Feature
Project Mustang GT vs. Shelby GT500, Part 1
The admiral of the aftermarket meets the Prince of Pony Cars
Ford's 2007 Shelby GT500 is the king of all Mustangs. Its supercharged 5.4-liter V8 makes 500 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque, making the Shelby GT500 the most powerful Mustang that Ford has ever produced, not to mention one of the quickest. Add the six-speed manual transmission, Brembo brakes and huge tires, and the Shelby GT500 reigns as Prince of Pony Cars, Master of Muscle and Duke of the Drag Strip.
Or does it?
With a list price of $41,675, the 2007 Shelby GT500 is far from cheap. In fact, it costs almost $20,000 more than we paid for our long-term 2005 Mustang GT. When you figure in the price surcharge the limited-production Shelby commands from any car dealer, bringing home a GT500 today will set you back more like $75,000. Which got us thinking...
Why not build one of our own? So we did. And we did it on a budget.
We began with our long-term 2005 Mustang project car, long since retired from our test fleet. Then we put together a list of parts and suppliers. Our mission: Build a Mustang that could top the GT500's performance for about $5,000 less than the Shelby's retail price.
In this story we will detail the bits and pieces we bolted to our silver 'Stang, and next week we'll test it against the prince of the pony cars, the 2007 Shelby GT500.
Power mods
We knew that beating the 2007 Shelby GT500 would be a tall order. We began with more engine power, which turned out to be the easy part. Vortech has a centrifugal supercharger for the 2005 (and newer) Mustang GT that claims to bump engine output to 462 hp from 300 hp. The price also fit our budget.
The kit combines a Vortech SQ-Series ("Super Quiet") supercharger, an air-to-water intercooler and an integrated engine control module. Installation is a bolt-on operation that can be performed by a mechanically inclined enthusiast, although we chose to have a shop with skilled personnel install it for us at a cost of about $1,000. The Vortech SQ-Series kit is actually socially responsible, as it comes with a CARB executive order number that makes it emissions-legal in California. It even has a three-year warranty.
At $5,300, the Vortech kit consumed more than half our budget, but it was the only alternative we discovered that could meet our mandate for substantial power at a reasonable price.
A $600 Magnaflow Magnapack cat-back exhaust system with 2.5-inch pipes and round, straight-through mufflers gave our project Mustang a nice growl. Magnaflow also offers a gorgeous crossover pipe and high-flow catalytic converters that would have further reduced back pressure and improved exhaust flow; unfortunately, they didn't fit our budget.
Wheels and tires
The task of improving our Mustang GT's chassis proved to be a much more involved project, since we were after both more tire grip and better handling balance in the corners.
New tires were first on our list. A tire with a racing-type R-compound would be the obvious choice for ultimate grip, but we knew it simply wouldn't cut it in the wear department. We settled on 275/40ZR18 BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDs as an effective compromise. We knew from past experience that these tires can help a competent car push beyond the magic 1.0 g barrier in skid-pad testing and yet would also prove durable enough for street driving. They aren't cheap, however, and the bottom line came to almost $1,000 for the set.
We chose to wrap the BFGs around 18-by-8.5-inch, Axis Reverb hollow-spoke wheels with a 40mm offset. This offset is marginally greater than the 45mm offset of the S197's stock wheels, so it pushes the wheels right to the edge of the Mustang's fenders. Nevertheless, these wheels minimize unsprung weight (each weighs about 21 pounds), and a set of four costs about $1,000.
In the end we finally figured our aftermarket avenger should have every advantage it could get against the Shelby GT500 on the drag strip, so we also mounted a set of 295/35ZR18 BFGoodrich drag radials on a set of wider 18-by-10.5-inch Reverbs.
Suspension
Other important bits were fitted underneath the fenders. Tokico's D-Spec dampers offer excellent features for a reasonable price. These $750 dampers have a knob on the top of each unit so you can adjust both rebound and compression damping. Eibach Pro Kit springs lowered the ride height of our car about an inch. Progress Technology antiroll bars ($478) added more roll stiffness, and the front bar has a three-position adjustment to enable the car's handling balance to be fine-tuned.
