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S197 Kiwi Track Rat's Boss 302 resurrection Build Thread Profile - S197 Mustangs

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118
275
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Auckland, New Zealand
If you end up needing a new rack and will be tracking the car with sticky tires, check out the Ford Performance 302R rack - it's programmed for race tires. It also cures the "nibble" issue on earlier cars with replacement stiffer lower A-arm bushings, but I think by 2013 that was sorted out on the stock rack.
Thanks Dave_W, I was thinking about one of those as that seem like it might be the ultimate solution. I see Capaldi Racing lists them at $1,035 as well.
 
90
178
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Auckland New Zealand
Nearing the end on the rebuild part of this job, we were waiting for a container to arrive with the remaining parts we needed and also the Apex wheels. Container duly arrived a week or two ago but guess what, no parts.......nothing. Crap......parts were MIA in US warehouse.
Fortunately Phil had done a double up order of the electrical stuff from Rock Auto which had arrived via USPS so we figured those electrical bits and issues could be completed.
Anyways I got the car in and bumper off, On the left headlight the LED bars never worked and after some fault tracing it was a broken wire in the harness I'd missed initially due to the crash.
IMG20220212084814.jpg
With that repaired I re pinned the smashed ABS connector with a new one, replaced the broken connector on the cam variator and repaired / fitted the outside air temp sender and wiring.
Re fitted the bumper and fender liners only to receive a call from my shipper that afternoon saying they had found all the parts and we're being flown in, at this point I said ok let's wait till we actually have everything as I'll need to now remove the bumper AGAIN to fit the grille and other parts.......
Couple days later everything arrived including the wheels so bumper off, installed the radiator air guide, grille support and main grille.
IMG20220212102315.jpg
Starting to look like a complete car now, also received the correct radiator top cover this time which fits like a glove.
Glad I waited before doing the camber plates as the Ford springs were in this order as well, both front legs removed to change out the springs and strut mounts.
Changed out the panhard bar for an adjustable one while we were at it.
IMG20220212120105.jpg
 
90
178
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Auckland New Zealand
Unboxed the wheels too, don't know what it is about wheels but it's always exciting to see new stuff. Must be a man thing.
No Euro stuff I work on has 11" wide rims all round, rediculous.
IMG20220212104255.jpg
On Monday I'll finish fitting the rear springs, adjust the parking brake and tie up a few loose ends.
Then new wheels / tires and alignment.
You realize just how isolated NZ is when waiting for this type of stuff, it can literally take months and months to arrive.
Just a couple completed pics as it sits currently.
IMG20220212103900.jpgIMG20220212123445.jpgIMG20220212123439.jpg
 
118
275
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Auckland, New Zealand
Thanks John (Bad Influence) for the update. I've been a bit slack on updates over the summer holidays and with getting back to work. It was great to have the front of the car together and a number of the remaining (minor) issues resolved. In fact putting the grille in and the bumper back on was a real watershed moment for me with the car finally looking like the finished product I had in mind a year or so ago when this all started. I will do the stripes at some stage but that will come after the Southern track tour event in a few weeks.

Speaking of the track tour, due to the delays with shipping impacting our ability to complete the car I haven't really had a shakedown event but I'm going to try and get to a local track day next Sunday. I won't have the wheels and tires done by them so I'll just go with the stock stuff, but it'll be more about just having a bit of a fun and making sure the car hangs together before 3000 road miles and 4 track days over the first few weeks of March.

There's a few things remaining. I've done a number of road miles in it now and I had a random misfire fault code pop up. I think this is likely to be due to changing the clutch and we haven't done a crank relearn. From what I understand this can't be done with FORscan so I need to find someone to do this. I'm also not sure if there is other supporting suspension mods needed when running the T Springs? They only lower the car a small amount so I'm hoping to get away with stock LCAs, etc even if it is a little less than optimum as I';m running out of time to resolve anything like that.

Thanks to BS-1 post on the thread about the lack of ARP wheel studs at the moment I ordered some Curry studs from Speedway Motors and John will modify the hubs and fit those. I then need to get some open ended wheel lugs.

Then there's track tires, initially I was intending to tires buy in the US (as there is a much better selection in 18"s) and ship them over to NZ. But with the shipping issues this idea turned a bit sour (in hindsight I should have got 19" wheels as the selection here of 305 tires in 19" is a bit better). Anyway, I called around here looking for 18" options it quickly became apparent the only tire I can for 18" is the old Falken RT615K+. Which isn't too bad really, from what I hear they are OK and relatively hard wearing for what they are.

