What have you done to your Ecoboosted vehicle today?

[SM105K]

Lol Hell yeah!  So you and the SHO have a toxic relationship

Toxic...nah.  "Good Marriage" would be a good word.  I pamper her, buy her nice bolt on's, and put her through her paces.  She takes all of my money, leaves me with a smile, and always makes me want to come back for more.  We both SHO each other a good time.   

[lamrith]

Sounds like a great weekend SMK!!

Besides H&RSs I will tell you that tires really transform these cars too.  I took the H&R's off my car as they just did not fit with that I have going on with my car.  They handled and cornered better than stock, but given my side business an the roads I daily drive it was just not a good match.

But then I put good tires under her, went 275's all around WOW, what a transformation.  The car sticks now and is very composed, I have taken a few corners since then that the car held well beyond the point of being comfortable to drive due to the lateral G's.  We have a couple sweeping smooth cloverleafs on my route to work, one swooping, one a very tight 180*.  Even with wheel in hands and a tight belt I as the driver was against the door.  I was waiting for it to either understeer or more importantly over steer and it just did not.  I was able to roll quickly into WOT mid corner and I exited the corners with a huge grin for sure.  I have also found it quite entertaining when I see the faces on folks driving "sports cars" when I come flying up on them in corners, you can read their minds "WTH, that's a Taurus".

[ZSHO]

Kinda cool. First picture I took this picture the day after I bought the car on my journey home. Completely bone stock...

Second picture. This was taken almost a year later at the same spot. Just visual mods. De-badged, Darker Tint, H&R Springs, Ceramic Coating, and that plate.....lol. Next up is paint matching the chrome.

Couple of take aways this weekend:

You can power drift this platform. The guy in the WRX tagging along with me up Waterman Ave heading to Crestline witnessed this first hand. Pretty sure he had to change his pants as I drifted around him. I know I had too. The H&R springs worked great in the mountains, I definitely had more confidence stuffing this 4500 lb sedan into corners that I would have taken a bit slower in the past. Night and day difference with the springs and brakes.

I did find the limits of the PowerStop brakes. On the back side of Crestline it is really technical, all down hill, and has a lot of corners. I made it to the almost the bottom, when the brakes decided to exit stage left. Pedal feel never left, but brake fade was immense. I don't know if the pads and rotors were too hot, or if the fluid was boiling in the calipers. Either, I took it easy for the last mile and got onto a nice straight away and they eventually came back.

Also, my SHO tops out at 157 mph.

After this weekend, I am pretty sure the SHO can file domestic violence charges on me.....

Looking Good there sm105k! Enjoy. Z   

[SM105K]

Sounds like a great weekend SMK!!

Besides H&RSs I will tell you that tires really transform these cars too.  I took the H&R's off my car as they just did not fit with that I have going on with my car.  They handled and cornered better than stock, but given my side business an the roads I daily drive it was just not a good match.

But then I put good tires under her, went 275's all around WOW, what a transformation.  The car sticks now and is very composed, I have taken a few corners since then that the car held well beyond the point of being comfortable to drive due to the lateral G's.  We have a couple sweeping smooth cloverleafs on my route to work, one swooping, one a very tight 180*.  Even with wheel in hands and a tight belt I as the driver was against the door.  I was waiting for it to either understeer or more importantly over steer and it just did not.  I was able to roll quickly into WOT mid corner and I exited the corners with a huge grin for sure.  I have also found it quite entertaining when I see the faces on folks driving "sports cars" when I come flying up on them in corners, you can read their minds "WTH, that's a Taurus".

I ask myself alot, a Taurus shouldn't do this......

I agree will go 275's all the way around in the future.  The Conti's on my car (245) were pretty stable for my "spirited" driving. However when they broke loose and I had to ride the slide, I instantly knew there was room for improvement.  Thank God I have spent a good time at Bondurant driving school, so having that in my back pocket kept me out of the guard rail. Power and counter steer.

I wasnt going to put the H&R's on my car, but after I bought the ST I was like....yep it's time.  Very glad I did.  Now I am looking at H&R Springs for the ST.  That thing will be a running riot in the mountains.  Good low and mid range power, great brakes, banging gears, and turning on rails.....

[SM105K]

Kinda cool. First picture I took this picture the day after I bought the car on my journey home. Completely bone stock...

Second picture. This was taken almost a year later at the same spot. Just visual mods. De-badged, Darker Tint, H&R Springs, Ceramic Coating, and that plate.....lol. Next up is paint matching the chrome.

