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The new 2011 model V6 Ford Mustang has made a lot of noise, both literally and figuratively – more so than any of the more economical V6 pony cars in history. With it’s 3.7-liter version of the all aluminum 60-degree Duratec V6 pumping out a stout 305 horses and a new six-speed manual transmission, the GT’s little sister isn’t so little anymore. And she’s got a great new upgraded, more intimidating look for 2011 to go along with the performance.

The question on the minds of many thus far has been…how does it stack up against some of the former GT’s? The 2010 GT produced 325 horses; a scant 20 horses more than the new V6. The V6 is a legitimate contender to it, and at a lower price. So the only way to really find out is to line ‘em and let ‘em rip.

Bird-Kultgen Ford, a dealership in Waco, TX, took it upon themselves to match the two cars head-to-head to answer that question. And why not? The outcome could result in some potential sales. In the first race, the GT pulled the V6 hard out of the gate, but the six-speed showed its muscle and pulled to within a car length of the mighty V8. In the second of two races, it was much of the same although the V6 did tighten the gap ever-so slightly.

Clearly the GT is still faster, as expected, but never before has the little V6 been able to tail the V8 so closely. And at a savings of $4,700 and the benefit of an extra 8 miles per gallon, it’s not one to casually stroll past on the dealer lot. But hey, we’re car guys and that throaty V8 sure gets our blood pumping.

Evolution Performance has been particularly upfront about their horsepower and track numbers, garnering a lot of attention to their work on the 2011 GT. We’ve already had several posts on Evolution Performance’s work on the 2011 GT. First was their low 12-second run with basic bolt-on’s, and then a high 11-second pass, then low 11s, and finally ending on 10.80s last week. They have now upped the ante and broke into the 10.50s, and they say she isn’t even done yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwJsmTVN9vY

I called Fred at Evolution Performance to get the low down on their new record from two days ago. He mentioned that some of the upgrades included a lightened interior, slicks instead of radials, and a Eaton TrueTrac differential. The main reason for the new differential was because the stock unit died after their 10.80 passes. The 1.40 60 foots can be mainly accredited to the drop in overall ET, though they did up the jet size to net a 125 shot over the previous 100 shot. They also compression check the motor after each run and so far the 5-liters rings are still holding, despite all the nitrous abuse.

One piece that is surprisingly stock is the clutch. Fred remarked that their were some hot spots and you can smell it a little after a hard nitrous run, but it is still living in comfortably in between the 5-liter and newly equipped 6-speed transmission. Fred feels that with a few more passes that the Evolution team can get the Mustang into the 10.30s. Keep an eye out for the possibility of one more test session this week as they gear up for the NMCA Maple Grove race next weekend. Nothing like seeing a bolt-on showroom fresh Mustang hanging both front tires a foot in the air…

The sport of drifting may have been invented in Japan, but Americans have taken to the sport like a fish to water. Aside from our love of all things tire burning, big American muscle cars may excellent drifting candidates thanks to their rear-wheel drive layout and lots of low-end torque. There are several Ford Mustangs entered in the 2010 Formula Drift championship, including a 2011 model driven by drifter Vaughn Gittin Jr.

This YouTube video, posted by Roush Performance isn’t about Vaughn Gittin Jr. though. Instead, the star if this video is a 2010 Roush 427R Mustang, driven by another drifter, Ali Aljibouri.

The video, which clocks in for just about 46 seconds, is a rather intense 46 seconds of non-stop drifting. Ali, who bills himself as a professional stunt driver, drifter, and test driver on his website, shows some rather impressive skill behind the wheel of this particular Roush. The smoke show never stops during the length of the video. Ali, who test drives for Cooper Tires, was apparently shredding some new Cooper RS3 rubber during this trial.

This isn’t even a 2011 Roush 427R. Rather, this car makes due with last year’s technology, including starting with the base 4.6 liter V8 engine rather than the new-for-2011 5.0 V8. But with a RoushCharger, suspension and exhaust upgrades, and a skilled driver behind the wheel, you’d never know the difference. Still, we think it is about time that Roush dips its toes into the world of drifting.

