Comments on my 2001 GT aftermarket parts.

Hiya...

Decided to spruce up my 2001 GT premium with some aftermarket parts. I've owned it since it was new. Still looks like new too :-) Here are the new parts and what I think of them.

  1. Alloy Steel Strut Tower Brace.
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    Easy enough to put on. Hard to say how much it helps. After all the mods, the car feels much stiffer and solid, but that could be more from the springs, shocks/struts and subframe connectors.

  1. Maximum Motorsports Full Length Subframe Connectors. Black Powder coat.
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    Had to make a few phone calls before I fond a body shop with a drive up lift. They did a nice job. Again... Hard to say how much help this is. The entire care feels a lot more solid, but I think it is the springs. For the most part, I don't drive the car hard. Just a bit of spirited street driving from time to time. I'm less interested in performance and more interested in making the car stronger, more durable and longer lasting. I figured the frame connectors would tuffen it up for the long haul. I kept my last mustang for 12 years. I'd like my 2001 to go at least as long while keeping squeaks and rattles to a minimum.

  2. "Swarr Barr" (Brace for 8.8 Rear)
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    This item is supposed to help the rear from flexing. You have to drill holes in the tabs on either side of the differential. I could swear it feels a bit more solid on take off. So hard to say what it does. Again... Figured it couldn't hurt.

  1. Rear Rims. 17 x 10.5 Anthracite Deep Dish.
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    Who cares what the do. They look awesome !!!

  2. Front Rims 17 x 9
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    A bit larger then stock. I wanted to widen them up a bit given that I was putting 315's on the rear.

  1. Rear Tires Nitto 315/35
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    They look awesome and feel very good. Those huge 315's fit perfectly. No problems with rubbing at all. As I'm sure you know, Stangs are loose in the rear as far as cornering goes. Not to mention, they don't give much notice before they break. The car still gives no warning before the rear flies out on a very hard turn, but... The 315's in the rear keep it anchored far better. This is an improvement that I'm 100 % sure of. The down side here. These Nitto's are super soft drag tires. In 15,000 miles, they are toast. Also... I don't think this 315 read 275 front is the ideal mix for road racing or highway driving. For that I'd stick with the275's all around. Although it is only very slight, I can tell that the car doesn't track as well as it with the combo that I chose. Again... I was going for looks here, and I anticipated that this might be the case. Also.. Forget about tire rotation, not that I care :-) It looks sweet !!!

  2. Front Tires Nitto 275/40
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    Harder compound then the 315's in the rear. The front tires will outlast the rear by quite a bit. No issues at all with rubbing even at full left or right lock. Very minor change to the turning radius. No question that the slightly wider tires in the front help out a lot.

Shocks/Struts Bilstein

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Easy choice. The Feel great. The biggest difference shows itself when you take hard turns that have bumps. Feels far more solid.

Lowering Springs (HR)

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Awesome AWESOME addition. I always thought the 2001 felt a bit slushy. These springs really do the trick. I was worried that it would be too hard of a ride, but that is not so. They make it feel much more solid and sure footed. The new look with the lowering is great and so is the new feel that the car has. I have always though that there is way too much space between the tire in the fender on this car. Now, it looks perfect. This upgrade is a great value for dollar. For both looks and performance.

Camber/Caster Plates

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They do what they are supposed to do LOL. They look impressive too under the hood.

Shifter Steda Triax for TR-3650

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Ahhhhh... Why didn't I get one of these sooner. I never liked the stock shifter. Now that I have the Triax in, I can say that the stock shifter was TOTAL GARBAGE. Especially going into third. I set the shifter up on the "shorter throw" setting. Less leverage on the shifter now, but still feels just fine. Much MUCH more fun to drive. Almost like driving a new car :-). My only issue is that when you use the short throw setting, the leather boot looks a bit squished down. No big deal really.

I wanted to add a rear strut tower brace too, but I haven't been able to find any from Hans Racecraft yet. The one from Steda is useless. Also... After I manage to locate one of those, I'm going to consider some exhaust options. Probably get a tuner too.

Michael

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Michael
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