Couple of take aways this weekend:

You can power drift this platform. The guy in the WRX tagging along with me up Waterman Ave heading to Crestline witnessed this first hand. Pretty sure he had to change his pants as I drifted around him. I know I had too. The H&R springs worked great in the mountains, I definitely had more confidence stuffing this 4500 lb sedan into corners that I would have taken a bit slower in the past. Night and day difference with the springs and brakes.

I did find the limits of the PowerStop brakes. On the back side of Crestline it is really technical, all down hill, and has a lot of corners. I made it to the almost the bottom, when the brakes decided to exit stage left. Pedal feel never left, but brake fade was immense. I don't know if the pads and rotors were too hot, or if the fluid was boiling in the calipers. Either, I took it easy for the last mile and got onto a nice straight away and they eventually came back.

Also, my SHO tops out at 157 mph.

After this weekend, I am pretty sure the SHO can file domestic violence charges on me.....

Looking Good there sm105k! Enjoy. Z 

Thanks Z, this platform just keeps giving me more and more.

[SHOdded]

People like to upgrade top down when really they should be going from bottom up.  Tires, brakes, suspension first.  Won't give you the same thrill, but will keep you from kissing the pavement like a biker thrown over the fairing.

I would say talk to Todd at TCE, see what can be done about those brakes.  Talk with Rotora also, see what they can put together for you.  They have a 15" kit for the Edge, so it is well within their domain to do so.  Not cheap but then a car is not just tires, not just an engine, not just springs, etc.

[lamrith]

Sounds like a great weekend SMK!!

Besides H&RSs I will tell you that tires really transform these cars too.  I took the H&R's off my car as they just did not fit with that I have going on with my car.  They handled and cornered better than stock, but given my side business an the roads I daily drive it was just not a good match.

But then I put good tires under her, went 275's all around WOW, what a transformation.  The car sticks now and is very composed, I have taken a few corners since then that the car held well beyond the point of being comfortable to drive due to the lateral G's.  We have a couple sweeping smooth cloverleafs on my route to work, one swooping, one a very tight 180*.  Even with wheel in hands and a tight belt I as the driver was against the door.  I was waiting for it to either understeer or more importantly over steer and it just did not.  I was able to roll quickly into WOT mid corner and I exited the corners with a huge grin for sure.  I have also found it quite entertaining when I see the faces on folks driving "sports cars" when I come flying up on them in corners, you can read their minds "WTH, that's a Taurus".

I ask myself alot, a Taurus shouldn't do this......

I agree will go 275's all the way around in the future.  The Conti's on my car (245) were pretty stable for my "spirited" driving. However when they broke loose and I had to ride the slide, I instantly knew there was room for improvement.  Thank God I have spent a good time at Bondurant driving school, so having that in my back pocket kept me out of the guard rail. Power and counter steer.

I wasnt going to put the H&R's on my car, but after I bought the ST I was like....yep it's time.  Very glad I did.  Now I am looking at H&R Springs for the ST.  That thing will be a running riot in the mountains.  Good low and mid range power, great brakes, banging gears, and turning on rails.....

I very much want to get my car to a track/training event.  We do not have Bondurant here, but there is a training school up at Pacific raceways that I believe has you run your own vehicle.  I have done my share of RWD spirited driving, but FWD/AWD is a different animal and I want to get some education on it.

[SM105K]

People like to upgrade top down when really they should be going from bottom up.  Tires, brakes, suspension first.  Won't give you the same thrill, but will keep you from kissing the pavement like a biker thrown over the fairing.

I would say talk to Todd at TCE, see what can be done about those brakes.  Talk with Rotora also, see what they can put together for you.  They have a 15" kit for the Edge, so it is well within their domain to do so.  Not cheap but then a car is not just tires, not just an engine, not just springs, etc.

Funny you have say that Shodded.  Brakes were one of the first things I upgraded.  However, it seems for what I want to do....you are 100% correct.  Also on a side note, I have been that biker that has been tossed over a fairing a couple times and hit the pavement.  It hurts.

[SHOdded]

well ... don't do that ... again. 

[SM105K]

well ... don't do that ... again. 

I have a 916 and a RC51 in the garage.....both accidents weren't my fault.  I was hit twice.  Once by a car, and once by another bike at a track day.  Gotta pay to play the game. 

[SHOdded]

I seem to attract crashes as well.  Limping but still alive, LOL.  Fingers crossed you won't be in another one.

