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08-05-08, 02:10 PM
GT 500 Super Pack - Project Vapor Trail
http://images.mustang50magazine.com/techarticles/m5lp_0809_01_z+gt_500_super_back+side_view.jpgHors e Sense: Roush had a hand in engineering the TVS supercharger setup that carries the Ford Racing name, so it shouldn't be a surprise that a similarly configured 2.3-liter TVS sits atop the engine of Roush Performance's top-dog, the 510hp P-51A.

What else would you do with an 8-mile GT 500 besides putting it straight onto the dyno rollers to test a few modifications? While I plan to keep the car nice, I'm not going to mothball it in stock form and hope to get rich one day. I want to enjoy it by adding huge power while maintaining stock-like driveability. Retaining the stock warranty is a great way to enjoy a new Shelby GT 500.

By now you're either excited to hear that we've added yet another project car to the 5.0&SF stable, or you really hate me because it's my own GT 500. Either way, I understand.

These cars aren't easy to come by, and there are good reasons for why they're so desirable. For some, it's because they bear the legendary Shelby name and may one day be collectible. For the vast majority of performance nuts like me, the reason is because these cars respond so well to modifications. Much like their SVT predecessors, the GT 500s need minimal coaxing to lay down big numbers at the rear wheels.

Even more exciting for me was the prospect of installing Ford Racing Performance Parts' SuperPack kit for big power, while retaining the factory warranty. We tested this kit, which is based on the 2.3-liter Eaton Twin Vortices Series supercharger, on a modified car with impressive results in our May '08 issue ("Factory-Backed Boost," p. 186). The results were impressive, but we really wanted to see what the kit would do out of the box on a stone-stock GT 500 that rolled out of the delivery truck with only 8 miles on the odometer.

Since I purchased my car from Anderson Ford Mercury, the parent dealer of Anderson Ford Motorsport, it was a great opportunity to have the kit installed at the dealer (which is key to retaining the factory warranty) and have it dyno-tested to see what it was worth. Since I had a complicated plan ahead for the car, I couldn't make the trip to Clinton, Illinois, to pick it up, so the kind folks at AFM helped us out with yet another tech story by turning the wrenches and snapping the shots.

In the end, we were blown away with the results-then we added a few other FRPP bits for good measure.
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So that's how the stock engine on my car looked! I never saw it this way, as it was delivered, modified, and back out on a trailer on its way to its next round of modifications. In this form, the car laid down 437.92 hp and 434.81 lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels. It was a little low compared to other stock GT 500s that have run across the AFM Dynojet, but it was in the expected range. Rick usually sees 440-450 hp, but this example carried less timing and a richer mixture than those cars.

Now we're talking. Here are the choice items I selected from the Ford Racing Performance Parts catalog to take the GT 500 to a new level: FR SuperPack (PN M-6066-SGT includes supercharger, cold-air intake, and tuner); SVT Mustang Muffler Set (PN M-5230-SVT-1); SVT Mustang shifter (PN M-7210-B); SVT Mustang smoked-chrome cam covers (PN M-6582-CC); and FR coil covers (M-6067-A, not shown).

