Challenged a Mustang today on the highway

["Turbo-T"]

So I'm driving and 2 cars up ahead of me is a turquoise-green 1994-1998 model Mustang with a V8. I couldn't make out the emblems on the side but I believe it may have been a 4.6 model. The only way I knew it was a V8 was when he took off.

Anyways we get on a 4 lane highway going the same way. He's still a few cars ahead of me. I eventually speed up and get up next to him in the passing lane and he pays no mind to me. So of course I stabbed the pedal and let the turbo sing to him as I pass him by.

Now I'm a few car lengths ahead of him and I keep watching for him in my rear view. He doesn't try to play the "I'll teach you" game. Instead he stays back. This is on a 65 mph highway where everyone does at least 70. So I slow down the 65 to let him catch up.

Now I'm in the cruise lane and he's in the passing lane. Well he gets almost to my rear bumper and I knew he was going to go for it...so I dropped the trans down to 3 (figured I'd knock if I tried to go WOT while still in 4th/lock up) and primed the alky button.

Then I see him start to pass me...WOT...the V8 screaming out the dual pipes "WWHHHAAAA". So I nailed it in 3rd. He did me a thumbs up as he was passing besides me.

It seemed like I stayed about even with the right corner of his rear bumper with a slow gain on him..that is until I manually shifted to 4th...then I passed him like he stood still.

This was also the time we had some cars up ahead 3 or so car lengths.

So what I don't know is if my engine was out of breath until I went to 4th...or if he let off. I do know I was up to about 120 mph when all was said and done.

I wanted to go again just for the hell of it...but there was a turn off road up on the left and that's where he turned off on.

So is it a kill? Maybe...maybe not...but call it what you want, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

:biggrin:

 

[meanchicken]

Unless he was heavily modded, you should have complete crushed him....even if you were bone stock.
The 94-98 Stang GT's could barely break into the low 15's.

You sure your parking brake was released?

Was it a Cobra?

 

["Turbo-T"]

Yeah my parking brake was released. Might be dragging? Car doesn't creep if I take my foot off brake at light w/o gas. But no burning smell either.

No it was not a Cobra. Unless he changed the badges and cladding.

Hard to say what mods he had. I didn't flag him down to ask. Perhaps I should have?

Either way I ended up pulling on him, I just don't know if he lifted or if my car ran out of steam on 3rd gear.

Also too doesn't the outcome of a race while moving on the freeway have too many variables? I mean unlike a drag race from a tree where everyone starts from zero, what if one car happened to have a better top end than the other?

 

[meanchicken]

My guess would be that you were pulling him....your combo sez so

But you should feel third gear in the seat well up to that 120mph speed you reached...I don't think that was holding you back.

I know the newer Stangs have some gear on us. I tangled with a buddy at work awhile back who has a supercharger on his 05 GT. Once we got up to abut 130 (his speedo said so) he started walking away from me. This was before I had the ported heads, intake, roller cam and 6265. I also had my cat in and detuned a tad because I had just gotten it smogged.

He won't come near me now...he's hanging onto his bragging writes as long as he can, but I tole hi next time I catch him at a light, he better be ready cuz I'm gonna crrrrush it.

 

["Turbo-T"]

I've not had the car on the dyno yet to see where it makes it's numbers in terms of power, but the few trips I ran down the 1/4 mile, I was running the stock 3.42 gears out back, along with the 200-4R shifted into D and a 275/50 drag radial...my 1/4 mile trap speeds were 107-109 mph...and about the time I was going to cross I could feel the car begin to run out of steam...so one of those passes I tried shifting to 4th (I know you're not supposed to race in 4th, BUT...) and the car felt like it started going faster.

I don't know a whole lot about the engine (was in the car when I got it) but I did get the cam card with it...the cam card shows the cam was advanced 4 degrees....I know that usually brings the power range down. The car does have a pretty good pull to it.

On the other hand I did once race an LT1 Camaro (posted about it a long time ago) on the same stretch of highway and beat him pretty bad. So it's possible this Mustang had some work done on it.

 

[Anarchy]

well looks like a win to me. i belive you man.... good run though wish i would have bein there to see it...

 

[meanchicken]

Looking at your combo, you shoule be well into the 11's and around 115mph.

Assuming your boost is set up over 20lbs...You might have an issue with your tune....or maybe you're not getting enough fuel up top or the gap on your plugs aint right...I dunno...but it just seems like you should be a lot faster with that combo.

Have you run it by any of the tuner pro's on the board or in your area?

 

[Dabigguy]

I call it a kill !!!!

If your car stopped pulling at higher RPMs, maybe it is due to weakened valve springs or it may have run out of steam due to the 26" tall tire.