Putting the power down on the ground effectively is a big priority for us with this car, so we also swapped the Mustang's stock third link for a piece from Steeda. Its aluminum mounting plates and a urethane bushing help to further reduce windup in the rear axle. Steeda's chromoly rear axle trailing arms also replace the stock units, which are made from stamped steel. With stiffer bushings, less weight and more stiffness than the stock arms, they reduce wheel hop.
Because we planned to drive the Mustang in the real world as well as at the racetrack, we settled on street-friendly Hawk HPS brake pads from Stoptech. The HPS-compound pad withstands heat better than the stock brake pad, yet it's not as abrasive as a full-blown race-specification material, so it wouldn't tear up our stock brake rotors or produce lots of dust. At about $170 for a pair, the Hawk HPS pads offer performance plus price consciousness.
The look
Our Mustang's fat tires and lower stance gave its appearance some new attitude, but we thought a few other aesthetic enhancements would punch up its looks. We decided to start with RK Sport's Ram Air hood, especially since it ducts cool air to the supercharger's open-element filter. Plus, the fiberglass Ram Air hood recalls the hood design used by the 1967 Shelby GT500. Starlite Garage in Torrance, California, painted it flat black and installed hood pins.
To improve the presentation of the rear of our Mustang, we chose a ducktail spoiler from Classic Design Concepts, which also reminded us of the similar piece that the Shelby GT500 used back in the day. We even managed to install it ourselves in about an hour. The Mustang's stock wire antenna met with universal disdain, so we swapped it for a fixed 8-inch antenna from Americanmuscle.com. Finally, Starlite Garage used flat black paint for the fascia panel between the taillights, completing the Shelby look. In total, our aesthetic makeover added up to $1,430 with labor.
Which meant we were out of money, and the interior would remain stock. No fancy seats. No roll cage. Not even a boost gauge. We did, however, spring $200 for a Hurst shifter, because...well, because a bad-ass Mustang needs a Hurst shifter.
Now we hit the track
Lowered, supercharged and painted for battle, our Mustang looks, sounds and feels ready to take on Shelby's best. In Part 2 we'll test the GT's mettle against the Shelby on the drag strip, dyno and road course. Check back next week to see how it shakes out.
Parts Cost:
Sources
Chassis Dyno Services
MD Automotive, Westminster, California
www.markdibella.com
(714) 891-1113
Axis Reverb wheels: 18x8.5, 40mm offset, 5x114 bolt pattern
Axis Wheels
www.axiswheels.com
(562) 906-9898
Magnapack exhaust system
Magnaflow
www.magnaflow.com
(800) 824-8664
Antiroll bars
Progress Technology
www.progressauto.com
(714) 575-1193
Ducktail spoiler
Classic Design Concepts
www.classicdesignconcpets.com
(248) 624-7997
Pro Kit lowering springs
Eibach Springs
www.eibach.com
(800) 507-2338
GTR ram-air hood
RK Sport
www.rksport.com
(800) 214-8030
D-Spec dampers
Tokico Gas Shocks
www.tokicogasshocks.com
(800) 548-2549
BFGoodrich g-Force T/A (275/40R18) and g-Force T/A Drag radials (295/35R18 or 315/30R18)
BFGoodrich Tires
www.bfgoodrichtires.com
(877) 788.8899
Steeda chromoly trailing arms and adjustable third link
Steeda Autosports
www.steeda.com
(954) 960-0774
Vortech high-output supercharger system
Vortech Engineering
www.vortechsuperchargers.com
(805) 247-0226
Hurst shifter
Summit Racing Equipment
www.summitracing.com
(800) 230-3030
8-inch fixed black antenna
American Muscle
Americanmuscle.com
(888) 782-6448
Or does it?
