GOAL: 12.999 on stock motor 5.0 and AOD. Possible?

90mustangGT

I felt sorry for girls because
Founding Member
Jan 15, 2002
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Dallas, GA
My 88GT is currently running a 8.8 @ 83mph in the 1/8th which calculates to a 13.8 at 103mph in the 1/4 at a bad track at 900ft elevation. People there say they run .2 faster at better tracks. I ran it on radial 225/60R15 tires which gave me horrible 2.0-2.1 60ft time. I had to launch from idle. The engine on my car is stock from the airbox to the oil pan to the stock headers/manifolds. It has an AOD that is a Ford factory rebuild. Some things have been taken off the engine but no hard parts have been replaced unless of course you want to consider the 180*F t-stat a hard part. My goal is to get a 12.9 in the 1/4 without replacing the TB, intake, heads, shortblock, or even exhaust manifolds. I have a edelbrock intake and a manual trans for it, but I want to get it there before doing that.

Added a electric fan and a 180*F t-stat. Deleted the P/S, smog, clutchfan, and the A/C and it has underdrives.

A LOT of weight reduction (HVAC, back seats, bumper cores, LX conversion ect) and the battery in the trunk. I have suspension and a 3.73 gear.

I have a set of ET Streets. I am thinking that if I could tag a 1.7 60ft, I would be close. I doubt a 1.6 could be possible with a stock AOD. I don't want to "gut" the car. I might take the passenger seat out for the race if I'm close.

So has anyone ever done this? Anyone known of someone who's done this? Any tips?
 
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My 1/8 was 8.65 @ 83.65 which is only slightly faster than yours so I reckon your corrected 1/4 is actually 13.6 @ 104.2. A shift kit and a higher rpm stall converter should get you close to your goal.
 
Thanks for the replies.

My 1/8 was 8.65 @ 83.65 which is only slightly faster than yours so I reckon your corrected 1/4 is actually 13.6 @ 104.2. A shift kit and a higher rpm stall converter should get you close to your goal.

I don't want to do anything to the auto. I'd rather just put in the TKO500 I have. Good idea though.

Take off the sway bar... Get drag shocks and good control arms...

Done. HPM Megabites upper and lower, Lakewood 90/10's front and 50/50 rear. No front swaybar.

What's the base timing at

15* on 93 octane.

I've heard of stock motor stick shift cars getting into the 12s, but never an AOD. You do the 1-2-1 shift?

Never tried the that. I might try that next time.

I also have a GMS front K-member, just not on the car. I already have the front coil overs on but not the right springs. I'd like to do an electric waterpump but just don't have the funds. Funds is part of why I'm trying to do this. Mortgage sucks me dry.

Any other suggestions?
 
Update

Went back to the track. Kind of spontanious because I decided to drive it to work to flush the cooling system and get all that finished out. Then my friend was going so then I went and I HAD to run it. The only things I've done to it was some non performance accessory reconfiguration found in threads:

http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/843515-new-accessory-belt-setup-no-c-no-p-s-pics.html

http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/842702-removal-hard-heater-lines-intake.html

I was bumping consistant 8.7's at 85mph. I was trying to get a better launch but I can't stall any higher than 1300-1400 and roll on the throttle. Any more and I embarrass myself. I'm staying out of the water. I go down the track in non overdrive as I usually do. If it's in the Overdrive position, it shifts way too early and just KILLS it. So... I decided to try the 1-D-1-D everyone talks about. Thats when I achieved my best time:

60FT - 2.029 (new best)
ET - 8.682 (lowest yet)
MPH - 87.46 (highest yet)

:banana:

So this calculates to 13.59 @ 108.45. That MPH is good for a 12.999 easily, but I still need to knock off a whole half second (.591 to be exact). I've been told that everyone runs .2 better at better tracks so even at say 8.482 I would run a 13.29mph in the 1/4. Needless to say, if I could knock down the 60ft a couple 10ths that would put me there at a good track. I still have a tiny race only crank pulley and a couple ET Streets that might... just might put me there. Also, when the air cools off in a couple months that will help a bunch too.

Ya know.... it might happen... if I can tolerate this AOD much longer.
 
4.10's would probably be a better gear.
You are definitely going to need a converter and shift kit, or manual valve body.

I've seen it done many times with 5 speed cars which were full weight.
I'll ask my buddy if any guys have done it with an auto, i'll assume so, but just not with a stock aod.

I've also known guys who just take the whole belt off and run an electric motor belted to the water pump pulley. Not sure if it was a kit or custom. But allows you to put the belt back on when you are done.

As for tolerating the aod, keep shifting it and beating the crap out of it, and you won't have to tolerate it too long, because it's going to break.
 
Well, a converter would do me little service since I can't even stall up the stock one. I know the stock AOD is really holding me back, but that's part of the fun, to get there with all this crap holing me back. So seeing if I can do it with that terd, then getting something real in there and really run hard. I don't plan on pollishing that terd any. Yes, I will probably kill it, but I doubt I could get anything for it otherwise besides what the scrap yard will give me. My TKO500 is sitting there in the garage and will go in there. I have the manual pedals in there already.

