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My 1995 GT project

17400 Views 116 Replies 17 Participants Last post by  somanycorners
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What started out as my first Mustang [2006] has turned into one hell of a learning experience. I have made mistakes with my engine combo, double [hell, triple] spent on certain items, and even re-purposed the entire project three times. When the original 5.0 developed a rod knock [2008], we replaced it with a simple 306 [2009] in with ported heads and an explorer intake that made 243/298. It served me well for about six months when it lost oil pressure and I parked it. After some decision making, I had a 410w built and thats when things got frusterating. The project sat idle for a few years [2009-2012] and work was only sporadic at best. The paint fell off, parts were stolen, finally got it running [2013] but discovered the valve springs were too soft. That led to the already junk heads being CNC ported, correct valve springs installed, a new intake, and long tube headers being installed. [2014] Along the way, I had even started collecting parts for an IRS swap but then sold the IRS swap for a watts link [2015] and now I'm going with a PHB/HD torque arm combo from Maximum Motorsports. [2016] Wrecked my daily driver '98 GT, sold the 410w and bought a rebuilt 4.6 4V from a wrecked 98 Cobra. The original intent was to make three cars into one. Then I discovered the 4v had a couple of burnt valves and a blown head gasket. Crap. So, I just bought a 2015 F150 for a daily driver. [2017] Collected parts, stripped the '95 to the shell and completely rewired it to '98 specs. [2018] Built the engine with a metric #### ton of help from @lwarrior1016 and have spent the rest of the year "finishing it" but have yet to fire it up.[2019] Finally found the time to get the car squared away. Got it running and finished most every subsystem. [2020] Sold the 4V :ROFLMAO: Swapped in a Coyote and I’m working towards getting it running. [2021] Had it on the dyno and it made 419/393 with the timing flat lining at 22°. Also turned out we had missed a step during the timing process and the RH bank was way off. Also, in the cam controller, i had dip switches in the wrong position and she was running on Gen 1 cam tables. About a month later the block cracked in a hard freeze (16° F) which was not expected in south Louisiana. Spent a few months collecting parts and built a new, 12.5:1 engine with L&M intake cams. She’s rowdy now and has antifreeze flowing through her veins.

Direction? None... Well, I had initially wanted it to stay my daily driver with some 1320 duty. That mindset then started to sway more towards show/street/strip but now I've decided to just keep spinning wrenches and forget titles.


List of installed and pending mods:

2017 F150 5.0 (Gen 2)

  • JE pistons (12.5:1 compression)
  • 2018 Mustang GT intake (ported)
  • FAST 87MM throttle body
  • Lokar throttle cable
  • L&M intake camshafts
  • Gen 2 Mustang exhaust camshafts
  • ARP cam tower bolts
  • ARP cam phaser bolts
  • ARP harmonic balancer bolt
  • MMR tensioner chain flip bracket
  • Mustang timing cover
  • PBH AC compressor bracket
  • IW harmonic balancer
  • S550 200A alternator
  • S550 oil filter adaptor
  • MMR rear coolant crossover
  • Boundary Billet oil pump gears
  • Boundary Billet crank gear
  • MMR piston cooling jet delete
  • Holley HP EFI standalone
  • Holley TiVCT controller

Flex Fuel system

  • Aeromotive AFPR
  • QFS 340 pump in Pro-M hanger
  • 6AN feed/return PTFE stainless braided fuel lines
  • 10 micron filter
  • 47# injectors
  • Continental Flex fuel sensor
  • Powerhouse Racing billet flow through adapter

Exhaust

  • BBK 1 3/4" long tube headers
  • BBK X-pipe 3”
  • Dynomax UltraFlo mufflers 2.5”
  • Flowmaster Foxbody LX tail pipes

Drivetrain:

T56 Magnum
  • QuickTime bellhousing
  • Exedy Twin Disc clutch
  • Stiffler's T56 crossmember
  • Driveshaft Shop aluminum shaft

8.8 rear

  • Eaton Truetrac
  • Yukon 31 spline axles
  • Strange C-Clip eliminators
  • 4.10 gears
  • LPW Ultimate differential cover

Suspension:

  • Maximum Motorsports K member
  • 94/95 Cobra front sway bar
  • MM sway bar relocation
  • MM sway bar bushings
  • MM lowered end links
  • MM forward offset control arms
  • MM caster/camber plates
  • MM MM3 struts (race)
  • MM RA2 shocks (sport)
  • MM coil overs (425/325)
  • MM subframe connectors
  • MM road race control arms
  • MM rear adjustable sway bar
  • MM panhard bar
  • MM heavy duty torque arm
  • MM Race shock mounts

Brakes, wheels and tires:

  • 18x9/18x10 Forgestar F14
  • 275/35/18 Federal 595 RS-Pro
  • Brembo 44/40 calipers (Gen 2 Viper) with Autology brackets
  • 14” GT500 rotors
  • Powerstop red powder coated rear calipers
  • 13” Baer Eradispeed +1 rear rotor kit
  • Powerstop Trackday pads
  • Stiffler’s stainless brake hoses
  • Fine Lines stainless brake lines
  • ABS delete block

Interior:

  • 1998 GT interior (RIP Space Ghost)
  • Mach 1 door panels
  • 99-04 Console
  • dual USB charging port
  • 2000 Cobra R style shift knob
  • leather wrapped Momo Corse steering wheel
  • NRG short hub
  • NRG gen 2 quick release
  • Corbeau Forza Sport drivers seat for autocross days
  • Black 2005 GT seats for street use
  • billet Unicorn head light knob
  • rear seat delete
  • Holley 7" digital dash
  • Holley LED shift light
  • Holley GPS
  • Steinmann Performance cluster
  • dual gauge panel with dual USB connections for Holley ECU/Dash
  • Autometer Cobalt programmable fuel gauge
  • Innovate DLG-1 wideband gauge
  • Alpine CD player
  • Boston Acoustic 6x9’s (doors)
  • Rockford Fosgate 6x8’s (deck)