With a list price of $41,675, the 2007 Shelby GT500 is far from cheap. In fact, it costs almost $20,000 more than we paid for our long-term 2005 Mustang GT. When you figure in the price surcharge the limited-production Shelby commands from any car dealer, bringing home a GT500 today will set you back more like $75,000. Which got us thinking...
Why not build one of our own? So we did. And we did it on a budget.
We began with our long-term 2005 Mustang project car, long since retired from our test fleet. Then we put together a list of parts and suppliers. Our mission: Build a Mustang that could top the GT500's performance for about $5,000 less than the Shelby's retail price.
In this story we will detail the bits and pieces we bolted to our silver 'Stang, and next week we'll test it against the prince of the pony cars, the 2007 Shelby GT500.
Power mods
We knew that beating the 2007 Shelby GT500 would be a tall order. We began with more engine power, which turned out to be the easy part. Vortech has a centrifugal supercharger for the 2005 (and newer) Mustang GT that claims to bump engine output to 462 hp from 300 hp. The price also fit our budget.
The kit combines a Vortech SQ-Series ("Super Quiet") supercharger, an air-to-water intercooler and an integrated engine control module. Installation is a bolt-on operation that can be performed by a mechanically inclined enthusiast, although we chose to have a shop with skilled personnel install it for us at a cost of about $1,000. The Vortech SQ-Series kit is actually socially responsible, as it comes with a CARB executive order number that makes it emissions-legal in California. It even has a three-year warranty.
At $5,300, the Vortech kit consumed more than half our budget, but it was the only alternative we discovered that could meet our mandate for substantial power at a reasonable price.
A $600 Magnaflow Magnapack cat-back exhaust system with 2.5-inch pipes and round, straight-through mufflers gave our project Mustang a nice growl. Magnaflow also offers a gorgeous crossover pipe and high-flow catalytic converters that would have further reduced back pressure and improved exhaust flow; unfortunately, they didn't fit our budget.
Wheels and tires
The task of improving our Mustang GT's chassis proved to be a much more involved project, since we were after both more tire grip and better handling balance in the corners.
New tires were first on our list. A tire with a racing-type R-compound would be the obvious choice for ultimate grip, but we knew it simply wouldn't cut it in the wear department. We settled on 275/40ZR18 BFGoodrich g-Force T/A KDs as an effective compromise. We knew from past experience that these tires can help a competent car push beyond the magic 1.0 g barrier in skid-pad testing and yet would also prove durable enough for street driving. They aren't cheap, however, and the bottom line came to almost $1,000 for the set.
We chose to wrap the BFGs around 18-by-8.5-inch, Axis Reverb hollow-spoke wheels with a 40mm offset. This offset is marginally greater than the 45mm offset of the S197's stock wheels, so it pushes the wheels right to the edge of the Mustang's fenders. Nevertheless, these wheels minimize unsprung weight (each weighs about 21 pounds), and a set of four costs about $1,000.
In the end we finally figured our aftermarket avenger should have every advantage it could get against the Shelby GT500 on the drag strip, so we also mounted a set of 295/35ZR18 BFGoodrich drag radials on a set of wider 18-by-10.5-inch Reverbs.
Suspension
Other important bits were fitted underneath the fenders. Tokico's D-Spec dampers offer excellent features for a reasonable price. These $750 dampers have a knob on the top of each unit so you can adjust both rebound and compression damping. Eibach Pro Kit springs lowered the ride height of our car about an inch. Progress Technology antiroll bars ($478) added more roll stiffness, and the front bar has a three-position adjustment to enable the car's handling balance to be fine-tuned.
Putting the power down on the ground effectively is a big priority for us with this car, so we also swapped the Mustang's stock third link for a piece from Steeda. Its aluminum mounting plates and a urethane bushing help to further reduce windup in the rear axle. Steeda's chromoly rear axle trailing arms also replace the stock units, which are made from stamped steel. With stiffer bushings, less weight and more stiffness than the stock arms, they reduce wheel hop.
