My History of Cars (Part 2)

Fast forward a few years. I've graduated from college, been working a couple of years (long enough to not be making chicken scratch anymore) and my Prelude is on its last leg. It had all sorts of problems. The suspension was completely shot, some part of the engine was cracked and was leaking oil onto a belt, it had major trouble idling, and it had a dent that had started to rust. My friends and family convinced me that I was stable enough to take on a car payment, though I was very reluctant to.

I wanted something sporty, but kinda nice... I was thinking G35 Coupe. I test drove one, along with a few other entry level luxury cars, but was left disappointed by their acceleration. This was about the time that the S197 (2005) Mustang was all the rage, so I gave it a try... and I was instantly hooked on American V8's. Also, the price was very right (compared to the entry level luxury cars)... :D

The S197 Mustang is a great car. Most people don't know that because they don't know jack about cars. All they know is stupid stereotypes that they see on TV. Well, here's a brief overview. The S197 is a complete redesign from the ground up. It shares almost nothing with previous generations of Mustang. It's weight distribution is near 50/50, it's chassis is worlds stiffer than previous generations (100% or 50% stiffer, I can't remember), and it has a whopping 300 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque!

I modded the hell outta that car:

• twin screw supercharger (Saleen Series VI)
• all the crap that comes with a supercharger upgrade (injectors, MAF, spark plugs, intake, etc)
• full Roush stage 2 suspension
• 4.10 differential gears
• short throw shifter adapter
• second fuel pump
• Xenon headlights
• CAI (pre supercharger)
• throttle body space (pre supercharger, waste of money)
• two sets of wheels (MB Motorsport VR5S, Body Coddington Smoothie 2)
• big tires BFG KDW2 255 in front and 285 in back
• Borla Stinger (S-Type) axle back exhaust

The car was a beast (420 rwhp / 400 rwtq). Because of the low end torque of the twin screw supercharger, combined with the steep 4.10 gears, traction was a major issue. I could lose traction in 1st gear just by stabbing the gas... without using the clutch! 2nd gear was a gamble too. Because of this, I could never get a decent time in the quarter mile. The best I did was 13.2 seconds. I could have done better with some stickier tires, but then I'd worry about other parts of the drive train breaking (if the tires stick, all that torque has to go somewhere, right?).

And that's what I was always worrying about, things breaking. For you see, when you modify a car, you pretty much throw your warranty out the window. It makes sense. If you add 200 hp to a car via a supercharger, then the engine explodes, why should Ford float the bill?

Regardless, modding is still extremely popular. It allows people to buy "cheap" cars and "cheaply" raise their performance level. For instance, average Joe out-of-college can't usually afford a Porsche, but he can probably afford a 350Z and to mod it to reach Porsche level performance. The big trade off is the warranty (and thus peace of mind).

Peace of mind is worth a lot.