Snorman

A few months ago, we heard that JDM and MM&FF ran and modded an '05 Mustang GT and came out with some impressive times.
I spoke with Anthony at JDM directly about the car, and he gave me some good info on it. Of course, everybody thought it was lies.
Today, I had an appointment at JDM. Before going there, I stopped at Downs Ford to pick up some intake gaskets. They had the just-on-the-newstand issue of MM&FF on the counter. I grabbed a copy.
The bottom line...
Bone stock, the car went 13.39@102mph on a 1.99 short time.
Their comment was "though the traction control was turned off, it felt as if the car was launched at part throttle."
Bone stock the car made 267rwhp/291rwtq.
Back at JDM, Chris Johnson of SCT used the new Xcalibrator as he "adjusted the drive-by-wire commands by allowing the throttle to remain open during shifts. He increased the timing, added a little fuel..." The car picked up "15 rwhp".
Back at E-town, they went 13.10@105.6mph. They backed it up with a 13.12@106.2 on 1.975 and 2.025 short times.
A week later, the car got a set of 4.30's, underdrive pulleys, Magnaflow mufflers with JDM tips, QA1 rear shocks and a set of Mickey Thompson 17" ET Streets. According to Jim D'Amore, the peak numbers picked up 33rwhp and 25rwtq, with gains of 41rwhp and 37rwtq at 6,000rpm. At E-town, it ran back to back 1.68 short times with a best ET of 12.45@107.92mph. Raceweight was 3,640 with driver.
MM&FF lists the cost of the mods at $2430. I was talking to Jim D'Amore today, and his comment was, "that's a pretty high number" for those mods.
The Xcalibrator can be had with one tune, $350
Magnaflow mufflers with tips, $250
Underdrive pulleys, $190
QA1's, $125 (or Strange 10-ways at $128)
4.30 gears, $190
MT ET Streets, $325
That's $1430 in parts (including tires).
The only real labor need with these parts is mounting/balancing the tires ($15/tire), setting up the gears at around $150 (skill level depending) and maybe welding in the mufflers and tips (~$50). So there's about $250 in labor, for a total still under $1700 including labor.
S.

Z28x

108mph trap is LS1 speeds.

With the tuning for more fuel and a 4.30 rear I can't imagine highway milage is very good, 17mpg highway at best?? I'll stick with the 28mpg LS1 that can also trap 108mph

At least it shows that engine has some potential. I'd like to see how an LS2 GTO would do with the same mods.

Bob Cosby

"Tuning" is at WOT throttle only, and should have no effect on normal gas mileage.

Gearing does not hurt these motors near as much as one might think. My "bolt-on" 99 Cobra had 4.56 gears, and returned 25+ mpg on the highway driving at ~70 mph (~2600 rpm). My F/S class motor did better than that (it was very efficient).

Z28x

"used the new Xcalibrator as he "adjusted the drive-by-wire commands by allowing the throttle to remain open during shifts, He increased the timing, added a little fuel..."

Bob Cosby

Yessir. That fuel is added for WOT. It has zero affect when driving around at part-load, part throttle conditions (ie...highway...unless your run down the highway at WOT all the time).

I have an Xcalibrator. The good friend that sold it to me is an SCT dealer and tuner, and lives just a few miles from me. We just tuned my 04 Cobra Thursday. He also tuned my 99. In other words, I'm at least somewhat familier with what is done - though I will never claim to be an expert.

Snorman

You're guessing. You have no idea what the mileage is when gears and tuning are done. JDM puts out Lightnings with ~650rwhp that get 17mpg (up from 14mpg stock), I doubt this car only gets 17mpg highway.
I wonder. But considering a GT can be had, nicely optioned, for ~8-10k less, the GT is a better bang-for-the-buck.
S.

mgreen

Eh. . . who cares. As previously mentioned, that's stock 1998 LS1 6spd Fbody trapspeed.

Real benefit I see is that you CAN indeed install those gears & a tire, and launch THAT hard. Obviously the 10 bolt in an Fbody will never take that beating, at least in an M6, continuously.

Otherwise, it's really not that impressive.

Mike

MissedShift

Agreed.

Nice to see Ford has caught up though.

94Z28/03mach1

who cares about trap speed,its ET that counts.

smackkk

eh, maybe at the track

actually, i've always been more impresses with higher trap speeds than e.t.'s yes, I know I am in a minority but there are others out there like me.

Z28x

Yes 17mpg was just a guess, I know people that have put in 4.10s and they killed the highway mpg. I also have a friend with an '03 Cobra and a tuner (can't remember the brand) he lost mpg, but gained power and a smoother running engine, so it is a trade off.

The GT is a great bang for the buck, but fully loaded it is only $4000 shy of a fully loaded GTO that has 100 more hourse power. Think GT vs. Cobra

Snorman

That's unusual, because most guys who get a tune get better mileage because the factory programming is pig rich (Cobras). My car was under 11:1 from 3k up. I have no idea what the mileage will be on this modded GT, but 17mpg seems extreme.
That's funny...because I've heard the comparisons of stripped LS1 F-bodies to the loaded '03/'04 Cobras for two years. Now the shoe is on the other foot. A lightly optioned '05 GT can be had for $25,225 in the Deluxe package with an M5. An '05 GTO will be $34,295 with an A4 and $33,690 with an M6. That's at least an $8465 difference.
GTO doesn't quite have 100hp more than the GT. GT's are in the 260-270rwhp range. GTO's are coming in around 330-340rwhp. But still, there is a pretty big difference.

Regardless, I think a very lightly modded '05 GT going 12.4's is impressive.
S.

u8dusst

My stock SS went 13.6@108. 108 MPH for a 12.4 ET is pathetic.

smackkk

Light mods eh. Thats ok, most of my Mustang friends would consider the above bone stock.

94LightningGal

13.6 for 108mph is pathetic.

All the power in the world doesn't mean anything if it doesn't propel you down the road/track.

That said, Snorman, you have to use the "the Mustang will suck no matter what" mentality. When using that mentality, you will realize that the Mustang is always loaded, and at MSRP or above. Also, the GTO can always be purchased by your brothers sisters cousin on your fathers side twice removed, for $26,000.

Also, in the "Mustang sucks" world, the ET means nothing. It is the mph that determines who wins the race.

Of course, if we are talking about any other vehicle, then this no longer applies. Thus, this is why these are the Mustang Rules.