The Mustang Forum for Track & Racing Enthusiasts

Taking your Mustang to an open track/HPDE event for the first time? Do you race competitively? This forum is for you! Log in to remove most ads.

  • Welcome to the Ford Mustang forum built for owners of the Mustang GT350, BOSS 302, GT500, and all other S550, S197, SN95, Fox Body and older Mustangs set up for open track days, road racing, and/or autocross. Join our forum, interact with others, share your build, and help us strengthen this community!

S550 Honey Badger GT350 Build Build Thread Profile - S550 Mustangs

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

34
22
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Wyoming
Nice! How’d you think they felt compared to the Ford 6 pot?
I've been running AP Racing front brakes (didn't pop for the rears), saving 15lbs per side over OEM, for about 18 months now. Like changing from work boots to running shoes.

Switching back to your dry sump install, please remind me what oil tank you opted for, the 2.5 or the 3 gallon? I'm not going full cage/chassis mods before installing so wondering which size to get. I will be installing the tank where the battery is now (like you and the GT4), but thinking I should go with the 2.5 gallon for easiest fit. Opinion?

Thanks as always Kevin for forging ahead and documenting for us to see.
 
741
1,075
TX
I've been running AP Racing front brakes (didn't pop for the rears), saving 15lbs per side over OEM, for about 18 months now. Like changing from work boots to running shoes.

Switching back to your dry sump install, please remind me what oil tank you opted for, the 2.5 or the 3 gallon? I'm not going full cage/chassis mods before installing so wondering which size to get. I will be installing the tank where the battery is now (like you and the GT4), but thinking I should go with the 2.5 gallon for easiest fit. Opinion?

Thanks as always Kevin for forging ahead and documenting for us to see.
Mine is the 3 gallon https://www.drysumpsolutions.com/product-page/ara1-2-3-gallon-tank

The 2.5 gallon won't be much easier to fit - it's about 1.5in taller, but a little over an inch smaller in diameter. Height is more of an issue than diameter, IME. The 2.3g is the same diameter as my tank, just 16in tall instead of 22. Not sure 2.3 gallon is enough, though.
 
34
22
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Wyoming
Mine is the 3 gallon https://www.drysumpsolutions.com/product-page/ara1-2-3-gallon-tank

The 2.5 gallon won't be much easier to fit - it's about 1.5in taller, but a little over an inch smaller in diameter. Height is more of an issue than diameter, IME. The 2.3g is the same diameter as my tank, just 16in tall instead of 22. Not sure 2.3 gallon is enough, though.
Ok, thanks. About what I thought you might say. More oil is better, especially if the tank fit difference is negligible. So much is negligible until actual fitment happens.
 
741
1,075
TX
34
22
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Wyoming
Go fast parts for the engine are here. New cross plane crank (standard GT500 crank).

L&M Engine intake/exhaust cams for 5.2 CPC conversion. https://lmengines.com/collections/gt350-camshafts/products/gt350-voodoo-w-90-deg-cross-plane-crank

View attachment 86356

Hoping this combo (along with dry sump) can push 550 or so to the wheels fairly easily. We'll see. At least these cams will ensure good power up to 8k.
Big day. How do you make sure to keep the exhaust and intake cams separate? Are they marked or do you mark them?
 
741
1,075
TX
Big day. How do you make sure to keep the exhaust and intake cams separate? Are they marked or do you mark them?
They’re marked. Slightly different part numbers and they’re scratched into the cams themselves
 

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,154
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
741
1,075
TX
what cams are they?
L&M Engine’s cams for a CPC 5.2 liter with VCT. They add a bit of power and extend redline up past 8k. We’ll see when they start to fall off

 

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,154
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
L&M Engine’s cams for a CPC 5.2 liter with VCT. They add a bit of power and extend redline up past 8k. We’ll see when they start to fall off


My bad, I thought I was replying to a different thread.
Somebody was talking about using some cams because thats all they could get in a short lead time and I was wondering what they ended up with.
Anybody remember what thread that was? My God I can't remember anything anymore...
 
Last edited:
741
1,075
TX
Cage is mostly welded - just need to add the gussets that strengthen the a-pillar supports and attached pillar bars to the car body.

IMG_1110.jpg

IMG_1111.jpg

IMG_1112.jpg


Overall, I am pretty happy with how this came out. While I'm no expert welder, I am happy enough with the quality of my work for this round.

