My Impressions So far....LOOONG

[CAP1]

1. Glass - Blue Shop towels and Invisible Glass.   I know Griot's makes a Clay Bar for Glass, but I do not have a need for it.   I came about the Blue Shop Towels (paper towelish ones on a roll) by accident.   I ran out of cloths and said:  "Well it'll leave lint, but we'll try it (as it was all I had around at the time)."   As CAP has found, they do not break down like a Paper Towel will and they do not leave lint.    I spray all windows on a side and will use one towel per (just flip it from front to rear window).   

2. Wheels - I will spray the Wheel Cleaner and let it set (one wheel at a time) for about a minute.   I use the sponge that comes with the kit.    I get the flat surfaces with a brush and ignore where the calipers are.   Hit every wheel and then throw it in neutral and back up about 3 ft (you will see where you missed) and hit the remaining patches.    Their Red Rubber cleaner is another product I have and will mix this with the wheels.    But that is what I do.  

Some will go to the extreme of putting a Spray-On Sealant on their Aluminum Wheels and to me, it shows laziness.    Also, it will "bake" eventually and if they're Cleared or Painted, you're heating it up.

There is a neighbor down the street that is always walking his little Dachshund and will always stop and watermelonchat with me as I'm detailing.    He's asked if I did it for a living.    I guess I would if I could.   

 cool....so i'm using the right stuff for the glass.

 there was no sponge in the beginners kit, although there will be a wax application foam pad with the stuff coming this week. i'll stop at the local pepboys for a soft brush and a couple sponges for the wheels.
 i was wondering about things to coat/protect/seal the wheels, and now i know. i'll just keep on cleaning them.....it's gonna be tough though. they get pretty dirty in just a week.....but i've pretty much designated sundays as my car wash day.

 my mom's up here for a couple more weeks.....she was heading out, as i started hosing the car down, and she goes "didn't you just wash it last week?". i said i did, and that i'd be doing it again next week too. she thinks i'm overkilling. i think overkill is just about right.

[Shuffler]

and i aim to keep her that way.

 the amazing thing is that i only washed/dried her today. i haven't even hit her with the paint clay, or wax yet.  

 another fast question...........what do you use on the glass,,,,,,i know you use invisible glass, but i mean what to apply/clean? it was suggested to me to use blue disposable shop towels, and so far they're working well.
 while i'm on the subject of glass......in my other cars, i use rainx washer fluid.....can or will that damage paint?

 concerning wheels.......how do you get the inner sections? right now, i'm reaching through the spokes, and wiping em down........

Even newspaper works great for streak free. I usually use a lint free cloth you can buy in bundles at the parts store.

Rainx is safe but I don't use it.

Inside wheels I do before every show or once a month. Best way is to put it up on your lift.

[CAP1]

Even newspaper works great for streak free. I usually use a lint free cloth you can buy in bundles at the parts store.

Rainx is safe but I don't use it.

Inside wheels I do before every show or once a month. Best way is to put it up on your lift.

 i normally use newspaper, as that's what an old greek guy taught me when i used to work in restuarants. figured if it works on building glass, it'd work on cars...and it does. i stopped when i read something about the possibility of the ink in the paper managing to bleed off onto the car.

 i meant the rainx washer fluid......i keep the orange rainx in my dakota and jeep.

[Shuffler]

i normally use newspaper, as that's what an old greek guy taught me when i used to work in restuarants. figured if it works on building glass, it'd work on cars...and it does. i stopped when i read something about the possibility of the ink in the paper managing to bleed off onto the car.

 i meant the rainx washer fluid......i keep the orange rainx in my dakota and jeep.

The ink is food grade and will not hurt your paint or glass.

[icepac]

Fixing one of these.

Apparently Hennessey decided that the stock LSA bottom end was ok at 700hp with cast pistons.

It's not.

We've been pretty busy delivering on the horsepower that other tuners promise........but don't deliver.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVFighlajFk

[CAP1]

gonna kinda hijack my own thread....sorta......

 golfer......how's your mustang holding up? how's she dealing with the racing, and in particular, how's the fitment of the roof holding up?

[Golfer]

Zero problems.

Because I'm racing I will be installing a 1 piece aluminum driveshaft and safety loop. They're both at home waiting for me to get the car in the air which I'll do when I'm back from vacation sometime after 12/4. On the road now and have been for a week, wrapping up today.

For some reason instead of using a solid driveshaft like the GTs Ford used a two piece that's not really a two piece.  There isn't a third universal joint but it's two pieces mated together which isn't as strong as it could be.  In fact a few of them have exploded at 118mph or so on Dynos and a buddy's broke while he was on a road trip in VT. Ford replaced it under warranty but I'm being proactive for my own sake and putting a Shaftmasters in because I'm racing. Safety first.

Drop top fits fine. I'm crossing the stripe at 100mph and no weird noises or buzzes.  In fact the whole car doesn't have any rattles from various pieces not fitting together which I'm very happy with.

The only thing I'm not happy with is my 60' time. I'd like to get it to 2.0x and my best so far is 2.26. Still playing with how to launch but I'm not home enough to get to the track that often.

Sometime in the spring I'll get another set of wheels and a set of brembo or v6 perf package take off tires for track days up at Pocono Raceway. I'm excited to get on a road course and I'm lining up 3-4 club days this year as they don't require roll bars in convertibles. Fresh tires, brakes and rotors are required to get through tech and I'm already excited about that.

