Progress Thread Dsg Mach's Mustang

DSG_Mach

Active Member
Jul 23, 2016
115
16
38
Hey everyone

I wanted to create a progress thread for my car. I am not currently doing anything major to the car right now. I want to eventually supercharge it. While I work towards this goal I thought I could have a place where I post what I do to the car. I had posted a for sale thread a while back but I decided to keep this car and sold my other vehicle.


First off

Its a 2003 Mach One in Dark Sterling Gray color. I bought it back in 2016 at 88,000 miles on it.
The previous owner did all the work to it minus the clutch and transmission that I had to put into it.

I said I would never buy a very modified car but I couldn't pass this car up because he sold it to me for a good price.

The mods list is

Sean Hyland Stage 2 Cams
Ported/Milled Heads
Ported throttle body
Cold air intake (not sure on brand, it might be a JLT)
Long tube headers (unknown brand)
X pipe with catted SLP converters
Bassani catback exhaust
4.10 Ford Racing gears
Eibach lowering springs
FR500 wheels 17x9 and 17x10.5
Nitto NT555 tires
MGW Gold shifter
McLeod Super Street Pro clutch 26 spline
McLeod lightened steel flywheel
Aluminum driveshaft
Battery relocated to trunk
Strange Adjustable shocks
Upper and lower control arms (think they are Maximum Motorsport brand)



There are some things that I want to do to the car and need to fix. Currently the gas gauge is not working and I think I need to replace the sending unit. I ordered a Walbro 255LPH fuel pump and will install it sometime this month. The windshield washer resevoir has been removed and I want to get one installed so I can clean my windshield.

Other than that there isnt much else I think I can do to the car. I thought about getting some new AFS wheels that are the Mach One style but they are rather pricey. I like the idea of black bullitt rims but everyone tells me not to do it. I would like to get a street strip wheel/tire setup and go to the track. The previous owner claims he got an 11.8 at the 1/4 mile but I am skeptical. When I went to the track before I got the car retuned the best time I could get with street tires was a 13.7. I only got to run the car twice and my other run was a crappy 14.0 sec 1/4 mile time. Other than that the car is fun to drive, it really doesn't wake up until it gets into the higher rpms.


I was thinking with the better tires and more practice mid to high 12's are achievable. I have until January to get the setup I want before the track opens up for next year.

Here are some pics of the car as it sits right now.

00000_9fEuKqMAqdC_1200x900.jpg



00v0v_iu28np0SclW_1200x900.jpg



00g0g_1dUfWAgWFKg_1200x900.jpg


00Y0Y_dlIck99RR7L_1200x900.jpg



00O0O_gshR7FNVYW9_1200x900.jpg
 
  • Sponsors (?)


11.8 with those mods is entirely believable. Practice practice practice.

My 03 mach ran 12.60's on a tire mostly stock (mid pipe and catback) with some suspension. Would cut a low 1.6 on a 17 inch drag radial.

And the color is Dark Shadow Grey not sterling. FYI The best color made on those cars.

This was mine. I miss it as it was CLEAN.

Mach 1.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Makes me want one,
Now if I could sell that raggedy old spare fox I have out back, I need to mow the lawn to find it and get busy, I can feel a mach1 in my future.


I had mine for sale for two weeks and nobody was interested in it. Guess I was asking too much for it.




11.8 with those mods is entirely believable. Practice practice practice.

My 03 mach ran 12.60's on a tire mostly stock (mid pipe and catback) with some suspension. Would cut a low 1.6 on a 17 inch drag radial.

And the color is Dark Shadow Grey not sterling. FYI The best color made on those cars.

This was mine. I miss it as it was CLEAN.

Mach 1.jpg


yeah I really like the color, guess it was a noob mistake to get it wrong. Yours looked great I really like the bullitt wheels. Anthracite looks great but I still like black but everyone is like dont put bullitts on the car. This isnt my first Mustang I have owned a 2003 GT that was True Blue and I loved that color but it was hard to keep clean.

Also when i told a group on facebook that the owner said the car ran 11.8's I got flamed and told that the car could not go that fast...
 