Normally 10 out of 10 times I'd be getting the 315s, but with the road driving portion of the event ahead is it better to sacrifice some track performance and get the 295s which are closer in rolling radius to the stock tires and be a bit more cruisy for the road? Anyone have any thoughts? Would I really notice the difference on the highway or should I just man up and get the 315s and live with the slightly increased rpm at road highway speeds?
 
Misfire monitor neutral relearn is available in Forscan for my 2020 drivetrain. Have you hooked up Forscan to see if the service procedure is available for your Boss? Worth a look if you’ve not done so.
 
118
275
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Auckland, New Zealand
Get the 315s , you have a long legs with 5th and 6th so it won't be much of an issue anyway.
Thanks Bill, that's just the nudge I needed. 😎

Misfire monitor neutral relearn is available in Forscan for my 2020 drivetrain. Have you hooked up Forscan to see if the service procedure is available for your Boss? Worth a look if you’ve not done so.

I haven't done that as yet, it was just based on a bit of internet research. I'll download the latest software and check.
 
118
275
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Auckland, New Zealand
I finally got out on track for a little shakedown last Sunday. I didn't have tires or brake pads fitted so this was just for a bit of fun and see how things felt. The day was at a local track, Pukekohe Park Raceway, that I haven't driven at for 10+ years. It's a fairly simple track but is very unforgiving in a few spots if you get it wrong which was playing on my mind a bit. I also almost hit the triple threat (unfamiliar car, unfamiliar track and bad weather) with rain forecast for the day, but in the end it held off and in the end it was sunny and hot.

What a mind bender the first session was! I was pretty apprehensive and didn't have confidence in anything - my driving, the grip levels, the brakes, I tip toed around the track staying out of everyone's way trying to figure out a consistent approach to build upon. The second session I was still cruising around and I started to realise the car was a lot better than my driving and I needed to get my head in the game and put some of the concerns aside. I was still very slow but starting to unlock it.

You guys all drive these things regularly so probably not much of interest here but for me the sense of the momentum was interesting to deal with - the way you kind of let the car settle into it's groove as it shifts weight and then it just sort of does it's thing was a learning exercise. I was expecting to have to wrestle it but it seems stroking it along is the way. Anyway, early days for me - I'm probably doing it all wrong :p

The first afternoon session I took some metphorical "harden up" pills and was getting more confident but the misfire code returned and popped the CEL after a few laps. I hadn't completed the crank relearn (long story). There didn't seem to be any performance implications but I decided to call it a day. All in all I call it a success of sorts. THe things remaining to do are the hubs and longer studs, fit the brakes and fresh fluids. And also the crank relearn (which I can confirm is in Forscan now, apparently it was introduced in version 2.3.42 in Aug 2021)!

A few average pics from the day:
51893605803_7a776a09b8_w.jpg51893856744_bc1cd34c82_w.jpg

51893856544_a437873b4a_w.jpg51893518431_df55edcba6_w.jpg
 
118
275
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Auckland, New Zealand
Congrats Felix that’s huge, at least symbolically!
Thanks Scoots, yes very much a symbolic success! I'm really looking forward top getting more seat time and building confidence with the car - it's going to be a lot of fun!

One thing a few people commented on was that it was the best sounding car on the day - so at least I won that category! :D
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,425
8,352
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
So cool , and we all have to remember you are driving on the wrong side of the car for you , so initial perceptions are even a little odd even if you had driven another Mustang prior. You will get used to it and I think all of us would have taken a bit of caution with a new car and one that had just been put back together. If you won the award for best sounding car I bet they will flip out when you get used to it and are screaming around the track at full song?! Congrats !!
 