Dennis MacPherson and his talented crew at DMC Racing have done it again. These guys have made a heck of name for themselves, churning out one awesome race car after another. Their latest handiwork to hit the track is the Outlaw 10.5 ride of northeast racer Jason Enos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKxB6…layer_embedded

Jason’s absolutely beautiful, show quality 1967 Mustang recently rolled out of the DMC shop, where the new 600-plus cubic inch Proline big block Ford was installed, the headers fabricated, the twin 108mm turbochargers mounted, and all the wiring, plumbing, and intercooler tubing set up. Gary Naughton, an accomplished chassis builder in his own right, originally built the car more than three years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmqsP…layer_embedded

Enos and crew, along with the guys at DMC and Steve Petty of Proline, finally got the car out for testing this past weekend with some hits at New England Dragway and the numbers – especially for a brand new combination right off the trailer – were nothing short of exceptional. Things got started with a short 300-foot squirt to shakedown the car. On the second pass, Jason took it out the back door, netting a 6.86 at 214 miles per hour. The third pass was an even quicker – 6.76 at 220. Both of the full passes look to be relatively soft runs and once Jason leans on this thing, he’ll definitely be a player in the quickly reemerging Outlaw 10.5 scene up north.

Said Jason, “His car has been a thorn in my side for a long time and to go out and have a weekend like we did is just bittersweet.”

Just when you had begun to think it was safe to come out and play, Stevie Fast is back!

Jackson’s familiar “Killin Time” orange flamed Fox body Mustang that had become an intimidating sight at any radial race it entered has remained parked thus far in 2010, as Steve has shoed an Outlaw 10.5 Mustang for another car owner. He has, however, parted ways with that team and will have his own car back in action beginning this weekend at Carolina Dragway, much to the dismay of his competitors.

“We’re going back to what we know…back to drag radial racing. That’s kind of where my heart is, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Jackson and crew will run a couple of ORSCA Limited Street races, the ORTC events, and “pretty much anything that pays money in drag radial.” He even relayed his intent to do some quarter mile racing, with the Shakedown in the fall tentatively penciled into the schedule.

“We made a couple quarter mile hits last year with our little motor, and its fast, so we’re looking forward to doing a little quarter mile racing. I’m probably the poorest guy in drag radial, so quarter mile is just hard on my stuff.”

Jackson has a new motor in the works that he hopes to have in the car at some point this season, which if its any improvement in performance over the current power plant – and he wouldn’t be building it if it weren’t – the rest of the class had better watch out.

“We’ll be making a lot more noise once we get this new motor. That’s when the sparks are gonna’ be flying. We’re gonna’ reset the world record. I don’t know if we’ll get it set by the end of this year, but by Donald’s race next February, we’re gonna’ set the world record.” It’s safe to say that a match up between the two drag radial juggernauts of Jackson and David Wolfe is high on the list of anyone that possesses any knowledge of these two combatants, and many were a little disappointed back in March upon learning that Steve wouldn’t be racing the familiar orange rocket. When asked of his thoughts on racing Wolfe, Steve was quick and to the point in his response. “I would love that. I’d love to set up a nice little match race between me and Wolfe.”

Butter up your popcorn folks, the show is about to start!

Replacing all fuel lines and brake lines in my ’95 SN95 3.8L. Will be ordering SS lines from Classic Tube. Fuel lines come in Feed, Return and Vapor kits… Brake lines come in one complete(?) kit – minus hoses. I’ll buy Earl’s or Maximum Motorsports SS Braided hoses for a stiffer pedal, but I’m open to suggestions if you have any. A few ?s…

1. Has anyone used this vendor specifically for an SN95?
2. Does the kit include the braided hose/bent tube assemblies that attach at the tank (duck bill connectors) running up to the plastic/rubber coated lines that connect at and near the fuel filter (duck bill on feed/friction barb on return)?
3. If not, is there a source for these?
4. Or an alternate assembly?
5. Are the lines covered with the gravel guard at appropriate locations?
6. Is anything missing from the kit besides clips?
7. Lastly, do you find any ‘gotchas’ in the process?

Thanks for your time…

Steve

Who doesn’t like a sweet deal on some new parts for their favorite car, the Mustang? We’ll we know we do! Through our normal surfing, we were checking out New Take Off’s web site and found two things to improve the exterior look and function on the S197 Mustang – a Chin Spoiler and a set of Bullitt Wheels.

You can find these deals as well as others from New Take Off, by checking out their website.

First up we saw the chin spoiler. New Take Off is offering this for all 2005-2009 Mustang owners that are looking to add a stronger stance to their car. Designed by Classic Design Concepts, the spoiler highlights the natural lines of the factory bumper and features a textured black surface similar to the type seen on the stock black mirror housings. Though, these can be painted to match your existing body color. We liked it because it installs using factory hardware and a few strips of 3M acrylic bonding tape so you won’t have to hack up your bumper to install it. In this package, NTO includes the entire front bumper with the spoiler already installed! This is perfect for those with a beat up bumper that are looking to replace it with something with more style – and of course V6 owners wanting to upgrade to the GT look. New Take Off has this on sale for $369.99.

