What did you do to your Aussie S550 today..

[KermiStang]

Hi ladies and gents. Haven't posted in a while but if your going to post it might as well be worthwhile right.

Install commenced yesterday of ARH long tube headers (Green Cats), QA1 carbon fibre drive shaft and harrop cooler kit. Install is being done in my garrage by Carbon auto Haus.

(Many) pics to follow

Sweet!

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[GT 550]

Who's tuning it Paul? IIRC AWE Touring system?

 

[Bagration]

I will be interested to know how your tail shaft goes Paul. Ford put a new one in mine because of an unbalance at around 80klm/hr. There was still a vibration with the new one but most of it was removed when they rotated the mounting 180 degrees. They say that how the shafts behave is different from car to car.

You and me both :-) I'll keep you posted once I fire up the car and get first impressions

 

[Bagration]

Who's tuning it Paul? IIRC AWE Touring system?

So yes I'm running the AWE touring system (been in the car now for 2 and a bit years - beautiful system/sound can't speak highly enough about it). The car should not (according to the specs from American Speed) require a tune/should avoid the dreaded Check Engine Light. On the assumption that that is not correct I will be getting the folks at Dynotune in Hume to do the tune.

 

[Bagration]

Some Pics for you all

 

[GT 550]

Yes I'm running AWE Touring also and can't rate it highly enough. Re tune I was just thinking that from a performance perspective you might want to get it tuned.

 

[Bagration]

Yes I'm running AWE Touring also and can't rate it highly enough. Re tune I was just thinking that from a performance perspective you might want to get it tuned.

Short answer - absolutely - but I'm just not sure of the direction. A lot of the mods that I have picked have been about getting the car to breathe better and make as much use of the available horse power - and as a daily driver get some incremental improvement in fuel economy etc. I'll need to have a think about the direction.

 

[Bagration]

And done. More Pics and thoughts are as follows:

So a fair few points about the install

• The install was done on jack stands. Note that I didn't do the installs but throughout the course of coffee and chocolate supply, had there been a lift that Shaun could have used that would have been very (very) helpful.
• The install(s) in elapsed time was 12 hours - so this is a full weekend of effort remembering that Shaun is an ex Tickford spanner man who does brilliant work and does it day in day out.
• For those playing along at home it was:
  • 1 and three quarter inch long tube headers from American Racing Headers via American Speed - part number/kit number MTRHD15134300DCGC.
  • Harrop cooling kit
  • Carbon Fibre Drive shaft from QA1
  • DCI heat shielding
  • Steeda Clutch pedal spring
• The headers were described as awesome quality but irritating to instal due to clearance issues to get access to bolts and fasteners together with a positive over engineering and positioning (I'm not complaining) which might not exist on other brands of aftermarket headers.
• The claim about not requiring a tune is seemingly correct. The car did not throw a check engine light and after a spirited run this afternoon I can confirm it still doesn't. I can't speak for the ARH high flow cats because this kit comes with kooks style green cats.
• The Harrop kit is stunningly beautiful from an engineering standpoint. BUT At instal Harrop assumed that everyone did not change out the lower grill for the American one (like I did) and so there was some added mucking around (I'm paraphrasing now...) to make sure everything was run correctly. Additional oil was 1.25 litres. Can't recall but I think it was equivalent for coolant.
• The drive shaft is a work of art. Period. There is no vibration and no additional noise that I can detect. I can't speak highly enough of this upgrade.
• The clutch pedal spring is a mod that everyone should do or get done in a 2015-17 car. So much nicer for us manual drivers.
• To the driving and the tone. The exhaust was already a rumble that was (to my ear anyway) beautiful. The change out of headers has slightly deepened the tone and given the beast a crisp aggressive bark on change up and down and on start up. Is it louder. Yes. But in cruise mode it is quieter. The cabin note is very nice and continues to have no drone.
• I can't recommend Shaun at Carbon autohaus highly enough. Simply brilliant. Period.
• Happy camper indeed.

 

[Zacaxel]

And done. More Pics and thoughts are as follows:

Awesome, would love to hear a sound clip now with the headers done.
Do you have FI or is it NA?

 

[Bagration]

Car is a stock NA GT. I'll get a sound file up and running shortly.

 

[GT 550]

That's great Paul, thanks for the feedback too. IMHO 12 hours would seem to be excellent for all that, no doubt he's done a few. Very interested/relieved to hear it's quieter at cruise did you notice any performance difference?

Glad you said it was done on jack stands, that photo of the rear looks SCARY!

 

[Bagration]

Awesome, would love to hear a sound clip now with the headers done.
Do you have FI or is it NA?

That's great Paul, thanks for the feedback too. IMHO 12 hours would seem to be excellent for all that, no doubt he's done a few. Very interested/relieved to hear it's quieter at cruise did you notice any performance difference?

Glad you said it was done on jack stands, that photo of the rear looks SCARY!

So the jack stands at the back are 2000 kg a piece and there is an additional centre line trolley jack at the rear you can't see in the pic. Same as at the front where Shaun is working. The 'quieter at cruise' was something that Fred at American speed had talked about when I was looking at the headers. I do expect that on a cold Canberra winter the cold start will be something to hear. And I don't care :-)

Next up for me is sound proofing/insulation anyway to replace the sub par proofing that comes as stock (a few others have had that done) together with a speaker upgrade and sub woofer. I have Shaun booked in for the second half of the year to light up the tri-bars and he is talking me into having the callipers painted. Then I think I am done.

As for performance it seems too be more 'urgent' lower in the rev range - which is nice. I have also found that I am better able to find the 'bite point' of the clutch with the different pressure spring which also helps.

In the meantime anybody want about 20 kg (plus) of surplus deadweight in the form of factory headers and tail shaft?

 

[DFB5.0]

Because...they may not have dumped in your location and put dirt on the car, and then you wouldn't have to detail it ?

Well, I still washed it anyway!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Well, I still washed it anyway!

Is it true you bought a blue car and you've worn it down to the red primer?

 

[DFB5.0]

Is it true you bought a blue car and you've worn it down to the red primer?

Maybe....................................................

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