It's officially not stock anymore. Anderson Ford Mercury tech Jason Polen removes the stock airbox. Before you do this, you need to pop the fuel-pump fuse, release the fuel pressure, and unbolt the factory strut-tower brace. Fortunately, Ford Racing's Superpack includes an new cold-air intake kit with a 113mm mass air housing. Our previous flowbench testing ("Top to Bottom," Nov. '07, p. 124) shows the stock air only flows a meager 826 cfm, which obviously stands in the way of making more power-especially when you're stepping up the boost.
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It's a good thing that I've driven plenty of stock GT 500s, and I know they feel great in stock form-the stock blower only lasted for 20 or so miles, most of them on the dyno. At least it saw full boost before it went on the shelf. The stock supercharger actually bridges the gap from the familiar Eaton Roots blower to the more advanced Twin Vortices Series unit we're upgrading to. The stocker is dubbed the M122H, with H representing Hybrid-not the battery-powered variety, but a combination of the new rotors and the old rotor spacing. You can learn more about the stock blower on our Web site at www.mustang50magazine.com/featuredvehicles/m5lp_0606w_2007_shelby_gt500_test_drive/my_way.html.
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The M122H displaces approximately 1.99 liters, so the 2.3-liter TVS is not only more efficient, it's larger too. Better yet, this unit is as direct a bolt-on as it gets. Simply disconnect a few hoses, wires, and the fuel rails; unbolt the stock blower; then you're ready to bolt the TVS in place. As easy as it is, Ford Racing includes a comprehensive installation manual full of illustrations and specifications. If you want to stick with the warranty program, you must have the blower installed at the dealer by a trained tech. For more on the warranty, check out www.fordracingparts.com/announcements/news47.asp.
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With the blower and associated hardware out of the way, it is the perfect time for Jason to swap out the stock wrinkle-finish cam covers for a set of Ford Racing's smoked-chrome covers. We also added the chrome Ford Racing coil pack covers. We can't show you photos as the covers showed up a couple days later. The chrome covers really wake up the sleepy engine compartment, and along with the new blower, announce that this GT 500 is no longer stock.
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Jason is getting close. Here the TVS is completely installed, with the factory throttle and inlet bolting right on to the new blower. This is a straightforward swap and the FRPP instructions are excellent, so don't be afraid to try it at home if you're not a warranty worrier. If it wasn't for the Ford Racing tag on the blower, you'd think this thing was factory. It looks right at home and easily clears the factory strut brace.
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The last step is to assemble and install the FRPP open-element cold-air intake system. Be sure to keep the factory airbox nearby, because you must first swap the mass air element into the FRPP mass air housing. This is also a simple install. The heat shield bolts to the chassis, while the new mass air housing/filter bolts to the heat shield and attaches to the factory rubber clean-air tube. Again, it's an elegant, factory-style design that doesn't look out of place underhood.

A key part of the of the FRPP SuperPack upgrade is the calibration. It's included with the kit, but it doesn't come in the box. Once you receive the kit, you have to register for your Pro-Cal tool at www.fordracingparts.com/userreg/welcome2.asp. You provide several details about your car, then the fine people at FRPP select the proper calibration, load it into the Pro-Cal tool, and overnight it to you, so plan ahead; don't fill out the form on Friday night and hope to have the tool in time for your Saturday morning install. FRPP is quite emphatic about how much testing goes into its calibrations to ensure they're safe and powerful, and there's a lengthy description of this effort in the '08 FRPP catalog. Though the Pro-Cal tool doesn't allow for adjustments, it does allow you to restore the stock calibration should you want to put the car back to stock.

Once the testing of the SuperPack kit is complete, Rick Anderson flat-backs the SVT1 muffler swap while the GT 500 is still strapped to the dyno. Again, this is a simple remove and replace job, and we were pleasantly surprised with the results.

As you know, we previously tested the FRPP SuperPack kit on a modified GT 500 in the May '08 issue ("Factory-Backed Boost," p. 186) with impressive results. That car had previously been equipped with a K&N cold-air, a full Bassani exhaust, and a DiabloSport tune. Still, we gained nearly 75 hp and put down close to 630 hp at the tire. Impressive to say the least, but would we be impressed with the results on a bone-stock GT 500? You bet.

As you can see, our car, which hit the dyno for break-in with 8 miles on the clock, registered 437.92 hp and 434.81 lb-ft (the graph has a much higher resolution of data points than our comparative, 100-rpm-increment chart) in the 65-70-degree air. Installing nothing more than the SuperPack kit with its included Pro-Cal tune, our rear-wheel numbers jumped to 545.15 hp and 516.66 lb-ft, with peak gains as high as 108.81 hp and 102.07 lb-ft at 5,600 rpm.

We know the stock exhaust on GT 500s is good, so we weren't sure what we'd see from FRPP's more conservative, 50-state-legal SVT1 mufflers, but we're always up to test out parts. Surprisingly, the simple muffler change had the car pulling harder across the rpm range, with peak numbers jumping to 560.71 hp and 523.93 lb-ft. Keep in mind that this car sounds stock, pulled in nearly 22 mpg on my long drive to Florida, and still sports a warranty.

When I said that the GT 500 headed straight to the dyno for break-in, I was only half kidding. The Anderson crew is comprised of a bunch of old-school racers, and they definitely have their ideas on how to properly break in an engine for more performance. Danny Biggs, Anderson Ford's everything guy (warranty administrator, Dynojet tuning technician, and motorsports service coordinator), is in charge of the break-in process. "That's how my dad taught me years ago," Danny says. "Mileage has little to do with it. It's cylinder pressure, load on the motor, and varying rpm that seats in the rings." By varying the load and rpm on the dyno, Danny explains that he fast-tracks the process. He keeps breaking it in until it stops making more power; then it's time to tune it. "When you do it this way, in less than 20 miles you're ready to hammer it without the fear of hurting it."

