Greg Weld's 65 Mustang fastback track car

[Sieg]

Nice work Ron, not surprised with the outcome.

[Jr]

I'm sure I missed it, but what size brakes front and rear?

The wheels do complement the car.

[Ron Sutton]

Originally Posted by Sieg

Nice work Ron, not surprised with the outcome.

Thanks Sieg!

[camcojb]

Pretty impressive that on it's first time out with a completely new setup it works so well. Says a lot about the guy who picked the parts.

[SSLance]

I'm not surprised a bit that it was fast off the truck.

I can't wait until Greg has a bit of free time to talk more about how it felt to drive it now.

[Sieg]

Originally Posted by Ron Sutton

Thanks Sieg!

Welcome..........you earned it!

PS - You seriously need a photo/video assistant to document your successes.

GW too!

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by Che70velle

Greg, is the rear window in the mustang lexan? In the photo above, it looks like the top of the window is pulling down? Could be just an illusion...
Car looks great, and I'm glad you chose to work with Ron. Enjoy!

The "R Code" windows for these cars (readily available) don't connect along the top and are purposely "bowed" in... this lets the pressure out of the inside of the cars since they have no side windows and that big back glass/slope catches a lot of air. The shape of the back glass creates a low pressure area just aft of the roof.

Originally Posted by camcojb

Pretty impressive that on it's first time out with a completely new setup it works so well. Says a lot about the guy who picked the parts.

I will continue to ATTEMPT to get people to understand that setting these up is SO MUCH MORE than just the parts being purchased. In fact -- I think that's most likely what I've learned the most lately. Everybody goes out and buys parts.... bolt them on and expect to have this fantastic handling "track/pro touring car". <buzzer> There's just so much more to it --- and we ALL need professional help like a guy can get from Ron Sutton.

Originally Posted by SSLance

I'm not surprised a bit that it was fast off the truck.

I can't wait until Greg has a bit of free time to talk more about how it felt to drive it now.

Lance -- Like you, I'm not surprised one bit by the car - I knew it would be miles better... I didn't expect it to be WORLDS better!

I don't think I can explain in writing what the differences are overall. There were a myriad of little things that weren't working on the old set up. Heim joints that were sticking - bearing frozen up - shocks that were just flat shot. It's easy to fix a couple things and think - AH HA! That's the ticket... or just go buy the newest hot shock... and probably the car would feel better. But when you just start with a clean sheet of paper - the way I let Ron do it.... There's just no description to compare old vs new. Drive a bone stock 69 Camaro - then bolt on all the latest parts - and it's going to feel like OMG better.

Now --- This was a well built track car.... plenty of power - sticky tires - good, but old, parts. Even with the old worn old sticky parts -- I could still get in and drive it pretty well. NOW THEN -- the new stuff works like SILK -- the car is SMOOTH.... GLUED DOWN.... no side stepping -- no porpoising.... no weird clunks... no weird squatting that it did on RH turns that it didn't do on LH turns.

Now -- either turn is identical -- The nose is FLAT - the rear is FLAT... ease into the brakes and the nose just takes a nice set and stays there - and when you release it doesn't snap up suddenly. Punch the gas and it doesn't squat - it just goes... Get off line --- big whoop -- you can turn it inside or you can go wide... it goes exactly where you want to steer it. Go flying over the Crows nest -- I used to have to wait for it to settle... and it did a bit of "yawing" or sashaying around in the off camber RH downhill.... now it goes up and over... compresses nicely - no sashaying... no bobbling around... you just dial in some steering and off we go to the next corner.

Charley used to yell at me for lifting in T8..... and I honestly tried the best I could to stay in it... but it was f'n scary! He'd just run away from me on that section.... This time out - I was WOT from 6 until I made the transition before 9... I was friggin' flying back there. Never could do that before.

Frankly -- there just wasn't a single place where I didn't have 100% confidence to make the car do what I needed it to do. That is the way the Lotus drives! Now I have TWO Lotuses!! I used to describe the Mustang as driving a "pissed off bull".... that description no longer applies. Now it's quick and light and nimble and stable and responsive as hell. I may no longer need the Lotus. It used to be "refreshing" to get into her but now I'd have to ask myself why I'd want to drive the Lotus when I can run the Mustang and be just about as quick.


Here's another "item". Gaetano used to tell me I should run Blue Group -- and I was always "NO WAY!"... those guys are FAST!! Well.... I ran with Blue Group... and not only can I keep up -- I can pass some of them!! I won't run Blue Group... but I know now that I don't have to say NO WAY.

[SSLance]

While on a smaller scale, I can relate to the feeling of going out in a properly setup car after trying to drive it fast improperly setup. It's very confidence inspiring...isn't it?

Congrats... When is the next track day?

[GregWeld]

Originally Posted by DBasher

Great picture. Car looks and sounds better than ever! Thanks for the hospitality and the hook up with Chet, I'm pretty sure I had a good day.

If you've got video of the last session with the Panoz and Porsche I'd love to see it from your view, that was some good racing!


Dan

By far the most fun track session I've ever run. What a hoot. You can only imagine my disappointment when I discovered the "auto start" AiM Smarty Cam (should maybe be called STUPID CAM) didn't auto anything. So no video. I'm bummed because for me - it was epic!

[Sieg]

The best suspension components available are only mediocre when attached to improperly aligned pickup points.......at least that's my perception.