Another sweet deal is the set of four chrome Mustang Bullitt wheels. Measuring in at 17”X8”, these five spoke wheels are the same ones equipped on the Bullitt Mustang with the chrome wheel option. That means they can fit all 2005-2010 Mustangs, including V6 models with no modifications. Normally these wheels sell for around $1,600. NTO on the other hand is letting these go for only $799.99, just under half what they normally go for.

But the guys and gals over at New Take Off wanted to kick it up another notch for you Stang TV die-hards. They are offering an additional $100 of the Chrome Billett Wheels, when you purchase the wheel and tire package and use the discount code PowerTV. This deal runs until the end of the month, so move quickly!

Knight Rider, as a television show, sucked. We’re not talking about the 80’s classic with David “The Hoff” Hasselhoff and Gary Colemen and the Trans Am-based K.I.T.T. That show is forever a classic, a tribute to 80’s machismo and science fiction. No, it was the new Knight Rider, with no-name talent and reject writers with no sense of suspense or action or coherent plots. It sucked, and NBC mercifully killed it after just one and a half seasons.

And now you have a chance to own a piece of crappy show history. Mecum Auto Auctions is putting one of the K.I.T.T. Mustangs up for auction, adorned with faux missiles and machine guns.

Pictures: Mecum

There were numerous K.I.T.T.’s made for the television show, from the “Hero” car to the “Attack Mode” car pictured here. As the name suggest, the Attack car was the aggressive version of K.I.T.T., who had many weapons at his disposable including a laser, machine guns, and missles. K.I.T.T. also had many disguises, like an F-150, Transit Connect Van, and even a ’69 Mach 1 Mustang. Of course, this was all in the television series.

The actual car is little more than a tricked out Mustang built by Harold Belker of Cinema Vehicle Services. It does have a side exhaust, much in the way in vehicle adornments, and an odd hood…scoop? We’re not exactly sure what that is on the hood, but this car does have the working Knight Rider light bar. This is one of just two “Attack Mode” cars built, with the other serving duty at Universal Studios in Hollywood. So here is your chance to own a piece of crappy television history!

In that rarefied spectrum of Mustangs which we reverently call “Special Editions” are the most revered, the most significant and possibly the most expensive of all Mustangs in their time. Often, special edition models are used to drive sales when market forces are not cooperating. However, they can also be used to build showroom traffic, even if only the top few percent of customers could afford it.

Photos: Ford Motor Company

The 45-year history of the Mustang has seen many special editions. Some, such as the BOSS 302, are unforgettable, while others, such as the late 70′s MPG and Olympic editions, are eminently forgettable. Following the release of the S197 Mustang in 2004, a number of modern special editions followed. The 2008 Bullitt is likely the most memorable, while several regional special edition models are unlikely to appear in any but the most thorough history books.

Speculation is fun and harmless, but ultimately unfulfilling. Past online discussions in enthusiast forums have long centered on the possibilities and the why’s and why-nots of a BOSS special edition. Trademark issues were raised as a possible deterrent, but the fact is that – usually – when Ford wants something badly enough, they find a way to get it.

For example, in order to use the “MPG” mark in the mid-1970′s, Ford had to license its use from the Maine Potato Growers association.

Recently, things have become more interesting. In time for the Daytona 24-hour race this year, Ford Racing introduced the BOSS 302 race car, designed to compete in the Grand Am GT-class of the Rolex series. That would apparently suggest that is there were any trademark issues with the BOSS name, they have been resolved.

Far more encouraging are the following comments, attributed to Mark Fields, executive vice president, Ford Motor Company, and president, The Americas, at the recent Ford 2010 Dealer Show.

“We did the Bullitt, we did a Mach 1, we did the C/S. I can’t tell you what the next special edition Mustang will be, but I can give you a hint.”

At that point, a 1970 Boss 302 drove across the stage.

Fields quipped, “Is that a subtle enough hint?”

A few years ago, Fields pre-announced the 2008 Mustang Bullitt at an industry event, well before it became available, so this revelation is not without precedent. Certainly, the return of the 5.0-liter engine presents an opportunity to create another collectible modern Mustang. A street legal car could not use the ‘Cammer’ 5.0-liter engine, as it was not designed for emissions compliance.

Now, a new round of speculation can begin about the content and pricing of a new BOSS Mustang. At least, there is now a significant chance for fulfillment.

Tools are an important part of the automotive lifestyle, and I think it is safe to say there is defiantly an unwritten list of “Must Have” tools. These can range from a simple box wrench, to a pneumatic-powered impact gun. With the advancement of technology, video, and more specifically, video cameras, have worked their way into the tool box of some of the top level racers regardless of sport. More and more, we see racers having their car recorded to study how it performs out on the track, just like in the stick and ball world.