So there you have it: My GT 500 is broken in and boosted, and if you buy into the typical 15 percent drivetrain loss, that would put the car at 659 hp at the flywheel.

ON THE DYNO FRPP STOCK VS. FRPP FRPP VS. SVT1 FRPP VS.SVT1 BASELINE SUPERPACK DIFFERENCE MUFFLERS DIFFERENCE RPM POWER TORQUE POWER TORQUE POWER <strong>TORQUE<strong> <strong>POWER<strong> <strong>TORQUE<strong> <strong>POWER<strong> <strong>TORQUE<strong> 2,900 222.81 403.53 268.38 486.01 45.57 82.48 271.31 491.35 2.93 5.34 3,000 229.10 401.11 278.69 487.93 49.59 86.82 284.40 497.90 5.71 9.97 3,100 240.04 406.69 292.25 495.11 52.21 88.42 296.77 502.80 4.52 7.69 3,200 252.29 414.08 297.56 488.38 45.27 74.30 306.51 503.05 8.95 14.67 3,300 260.21 414.14 314.90 501.20 54.69 87.06 319.12 507.88 4.22 6.68 3,400 272.77 421.38 322.29 497.85 49.52 76.47 331.96 512.79 9.67 14.94 3,500 283.76 425.81 331.28 497.13 47.52 71.32 343.12 514.88 11.84 17.75 3,600 293.89 428.78 346.74 505.85 52.85 77.07 352.16 513.78 5.42 7.93 3,700 302.82 429.84 355.82 505.08 53.00 75.24 364.67 517.65 8.85 12.57 3,800 311.30 430.26 368.15 508.84 56.85 78.58 372.23 514.47 4.08 5.63 3,900 316.53 426.27 374.66 504.54 58.13 78.27 377.96 509.00 3.30 4.46 4,000 323.89 425.27 386.37 507.33 62.48 82.06 389.83 511.84 3.46 4.51 4,100 331.84 425.08 395.78 506.99 63.94 81.91 401.84 514.76 6.06 7.77 4,200 340.60 425.90 406.59 508.44 65.99 82.54 412.90 516.33 6.31 7.89 4,300 351.74 429.62 418.30 510.93 66.56 81.31 422.54 516.09 4.24 5.16 4,400 361.48 431.49 427.00 509.69 65.52 78.20 433.10 516.98 6.10 7.29 4,500 372.04 434.21 441.03 514.75 68.99 80.54 446.07 520.63 5.04 5.88 4,600 374.19 427.24 452.00 516.07 77.81 88.83 458.23 523.19 6.23 7.12 4,700 384.04 429.16 456.44 510.07 72.40 80.91 466.10 520.86 9.66 10.79 4,800 383.08 419.17 466.06 509.96 82.98 90.79 478.01 523.02 11.95 13.06 4,900 390.07 418.10 476.63 510.87 86.56 92.77 484.71 519.54 8.08 8.67 5,000 391.41 411.14 485.87 510.38 94.46 99.24 493.19 518.06 7.32 7.68 5,100 402.86 414.88 493.17 507.88 90.31 93.00 503.38 518.41 10.21 10.53 5,200 409.87 413.98 496.43 501.40 86.56 87.42 506.35 511.41 9.92 10.01 5,300 409.73 406.04 506.95 502.38 97.22 96.34 514.41 509.77 7.46 7.39 5,400 413.88 402.56 515.16 501.05 101.28 98.49 521.37 507.09 6.21 6.04 5,500 414.61 395.92 520.57 497.11 105.96 101.19 527.98 504.18 7.41 7.07 5,600 417.24 391.31 526.05 493.38 108.81 102.07 535.78 502.50 9.73 9.12 5,700 425.51 392.08 532.65 490.80 107.14 98.72 535.85 493.75 3.20 2.95 5,800 430.47 389.82 531.20 481.01 100.73 91.19 546.73 495.09 15.53 14.08 5,900 427.64 380.68 538.94 479.77 111.30 99.09 545.73 485.81 6.79 6.04 6,000 430.97 377.26 543.16 475.46 112.19 98.20 547.63 479.37 4.47 3.91 6,100 432.72 368.80 540.68 465.53 107.96 96.73 551.07 474.48 10.39 8.95 6,200 424.21 359.36 542.83 459.84 118.62 100.48 555.25 470.36 12.42 10.52 6,300 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 557.29 464.59 n/a n/a


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