 

[meanchicken]

Great point on the tire height.

Using 28" tall tires will make a difference at the top...as SPOOLFOOL2 has put it....the taller tired gives the engine something to lean on at the top....

 

[turboc87gn]

Ive had my car up there as far as freeway speed goes and the gn is the only car besides the vette that will shift back into overdrive with your foot on the floor and it gives you a nice kick in the pants also when it shifts so id say you were puiing on him...

 

["Turbo-T"]

Looking at your combo, you shoule be well into the 11's and around 115mph.

Assuming your boost is set up over 20lbs...You might have an issue with your tune....or maybe you're not getting enough fuel up top or the gap on your plugs aint right...I dunno...but it just seems like you should be a lot faster with that combo.

Have you run it by any of the tuner pro's on the board or in your area?

No I haven't.

The few times I ran the car at the track, it only did a 12.61 in the 1/4 mile. The 60 ft. was a 2.00. But there was no tire spin. Scott (youlikethat) was there, said it sounded like it was boggin off the line. The car does have a D5 converter, I don't know if it's been restalled or not. But what i do know is from a dead stop you punch the pedal it doesn't send the tires up in smoke...it just takes off normally then 2 seconds later once the turbo spools up it hazes the rear tires/they just shreik before hitting 2nd.

I call it a kill !!!!

If your car stopped pulling at higher RPMs, maybe it is due to weakened valve springs or it may have run out of steam due to the 26" tall tire.

Great point on the tire height.

Using 28" tall tires will make a difference at the top...as SPOOLFOOL2 has put it....the taller tired gives the engine something to lean on at the top....

So in other words, you think I'd actually have a higher trap speed if I went from a 26 inch tall tire to a 28 inch tall tire?

 

[Bobs rare 6]

Hey David., FYI. there is a cruise night this Sat. night at 50hwy and 7hwy at gibsons bp gas station!

 

["Turbo-T"]

Thanx Bob. Won't be able to make though. Have to work. :frown:

 

[meanchicken]

So in other words, you think I'd actually have a higher trap speed if I went from a 26 inch tall tire to a 28 inch tall tire?

Yes...it gives you longer legs to run with...:biggrin:
I run around on 275/60/15's. Get a slight rub here and there on the inner fender well, but a little more pressure in the air bags takes care of that.

You definitely need a converter matched to your combo...that'll make a world of difference. Get one for the turbo you want to have long term so that you don't have to do it again later.

Also, if you can bring that 60 foot down to a 1.6, you're gonna knock about 6/10 off your ET. Rule of thumb is that every 0.10 you can shave off on the 60' wiill net you 0.15 in ET.

What amount of boost were you launching with?

 

["Turbo-T"]

I started off with 0 lbs of boost...only ran a 13.30...but I beat a Corvette :biggrin: albeit an early 80's C3 Corvette. (he only ran a 15 something) Then I started upping the boost a few increments at a time. It was the 1st time I had ran the TR down the strip. (but not the 1st time I had raced at a track) At my best I was able to foot brake 7-8 psi. I don't think I could get it to hold more than that with the powermaster brake system.

Since then I've converted to hydroboost so i might be able to hold a few more psi.

So if I got the 60 ft down to 1.6 then I'm looking at a 12 flat.

I understand on the converter deal. Just that I've yet to find a good enough excuse to "break" the car. Although I certainly plan to swap the converter one day when i get up the courage to decommission the car.

 

[meanchicken]

I launched with about 7 psi when I ran my back to back 11.6's at 115. That was with my combo and a TA61 at 22lbs in warm weather. I coulda gone faster with more boost and timing, but....I was happy with my day.

How much boost are you running?

 

["Turbo-T"]

As of now 23 psi. At the time I was racing, 25 psi. Gained 2 psi by switching to a Dutt neck I/C. Turned it back down for the time being.

 

[RJ REYNOLDS]

When I initially installed my TA60 turbo I still had the stock tranny and D5 converter and the car was a pig out of the hole. Spool time could be measured in seconds. Shortly thereafter the tranny started slipping, so when I had it rebuilt I went with a converter that would work with future engine mods. While not necessarily the best converter for daily driving, it turned my car into a monster on the street. Between the converter, running 24 psi with alcohol and drag radials nothing could touch me on the street. I spanked a heavily modded 2004 Cobra one night and the owner was completely in disbelief. Not only had he never heard of a Turbo Buick, he was even more shocked to learn that is was only a V-6

 

[Flaco]

I launched with about 7 psi when I ran my back to back 11.6's at 115. That was with my combo and a TA61 at 22lbs in warm weather. I coulda gone faster with more boost and timing, but....I was happy with my day.

How much boost are you running?

Coulda woulda shoulda....