But why does the power and usefulness of video have to stop when the car gets off the track? We were checking out Cornwell Tools website and found this full color, high resolution, video scope designed for the automotive industry. Instantly, our minds were flooded with uses for this tool. We came up with a few of the places this would be useful to for our cars, but we also want to know – what could you use this tool for?

Real quick, here is the quick rundown on this tool:
• High resolution auto focus color camera
• 2.5-inch full color viewing monitor
• Video Output
• 10MM shaft diameter
• Fluidproof, flexible Staylok shaft
• High output LED illumination
• Light Source – Dual white LED’s at tip
• Kits include: Scope, batteries, clip-on mirror and magnet, and storage case

Bent Valves?
Yeah, it happens to the best of us. You get a little excited with the RPMs, float the valves, and POW! Piston hits the valve, valve gets bent, and doesn’t seat right in the head. Now, while a simple compression check might be able to tell you which cylinder is the culprit, but could you really tell for sure that it was the valves and not a blown ring? Imagine if you could feed this camera into the spark plug hole and take a look at the valves, all without ever removing the heads!

Worried About Your Eyes?
Sight is an important sense, no disputing that. We imagine that you could even use this camera to see things that you wouldn’t want your eyes exposed to, like inspecting the fuel pickup in your fuel cell without even draining the gas. Really, the uses are endless. This is one tool that is defiantly going to be on our wish list.

Source:
Cornwell Tools
Web: www.cornwelltools.com
Phone: 800-321-8356

Moroso has just released a new Filler Neck for the 2V 4.6 Modular Motor. It features a -16 AN outlet for using a steel braided or similar hose to connect the filler neck to the radiator.

Official Release:

PART NO. 63456 FILLER NECK

• Fits all Ford 4.6, 2-Valve Engines
• Bolts right up in place of the factory radiator neck
• -16 AN Outlet
• Allows the upper radiator hose be replaced with a steel braided reinforced hose.
• Mount is constructed out of billet aluminum and has a black anodized finish
• Includes O-ring for sealing

Contact Information:

Moroso
Web: www.moroso.com
Phone: 203-453-6571

When Ford announced the return of the 5.0 engine for 2011, many Ford fans wept with joy. The 5.0 badge is an icon, first making its appearance in 1979 on the first Fox body Mustangs, though the engine itself was descended from the carbureted 302. But the 5.0 with fuel injection came with 225 horsepower, and it quickly became the car of choice for street racers across the country. So it was only a matter of time before someone compared the classic 5.0 with the 2011 5.0 hitting streets this summer.

Edmunds Inside Line found a relatively stock 1992 5.0 Mustang to compare to a 2011 5.0 Mustang, and the results shouldn’t surprise anyone.

Picture: Edmunds Inside Line

The car Edmunds ran was heavily used, with 190,000 miles on the odometer, a Flowmaster exhaust out back, and larger tires. But it was otherwise identical to the car that came off the showroom back in ’92. Rated at 225 horsepower and 300 ft-lbs of torque, it was a fun, fast car with a huge aftermarket following. Using older comparison data, they found that back in 1992 this car ran a 14.7 quarter mile @ 94 mph, and went from 0-60 mph in 6.3 seconds. In the 600 foot slalom, the car achieved a max speed of 64 mph and .88 lateral g’s.

Impressive stats for an almost twenty year old car, but the new Mustang is much better (and bigger too). The 2011 model is almost ten inches longer (179 inches in 1992 versus 188 in 2011) and 461 pounds heavier. But even with that extra length and heft, the 2011 Mustang GT makes 412 horsepower at 500 rpm more than the old 5.0’s redline. It chases down the quarter mile at 13.0 seconds flat @ 110 mph, and goes from 0-60 mph in just 4.3 seconds. It blitzed through the slalom at 67 mph and achieved .91 lateral g’s.

Both cars have their place in history, but only one can be the better performer. It is good to see just how far the Mustang has come in the past two decades.

There are a lot of choices out there for clutches, whether you’re looking for something as simple as a stock replacement or as complicated as a twin-disc race clutch. Friction materials, hub design, spline count, release pressure, and much more – it’s enough to make your head spin. Add in the fact that some suppliers source their clutch components from all over the world, and you have to be an expert to get it right on the first try. Unless, of course, you take advantage of those who are already experts, like Advanced Clutch Technology. With more than 15 years experience designing and building all kinds of high performance clutches right here in the United States, ACT has what it takes to help you find the right clutch for your application, and to make sure you’re getting power to the ground once it’s installed.