IMG_1113.jpgIMG_1115.jpgIMG_1116.jpg

It was a metric - ton of welding. Probably about 8.5 hours into the cage itself so far (not including the game of legos putting it together). So much welding.
 

Fabman

Dances with Racecars
6,519
8,154
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Pleasanton: 1/2 way between Sonoma and Laguna Seca
Cage is mostly welded - just need to add the gussets that strengthen the a-pillar supports and attached pillar bars to the car body.

View attachment 86422

View attachment 86423

View attachment 86424


Overall, I am pretty happy with how this came out. While I'm no expert welder, I am happy enough with the quality of my work for this round.

View attachment 86425View attachment 86426View attachment 86427

It was a metric - ton of welding. Probably about 8.5 hours into the cage itself so far (not including the game of legos putting it together). So much welding.

*Fabman approved.
 
741
1,075
TX
Last night I mostly finished up the last bits of the cage - all the various gussets.

Door bar gussets

DOOR GUSSETS.jpg

Main hoop
BIG TACO GUSSETS.jpg

a-pillar support bars

TACO GUSSETS.jpg


B-pillars
B PILLAR GUSSETS.jpg

A-pillars
A PILLAR GUSSETS.jpg

These all came with the kit, so super easy install. Really impressed with this kit. Also VERY happy to be done with it. ha

Getting much closer to painting time
 
741
1,075
TX
Kevin, how much longer do you think before your car is back on the track?
Realistically, probably this winter (really would love to hit the December event at COTA). But it'll really all be based on how the wiring goes and how in over my head I get with programing the PDM/dash and integrating with ABS/ECU.
 
34
22
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Wyoming
Making it legal for W2W racing
Huge work. I love that you're all in. I know this is for strength, rigidity, safety and reliability. Now that you've demonstrated so much to this, what do you think about the weight (literally, how much mass you are throwing around) of this platform? I mean, it's a bit heavy, but if you have the power, torque and chassis to work it, do you think the only better engineered way for this much track fun is to have an unlimited budget? I'm thinking so. If you have ten million to spend, there's a different category. For a total budget of $100-500K spent over decade for fun, there may be parallels but I doubt better. Thoughts?
 
741
1,075
TX
Huge work. I love that you're all in. I know this is for strength, rigidity, safety and reliability. Now that you've demonstrated so much to this, what do you think about the weight (literally, how much mass you are throwing around) of this platform? I mean, it's a bit heavy, but if you have the power, torque and chassis to work it, do you think the only better engineered way for this much track fun is to have an unlimited budget? I'm thinking so. If you have ten million to spend, there's a different category. For a total budget of $100-500K spent over decade for fun, there may be parallels but I doubt better. Thoughts?

Interesting question and one I think about often given where I'm at with cost. I don't feel qualified to have an educated opinion quite yet as I need to finish the build and see what reliability and performance look like. I can tell you there are some things I've learned -

  1. If I was going to build the ultimate mustang, I'd buy a cheap base GT - I'm not really keeping anything from the Shelby. All cooling/braking/suspension improvements from the Shelby/PP1 have been replaced. Only thing I've kept is the rear diff - and I plan to move to a Winters quick change in the future - so really would have saved a lot starting with the cheapest chassis I could find.
  2. I'd look real hard at a C6 if I was doing it again. Vette has a better starting point IMHO (weight + engine behind the front wheels, etc.) and shops like GSpeed have Vettes really dialed. Tons and tons of parts. And you can make huge NA power with a stroked LS7 with some higher compression pistons. Would be a ton of fun
  3. For over $200k, if I was starting again, I would look real real real real hard at a Porsche Cup Car. A few run at COTA and I'm super envious. They're bullet proof, sound amazing, wicked fast, and really rewarding to drive when you get right.
I'm not at all disappointed with the direction i've gone and it'll be really special to have this fully converted knowing I bought it new, drove it down the coast for my honey moon and then converted it to a Porsche/Vette killer. But it's a lot more expensive than it needed to be ha

Kevin, if the car is ready I would love to chat with you about running Cota in DEC. Would be good the see the badger and run that track.
I really hope I can get it done. I also need to go hit up Road America. I plan to be there next spring - this thing has to be done by then!
 

TMO Supporting Vendors

Top