I think what is holding me back almost as much is traction. I have the MPH just can't get it out of the hole. I NEED to make a run with the ET Streets, although they are old and might not stick too well but I'm sure they will do better than these all season radials. Kind of scared to do this before subframes.... don't want to ruin the chassis.

About the gear, yes 4.10 would help, but I think a 28" tall tire with a 4.30 gear is in order. First, I need to put in subframes and torque box reinforcements. I am thinking a 4.30 gear, solid spool, and of course axles would be a good upgrade.

I have 90/10 Lakewoods up front and a coil over setup, but the springs are way too firm and short. I am thinking about a 130lb 14" spring would probably help.

Basically, an 8.2 in the 1/8th is a 12.9 in the 1/4. I'm not that far away and considering the HORRIBLE 60ft.... well I think I'm too close not to give up on the stock motor/stock AOD goal.

The reason I am doing this is that all the time you see cars with lots of mods, most of them are still slow. Full out race cars that are slow as hell. Cars that sound mean and look mean, yet they don't live up to it. They you see a car that is out running hard and they pop the hood and you expect to see a lot more, and you're going "what, no way" at the old dingy junk yard looking motor. This car is almost as fast as my old car, but I've done hardly anything to it. I remember my old car with it's Thumper ported E7's and performer intake beating up on some aluminum headed combo's, one of them an AFR 165 setup. Not every one, but if you looked at the specs, most would think it would be no contest, but it was. In my years of this, I've learned that it's not so much the "big" stuff, but the "little" stuff because there are lots of little things, and they add up. It's all in the details. One of the biggest mistakes I think made are when people overlook many items and it holds them back. For instance, heavy wheels and "CIA" systems that pull hot air from between the headers and radiator. I have the stock airbox with a K&N and no silencer.

Cool link Hoopty... I'm reading in on it. Lots of little things in there I have hardly though of. Thank you.

After my goal.... I will then take over the world. :flag: At least run for president. If I can make a stock engine AOD car run 12's... well I'm sure I could get the US running good too. :shrug: No really, then my next goal will probably be 11.9.
 
I don't think you're going to see 12's or even low-13's without digging into the trans. Shift kit and converter are going to be mandatory. You need to peel off over a half second. You're not going to do that until you put the limited power you're already making, to the pavement.

Also...don't waste your time with any converter that stalls below 3,200RPM. If it were me, I'd be looking for something in the 3,400-3,600 range and stay less aggressive with the gearing (3.73's is more than enough rear gear). Count on dropping at least $500-$1,000 on a good converter.
 
So I'm probably going to have to put my manual tranny in there? Yes, I need to drop a whole half second... and that's a lot. Calculates to about.35 seconds on the 1/8th. If I could just get out of the hole it might do it. They say 1/10th off your 60 it's 2/10ths off your ET. So I have a 2.03 60ft now, if I could get it down to a conservative 1.8 or especially a 1.7 I would be just about there. Right?

For what it's worth, I have a few tricks up my sleeve still, although it is doubtful I can quite snag the 12's:

1. I have a K-member setup (GMS unit) sitting in my garage, I should put that in, which would save a little front end weight. Less weight is good for the ET but weight off the front is great for traction. This K-member moves the wheel forward about an inch and the engine back about an inch and a half. This helps. Solid motor mounts with a poly tranny mount too. Not going to do anything but keep the car stable. I think the tranny mount is weak right now. Finally put the Flaming River Rack in there, save a bit of weight also. More weight overall. Pull the carpet and take off the odor trapping heavy padding and the "sound deadening" stuff which is heavy stuff and I'm not sure what it really does, took it off my old car and it was a little louder but not much. I still haven't put the LX nose on it yet. It weights a little bit less in the most critical area besides the wheels. So, more weight to the rear, but less weight overall.

2. I have a 3" race crank underdrive pulley. I noticed this helped a noticable amount on my old car. I've seen those electric waterpump drives before, they are a kit. Wanted a full time electric waterpump but too expensive right now.

3. I could try icing the intake. This seemed to help my old car.

4. I could take the passenger seat out of the car, or even just get race seats but I'm trying not to do that. This isn't a "race car", well it kind of is, but I'm trying to keep it more street. If I were at the 1/4 and ran a 13.01.... that seat would be coming out. :D

Really thinking of ways to get there. 5.? Head to a good track with lower elevation? :shrug:

People at that track all say they usually get .2 better at other tracks, so if that's true, I'm real close.
 
The general rule of thumb is you gain a tenth for every 100 lbs you remove. Is the spare tire and jack still in the trunk?

You could also move the battery to the trunk for better weight transfer. All the little things will add up for sure.
 
Yup, that stuff is long gone and the battery is back there.

Pro race teams when building a car will knit pick through it and ask the question on every little part "Is that nessasary to be there? If no then why is it there? If yes, then is it nessasary for the support of the vehicle? If no then why is it there? If yes then can it be made stronger and or lighter?" To everything from internal parts of the motor all the way to the shoes on the driver's feet.