[SM105K]

I seem to attract crashes as well.  Limping but still alive, LOL.  Fingers crossed you won't be in another one.

No promises.  I fully understand that in a city of 4.7 million people, every time I step over the side of motorcycle I put myself at serious risk for bodily harm and death.  I have lost numerous friends over the years to MC wrecks.  It is what it is. There are very few vehicles that sound better then a screaming high reving V-Twin through Sato Exhaust.   

[lamrith]

I seem to attract crashes as well.  Limping but still alive, LOL.  Fingers crossed you won't be in another one.

No promises.  I fully understand that in a city of 4.7 million people, every time I step over the side of motorcycle I put myself at serious risk for bodily harm and death.  I have lost numerous friends over the years to MC wrecks.  It is what it is. There are very few vehicles that sound better then a screaming high reving V-Twin through Sato Exhaust.

Yeah I gave up riding long ago.  Does not help that here it rains 9mos a year, but the drivers up here are just extremely bad as well.  I used to ride "defensively aggressive" looking for potential problems/stupid driver moves coming up by watching and reading the drivers around me, Then make aggressive moves to get myself out of the way before they made the stupid move.  On a bike it is surprising how you can ready body language of other drivers and what they are doing and predict their next move.  But that only gets you so far.  I had a number of close calls and after decades rolling the dice on 2 wheels, folded my cards and bowed out.

I miss going out on backroads and cruising thru the mountains etc, but that is why I am building up a hellion sports car to go carve canyons with.

[SM105K]

I seem to attract crashes as well.  Limping but still alive, LOL.  Fingers crossed you won't be in another one.

No promises.  I fully understand that in a city of 4.7 million people, every time I step over the side of motorcycle I put myself at serious risk for bodily harm and death.  I have lost numerous friends over the years to MC wrecks.  It is what it is. There are very few vehicles that sound better then a screaming high reving V-Twin through Sato Exhaust.

Yeah I gave up riding long ago.  Does not help that here it rains 9mos a year, but the drivers up here are just extremely bad as well.  I used to ride "defensively aggressive" looking for potential problems/stupid driver moves coming up by watching and reading the drivers around me, Then make aggressive moves to get myself out of the way before they made the stupid move.  On a bike it is surprising how you can ready body language of other drivers and what they are doing and predict their next move.  But that only gets you so far.  I had a number of close calls and after decades rolling the dice on 2 wheels, folded my cards and bowed out.

I miss going out on backroads and cruising thru the mountains etc, but that is why I am building up a hellion sports car to go carve canyons with.

You are 100 percent correct about how reading body language almost becomes a second sense.  Every time I get on a bike, I convince myself every driver is completely stupid and out to kill me. Like you said, I think having that ability gives you the edge and extends those close calls....but for only so long.  Been on two wheels for 25 years now and I am not bored with it yet.  Will it be the death of me?  Only time will tell.

[lamrith]

I seem to attract crashes as well.  Limping but still alive, LOL.  Fingers crossed you won't be in another one.

No promises.  I fully understand that in a city of 4.7 million people, every time I step over the side of motorcycle I put myself at serious risk for bodily harm and death.  I have lost numerous friends over the years to MC wrecks.  It is what it is. There are very few vehicles that sound better then a screaming high reving V-Twin through Sato Exhaust.

Yeah I gave up riding long ago.  Does not help that here it rains 9mos a year, but the drivers up here are just extremely bad as well.  I used to ride "defensively aggressive" looking for potential problems/stupid driver moves coming up by watching and reading the drivers around me, Then make aggressive moves to get myself out of the way before they made the stupid move.  On a bike it is surprising how you can ready body language of other drivers and what they are doing and predict their next move.  But that only gets you so far.  I had a number of close calls and after decades rolling the dice on 2 wheels, folded my cards and bowed out.

I miss going out on backroads and cruising thru the mountains etc, but that is why I am building up a hellion sports car to go carve canyons with.

You are 100 percent correct about how reading body language almost becomes a second sense.  Every time I get on a bike, I convince myself every driver is completely stupid and out to kill me. Like you said, I think having that ability gives you the edge and extends those close calls....but for only so long.  Been on two wheels for 25 years now and I am not bored with it yet.  Will it be the death of me?  Only time will tell.

Yeah I never was bored with it, just felt the clock ticking.  It is not if but when you will go down.  I was lucky enough to keep my falls to offroad and pedal bikes.  I went 32yrs or so riding daily.  Ride safe and keep the rubber side down!