[CAP1]

Zero problems.

Because I'm racing I will be installing a 1 piece aluminum driveshaft and safety loop. They're both at home waiting for me to get the car in the air which I'll do when I'm back from vacation sometime after 12/4. On the road now and have been for a week, wrapping up today.

For some reason instead of using a solid driveshaft like the GTs Ford used a two piece that's not really a two piece.  There isn't a third universal joint but it's two pieces mated together which isn't as strong as it could be.  In fact a few of them have exploded at 118mph or so on Dynos and a buddy's broke while he was on a road trip in VT. Ford replaced it under warranty but I'm being proactive for my own sake and putting a Shaftmasters in because I'm racing. Safety first.

Drop top fits fine. I'm crossing the stripe at 100mph and no weird noises or buzzes.  In fact the whole car doesn't have any rattles from various pieces not fitting together which I'm very happy with.

The only thing I'm not happy with is my 60' time. I'd like to get it to 2.0x and my best so far is 2.26. Still playing with how to launch but I'm not home enough to get to the track that often.

Sometime in the spring I'll get another set of wheels and a set of brembo or v6 perf package take off tires for track days up at Pocono Raceway. I'm excited to get on a road course and I'm lining up 3-4 club days this year as they don't require roll bars in convertibles. Fresh tires, brakes and rotors are required to get through tech and I'm already excited about that.

 the two piece driveshaft was something i meant to include in my questions. i was curious about that. i don't really see a reason for it either, although i do believe that the camaro is also using a two piece. i'll be keeping that in mind, as i don't feel like sitting on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck as i go find the various pieces of my driveshaft, nor do i feel like losing a race due to one breaking.

 60' times may be a bit hard, as you've got a 2.78? rear? if it helps any, when i used to run my 83 bone stock(it was WAY slower than yours) the best launch i came up with, was to basically sidestep the clutch at about 2700rpm, but no immediate throttle. i let it bog on the line, then once she was rolling, i was able to hammer it. any higher rpm, cooked the tires, and throttle at that rpm cooked the tires, and any lower launch, she just didn't get moving. that car had a 3.23(was the highest ford offered in those).

 i'm glad to hear abuot the fitment. the main reason i had asked, is due to fords past history with mustang convertibles. i may have mentioned it before. i believe that the s197 chassis is the first mustang convertible to be built entirely by ford. previously, they'd build the car as a coupe, ship it out, the company that did them would hack the roof off, add supports, put the convertible in, and then ship the soon to be leaking/rattling/poorly fitting convertible. i had read good about these, and now i know from someone i know and trust that they really did improve them.

 i had talked with a service manager at ford down the street.....according to him, the wheels on my car are the only ones besides the shelby or boss302 wheels(from ford) that'll clear the brembo calipers, so be careful when you upgrade them. i'm not sure though, as although he generally sounded like he knew his stuff, i thought i caught a bit of that tone that bs'ers get.

 like you, with the way these things handle, i can't friggin WAIT till spring and the possibility of some track days. i'll be trying for milleville frst, as it's closer. also, know what i found out dood? the SCCA runs autocrosses down at the old bader field. 

 it's ashame dicho doesn't live closer.....the three of us, we could probably talk mypsie into joining us too.....could almost have our own little AH road racing group. 

[Shuffler]

Not sure about the driveshaft on the camaro being 2 pc. I'll have to check. I know of none exploding on the track or anywhere else.

As for clearing brembos there should be many after market rims that will work. There are many for the camaro and all SS camaros have brembos.

[icepac]

Convertibles have come such an amazingly long way in the last decade that they ride like a coupe.

If you've ever driven convertible muscle cars from the 60s and 70s, VW golf convertibles, toyota celica convertibles.....etc, you will realize just how far they have come.

[Golfer]

I'm not changing the brakes. Just putting the tires and/or wheels on. Brembo and V6 perf package cars come with P Zero performance tires. Mine has P Zero Nero all seasons. I want the rubber not the brakes for my application.

[Shuffler]

I'm not changing the brakes. Just putting the tires and/or wheels on. Brembo and V6 perf package cars come with P Zero performance tires. Mine has P Zero Nero all seasons. I want the rubber not the brakes for my application.

P Zeros are not good at the track. P Zeros will burn away.

Most of the camaro folks are running Z06 18s with MT Track radials.

[Dichotomy]

 it's ashame dicho doesn't live closer.....the three of us, we could probably talk mypsie into joining us too.....could almost have our own little AH road racing group. 

Indeed 

[CAP1]

I'm not changing the brakes. Just putting the tires and/or wheels on. Brembo and V6 perf package cars come with P Zero performance tires. Mine has P Zero Nero all seasons. I want the rubber not the brakes for my application.

 aahh...gotcha. i misunderstood.

 check ebay...there's a couple people selling the wheels like mine, with tires and tpms sensors. there's one in florida selling the set for 1200, but i'd be careful of him. he put them on awhile ago, with no reserve....when it became obvious that he wasn't gonna get too much, suddenly the shipping was listed as being $1399.00. the winner of that auction was someoen with zero feedbacks, and now those same wheels/tires are being listed again by the same guy.....kinda shady. there's others though, and a couple of them are decent deals i think.

[CAP1]

P Zeros are not good at the track. P Zeros will burn away.

Most of the camaro folks are running Z06 18s with MT Track radials.

 how do those same cars handle "as driven" though. i'll be running mine as driven, not on special tires.....