SAAC Forum

Regarding the Track Day event at SAAC-43, the "Highlights" sheet says:

Quote
Open Track will have run groups on all three days of the convention. The Intermediate and Advanced
run groups will be allowed to have passengers. Forms and track schedule will be available in the
Downloads section of the website.

Anybody know what driving credentials qualify as Intermediate and Advanced? Driving schools? Number of HPDE events? Racing experience?

Thx,
Jim

An update on the lodging situation at the Embassy Suites: The online reservation system indicates that there are no more "SAC" room rates available, so I called their number to speak to an agent. It appears that all the "SAC" rate rooms are filled for Aug 3 and Aug 5, but are available for the other dates. The online reservation system can't handle the dual rates in this case, so it defaults to the normal rates for all nights. The normal rate for these two non-SAC nights was $287+tax for a King room. The SAC rate on the other 4 nights was the expected $215+tax. The agent booking the room told me I got the last King room that is available for all 6 nights of the event, but there are still Double-Queen rooms available.

Regarding parking: I don't want to start a false rumor, so consider the source, but the agent told me that the $7 parking is not waived for these nights. In contrast to this report, recall that in the "SAAC-43 Host Hotel Information" thread, the Forum Guide told us:

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5. No matter what is says on the forms, all SAAC reservations get free parking (normally $7/night).

So SAAC may have made other parking arrangements of which the agent is unaware.

Thx,
Jim

+1: Jim's reply. I discussed the T-5 variants with MD and they assured me theirs is of the preferred, robust design. (Then again, what would you expect them to say;)  MD offers a Tremec T-56 6-speed with a higher design torque limit. I looked at this unit, but it requires some clearance modification in the '65-66 tunnel area - something i didn't want to do. My 289 dyno'ed at 340 torque and I plan to use it for autocross. MD felt that the T-5z would work fine in this application. Besides, it fits without mods and is lighter to boot.

Jim

In the Doghouse, I sent you a PM.

Hi Greg,
Modern Driveline is a well know supplier of T5 upgrades for vintage Mustangs. Several of the Mustang magazines have articles on this very popular swap. Since MD is located close to where I live, the choice was easy for me. My '65 Fastback had 2.78 gears in the back with a T10 as well.  Originally running 215/60R14 tires, I was right at 3000 RPM at 75MPH. I have changed to 3.89 gears and the Ford Motorsport T-5z with a 0.63 overdrive. I will run 17" wheels and expect to be at 2500 RPM at 75 MPH in fifth gear.

The owner at MD, Bruce Couture, is a real stand-up guy. I met him through our local Mustang Club. He and his crew have patiently answered my questions and gave me a great tour of his shop outside of Caldwell ID. The website has a lot of info, so even if you select another vendor, there is a lot to learn here. My car is not yet running, but several club members have done this swap using Bruce's services and have nothing but good things to say about it. (And no, I'm not sponsored - though I drive like I am;)

Jim

Thx Bob. That clarifies it well.

Not to hijack the thread, but I have a newbie question. This is the second time I've seen a forum reference to accidentally showing a Ford VIN number. Can someone explain what the faux pas is here? Is this a legal issue, or simply one of etiquette or something else? Just curious. Thx!

Hi TLea, I sent you a PM.

I am not a newbie!

Well, actually, maybe I am. I've been a member for several years, but haven't felt a need to post. Just soaking up the knowledge and basking in the glow of all things Shelby.
Does that make me a Lurkie?

I have a February 1965 A-code Fastback and no longer need the heater box and core. Everything seems intact and unbroken, but it's filthy as sin. You are welcome to it if it will work. I noticed you specified a "Late" 65 heater box. Was there a change to the heater boxes in '65?

I was disheartened to see the forum problems. The guidance this forum has provided has been invaluable for my project.

My wife and I are starting the final assembly of our 65 Mustang GT350 Tribute project. The car was purchased cheap in 1983 after being resurrected following a high-speed encounter with a bridge abutment and given a crude restoration. It was my daily driver and autocross racer for 10 years.  As my interest in the Mustang hobby grew, I became a Shelby fan. I couldn't afford a true Shelby, and if I could, I probably wouldn't want to abuse it. Fortunately, I had the perfect candidate for a tribute car. In '93 we tore the car down and began a better restoration - or at least as good as our newbie skills would permit. The project has proceeded in fits and starts with lots of surprises along the way, but hopefully we are now on the last leg.

We are keeping the exterior and interior mostly true to the 65 GT350 appearance. No major modifications to the body other than a color change to arctic white and a touch of GT350R in the mix. Other features: Ford 289 (Eng. dyno: 350HP@6500/340Tq@4300), coil overs, R&P, EFI, front-disks/2.5x10" rear drums, Ford 9", Wavetrac diff, etc. We also added creature comforts like power-steering, boosted brakes, hyd. clutch, 5-speed, A/C and sound-deadening so the wife could/would drive it. The added weight is not a performance concern as my racing class requires a minimum of 3000 lbs. and I am still going to have to add ballast.

I might add that Shelby Parts and Restoration recently made available what looks to me like a good reproduction of the '65 Shelby dash-mounted horn toggle switch. I attached two photos that they provided. (Note that their web-page touts a $60 switch, but that unit appears to be no longer available.) I paid $183 incl. shipping in November 2017, just as they started getting these switches from a new supplier.