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boss 302 as a track racing car vs others

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If it is an HPDE toy, the Mustang is plenty capable. My car is mostly stock, but I still feel I haven't been able to utilize the car to its fullest potential yet. It's a lot of car. Stock for stock a C7 will be a better performer, but a good driver in a Boss 302 will be able to hang with an average driver in a C7.

If you like your Boss 302, I say get more seat time with it before deciding you need to upgrade. The solid rear axle really isn't a limitation on track. It is the car show and cars and coffee crowd that blames the solid rear axle for their wrecks when leaving a parking lot in front of an audience.
 
If it is an HPDE toy, the Mustang is plenty capable. My car is mostly stock, but I still feel I haven't been able to utilize the car to its fullest potential yet. It's a lot of car. Stock for stock a C7 will be a better performer, but a good driver in a Boss 302 will be able to hang with an average driver in a C7.

If you like your Boss 302, I say get more seat time with it before deciding you need to upgrade. The solid rear axle really isn't a limitation on track. It is the car show and cars and coffee crowd that blames the solid rear axle for their wrecks when leaving a parking lot in front of an audience.
As to the C&C carnage the real blame rests with stupidity and lack of driving skill. Lethal combo. The stick axle is a convenient scape goat.
 
9
2
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
10-20 Years
Detroit and dallas
I race a 2012 Boss 302 S clone that is very competitive. That being said, a C7 corvette is on another level. One would have to spend a lot of $ on a solid axle mustang to get it close to the handling and braking of
the Corvette.
I know this is a couple years old but I can answer that I mean depends on how well you want to commit I think way to horsepower the mustangs got an edge my 2007 with an automatic transmission weighs 3,185 I don't know why the 2012 Boss weighs more but it does about 200 lb more but that's still lighter than the Camaro and I think the Corvette too I race the 1LE Camaro I have traction issues right now I'm working out but when I say commit I changed the coil springs the boss came with it made a dramatic increase in my handling as they come to you as the boss Mustang in the boss Laguna seca they come to you with a little bit of Street manners you can make them much more aggressive which I've done I can out handle them maybe that's driver I don't know some people go to the Watts link everybody has their way whatever you choose go for it personally I love the boss engine I've got over 500 horse coming out of mine but I built a 5.2 l and I couldn't afford Ford's but I didn't want to afford it so I built my own 5.2 had a company and won't mention that the headboarding took it a little bit farther than what Ford brings it out with I haven't run it yet but it should be around 600 or better horsepower see things like that I call it bringing the boss up to modern times, I only wish I could adapt the magnetic ride suspension to it it is a solid axle car I haven't driven at 5:50 they say they handle better but the boss is pretty incredible for what it is really good as a matter of fact, you can make any car do what you wanted to do to a point Corvette's going to have independent rear suspension so is the Camaro if you're really serious that's something to look at if you're going to race it in the class that it belongs in live axle cars etc it's probably one of the best there is, after long tubes and some tuning 514 horsepower got my torque up into the low 400s and if I hook up I can tear up the 1LE Camaro I raced a stingray Corvette very fast but it was only the 425 or 450 horse for that 2016 I believe I got him 0 to 100 mph the ls is a really good engine it puts down good power, whatever you get in commit to you can transform things into some amazing cars, honestly I'd say choose what you like what makes your heart pound grab it build it don't look back if you want to race it in modern classes though IRS is something to consider I don't race it on the track even though I planned on it when I bought it mine's an all-around hybrid have fun car I don't like to lose and a drag race so horsepower is the name of the game for me but certainly if we get into a back road s curves my car doesn't shy away from that either it's very competitive 2012 Boss Mustang one of the best in 2012 but it's now 2024.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,425
8,356
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Having 2 Boss 302s and 1 Boss 302S I can echo Blacksmith 1's views and the beauty is the car has been around log enough the issues ( not really that many ) are fairly well known and there are many products to address them. With so many Mustangs out there parts are competitively priced and many of the so called concerns are really only based on an owner's change in how he uses the car. One example is all the folks out there who have been convinced they need a new, big brake kit, when often those drivers who use their Boss for an occasional HPDE will get along fine with more aggressive pads, solid fluid and maybe a little ducting. The car is so very competent out of the box, that time has only helped time find some improvements on a very strong package. We use the words , issues, concerns, necessary changes ,etc. when to be frank many items are not necessary for a majority of drivers. It is so cool that the Boss is so well loved and was tracked by a larger
percentage of owners that many other performance cars enabling after market companies to go after upgrades for it and other Mustangs.

Now for those who noted that you should compare the car against its contemporaries ( BMWs, Camaros, etc. ) and not Corvettes, I want to jump in and state I was never beaten by a Corvette in my Class when running with NASA, but I did get passed by one in SCCA as the Boss S was required to run GT1 ---- not reasonable at all for my mildly prepped 302 race car.

I will toss out that since the used car market has dropped quite a bit, folks should also really look into Mach 1, especially if it has the " Handling Package." Like the Boss 302, this track machine has benefitted from the years of track influence engineering on the Boss, GT 350, and GT 500 and it is competitive with very, very few upgrades - most just safety or common sense mods for any vehicle used on the track.
 

Dave_W

Cones - not just for ice cream
986
1,278
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Connecticut
While depreciation hasn't hit the Mach 1 as much as the now-10-year-old Boss, the Mach 1 has a Tremec transmission as opposed the MT-82 in the Boss, and for heavy track work that's a major consideration.

For the S197, the changes to the Boss engine (Roadrunner - it's faster than a Coyote) over the standard GT Coyote are extensive. Some of those changes were implemented in Gen 2/3 Coyotes, and some other changes in the Gen 2/3 were influenced by the Boss engine, but I do not believe all the Roadrunner differences made it into current Coyote production engines.
 

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