118
275
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Auckland, New Zealand
So cool , and we all have to remember you are driving on the wrong side of the car for you , so initial perceptions are even a little odd even if you had driven another Mustang prior. You will get used to it and I think all of us would have taken a bit of caution with a new car and one that had just been put back together. If you won the award for best sounding car I bet they will flip out when you get used to it and are screaming around the track at full song?! Congrats !!
Thanks Bill, absolutely correct - the last thing I wanted to do was send the car home on truck and start the process all over again! I am a bit fortunate with left hand drive cars as my 944 is also LHD (European spec car imported from Japan). On track I don't really notice the difference (RHD or LHD) once you are settled in to the sight lines. Adjusting to the overall size of the Mustang however (on the road especially) has been more of a learning curve.
Awesome job!!!!
good luck with the car, I imagine it gets noticed a lot.
Yessir, a bright yellow Mustang tends to stand out in NZ
 
118
275
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Auckland, New Zealand
Well, after all that work and prep aiming at the Track Tour I caught Covid and couldn't go. The Omicron wave is washing through NZ at the moment and unfortunately it came home with one of my kids a few days before I was set to leave. Looking at the positives at least I saved a bunch of money by not going on a 3000 mile, 4x track day event and life was (briefly at least) somewhat less stressful.

I consoled myself with some time on the computer ordering a few things that I was holding off on until after the tour. Mainly the stripe kit which will hopefully arrive next week and a new hub to install the Currie 3" studs. John (Bad Influence) has already completed one hub for me using a spare new hub I already had as time was tight the plan had been to use one of the current hubs for the other side, but now without that time pressure I figured may as well get another new one so both sides have new hubs on them.

Anyway, here is a pic from the event organisers Facebook page from Pukekohe a few weeks ago. I quite like this shot.
51922106367_4b51606f60_w.jpg
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
8,425
8,352
Exp. Type
Time Attack
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Blair, Nebraska
Sure it will be the first of many track shots and I bet there are many folks there that got their own shots of the SBY Boss. Since you already got best sounding machine at the track , now you have best looking Ford to add, and just think about all the commotion you will cause when she is all striped out in her dancing clothes.

Sorry to hear your got Covid and hope you are doing well now?
 
90
178
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
5-10 Years
Auckland New Zealand
Here's a lesson why you shouldn't try to short cut things, had the extended studs to fit to the hubs and as such the holes need opening up some for a press fit of the new studs.
Thought I'd do this the quick way since only a little material needed removing I held on to the hub while drilling. First hole went ok so I thought I'd get away with it but that didn't last.
The drill bit grabbed and pulled the hub out of my hand, bending the drill bit in the process.
Don't know why I tried holding on to it as my big drill press is pretty much unstoppable when it grabs.
Anyway, hurt my wrist and in hindsight that was really dumb. Hindsight is such a wonderful thing.
Bolting it down while drilling is much safer. Takes longer but definitely safer.IMG20220222124028.jpg
All studs pressed in they are ready for the car.IMG20220222114947.jpg
 
118
275
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
20+ Years
Auckland, New Zealand
I headed back to John's shop today to get the hubs fitted and finally put the Apex wheels and 315s on. We also fitted the Pagid brake pads, new rear rotors and (with the difficulty in finding front rotors locally) I had the current front ones machined as they were still well within spec. I'm still mulling over piecing together the S550 6 pot upgrade, but I feel like this will be fine for the moment for what I want. We also changed out the diff and gearbox fluids to refresh all that stuff, to be fair it all looked pretty clean coming out so it seems the car had been well looked after but good to know it's all been done.

Here's a few pics, nothing ground breaking as I'm sure most of y'all see this stuff all the time :p

Meaty meats!
51894567530_c9b68edb3d_z.jpg

Rears done, DBA rotors here with Pagid RSL1s
52034131937_8c91d98a5a_z.jpg

Front hubs on with the Blacksheep-1 Currie stud upgrade, these worked out really well. I forgot to get a pic of them finished with rotor and caliper back on. I'm running Pagid RST3s on the front. Plenty of bite when I did the road test and bed in procedure, time will tell how they go on track.
52035219248_0038e5f0c8_z.jpg

Fronts poking out, alignment with much negative camber to come!
52035171961_bc0e360fb2_z.jpg

And finally how she sat last week versus today
52029946128_410cdf7b77_z.jpg52035171986_86624421a0_z.jpg

I'm excited to see how this goes on track, there has been a real lack of events but we are looking at attending on on the 4th of June at Bruce McLaren circuit in Taupo. It'll be on the National Circuit format but this track is a lot of fun.

Also after some internal debate I have decided to paint the remainder of the car, the colour match is good but in certain lights you can see the difference between the old and new paint. We went and saw the painter a week or so ago and he offered a price to complete those panels that I couldn't turn down and I think overall it'll do justice to the car. I'll then put the stripe kit on. That should happen in the next few months.
 

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