First mod any new Mark owner should do.

jt351 said:
No offense but you guys seem like the guys that can "feel" the difference of a cold air kit, or putting on a larger maf w/ larger injectors. I LOVE the percentage of improvements. like 60%. Not to be a dick but if you could feel that much difference than you car was a total POS w/ all of it body welds coming apart. I can put my mark on the hoist and the doors open just fine.
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Not to start a flame but I had a 97 tbird back in 2000 and had all the above braces but mine were Kenny Browns and it does make a huge difference in the performance. Its not so much welds broken loose and body flex or whatever its the suspension peices dont flex to much keeping you tires planted. Mine wouldnt wheel hop on hard take offs after all the braces as well. Also poly bushings help a lil. I never road raced mine legally but I beat the piss out of it daily.:D
 
jt351 said:
No offense but you guys seem like the guys that can "feel" the difference of a cold air kit, or putting on a larger maf w/ larger injectors. I LOVE the percentage of improvements. like 60%. Not to be a dick but if you could feel that much difference than you car was a total POS w/ all of it body welds coming apart. I can put my mark on the hoist and the doors open just fine.
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Bann the noob
 
playboy4aday said:
Not to start a flame but I had a 97 tbird back in 2000 and had all the above braces but mine were Kenny Browns and it does make a huge difference in the performance.
Click to expand...


Kenny brown wonder why he quit making braces for the bird.
 
jt351 said:
No offense but you guys seem like the guys that can "feel" the difference of a cold air kit, or putting on a larger maf w/ larger injectors. I LOVE the percentage of improvements. like 60%. Not to be a dick but if you could feel that much difference than you car was a total POS w/ all of it body welds coming apart. I can put my mark on the hoist and the doors open just fine.
Click to expand...
Too late, youre a dick and offensive. Chances are very high I have owned more cars and done more modifications on them then cars you have ever driven. You obviously dont know me cause the people here that do know me will tell you if I see something as chit then I will call it at just that. If I know of something that dont work then I wont do it. I am the person that argues with people buying a MAF for their bolt on Marks when its so clearly not needed. I have a custom KB 2.2L blower about to go on and didnt buy a new MAF cause I happen to know they can support 450 rwhp before they peg.
I know how to read a dyno graph (not just HP but the load, MAF voltage, load %, fuel trims, knock readings, timing curve etc etc), I know how to use data logging equipment.
You see any BS power mods on my car? I dont have a CAI or bigger injectors, I just have a tune, gears and exhaust as thats the only parts that will make a difference on a Marks (or 96-98 Cobra) engine if its N/A .... well besides headers but Im not spending money on those for the minimal gains.
Now I did add some LVC stickers cause that added 15+ hp. :p

And so you can open your door on a lift.... big whooptie doo! I can set a jack under the rear body mount and lift three tires in the air and still open my doors fine.

You can ask the people on here who have been in my car before the braces and ask them how solid the car is.

The braces didnt reduce or change the chasis only the suspension mounting points.

Also dont just grab one of my quotes and respond without understanding. By 60% reduction I am not saying I had to spin my wheel 100* before to take a corner and now only have to turn it 40*, what that meens is the car ahad a SLIGHT push that was almost completly reduced to neutral. With the sway bar the car should be near neutral with maybe a hair of understeer when the sway bar goes on.
 
I can jack up one corner of my car and get 4 wheels off the ground!!

Beat that! :p

Oh, and I can still open my doors...
 
Cornering I'd just grap my bike. Knee dragging
 
This and replacing the bushings are some of the things I want to do once I get the SVO painted...

Need to get some measurements, make up some drawings, get material, fire up the welder and lathe...

