SenorThumpy

After years of changing my mind about vehicles, being unrealistic with costs, HP goals & amount of track use. I think i'm finally on the right path but I still need some help. I've narrowed it down to a ws6 trans am or a 99-04 mustang. Looking to build a street car that MIGHT see a couple track days (strip & road course) per year.
The ws6 would keep its LS1 & T56 and go turbo for 700rwhp(ish)
The mustang would get a JY motor & T56 and go turbo for 700rwhp(ish)

So... which car handles better, has the better chassis, has the most potential, which vehicle do you think is the best base vehicle for my project and why? Does one have an advantage over the other for my intended use? Should I consider another base vehicle? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

I STRONGLY considered a miata for years but after watching project thunderbolt like 4 times from beginning to end, I went back to my notes and spreadsheets from my research... I came to the unfortunate conclusion that it would be too expensive to end up with a vehicle that fits my needs and isn't a compromised amateur hack. I hope to one day take that project on but right now the TA or the Stang seem more feasible.

HCI2000SS

iTrader: (2)

I traded my built 04 Mustang gt for my current 2000 Camaro SS. Let's put it this way....if my Mustang would've made the same power as my Camaro for the same money I probably would've kept it lol

SenorThumpy

HCI2000SS, were the mustangs short comings due specifically to the motor or were there other performance issues that led you to the camaro? I would swap a JY LS into the mustang

HCI2000SS

iTrader: (2)

It was mainly the lack of performance to be gained from that motor. IMO the Mustang sounded better and the build quality was a little better. I just didn't want to spend big money on that little 4.6 just to make perform like a basic LS1 could

DailyGTO

I am a big GM fan, but I don't think you can go wrong with either choice (if you are putting an LS in both). I know the F-bodies are solid vehicles with large aftermarket support, but so are the Fox chassis cars like the New Edge you are considering. Before I bought my current Fox body, I was on the look out for any good chassis that I could get into for cheap. It seems the Foxes are just a bit cheaper to get into initially, and maybe a little bit cheaper to modify (chassis/suspension-wise), but that may not offset the cost of having to swap the LS into as compared to starting with a decent f-body. Time to do the swap is also a consideration. The Foxes do tend to have a little more room to work on the engine than a F-body. The mod motors are good power makers, but like HCI2000SS said, they tend to be quite expensive to make real power.

DavidBoren

The F-body has a better suspension hands down.

The $5000 "max grip" box upgrade package for the mustang from maximum motorsports is a torque arm and panhard bar... sounds familiar, especially if you have a F-body that came with it from the factory.

The F-body has an SLA front suspension. It will cost you $5000 from Griggs racing to have short/long arm front suspension in a mustang.

The F-body has the engine and transmission you are looking for. In fact, you would probably be pulling the engine and transmission out of an F-body at the junkyard to fix your mustang.

Plus, the "new edge" mustang is hideous.

JD_AMG

Fbody has the far superior chassis for handling.
however keep in mind that whatever suspension mods you do for drag racing is going to KILL the handling, especially drag coil overs (viking, qa1 etc). You have to pick your poison.
And 700hp on a road course is just not logical at all for these cars (or most cars for that matter.)

SenorThumpy

Thank you all for the feedback, exactly the info I was looking for. Time to start looking for a T/A I guess. I'm kind of glad the T/A is the better choice, i'm partial to them and I've worked on a number of them over the years. I also happen to have a LS1 block with forged pistons and rods laying around... started building an LS1 with just a bare block years ago, before I knew that was the expensive way to build a motor and before life got in the way of that project.

JD AMG - Drag coilovers would ruin handling, agreed 100%. Suspension is yet to be decided. At this point I'm more concerned with street manners and handling than drag racing. Trips to the strip would just be for laughs since the nearest strip is two states away. I might eventually do a dedicated strip build with an S10 or silverado, we'll see what the future holds. I agree that 700hp is overkill for a road course in a T/A... again, trips would be mostly for fun on a track day, maybe a little autocross and a little drifting. Maybe dial back the boost and a different tune for the road course?

DavidBoren - I didn't realize the mustang was that far behind the curve with regards to suspension. I do not agree that the "new edge" is hideous. I find the 03-04 cobras to be rather attractive. That being said, i've never worked on a mustang specifically but I have had a hell of a time with the wiring on an F150 I used to own. Ford seems to just do their own thing.

DailyGTO - Good points regarding time vs cost etc.

JD_AMG

Keep in mind that most of the coilovers are falsely labeled as "can do it all" when they are really just non gas charged drag shocks with shitty valving and poor adjustments. This includes qa1, viking, strange, and afco. Just make sure you do your research before you buy anything, there are a ton of parts out there that kill handling and ride for these cars but the vendor selling the parts won't tell you this. When the time comes i would contact Sam Strano for suspension parts, that guy knows his stuff.

Jimbo1367

Mustangs are getting expensive and hard to find. I'd look for a 99-02 Trans AM/Firebird

DavidBoren

The terminator is sexy... For a new edge. But even the cream of the crop '04 cobra with its supercharged dohc motor and fancy (for Ford, anyways, lol) independent rear suspension can't hold a candle to the same year luxury sedan from GM...? Sad. The anemic performance of the terminator actually makes it less sexy. 370hp supercharged V8... Pathetic. But it has that badass heat extraction hood, and I dig the front bumper, as well. It just needs an LSA/LS9, so it can be respectable.

But yes, a mustang in stock trim is $10,000 worth of aftermarket suspension away from an F-body in stock trim. Sad isn't it?

That's why mustangs are high school girl cars.

SenorThumpy

Been tied up with other projects around the house the past few weeks but i've had some time to think and do some more research and I've settled on an T/A for sure. I plan projects (commercial construction) for a living so naturally, this project has a dedicated whiteboard and a couple spreadsheets. I think i've worked out a pretty good setup in 3 different phases that will get me the performance i'm looking for. I don't even know if this project would have progressed beyond "hey that would be cool" if it weren't for this forum. So cheers to that.

I can't figure out (don't know and haven't put in any effort) how to quote someone so... yea

JD_AMG - thanks for the tip, i didn't know that about those "do all" shocks. I have heard the strano name tossed around with pretty high regard, i'll keep that in mind... do you know anything about ride techs coilovers that utilize fox shocks? I've seen a couple posts about them but they were all from ridetech staff/salesmen. Just exploring options.

DavidBoren - I didn't realize the stang was such a dog. And there were about a dozen girls driving mustangs at my highschool lol... i guess it was for a reason.