[ScottQ]

::feel free to move this by the way::

This will sound stupid i've already accepted it

In my wise old age of 24 years I have come to appreciate things in different lights. When I was 16 i drove a Mark VIII that had every comfort stripped out of it in the interest of speed.

Now however, (and after driving a BMW 330 for almost a year) I have come to appreciate things like... balanced handling, window switches that go all the way down when you push them once, sophisticated electronics, predictable breaking. (my stangs break pedal feels like a f*&king brick now that it has the cobra brake upgrade BMW brakes begin tightening as soon as you let off the accelerator)

I know where to look for performance stuff. What kind of shop do i need to find that would do these sorts of things, or are they not even possible?

Before i get flamed to death here are my aggregate responses;
The beamer is my commuter car, the mustang is paid off, I think my mustang has a timeless look, i'll never buy a new car again, i know its not economical but its more economical than buying a new car, and finally my personal favorite 'a car is not an investment if you think it is youre an idiot its a vessel of transportation it only depreciates in value'

 

[nileppezdel77!]

You forgot that we can also insult your grammar.

Balanced handling can be had with some purchases from MM or Griggs. Keep adding parts until you get the feeling you're looking for.

My windows go all the way down when I push the button once... What do you mean?

What are sophisticated electronics? You can put an iPad in the dash if you want. High end audio shop can do all sorts of fun stuff for a price.

Predictable braking. Maybe I need to drive a BMW to understand what you mean. You have the Cobra brakes but they are too hard to push or too easy to push? I'm not sure what you mean by "feels like a brick."

 

[bodyshot]

^ yes my window also is one push and down it go's, I have the 99. I have no doubt in my mind that a small bit of cash can have a gt cornering circles around that BMW. As far as breaks go I'm really not sure if you can get a preloading system on a stang. Wait let me take that back. I don't know what it would cost. GPS? easy, Air pressure sensing Valve Stems? Why? What are you looking for??

 

[XectriK]

That would be the difference in driving a vehicle designed to be a luxury sports car versus a "muscle" car. The BMW at its original price is like a 40k car and it should have the feel and the options of a 40k car. The mustang brand new in this generation is like a 20k-25k car.

Face it, the mustang is an American car. It is rude, crude, and socially unacceptable. That's why I like mine.

 

[Eagle2000GT]

The Mustang is what it has always been. Unique in such a way that it created its own class of cars, the pony car. It is a somewhat economical, sporty car that is targeted toward the young driver. Since a lot of drivers develop brand loyalty, all manufacturers expect drivers to upgrade to more comfortable models from the same manufacturer as they grow older and have other priorities.

You can make a '99-04 Mustang out handle a BMW but you probably will not like the result. The focus is on racing. The parts are racing parts. And, the increase in noise, vibration, and harshness is not luxurious.

Ford has increased the handling of the newer models. Car magazines rave about the 2011's handling. Perhaps you should wait a couple of years and trade for one. But don't know that it will provide the comfort of the BMW. It was not designed to compete in that arena.

 

[brokenweasel]

Ah, it doesn't sound stupid, you are just looking for refinement out of a not so refined car. I can only imagine what going from a BMW to a mustang must feel like. Personally my DD is an old pickup truck with poop for suspension. Going from that to the mustang is pretty awesome ha ha. So its all perspective I guess. It sounds like going fast is something you enjoy since you had a stripped down lincoln and now a mustang. Are you going to get rid of the BMW and just drive the mustang? Keep both and appreciate them for what they are.
I can't say how to make the mustang more refined, and I think that is the beauty of it. If there were tons of expensive, complicated electronics and fancy braking devices, the car would be much more difficult to "hot-rod" at home. Thats the appeal to me at least, I'd rather work on the mustang than most foreign cars.

 

[WickedSnake00]

What do you mean the Mustang isn't a sophisticated car? It's the most sophisticated one I own. (i.e. the only one with a CD player and power windows)

Joking aside, there's lots you can do with the suspension. Ask JazzertheCat. He will know pretty much everything you need to know.

Not sure what you mean by the braking quality, you'd have to elaborate here.

Electronics are only limited by how ambitious you are. People have installed touch screens in these cars, so you can do whatever you want.

But in the end remember the Mustang is a totally different breed of car. It is the quintessential pony car. It is raw, unrefined, but is meant to grab the pavement and kick some ass. Not to mention due to its ubiquitous nature it is extremely cheap and easy to work on. I like doing my own modifications and repairs, and that was a big selling point versus other cars.

And don't forget that Saleen Mustangs and Cobra R's were more than capable of hanging with if not beating BMW's in GT class racing.

