Late model Mustangs

J

jbenoit

New member
Are late model 1999 and newer V-6 Mustangs approved for any SCCA classes? If not, why? (Try to limit the easy Ford jokes
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I can't afford American Sedan but I'd like to give IT a try. My father and I have lots of Ford background from Drag racing so it would be easier to stay with this model. I've been working behind the wall and on the grid for a few years and I'd love to try my hand behind the wheel now. Thanks.
 
Showroom Stock B.

Less diddling allowed, but the added benefit of it being a Nat'l class, so you can use the same car at your Driver's School that you'll use to win a National Championship.
 
Thanks for the info John. I'm stilling waiting for my new GCR but my old 2001 book doesn't look like you can do much at all to a SSB car. My experience with Mustangs in the past is that they need help...in many areas (brakes). They can be good cars with a few select parts. I'll keep my fingers crossed. An RX7 is looking interesting now.
 
From what the old GCR says about the older 98's this thing is going to tip the scales at 3100lbs! I may need a parachute to stop for the turns
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Actually, the August Fastrack had the recommendation showing:

2. Add (96-98) model years to Ford Mustang in ITS.

It was listed in the 'member advisory' section.

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Dave Youngren
NER ITA RX7 #61
 
Originally posted by jbenoit:
From what the old GCR says about the older 98's this thing is going to tip the scales at 3100lbs! I may need a parachute to stop for the turns
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Preface: I have a 'blue oval' badged & manufactured race car, another 'blue oval' engined race car (tube frame, suspension pieces & fibreglass from the far side of the ocean) and another that is 'blue oval' by association (zoom zoom). My current, and previous two, tow vehicles are/were Fords. I am not exactly a Ford hater.

But...SOW'S EAR. The SSB Mustang is a non-contender (that's the polite way of saying "wallowing pig", and I am unfailingly polite), and an IT Mustang won't likely be any different. You can toss a boat-load of developing money at it, but you'll still end up with an expensive sow's ear. I do like Gummy Joe's suggestion of moving it to ITC, but that would start a long and lugubrious bleat from certain quarters of IT.com. Entertaining, but the wind blows too many leaves in the pool.

If you have your heart set on a Mustang...or you're genetically pre-disposed (you have relatives named "Rousch" or "Henry")...or if there is one sitting in your driveway (i.e. acquisition cost = zero), then go for it.

Otherwise, spend some time watching the race group you'd like to join (IT, Prod, etc.) and pick a race car based on proven performance and large #'s. There is safety in numbers...as your line of supply is deep and wide, and someone else has already done much of the guessing.

I have a good friend who picks race cars based on tire size (really). I prefer to choose based on volume of equally-branded & modeled cars on the grid. I could give a rat's ass who originally built the damn thing.

But that's just my opinion.
 
I believe the 1998 to 1999 V-6's have a 50HP difference between them with the 1999 having the advantage (193HP). Maybe I can petition to have this year added. The car needs either more power or less weight and I doubt you can get enough weight off of them.
 
Originally posted by JohnRW:
If you have your heart set on a Mustang...or you're genetically pre-disposed (you have relatives named "Rousch" or "Henry")...or if there is one sitting in your driveway (i.e. acquisition cost = zero), then go for it.

...and another that is 'blue oval' by association (zoom zoom).
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(NOTE: quotes taken out of order, because now they're IN order with the responses)

If you REALLY want to race a Mustang, is it THAT much more expensive to buy a Regionally-competitive AS car? (I say "Regionally-competitive" only to exclude those high-dollar machines like Andy McDermid drives)

I am a proud owner of "blue-oval" AND "blue oval by association". As soon as it gets in, there's gonna be a zoom-zoom sticker on the back of my Explorer! After all, it may not haul butt, but it hauls the "7"
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Mike Spencer
NC Region
ITA/7 RX-7 (finally)
1990 RX-7 Convertible (street car)
 
The AS guys seem to break lots of parts often. I'd rather have a more reliable car. The RX-7 is plan B and it's looking more and more like the better plan. GRM Magazine had a good arcticle about them last month. I'm a blue-oval by birth so I never had a chance with all the years of brainwashing. But at least Ford owns Mazda
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I have a lot to learn about those crazy-no-piston engines
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Originally posted by jbenoit:
The RX-7 is plan B and it's looking more and more like the better plan.
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This is not meant to offend anyone, but as a former RX driver (RX-3 actually), I'm curious as to WHY you would go from a Mustang to an RX?? These things are getting OLD, and parts for them are getting a little bit harder to find each year. Only recently, there have been new side-plate issues, etc. from the dealer, and it's only a matter of time before some of this stuff isn't available any more. They haven't, after all, built a 12A rotory engine since 1985 (for the US market, anyhow), and the new gen 13B isn't interchangeable with the '86-9?? RXs...

I would suggest, if you want a really nice ITA car, that you look at some of the current offerings that should be on the books by 2005... I'd look at any number of Hondas, or, if you prefer to stick with an American badge, either of the Neons should be a good choice. With the Neons, you can likely find an ex-SS car for a good price, and I believe these were allowed a suspension kit in SS form, so some of the development may have already been done. It should be a good, competitive car in ITA...

Just some food for thought... Good Luck!



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Darin E. Jordan
SCCA #273080, OR/NW Regions
Renton, WA
ITS '97 240SX
DJ_AV1.jpg
 
I have made the jump from a V8 Mustang to an RX7 and I can say it is the best choice that I have made in racing.

Ford Blue Blood runs in my veins and has for years. I autocrossed a C Prepared FOX Mustang for 14 years and then decided to go road racing. For several years I looked into running my CP car in Super Production but was eventually turned off by the high cost of the conversion from Solo II to the Club Racing.

At the same time a friend of mine got out of his A Sedan Mustang and into an ITA Mazda RX7. I thought he was nuts, he had a kick ass AS car and the budget to do it right but then I noticed the fun he was having. He wasn't working on the car all the time and he was having great races with other ITA cars. So, when my friend decided to move from IT to Production (also in an RX7) I decided to buy his car. Now I run it in IT7

I can't speak to the concerns raised about parts availablity mentioned by some. Frankly in the two years I have raced car parts haven't been an issue. Anytime I needed something I could find it at a parts store, online or from Mazda. Speaking of Mazda, they really do support these cars and people that race them.

There are several of us in the KC area that are racing IT or EP RX7's so parts and setup questions are a breeze. My only beef is that the car really isn't competitive in ITA.

I still like Mustangs and I miss what a 400HP 306 sounds like at 7500 RPM. But when I am on track door to door with other IT cars nothing else matters. What was I waiting for???

Scott

Here are some shots of my old Mustang and my new RX7

http://community.webshots.com/user/scottp121
 
Granted it's a regional event, but when the A-sedans run with the IT guys in the ECR at Daytona, the ITS guys win overall. I'd have trouble seeing a V-6 Mustang running anywhere near a V-8 A-sedan version.

Grafton
 
What are the ITE and ITS classes? If I built a 1999 V-6 Mustang can it be classed in IT somewhere? Shouldn't it run in the middle of the overall pack? Should still be fun right?
 
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