Hey guys, so I just purchased a 2013 California Special 6R80 automatic. I got my car pretty cheap because it does have some miles on it(130k), and it needs some suspension work, and the tires are pretty much toast as well, which didn't deter me as I knew I pretty much wanted to swap out a lot of the suspension, and go with different wheel/tire combo anyways as I knew I was going to want to do some serious suspension/chassis mods to try to wrangle the weight of the convertible down and improving the handling of the car. Now I know it might sound kinda dumb to start with a convertible, and auto at that especially as I'm really new to motorsports in general and this is obviously not an ideal spec car to try to turn into a canyon carver.
Backstory as to why I'm here is I had base model 2013 V6 in around the 2015-2019 time frame, that I had a few minor mods done to it, basically just aftermarket wheels/tires, ported intake manifold, shorty headers into the stock mid-pipes/cats with a set of mufflers of some sort that was supposed to be for a 07-10 GT500, and a 93 Bama tune which is all I ended up doing with it, and it already had I believe a Ford Racing lowering kit, or some other very mild lowering kit, maybe an inch drop that the original owner put on. In the few years that I had it I took to 2-3 autocross events where I did pretty poorly but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I got rid of it because as much as I truly loved it, I had a chance to drive a 5.0 convertible and I just knew I wanted the coyote motor and the convertible experience, and I was traveling for work and living in the midwest, it just made sense to me to let the V6 go and get a daily so I could have the daily driver and now the drop top that I could have the HP/TQ I wanted from a Coyote, and have it moddied a bit more then I would probably want a daily driven car. So after researching stuff to death, I finally came across this forum and I am seeking some guidance from you guys on how to best approach modding this big fat automatic vert pig.
Again it does have some miles, 130k and counting, but the motor is still strong and trans is shifting good, body isn't perfect but definitely doesn't seem like it was ever wrecked or even knicked up too badly. I had it PPI'd by a Ford dealer, and they called for front upper control arms to be replace, the rear sway bar end links, front pads, and tires/alignment etc, but compression test on the Coyote came back good, and it sounds great, actually not sure if theirs an after market catback, I thought maybe the CS cars had slightly different muffler or something, but from what I can tell from the internet it should be same exhaust as a GT, and the trans is shifting pretty smoothly especially for the year and miles, if/when the trans or motor breaks, I will probably end up beefing up the drive train a bit, and honestly I can see myself keeping this car forever, even with all the dealer said the car needs, it doesn't drive that badly, when I get it up past 75MPH or so is when I feel the front end wobble a bit, and it does bottom outa bit harder then I remember my V6 bottoming out, but that car had less then half the miles this car does and is now 5 years older then my V6 was when I got rid of it. obviously you never know, shiznit happens in life, but I honestly really do like how this car looks with the CS package, and I feel like this could be a car I keep and maybe hand down to my son some day, it just feels right.
With all that preamble out of the way, I basically want to approach the suspension on the car first, as that is the weak point of the car, and I basically want to do a clean sheet with the suspension, I want to take this car to some autocross events, I want also want to retain most of the street ability of it as well, I want to take this car on road trips, I understand you can't have everything but I'm willing too put in the money to get it as close to my ideal as possible. From my research the 3 companies that keep coming up as possibly options are Steeda, BMR and Maximum motorsports. Steeeda seems like they would provide the most OEM like experience, BMR seems like they could be the best for weight savings/bang for the buck and Maximum seems like they are the "you get what you pay for" and you pay more you get more so to speak brand.
I plan on calling up Steeda, BMR and Maximum Motorsports and hear what they all have to say and recommend, If you put a gun to my head right now, based on what little I know, I think I would probably go with Maximum Motorsports Road and Track Grip Box,
https://www.maximummotorsports.com/2011-2014-Mustang-Road-and-Track-Grip-Box-P1443.aspx
and boss 302 front control arms, and probably a BMR K-member and light weight radiator support, and the radiator support brace (maybe down the line even a Boss 302 steering rack?) I know the MM K-member is beefier, and their is some question as to if the BMR k-member is beefy enough, but again the goal here is some autocross and mostly daily driving, I think as long as I get the supporting bracing mods I think it would be sufficient, and the BMR K member drops a good 20lbs of weight.
I mention the Boss 302 stuff as thats pretty much the bench mark for what I hope I can achieve with this car, strictly from handling performance, the stock 5.0 is good for right now, maybe I'll get a tune after I get the suspension figured out, I'm also planning on going with lighter weight wheels, these california special wheels are 31lbs wheels only I believe, I'm eyeing a set on Eneki's an 18x8.5/18x9.5 staggered set that are coming in at like 21LBS wheel only, although after reading some of the Vorshlag S197 track build on Grassroots motorsports, I am reconsidering just going to a bigger square set up, I do like the staggered look, but I could definitely be swayed on that.
The only issue with that is that the MM kit though, is it doesn't come with convertible specific shocks, and I I also understand that this car being a 2013 in 2023 its 10 years old, so I would want to address the bushings, and all the rubber components in the suspension, I basically want to gut the suspension, any suspension components I should be looking to replace I would like to upgrade them where possible over stock obviously, The next thing after suspension is probably finding an economical brake upgrade ( non-brembo car) then the next things on my hit would be aluminum drive shaft, probably a torsen diff, and possibly gears, its a 3.15 in the 6R80, honestly it might seem like a waste but I'm thinking 3.31(maybe 3.55?) would be good, it almost seems not worth but if I'm doing the torsen anyways, I might as well do the gear swap then, plus I'll get the chance to freshen up the diff fluids etc, the stock diff seems to still be putting the 5.0 torque through both tires, then longer term plans might include the 4 point Maximum Motorsport rollbar, then by that point maybe some of the powertrain stuff will start creeping up into sight, IDK I'm really basing this off of what I've read on the other mustang forums, but I come here as you guys seem to be the most technically savy and I would really appreciate any advice or input on any of the mods I've listed, thanks in advance.