 

[asiansensation78]

lol I know EXACTLY what you mean, I've rewired maybe 1/3 of my car to get the basic details I took for granted in my previous cars. The one touch windows thing is pretty simple, you just need the OTWD module from Ford (about $25 each), and here's the wiring diagram:

OTWD Module Wiring

As far as handling goes, that's not really what a SN95 Mustang was built for. You can pretty easily make them hang with M3s with a racing suspension setup (coil-overs, subframe connectors, panhard bar, torque arm, lower control arms, tubular K member, A-arms, etc.), but it'll be pretty uncomfortable to drive every day. I think my biggest complaint when switch over to my Mustang was the steering. It feels incredibly soggy and disconnected. That was remedied with a smaller diameter steering wheel, a solid steering shaft with no flexible rag joint, and solid aluminum steering rack bushings. Setting in some negative camber and putting good tires on your Mustang will go a long way as well. If you can list some complaints and goals for your Mustang, I'm sure we can suggest a few parts for you.

 

[braupe]

To the OP: I understand what you are getting at. Keep in mind that the mustang was designed with the owner modding it in mind. The BMW is not.

Answer: 2011 Mustang GT with the Premium packs. Problem solved.

 

[WickedSnake00]

Answer: 2011 Mustang GT with the Premium packs. Problem solved.

While not part of the OP's question, I definitely agree on this one. I test drove a new GT with the Brembo package and 3.73's, and quite frankly, it didn't feel like a Mustang. It was so remarkably smooth, I almost missed the rough around the edges feel. I've driven Porsche's and BMW's, and while this wasn't exactly the same, it's a lot closer than it's ever been. The 2011 is an outstanding car, no question about it.

 

[ScottQ]

Guys, sorry for being vague at first. I think that was just a result of some confusion as to what I was looking for. I was looking to find out what kind of shop i would need to go in order to get little tweak things like that handled. Not really 'I have problem X and I need technical info Y to correct it'

but seeing as though some of you obviously already have the whole package (asiansensation78 definitely knows what i'm talking about) I will try to better define some of my goals for my mustang.

I am a practical person, I am leaving the country again in June and have no intention on paying for my BMW for the 6 Months i'll be gone or the next 3-4 years. I'd rather sell it for a loss right now and buy a bike to get around the DC area (parking) and/or put more money into my Mustang.

My mustang is slammed to the ground with a coil over suspension kit, gears, Cobra brake upgrade and some visual stuff.

My issues are this to start:
The brake pedal feels like stepping on a brick. As in it doesnt move. Its really stiff and doesnt feel like i'm adding pressure it just feels like i might as well be pushing the damn caliper closed with my foot.

Even though the car is on rails thanks to the suspension it still feels like im steering a boat with a rudder (is that an understeer oversteer issue?). My 330 by comparison feels like a starship and basically lets me feel in command of the car and the highway.

I know the mustang will never have the 50/50 weight distro that the 330 has from a mid mounted straight six. I know that the interior will never be as well engineered. As far as the car electronics issue what i'm looking for is creative input in that area on little things that may be able modernize it. Little things that you guys have done etc. Those are my cheif to mechanical complaints right now as far as how the car handles.

 

[asiansensation78]

-Unfortunately our braking system requires more pressure on the pedal as we don't have electronic brake assist like the German and Japanese cars, check your brake booster and brake fluid though, it requires force, but shouldn't be like stepping on a brick.

-Ford did fit boat steering onto the SN95 Mustang, and the newer Mustangs as well, and across the rest of their range of cars as well for that matter (for you guys who don't know what I'm talking about, test drive a Miata or S2000). To make it more responsive, you'll want a solid steering shaft which replaces the rag joint with a U joint, solid steering rack bushings, smaller diameter steering wheel, and dial in some negative camber with your caster/camber plates (-2.0 or more).

-Too many interior add-ons in my car to really list, but the main ones are launch control, progressive nitrous controller, keyless ignition, aftermarket stereo, Recaro seats, short shifter, shift lights, EL glow gauges with adjustable color, billet pedals, new carpet, and getting rid of that stupid chime that reminds you that your doors are open or that your key is in the ignition

What I really hated when I purchased my car is that it only had 40k miles on it and all of the buttons and knobs felt like they were about to fall off. I cured the interior rattles with some foam stripping and tightened the knobs down with teflon tape. I also took apart the door panels and tightened everything down with 3M automotive tape and zip ties so it doesn't do that brief annoying rattle when you close the door.

 

[asiansensation78]

Here's a recent pic of my interior, I've lost cruise control via taking out the steering wheel, but I could easily make a small switch panel that re-uses the clockspring harness to function as the cruise control buttons.

 

[maverick2000]

Your interior makes me happy in the pants, lol.

I agree in the steering upgrade. I recently installed a solid steering shaft, 03-04 cobra, rack, solid racking busings, and MM bumpsteer and it made a world of difference. As for the op's issue with the brakes, you might try switching to stainless steel lines to get the feeling your looking for. Also my switch to biltstien's was life changing lol.

 

[NakedPony2000]

Lol only depreciates in value what are you smoking? My dad bought his 1973 440 Roadrunner when he turned 17 for 3g and now he has it appraised at almost 45g. Watch the Barret Jackson auto show sometime their are cars on there back in the 70's that went only for 3 or 4g new and now days go for 100g or more. Your Euro BMW may only depreciate value but the American Muscle only goes one way and that is up.