We recently took a tour of their facilities in Lancaster, California, where they make their trademark bright yellow clutches, as well as high performance pressure plates and flywheels. They gave us an inside look at the manufacturing process, as well as the extensive quality control checks they employ to make sure you’re getting the best clutch they can provide.

Clutch covers, powder-coated ACT yellow, await assembly with diaphragms and pressure plates.

ACT clutches are well known in many different forms of racing for their strength and durability. They are perhaps best known for their products in Formula Drift, though, a motorsport that puts a tremendous amount of stress on a car’s clutch. By “kicking” the clutch pedal at high RPM to break the back wheels loose, drifters slide their cars sideways on the edge of control. Smoking tires are expected, but a smoking clutch is a disaster, and instantly applying 500 or more turbocharged horsepower is a brutal test of any clutch.

One factor that separates ACT from many other clutch manufacturers is that ACT makes or machines all of their parts in house. This gives them complete control over their products from start to finish, allowing better-than-OEM levels of quality. They make clutches for just about every brand, import and domestic, and many of their parts are SFI-spec, meaning they are approved for extreme duty in drag racing.

These ductile iron clutch face castings are much stronger and more durable than their OEM counterparts – an important factor when spinning to 7500 RPM or beyond, just inches from the driver’s toes.

A good example are the ductile iron face castings used for their pressure plates. The ‘gray iron’ typically used in factory clutches is weak and brittle compared to ductile iron, and with some ACT clutches rated to withstand 400% more torque than an OEM clutch, it’s easy to see why they’d use the better material. A pressure plate coming apart under stress can ruin your whole day (as well as totaling your car and activating your health care plan) and ACT understands that there’s no way to cut corners on critical components.

Because the work is done in-house, it’s much easier for ACT to quickly produce clutches for new applications or do custom designs.

ACT doesn’t just make their own parts – they design them as well. A good example is their patented diaphragm spring. This critical component not only determines how much clamping pressure is applied to the clutch pack, a key factor in the torque capacity of the clutch; it also has the biggest influence on pedal feel and how much strength it takes to disengage the clutch between gears. It takes careful engineering to balance these competing design criteria, and by handling it all in-house, ACT can produce clutches with tremendous holding power and reasonable pedal forces. Taking it one step further, ACT also does the heat-treating of this component themselves, ensuring that the diaphragm springs have the proper flexibility and strength they need thousands of miles down the road as well as when you first install the clutch kit.

Though some components, like these clutch cover stampings, come in partly finished from other suppliers, all the final machining and assembly work happens in ACT’s Lancaster, California facility, ensuring that every clutch kit that goes out the door is up to the same high standards.

One all the individual parts have been machined, heat treated, powder coated, or heat-treated, they need to be assembled. Assembling the pressure plate is an involved process, made all the more complicated due to ACT’s rigorous quality controls and testing procedures. Each pressure plate is dynamically balanced before meeting up with the clutch disc, which goes through a similar process to ensure the assembly spins without vibration once installed.

A multi-puck clutch disk gets its friction materials riveted to the hub.

ACT’s racing history dates back to the import drag racing scene that flourished in the late Nineties. In response to the turbo fours showing up at the track with far more power than any stock clutch could endure, ACT President and founder Dirk Starksen began producing racing clutches for this niche market, which quickly expanded to include street applications, then domestic RWD cars as well. Today it’s hard to find a vehicle or form of motorsports that isn’t covered in ACT’s extensive product line.

ACT believes in “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” and has a long history of backing successful cars, like Brent Rau’s 7-second Mitsubishi from the heyday of import drag racing.

Starksen thinks of the racetrack as a test bed for his products, as racers will throw everything they can at the clutch until it blows, giving ACT a chance to go back and make an even better product. Almost everybody at ACT is a performance enthusiast or weekend racer, and it shows in the vast amount of knowledge applied in every part of the company, from design to production to customer service.

ACT Founder and President Dirk Starksen knows that racing is the best test of his products.

ACT has found their products being used all over the world in just about every form of four-wheeled sports. What started with import drag racing has branched off into drifting, domestic drag racing, time attack, rally, and even land speed racing at the Bonneville Salt Flats. ACT’s dedication to the racing world doesn’t just make better race cars though. This technology trickles down to the clutches they make for the street as well, especially as cars get ever more powerful straight from the factory. Replacing a clutch is something you don’t want to do any more often than you absolutely have to, and ACT is determined to make sure that you do it with the right parts the first time.

Source:

Advanced Clutch Technology
206 East Ave. K-4
Lancaster, CA, 93535
Web: www.advancedclutch.com
Phone: (661) 940-7555