My "Other" Job

[white_2kgt]

Please do share what makes up a FR500C, I'm curious. Include any stories about 'the making of' too.

I have a DVD, who wants one? I'll make copies and hand them out at summit. It follows Multimatic and the construction. RJ has seen it b/c he referenced the shock dyno, and when I say shock dyno, I don't mean just 1 shock on a dyno, they had the WHOLE CAR on it, bolted to the spindles and some dude watching a computer screen making changes to the shocks and testing how they reacted.

Basically, it is an 05 mustang, with a cage, fuel cell, 15,000 5.0 DOHC engine, fuel cell, custom suspension and seats/harness. It has a few other bits that make it a race car, but that is the brunt of one.

Engine,

yes, 15,000 dollars, you can buy it out of the FRPP catalog, it is based off the same engine I have except punched out to 5.0L (mines a 4.6), sweet heads/cams and an intake made of unobtanium.

Remote res shocks,


Office, with AIM system


Fire bottle, w/ ?3? nozzles


All the wonderful electronic goodies, about 1/2 of mine are in the engine bay, other 1/2 I have relocated to the dash for easier access


Yes, this is EXACTLY how ones buys this car, radio gear not included,


Rear firewall,


Fuel cell w/ grandam refill nozzles,


Few other things to note, the Steering Rack is $1,500 (I just replaced mine w/ one from an 03 cobra, $200). Brake booster cost $1,800, mine runs around 150ish + core, wheels are $1,300 EACH 18x9 BBS 2 piece, if you have seen my old 18" wheels, they look like that, except 2 piece and light as fack, front brake is is $3,500 (I just picked up a set of 2000 Cobra 'R' brembo's for $400). This is just a start to how much the parts cost, so you better think that the teams buying these cars believe Ford sorted them out. Oh and each team probably has enough spares to rebuild the entire car, pete can elaborate on that if he can.

[Feersty]

If you could get a DVD of the FR500C for me Chad, I would appreciate it. That car is simply sick.

[PDenbigh]

To touch on a few of the questions:
Restrictions/penalities:
Throttle body restrictor, cutting the volume by around 1/3. ~125 pounds ballast. Horrible ABS system (straight off the V6 mustangs). Until those things where implemented it was winning, yep. The ABS system is getting changed due to safety concerns. We tested the new ABS system this past weekend and it was very nice.

Refinement:
Ford does have several million bucks invested into the FR500C. It has three way remote resavor shocks and varous other things that are best left for an in person conversation. It handles really well and can hold a line as well as the Porsches and BMW's. Tell me that didn't take refinement ;-).

Ford/Multimatic tested the car at 5 tracks if I recall properly. The Ford engineers are on top of everything at every Grand Am event studying what the teams are doing and even better, they actually listen to the teams and drivers. So while it wasn't a three season car upon delivary, it had a lot more refinement than most cars there did after a season of testing.

I'm not going to disagree that it needs refinement (isn't that an infinante loop?) but I will strongly disagree that an off the shelf car shoudln't have won. That's what it was designed to do. It hurt a lot of egos and thus the penalities so harsh that it hasn't won a race this season.

[white_2kgt]

Horrible ABS system (straight off the V6 mustangs). Until those things where implemented it was winning, yep. The ABS system is getting changed due to safety concerns. We tested the new ABS system this past weekend and it was very nice.

Oh hell, I had no idea they stuck you guys w/ the v6 ABS, I knew they pulled something funny w/ it, beyond what you told me on the phone but I had no idea it was that, gezz.

[Kaan]

did piper build that cage? i see the "X" ... just had to ask... force of habbit

[Nick325is]

Sounds like alot of fun Pete. I am going to be crewing with Bimmerworld for a couple of races in the fall.



Nick

[Dave]

I would love one of those DVDs chad.

[PDenbigh]

did piper build that cage? i see the "X" ... just had to ask... force of habbit

Nope. It is built by a (probably similar) custom fab shop near the factory in Detorit though.

[bimmerboodle]

eh, driving 230 miles a week for work, causes that.

Dont complain about driving 20 miles a day to work...... thats really not bad. If you are dedicated to do something, then you will do it. Big props to pete for putting this in your schedule, we all know how busy you are Keep us updated with more pics, that kicks a lot of ass!

20 miles a day is nothing....I go 44 each way to work, have 2 kids, get all the NASA registrations done, get to the events, Crew the 12 hour, Flag occasionally at summit and get up for work at 0430 and work 10 hour shifts..

Rock On Pete, Congrats...that is awesome!!!!!!!