat and harnesses on the track at full boogie.

I say save the money on the Recaro option and put it towards safety

:amen:
Good point. They are def not a race seat. And if you are only using this car for track events, save the money on recaros, and buy aftermarket race seats.

 

[2morrow]

If your thinking of buying a track toy I would think about the weight of this vehicle vs. others that your considering.

 

[GTP]

I have been following some pertinent threads on this subject.

I plan to track my car for the first time later this month at Putnam Park Indiana. 1.8 miles, 10 turns. There will be one 20min session each hour, for the whole day.

Will my automatic, non-PP car survive the day? I take a casual attitude to track days, and I would be happy to let the car cool off during a session. I don't plan on pushing brake points, or find the true slide-off limit. I plan to make use of an instructor every minute that one is available.

But if my car won't survive 5 minutes without overheating, or requires 15 minutes to cool off, then I will have truly wasted my money.

I am willing to do a few small things before that day, such as water wetter, exhaust heat wrap, or 110-140 diff fluid, etc. But I don't care to bleed in new brake fluid, nor am I all that excited about changing tranny fluid after the event.

So how about it? Do I try to get away with the easy little things? Or do I need to go in with more extensive preparations?

 

[F0J]

I have been following some pertinent threads on this subject.

I plan to track my car for the first time later this month at Putnam Park Indiana. 1.8 miles, 10 turns. There will be one 20min session each hour, for the whole day.

Will my automatic, non-PP car survive the day? I take a casual attitude to track days, and I would be happy to let the car cool off during a session. I don't plan on pushing brake points, or find the true slide-off limit. I plan to make use of an instructor every minute that one is available.

But if my car won't survive 5 minutes without overheating, or requires 15 minutes to cool off, then I will have truly wasted my money.

I am willing to do a few small things before that day, such as water wetter, exhaust heat wrap, or 110-140 diff fluid, etc. But I don't care to bleed in new brake fluid, nor am I all that excited about changing tranny fluid after the event.

So how about it? Do I try to get away with the easy little things? Or do I need to go in with more extensive preparations?

Stock, I'd keep a close eye on your tires and your brakes. If you're comfortable driving without the chassis nannies, it would be a good idea to turn these off as they can cause heating issues. After the track, I would definitely replace the diff fluid (if not everything else). The car should let you know if it isn't happy.

At a minimum:

* Brake lines
* Brake fluid
* Camber plates

I think the only gauge that's actionable is engine oil pressure: if it changed to anything that isn't "Normal", I'd bail asap and shut her off.

 

[NightmareMoon]

The car in stock trim should hold up pretty well. Accelerating your fluid change intervals (engine, transmission, diff) is recommended so they'll last longer with the added abuse.

Definitely plan on servicing your brakes. Pads should be at greater than 50% life, and your brake fluid should be reasonably fresh. Plan on changing the brake fluid either before or just after the event. Brakes are sort of a big deal since they stop the car and all.

New brake lines? I can't imagine why those would be needed.

Camber plates (or slotted struts) are not mandatory, but they will help stop you from prematurely destroying your tires. Tire wear has a lot to do with driving style and session length, so YMMV. Even with proper camber, you still may roast your factory tires.

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