Exterior:

  • 1997 Cobra hood
  • Aerocatch hood latches
  • vertical, export tail lights
  • Madd Retros projector headlights
  • 4300k HIDs (meh)
  • Cobra front bumper or Saleen front bumper
  • Carbon Fiber T1 wing
  • _slib's flared Carbon fiber fenders

Misc

  • Volvo electric power steering pump
  • Converted to hydroboost brakes
  • Converted power steering hoses to AN hoses
  • 2000 Cobra R steering rack
  • C6 fan controller
  • Champion 3 core radiator

Parts pending installation:

  • Cortex Watts link
  • MM roll bar
  • SLP exhaust tips


Thanks for reading, there is much more to come - Josef



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I'll work on some more recent pictures [it has a god awful black cobra bumper now] but here's a few:







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The singlemost regrettable mistake was blissfully following my ignorance and reworking these heads to only find out later how much of an idiot I am for doing so. Either way, I have no ET or dyno figures to speak of since the latest round of parts but I put four car lengths on my wife's '05 GT that traps 108.

:eeek:
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Is there hope for my combination? I don't want to run 10's at the track but I do want to run 20 minute open track sessions with ease.
I'd dump the valve cover breather and run a factory pcv system.
That's exactly what's planned with the addition of an accumulator.

Get the MAF out of the fenderwell and no bends right before or after the MAF.
I have a card type MAS and its located between the 90's

In the works

How many CC's are the combustion chamber?
58 cc

What is your quench?
Eh??

That combo is begging for a custom cam. I'd discuss your build with Ed Curtis.
Have been talking with Ed about that

I'm not a fan of adjustable fuel regulators. The factory unit is very dependable and supplies all the pressure your engine needs with a proper tune.
Well, it's too late for that. The car actually came with an AFPR.

Your build has great potential in my eyes.
Thanks!! I hope so too
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I just like this picture:


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Oh, in that case the compressed head gasket thickness is .047" if I remember correctly since I used FP 9333
Where are the pistons sitting at tdc? In the hole or out? How far?
Don't recall :(
i have almost an identical story. 302 to a 306 to now a 408 very similiar to yours except carbed. i love mine!
Awesome!! I have been contemplating a switch to carb lately
Are your seats out of a 05-07 GT? I have a red interior car and have been looking to swap to leather seats and wondered how they would fit and wire up.
Yes, they are from an '05 GT but mine are attatched to a manual seat track. I'd imagine it wouldn't be too difficult with wiring schematics for each vehicle to intergrate the S197 stuff into the SN95. Matter of fact, I know someone who has done this and I'll dig up a link.
Weekend punch list:

1] install seat belt receptacles & headlight bulbs - completed
2] visit LaDOTD inspection - complete, passed!
3] adjust toe angle - completed
4] re-arrange strut spacers and install service kit - completed
5] re-install Prochamber - completed
6] wire in wideband and A:F guage
7] drive around to data log

Having an 02 bung welded into my Prochamber today so I can install my Innovate wideband this weekend.


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because racecar (wash?)



personal touch

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For those who wondered WTF the coil over service kit entails:



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Coming soon:

Tune, Maximum Motorsports TA/PHB, coil overs and RA3 Bilsteins/275# springs!
Unicorn headlight switch?

i have only breezed thru most of this post, and not read every detail, but it sounds like you are wanting to auto cross this car? if so i suggest a good 2 core radiator (love my jegs brand) and a aftermarket, adjustable variable speed fan controller, if your tunning software doesn't cover this. add big brakes, and steep gears, and your good to go.

good luck!
Yeah, my buddy dubbed the car "Unicorn" years ago.

While I do plan on some autocross, my goal is to attend HPDE events and eventually compete in NASA TT. With that said, a larger radiator and Setrab oil cooler are on the to-do list. Speaking of brakes, I have a hybrid S197 GT/GT500 14" rotor/Porterfield pad brake setup to install which should help for now. The long term plan calls for a complete Baer brakes setup but I plan to do a cage first. Currently, I have 3.73 gears but plan to switch them to 3.55's with 31 spline axles and a T2R differential. The budget hampers my reach at the moment.

Love the direction you'really taking the suspension. I'll get there eventually

Only thing I see as questionable is the double hook quadrant and adjustable cable. The Ford OEM cable looks and feels better than the aftermarket adjustable that came in my SN95.

As far as the double hook quadrant, I broke an adjustable cable and a Ford cable with the unlabeled triple hook that came in my car. Very frustrating on a daily driver.

Switched to the MM quadrant and there's no random bound up pushes to the floor or odd intermittent cable noises. It's properly radiused, meets the cable at a tangent and rolls nicely.

Steeda may be better than whatever I had, but I'm not a believer in multi-hook quadrants anymore
I've had that Steeda quadrant/cable since 06 and haven't had any issues to mention. I've heard horror stories as well and have considered replacing it but if it ain't broke... I would definitely replace it with MM parts and I've been working on purchasing the entire catalog lately :grin2:
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Nice touch!
Yes!! I had decided to hold off on new purchases for a while but then I ordered a custom billet cam from Ed Curtis. Must say, the specs are much different than the current Trick Flow stage 3 cam.
Damn Son.
Wow.
I know, it's a "hot mess".
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