Because we planned to drive the Mustang in the real world as well as at the racetrack, we settled on street-friendly Hawk HPS brake pads from Stoptech. The HPS-compound pad withstands heat better than the stock brake pad, yet it's not as abrasive as a full-blown race-specification material, so it wouldn't tear up our stock brake rotors or produce lots of dust. At about $170 for a pair, the Hawk HPS pads offer performance plus price consciousness.
The look
Our Mustang's fat tires and lower stance gave its appearance some new attitude, but we thought a few other aesthetic enhancements would punch up its looks. We decided to start with RK Sport's Ram Air hood, especially since it ducts cool air to the supercharger's open-element filter. Plus, the fiberglass Ram Air hood recalls the hood design used by the 1967 Shelby GT500. Starlite Garage in Torrance, California, painted it flat black and installed hood pins.
To improve the presentation of the rear of our Mustang, we chose a ducktail spoiler from Classic Design Concepts, which also reminded us of the similar piece that the Shelby GT500 used back in the day. We even managed to install it ourselves in about an hour. The Mustang's stock wire antenna met with universal disdain, so we swapped it for a fixed 8-inch antenna from Americanmuscle.com. Finally, Starlite Garage used flat black paint for the fascia panel between the taillights, completing the Shelby look. In total, our aesthetic makeover added up to $1,430 with labor.
Which meant we were out of money, and the interior would remain stock. No fancy seats. No roll cage. Not even a boost gauge. We did, however, spring $200 for a Hurst shifter, because...well, because a bad-ass Mustang needs a Hurst shifter.
Now we hit the track
Lowered, supercharged and painted for battle, our Mustang looks, sounds and feels ready to take on Shelby's best. In Part 2 we'll test the GT's mettle against the Shelby on the drag strip, dyno and road course. Check back next week to see how it shakes out.
Parts Cost:
| Part | Cost |
|---|---|
| Blower | $5,305 |
| Antiroll bars | $478 |
| Hood | $700 |
| Rear spoiler | $395 |
| Springs | $210 |
| JDampers | $750 |
| Shifter | $200 |
| Wheels | $1,400 |
| Chromoly trailing arms | $210 |
| Adjustable third link | $125 |
| Brake pads | $170 |
| Tires | $964 |
| Exhaust | $600 |
| Hood pins | $15 |
| Antenna | $20 |
| Labor | |
| Alignment, wheel/tire mounting | $221 |
| Paint/hood pin labor | $300 |
| Supercharger install | $1,000 |
| Total | $13,063 |
Sources
Chassis Dyno Services
MD Automotive, Westminster, California
www.markdibella.com
(714) 891-1113
Axis Reverb wheels: 18x8.5, 40mm offset, 5x114 bolt pattern
Axis Wheels
www.axiswheels.com
(562) 906-9898
Magnapack exhaust system
Magnaflow
www.magnaflow.com
(800) 824-8664
Antiroll bars
Progress Technology
www.progressauto.com
(714) 575-1193
Ducktail spoiler
Classic Design Concepts
www.classicdesignconcpets.com
(248) 624-7997
Pro Kit lowering springs
Eibach Springs
www.eibach.com
(800) 507-2338
GTR ram-air hood
RK Sport
www.rksport.com
(800) 214-8030
D-Spec dampers
Tokico Gas Shocks
www.tokicogasshocks.com
(800) 548-2549
BFGoodrich g-Force T/A (275/40R18) and g-Force T/A Drag radials (295/35R18 or 315/30R18)
BFGoodrich Tires
www.bfgoodrichtires.com
(877) 788.8899
Steeda chromoly trailing arms and adjustable third link
Steeda Autosports
www.steeda.com
(954) 960-0774
Vortech high-output supercharger system
Vortech Engineering
www.vortechsuperchargers.com
(805) 247-0226
Hurst shifter
Summit Racing Equipment
www.summitracing.com
(800) 230-3030
8-inch fixed black antenna
American Muscle
Americanmuscle.com
(888) 782-6448
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