A cammed 4v with good supporting parts? Yeah I think it can do it under the right conditions. Its likely a solid low 12 sec car all day long. I ran my 12.60's in the dead of summer with roughly 3k DA air (Track is at 980ft). And my car was basically stock with a dreaded bama tune. Get one to cut a 1.5 60 ft and row them gears like a boss and it'll fly. I've seen cars with less power go faster. It's all in the setup, tires, and most importantly driver skill level.

Trolls on the interwebs will flame anything cause they are jealous and usually can't drive.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Clean DSG Mach 1. 3400lb car with easily mid 300rwhp should be good for low 12’s with good driving. 11.8 on a heads/cams 4v is do-able with excellent driving + drag radials. There are plenty of haters and mis-informed people that think you need stupid amounts of power to make good times. I had a guy look disappointed when he found out my car “only” made 438 rwhp.

The FR500’s look great. I’d keep your current wheel/tire setup for the street. Nitto 555’s should still be holding traction in second gear. I moved from 555’s to NT05’s and have reasonable 1st gear traction. For good track times - go buy a set of drag radials on drag wheels to crank out some good track times.
 
Last edited:
Color me green. I'm jealous of your engine. Wouldn't go with a walbro pump though. They're really made for return style fuel system. Search around and there after plenty of good pumps for a returnless system. Mach 1s are the greatest. Even without terminator power, they're lighter and for some reason do better than people want to believe. Heres mine. 20160503_141323.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Color me green. I'm jealous of your engine. Wouldn't go with a walbro pump though. They're really made for return style fuel system. Search around and there after plenty of good pumps for a returnless system. Mach 1s are the greatest. Even without terminator power, they're lighter and for some reason do better than people want to believe. Heres mine. 20160503_141323.jpg


Im not too familiar with the fuel system on these cars. The previous owner installed a Aeromotive 340 fuel pump. The pump works but my fuel gauge does not. I thought I would have to change the sending unit which is the arm with the float?

So basically the pump I bought will not work with the car?
 
It's not that the walbro won't work but it isn't designed for the constant fluctuating in flow that a returnless intended pump is built for. It will work but for how long is a question.

Can you get the sending unit by itself?
 
It's not that the walbro won't work but it isn't designed for the constant fluctuating in flow that a returnless intended pump is built for. It will work but for how long is a question.

Can you get the sending unit by itself?

I looked online and cant find a sending unit only. I found one for the 2003-2004 Cobra on LMR but I dont know if it will work.


https://lmr.com/item/LRS-9275H/mustang-cobra-fuel-tank-sending-unit-03-04



I was wondering if I could just take the sending unit thats on the Walbro and just replace it with the old one.
 
Could be as simple as a wheel sensor, as complicated/expensive as the Control Module and several other things, get the DTC's. If you only have ABS it will easier to get the codes than if you have Traction Control too. I believe wmburns has the low down on a way to do it.
 
Could be as simple as a wheel sensor, as complicated/expensive as the Control Module and several other things, get the DTC's. If you only have ABS it will easier to get the codes than if you have Traction Control too. I believe wmburns has the low down on a way to do it.


Oddly the light went away and did not come back on. I will keep an eye on it and if it comes back I will scan the car for codes.

I got some new headlights for the car, I didnt care for the smoked headlights and it made driving in low light difficul

20171012_171121.jpg







20171012_171128.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I don't think the cobra sending unit will work on a regular single pump basket.

Like the regular headlights. I know the smoked headlights are popular, especially with the mach 1 crowd but you can't see very well at night.

Is that a 67 or 68 mustang i see there in the background?
 
Its a 1968 Model year. Supposed to have the 289 V8 with auto transmission. Its my moms car and I want to fix it up. I was going to make a thread for it but I don't have the money saved up to do stuff to it right now. Come tax return I will have some cash saved to send the engine and trans off to be rebuilt.
Screenshot_2017-05-24-13-11-10-1.png
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
ABS cars sometimes get picky about slightly different tire sizes. Some are more picky than others. If it comes on then back off I wouldn't worry too much about it pending the abs works as it should. There should be a code stored for it regardless.