I did get a new hood for it today... :)
 
LaserSVT said:
Tell ya what, come down for a ride and you can watch the meters readings..... thats if your eyes arnt closed and your screaming like a pre teen girl.
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i am not disputing what the meter said. those g-tech and others are widely known to be a good bit off. i have no doubt that your car probably handles awesome, but its not going to pull 1 g.

hell a Porsche GT3 and viper SRT-10 will only pull 1.05 G, and there is no way any mark viii is going to get near that.

an EVO and a STI will do just under 1 g (.99 and .94) and again, NO mark is going to do that.
 
bryantaylor said:
an EVO and a STI will do just under 1 g (.99 and .94) and again, NO mark is going to do that.
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Yep, it says Lincoln on it. There's obviously nothing you can do to get it to handle as well as some Japanese sedans. I guess a CTS-V can't come close either for that matter, it's a luxury car too ya know.
 
Man I love pushing buttons. that is what forums are about. I am not a newb. I built a mid 10 second mustang that actually is a roadcourse car in disguise. I run and own a auto repair shop. I didn't mean to get your panties in a twist but you made other mods at the exact same time, so the results are skewed. I am definitely a firm believer in a stiffer chassis if money is no object. I actually took off my shock tower brace on my mustang because there was no noticeable change, and professionals have proved it in the field that yeah there might be flex but lap times did not suffer even a few thousands of a second. Tires are going to be the biggest improvement, go get some toyo RA1's or kumho victor v710 and redo your test. that will be an improvement.
 
bryantaylor said:
i am not disputing what the meter said. those g-tech and others are widely known to be a good bit off. i have no doubt that your car probably handles awesome, but its not going to pull 1 g.

hell a Porsche GT3 and viper SRT-10 will only pull 1.05 G, and there is no way any mark viii is going to get near that.

an EVO and a STI will do just under 1 g (.99 and .94) and again, NO mark is going to do that.
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Last I checked a Viper was .99G's. I know how to set a car up and how to drive. Not a pro but when it comes to a road course I can whop some ass. never finished less then first place in every stock class event.
I have built a Fox LX Notch that pulled 1.04gs and that was using Dave's equipment who was data installer for Motor Trend years ago. He has first class equipment. Now my equipment isn't pro grade by any means but when I can take a corner and be planted and accelerate hard through that turn with the 03/04 Z06 behind me sliding then I know I am at or near one G.

Also seeing as a stock Mark was rated to pull .78-.82gs new and my meter confirmed a .83 with only a sway bar and tires I knew it was pretty dang close.


BTW, there is an EVO (dont know year) that has tried time and time again to play with me on FM638 and he has yet to take the corners at my speed and I dont even have a tire squeal.

Just cause your car cant and you dont know how to make it do it does not mean others dont know how to set a car up and drive it. For as long as I can remember my friends have come to me for suspension info and if they have coil overs and adj shocks they always as me to set it up and give the alighnment place the right specs.
jt351 said:
Man I love pushing buttons. that is what forums are about. I am not a newb. I built a mid 10 second mustang that actually is a roadcourse car in disguise. I run and own a auto repair shop. I didn't mean to get your panties in a twist but you made other mods at the exact same time, so the results are skewed. I am definitely a firm believer in a stiffer chassis if money is no object. I actually took off my shock tower brace on my mustang because there was no noticeable change, and professionals have proved it in the field that yeah there might be flex but lap times did not suffer even a few thousands of a second. Tires are going to be the biggest improvement, go get some toyo RA1's or kumho victor v710 and redo your test. that will be an improvement.
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Yeah, no. Reading comprehinsion FTMFW.

Sway bar was first and I tested it. Teres were second and I tested it. Front braces went on and I tested it. IRS brace went on and I tested it. Firewall/k-memeber braces went on to complete it all and I tested them. :)
 
Laser, on my list of "Things to do with the Mark" this year is stiffening it up, I hope you won't mind me pestering you for some details down the road.

I had to smile at your list of current mods. I have been at the track every Friday for going on 5 years now, and when I ask a guy what he has done with his car and he starts the list with "Cold air intake" I just sort of tune out everything from that point on. One has to wonder if anyone has ever actually run a temperature probe right there behind the radiator where those kits tend to locate the filter versus in the wheel well where the airbox pulls from... but I digress.

