Sometimes you just can't leave well enough alone. The long-term Ford GT already has a smaller supercharger pulley, an ECU reflash, a Ford Racing short shifter, a Ford Racing transaxle cooler and an Accufab air intake lining (to keep the intake tube from collapsing during full-throttle blasts).
But the factory exhaust note is pretty tame on this exotic, even by my standards. It's great for long-distance road travel because engine noise is essentially a non-issue. But it's pretty much a non-issue when hitting redline, too. Seems like there should be a happy medium, and after much discussion with other Ford GT owners the Borla/Ford Racing exhaust system sounded like the "just right" noise level I was looking for. Additional benefits include a 30 pound drop in weight compared to the factory muffler, and far more attractive exhaust tips (the standard exhaust tips scream "corporate bean counters").
Changing out the muffler and tips requires removal of the engine cover, but that's easily accomplished if you know what you're doing. Basically you just remove the two hinge pins at the back of the cover and angle it down until it lifts off. The GT Guys, who performed all the earlier modifications on the GT back in August, were in town last weekend and swapped the exhaust for me. They also flushed the brake fluid and changed the pads, two services I've wanted ever since tracking the car at The GT School last month.
Other service items included an oil and filter change, an air filter change and replacing the transaxle fluid. I also asked them to check the clutch. We slipped it a bit too much during acceleration testing back in October. it seemed fine once we let it cool down, and they confirmed it's okay -- no unusual slippage, engagement or wear issues. Total bill: $4,400, but $3,100 of that was the exhaust system (parts and labor), and another $315 was the price of the upgraded Stillen carbon ceramic brake pads (not including labor). The brakes feel just like stock under normal driving conditions, but they grab harder than stock once you build some heat. Might be time for another 60-to-0 brake test. BTW, the original brake pads still had 40 percent life left on them.
The weekend ended with the GT's appearance at Fabulous Fords at Knott's Berry Farm. This is the third year for the car at this show, and it still draws a crowd. I guess that's expected at an all-Ford show, but I'm somewhat surprised by the attention a three-year-old car gets. Lots of pictures taken and questions asked by showgoers. I guess we made the right decision in putting this car next to the Edmunds.com booth instead of our brand new long-term Focus.
Karl Brauer, Edmunds.com Editor in Chief @ 12,900 miles.
m_thrizzle says:
03:50 PM, 04/21/08
A video clip with before and after exhaust sounds would be awesome. DO IT! Please :)
SubyTrojan says:
03:59 PM, 04/21/08
m_thrizzle, Karl's link to the acceleration testing run blog entry has a good clip that can serve as a "before" sample.
estreka says:
06:03 PM, 04/21/08
Is this a GTX1 yet?
I think you made a good decision with Borla.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYvZxMcH8SI
(note: Lightning has the same engine as the GT, though piping is of course considerably shorter in the GT)
tmanz says:
07:13 PM, 04/21/08
"A video clip with before and after exhaust sounds would be awesome. DO IT! Please :)"
you guys really need to add some decent quality MP3's of some of the cars.
daytona_500 says:
08:05 PM, 04/21/08
Im wondering, who exactly pays for the GTs mods? Is it officially classified as an IL long term car?
carswapper says:
11:45 AM, 04/22/08
So thats how the other half lives...the average Ford guy has a Mustang disassembled in the driveway.
norsairius says:
01:37 PM, 04/22/08
I'm with daytona here, I'm interested in knowing who pays for the mods. Is the car actually owned by someone on the Edmunds staff?
Also, I'd love to see some video clips of this car in action with the new exhaust, full throttle, start up, idle, pulling away, etc.
hondacura4 says:
01:52 PM, 04/22/08
A twin turbo upgrade, a good tune and it will be complete =).
estreka says:
05:43 PM, 04/22/08
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=125555
thebigal says:
08:33 PM, 04/22/08
I think the Ford GT is Karl's "personal" car - meaning he bought and paid for it, but also it gets blogged about here as an LT because it is an exotic car????
editor_karl says:
08:35 AM, 04/23/08
The basic maintenance (oil, filters, brake service, etc.) is paid by Edmunds. The mods are paid by me.
karjunkie says:
09:50 AM, 04/23/08
Did your reading about the new Porsche 2008 911 GT2 have anything to do with these mods? They added a titanium exhaust to reduce weight by 20 lbs and new ceramic brakes too. I sure hope the gains in performance justify that $3K investment!
editor_karl says:
09:57 AM, 04/23/08
I hadn't heard about the GT2 upgrades. I didn't even know about the weight-loss effect until The GT Guys told me as they were doing the install. Then they had me pick up the stock muffler and the FRP muffler. The 30-pound different was quite clear after that.
If someone ever makes a ceramic brake upgrade kit for the GT I'd consider it. The GT's weight is the only aspect I'm not thrilled with, so every little bit helps. Official curb weight is just over 3,500lbs, but not having the silly McIntosh audio system (and HEAVY amp), plus the optional alloy wheels and now this exhaust system should have me just under 3,500lbs -- which I've always considered the breaking point from "spritely" to "boaty" for a performance car.
firstwagon says:
02:01 PM, 04/27/08
Anyone know what the original Ford GT40 weighed? I know you can't compare the past to the present but I'm just curious.
editor_karl says:
08:17 PM, 05/ 4/08
I'm sure it was less than 3,000lbs. Wiki says 2,000lbs, for whatever that's worth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GT40