Advise on Buying a Car?

[SimonomiS]

Everything is wrong here. I will explain:



Mrs. Phobie, you actually THIRDED this motion and



Mr. SimonomiS, you actually FOURTHED this motion because



I SECONDED it.

<world collapses>

But you did not say so.

 

[Higlac]

I'm not doubting the fact that the SS won, it's only 3/10 of a second. However, the fact remains, he's looking for a convertible. The new Mustang has a nice looking convertible option.

EDIT: And also, we don't know if those cars were run with factory options. If they changed the tires to give all the cars a similar advantage, then it could bring the Mustang down. The manufacturer's choice of tires can be a great difference in how it handles.

 

[xcellerate]

I'm not doubting the fact that the SS won, it's only 3/10 of a second. However, the fact remains, he's looking for a convertible. The new Mustang has a nice looking convertible option.

EDIT: And also, we don't know if those cars were run with factory options. If they changed the tires to give all the cars a similar advantage, then it could bring the Mustang down. The manufacturer's choice of tires can be a great difference in how it handles.

well the topic sort of went from, 'help me with a convertible' to 'my mr2 can outrun a mustang' to 'my mustang handles better than most imports.'

and I'm sure all the cars were running factory tires. It doesn't make sense to change the tires because then the car isn't stock.

well an '06 GT has: Pirelli PZero Nero M&S (Ultra High Performance All-Season) 235/55ZR17
and an '06 SS has: Pirelli P6 Four Seasons (High Performance All-Season) 205/50HR17

and according to tirerack the GT's tires are rated at 8.9/10 for dry traction, and the SS's are rated at 7.9/10. I realize that's not very scientific, but I'm just saying that it appears the mustang even has better tires.

 

[Higlac]

well the topic sort of went from, 'help me with a convertible' to 'my mr2 can outrun a mustang' to 'my mustang handles better than most imports.'

and I'm sure all the cars were running factory tires. It doesn't make sense to change the tires because then the car isn't stock.

well an '06 GT has: Pirelli PZero Nero M&S (Ultra High Performance All-Season) 235/55ZR17
and an '06 SS has: Pirelli P6 Four Seasons (High Performance All-Season) 205/50HR17

and according to tirerack the GT's tires are rated at 8.9/10 for dry traction, and the SS's are rated at 7.9/10. I realize that's not very scientific, but I'm just saying that it appears the mustang even has better tires.

If they were changed for that reason, that they were better tires than what was on the other cars, and every tire was changed to a standard performance tire, then that could make a different. Also, the differences in times may be due to other factors besides horsepower. Stopping power could make a huge difference. Lighter cars, such as the cobalt could stop much easier than the heavier ones, allowing for quicker turns.

 

[xcellerate]

If they were changed for that reason, that they were better tires than what was on the other cars, and every tire was changed to a standard performance tire, then that could make a different.

what? All the tires were stock...if car and driver changed every vehicles tires to the same tire, then the cars would not be stock. Of course changing the tires would make a difference, but that's not the point. You could also install porsche brakes on all the cars or have the Ferrari F1 team redesign each cars suspension...these tests are about stock cars not making each car 'even'.

Also, the differences in times may be due to other factors besides horsepower. Stopping power could make a huge difference. Lighter cars, such as the cobalt could stop much easier than the heavier ones, allowing for quicker turns.

Of course the times are due to things like braking...it's around a track; this isn't a drag race. The times have to do EVERYTHING about the car, that's what makes lap times so much more significant than skidpad + 0-60 numbers.

And not to get too technical, but being a lighter car only gives you the POTENTIAL to stop better. For example the veyron weighs in at around 4300lbs (1950kg) yet can stop from 62mph (100kph) in 103ft (31.4m) And the elise which weighs 1975lbs (895kg) stops from 62mph in 114ft 34.7m).

Weird how that works huh?

 

[Vigilante]

wow, this is a very good looking car. like the color on this one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Jazz-realcar.jpg

I like the Camaro sitting next to it more.

Just the drivers.



Bullshit. My Mustang handles better than most camaros and a lot of imports. It's all about how you drive the car, if you spin the tires, get your foot out of it, if it squeals in a corner, don't turn the wheel any more, or slow down.

Toyota MR2 Spyder skidpad test: 0.87
Ford Mustang skidpad test: 0.87

No difference.

What kind of mustang do you have? I'm rocking a '92 GT with a little 5.0 in it. Doesn't handle for shit though...probably because I have it set up for drag racing.

Also...I wouldn't say that the new GT500s handle well. They still have a damn solid rear axle. All they did was stick a 5.4 modular engine in, plop an Eaton on top, put in a T56, and call it a day.

 

[Top Secret]

I like the Camaro sitting next to it more.



What kind of mustang do you have? I'm rocking a '92 GT with a little 5.0 in it. Doesn't handle for shit though...probably because I have it set up for drag racing.

Also...I wouldn't say that the new GT500s handle well. They still have a damn solid rear axle. All they did was stick a 5.4 modular engine in, plop an Eaton on top, put in a T56, and call it a day.

What mods? ET time? MPH? HP? TQ?

Just curious.

 

[Vigilante]

Nothing too fancy. GT40P heads, Trick Flow stage 1 cam (installed straight up), GT40 intake manifold, BBK shorty headers, BBK x pipe, flowmasters, 3.73 gears, full length subframe connectors, etc..

I've only had it on the track once and I had a lot of traction problems, but my best was a 13.8 @ 103. It's definitely a low-13 high-12 second car, just haven't gotten it there. I've never had it dyno'd, but I'd guess 280whp and 300wtq. I've got videos and shit, PM me if you're interested in seeing them...don't want to jack this thread anymore.

 

[Higlac]

Mine is a 1996 V6, cold air, flowmasters. Not much, but it's been wrecked twice now, and I blew a head gasket. Right now I'm having some transmission issues, my dad forgot to disconnect the torque converter when we pulled the motor, so we spilt tranny fluid everywhere. When we dropped the engine back in, we tried to bolt the engine to the bell housing without properly seating the torque converter. We took care of that though. Yesterday, it wouldn't shift out of first, it might just be because we don't have enough fluid back in it or it's just cold outside. I really hope we didn't punch a hole in the tranny pump.

I like the Camaro sitting next to it more.
What kind of mustang do you have? I'm rocking a '92 GT with a little 5.0 in it. Doesn't handle for shit though...probably because I have it set up for drag racing.

Also...I wouldn't say that the new GT500s handle well. They still have a damn solid rear axle. All they did was stick a 5.4 modular engine in, plop an Eaton on top, put in a T56, and call it a day.

It's a fox body, and, yeah the drag makes a difference too.

Nothing too fancy. GT40P heads, Trick Flow stage 1 cam (installed straight up), GT40 intake manifold, BBK shorty headers, BBK x pipe, flowmasters, 3.73 gears, full length subframe connectors, etc..

I've only had it on the track once and I had a lot of traction problems, but my best was a 13.8 @ 103. It's definitely a low-13 high-12 second car, just haven't gotten it there. I've never had it dyno'd, but I'd guess 280whp and 300wtq. I've got videos and shit, PM me if you're interested in seeing them...don't want to jack this thread anymore.

Only 280 with those mods? Didn't the stock engine make 250 anyway?

 

[Vigilante]

Sorry to hear you're having those problems. And no, a stock 5.0 with the absolute craptastic heads and intake manifolds that Ford put on them were rated a 225 flywheel horsepower and 300 flywheel torque. A stock foxbody usually puts down ~190whp. Mine will probably do around 280. That's a decent increase. I'd guestimate it has 330-340 flywheel horsepower. And that's more than enough to be in the 12s.