Don's car has now rolled up 131,000 miles. It had the valve clearance checked at 115,000 miles (no changes needed) and is totally stock except for:
- 77mm MAF (Pro-M) with K N cone filter
- SHO Shop Y-pipe with high-flow cats
- Walker exhaust with Walker center pipe/resonator and Flowmaster turbo style mufflers
- Hypertech underdrive pulleys
The car has been pretty extensively raced at autocrosses, drag races, 5 SHO convention events (three of them with double drivers) and the One Lap of America this year. The car has had religious 3000 mile oil changes with regular Valvoline for the first 50,000 miles and since then has had 5000 to 7000 mile changes with either Mobil 1 or Amsoil 5-30 100% synthetic. (Oil usage was cut from 1 qt per 1000 to 1 Qt per 3000 after the change to synthetic).
A Vericom computer has tested the car at between 240 and 260 hp depending on the launch and the weather/road conditions. It runs 15.2 to 15.3 on the drag strip at 93 mph. Computer chips either make the car misbehave (cutting out) or they cause spark knock.
New OEM Ford spark plugs and wires were installed at 115,000 miles.
Here are the results of Don's Dynojet runs (corrected for atmosphere and measured at the wheels):
- Best power = 198.4 hp @ 5900 rpm
- Best torque = 197.0 lb-ft @ 4350 rpm
5 runs were made in 4th gear from 2000 rpm to 6700 rpm. Torque and power dropped on the last two runs to 192.0 torque/191.4 hp due to the engine getting to full operating temperature. Room temperature was 85.5 degrees. The graph shows corrected flywheel horsepower for run number 1.
Torque started out at 160 lb-ft @ 2000 rpm and climbed to 190 lb-ft by 2700 Power started out at 61.3 hp at 2000 rpm and climbed to 102 hp @2800 then 150 hp @ 4100 and 180 hp at 5100.
There was a jump in both power and torque at 4000 when the runners opened, but there was a jog down in both at 4400. I am not sure what this is ... perhaps intake air rebound after the runners open?
The torque curve is almost ruler flat from 2800 to 5000 and then very gently drops to 6000 and then drops at a slightly faster rate after that but is still 146 at 6700
The power curve is also almost ruler straight, but on an uphill slope from 2000 rpm to 6000 rpm where it gently slopes off with 186 hp still available at 6700 rpm.
There was a slight instability in the ignition between 2000 and 3300 and other than the slight drop at 4400 mentioned above the graph is smooth (as it should be) the rest of the way indicating very good high rpm ignition stability.
The 198 hp at the wheels can loosely translate to about 240 net at the flywheel. This is about where I thought it would be, and almost exactly what the Vericom indicated. The Dynojet was extremely repeatable, where it was hard to get good repeat figures with traction problems with the Vericom.
Even with the 1000 hp Ferarri and the 600 hp Viper, the Dyno guy was impressed with this type of power from a FWD naturally aspirated V6 SHO.