Backstory as to why I'm here is I had base model 2013 V6 in around the 2015-2019 time frame, that I had a few minor mods done to it, basically just aftermarket wheels/tires, ported intake manifold, shorty headers into the stock mid-pipes/cats with a set of mufflers of some sort that was supposed to be for a 07-10 GT500, and a 93 Bama tune which is all I ended up doing with it, and it already had I believe a Ford Racing lowering kit, or some other very mild lowering kit, maybe an inch drop that the original owner put on. In the few years that I had it I took to 2-3 autocross events where I did pretty poorly but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I got rid of it because as much as I truly loved it, I had a chance to drive a 5.0 convertible and I just knew I wanted the coyote motor and the convertible experience, and I was traveling for work and living in the midwest, it just made sense to me to let the V6 go and get a daily so I could have the daily driver and now the drop top that I could have the HP/TQ I wanted from a Coyote, and have it moddied a bit more then I would probably want a daily driven car. So after researching stuff to death, I finally came across this forum and I am seeking some guidance from you guys on how to best approach modding this big fat automatic vert pig.
Again it does have some miles, 130k and counting, but the motor is still strong and trans is shifting good, body isn't perfect but definitely doesn't seem like it was ever wrecked or even knicked up too badly. I had it PPI'd by a Ford dealer, and they called for front upper control arms to be replace, the rear sway bar end links, front pads, and tires/alignment etc, but compression test on the Coyote came back good, and it sounds great, actually not sure if theirs an after market catback, I thought maybe the CS cars had slightly different muffler or something, but from what I can tell from the internet it should be same exhaust as a GT, and the trans is shifting pretty smoothly especially for the year and miles, if/when the trans or motor breaks, I will probably end up beefing up the drive train a bit, and honestly I can see myself keeping this car forever, even with all the dealer said the car needs, it doesn't drive that badly, when I get it up past 75MPH or so is when I feel the front end wobble a bit, and it does bottom outa bit harder then I remember my V6 bottoming out, but that car had less then half the miles this car does and is now 5 years older then my V6 was when I got rid of it. obviously you never know, shiznit happens in life, but I honestly really do like how this car looks with the CS package, and I feel like this could be a car I keep and maybe hand down to my son some day, it just feels right.
With all that preamble out of the way, I basically want to approach the suspension on the car first, as that is the weak point of the car, and I basically want to do a clean sheet with the suspension, I want to take this car to some autocross events, I want also want to retain most of the street ability of it as well, I want to take this car on road trips, I understand you can't have everything but I'm willing too put in the money to get it as close to my ideal as possible. From my research the 3 companies that keep coming up as possibly options are Steeda, BMR and Maximum motorsports. Steeeda seems like they would provide the most OEM like experience, BMR seems like they could be the best for weight savings/bang for the buck and Maximum seems like they are the "you get what you pay for" and you pay more you get more so to speak brand.
I plan on calling up Steeda, BMR and Maximum Motorsports and hear what they all have to say and recommend, If you put a gun to my head right now, based on what little I know, I think I would probably go with Maximum Motorsports Road and Track Grip Box,
https://www.maximummotorsports.com/2011-2014-Mustang-Road-and-Track-Grip-Box-P1443.aspx
and boss 302 front control arms, and probably a BMR K-member and light weight radiator support, and the radiator support brace (maybe down the line even a Boss 302 steering rack?) I know the MM K-member is beefier, and their is some question as to if the BMR k-member is beefy enough, but again the goal here is some autocross and mostly daily driving, I think as long as I get the supporting bracing mods I think it would be sufficient, and the BMR K member drops a good 20lbs of weight.
I mention the Boss 302 stuff as thats pretty much the bench mark for what I hope I can achieve with this car, strictly from handling performance, the stock 5.0 is good for right now, maybe I'll get a tune after I get the suspension figured out, I'm also planning on going with lighter weight wheels, these california special wheels are 31lbs wheels only I believe, I'm eyeing a set on Eneki's an 18x8.5/18x9.5 staggered set that are coming in at like 21LBS wheel only, although after reading some of the Vorshlag S197 track build on Grassroots motorsports, I am reconsidering just going to a bigger square set up, I do like the staggered look, but I could definitely be swayed on that.
The only issue with that is that the MM kit though, is it doesn't come with convertible specific shocks, and I I also understand that this car being a 2013 in 2023 its 10 years old, so I would want to address the bushings, and all the rubber components in the suspension, I basically want to gut the suspension, any suspension components I should be looking to replace I would like to upgrade them where possible over stock obviously, The next thing after suspension is probably finding an economical brake upgrade ( non-brembo car) then the next things on my hit would be aluminum drive shaft, probably a torsen diff, and possibly gears, its a 3.15 in the 6R80, honestly it might seem like a waste but I'm thinking 3.31(maybe 3.55?) would be good, it almost seems not worth but if I'm doing the torsen anyways, I might as well do the gear swap then, plus I'll get the chance to freshen up the diff fluids etc, the stock diff seems to still be putting the 5.0 torque through both tires, then longer term plans might include the 4 point Maximum Motorsport rollbar, then by that point maybe some of the powertrain stuff will start creeping up into sight, IDK I'm really basing this off of what I've read on the other mustang forums, but I come here as you guys seem to be the most technically savy and I would really appreciate any advice or input on any of the mods I've listed, thanks in advance.