I have total respect for you and I learned a long time ago to look for the guys that are getting the results you want and go and talk to THEM. So I'll be talking to you soon. :)
 
LaserSVT said:
Just cause your car cant and you dont know how to make it do it does not mean others dont know how to set a car up and drive it.
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i have a turbo miata sitting in the driveway that i have personally did the alignment on that begs to differ. but we will just have to agree to dis-agree.

but on a side note, those braces look super easy to make. i actually have made a couple of braces for my miata, and these look just as simple. i might need to bust out the welder and some square stock one weekend.
 
Laser, this was a great writeup. :)

Makes me even more upset with my new coils...:(
 
bryantaylor said:
i have a turbo miata sitting in the driveway that i have personally did the alignment on that begs to differ. but we will just have to agree to dis-agree.
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Congrats! I like it when women do work on their cars. :p

Thats not bad, alignments are not as hard as they make them out to be. When I overhauled every front end part on Sapperfiers car (LCA. tie rods, k-member, rack, strut rods and all the bushings and struts and sway bars and links and braces) I eyeballed his alignment and I was only .04* off on the drivers camber setteing. So yeah, I know how to set crap.

bryantaylor said:
but on a side note, those braces look super easy to make. i actually have made a couple of braces for my miata, and these look just as simple. i might need to bust out the welder and some square stock one weekend.
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They do looke easy but I wonder if you can match the quality. The IRS brace slid in like Ford made it and the front braces amd their support mounts were 100% perfectly symetrical.
Kstills said:
Laser, this was a great writeup. :)

Makes me even more upset with my new coils...:(
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Thanks man.
 
LaserSVT said:
They do looke easy but I wonder if you can match the quality. The IRS brace slid in like Ford made it and the front braces amd their support mounts were 100% perfectly symetrical.
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Not sure about him, but for me... An afternoon's work, and yes, I can match or beat the quality.

Have a small machine shop here at the house, and whatever I can't do (which is little), I can do at the full sized shop at work.

Tools are good karma! :p
 
LaserSVT said:
Thats not bad, alignments are not as hard as they make them out to be. When I overhauled every front end part on Sapperfiers car (LCA. tie rods, k-member, rack, strut rods and all the bushings and struts and sway bars and links and braces) I eyeballed his alignment and I was only .04* off on the drivers camber setteing. So yeah, I know how to set crap.
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i actually need to get an alignment on my lincoln right now, lol.

i have played with the settings on my miata a little bit i finally ended up with the caster maxed out, and about -3 on the camber front and rear, and just a hair of toe in on the front and 0 on the rear. but right now my shocks and springs just not stiff enough when driven hard, but that's next on the list after i finish my motor build :D
 
Laser which of all the suspension mods did you think made the most improvement?

ford nut said:
I don't think I need them......my car goes straight when I let go of the wheel.:D(
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DICK! :mad: I'll catch you with your pants down in one of these threads and when I do it's open game :D .... I may even look through old posts just to toy with you. This is WAR! :p



jt351 said:
No offense but you guys seem like the guys that can "feel" the difference of a cold air kit, or putting on a larger maf w/ larger injectors. I LOVE the percentage of improvements. like 60%. Not to be a dick but if you could feel that much difference than you car was a total POS w/ all of it body welds coming apart. I can put my mark on the hoist and the doors open just fine.
Click to expand...

Nothing like a post full of fail! I'm not even going to begin trying to disseminate this guys post because it's pointless...some people just don't get it ;)
 
I built the rear brace for my car today and installed it. It handled awesome! Later this week i'll be building the front ones. I'm looking forward to it!
Laser-You've inspired me to build these things by your thread! Thanks!
 
Glad I could help. Lets see some pics of the one you made?
 
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