fishpick's 2012 Coyote Vert Build Thread (Base GT Convertible)

[fishpick]

Inspired by @Paul. and his build thread - I'm gonna start mine here. Don't expect a ton of action tho for the next couple of months as it's January here in NY and I'm not starting on the heavy motor stuff for a few months.
Still - my car is a 2012 Base GT Convertible - the only option on the window sticker was the auto transmission.
I spent a lot of time on these forums (and others) and with talking with local owners to decide where things were gonna go.
On the shelf in the garage and set to make a lot of pictures on this thread going forward is a 2.9 Whipple Stage 3 kit, SST OPG's and sprocket, FFRP radiator and GT500 fan and several other odds and ends.
I have a Premium steering wheel in a box that's gonna get swapped, considering either the Kenwood/Maestro combo for gauges, or the 13/14 console swap for Track Apps and digital gauges... Then of course there will be the suspension changes needed to keep the HP to the ground and then the wheels / tires... as in - I'm expecting to keep this thread going strong... just a slow start because it's cold out!

So for mods done to the car to date... Kooks Cat Back exhaust went on 4 days after we got the ar last summer... and I apologize for no pics really, because I didn't even know about this forum then! Car was new to us mid-summer last year and aside from giving it a growl and putting a canned tune on it (just for the summer) that was about all that was done. This year is the year of all the mods!

Hope to keep folks entertained and learn a bunch along the way!

 

[SVTStampede]

Looking forward to seeing how your build goes...I hear you got a smoking deal on the base kit of your Whipple.

 

[fishpick]

I hear you got a smoking deal on the base kit of your Whipple.

That I did

 

[fishpick]

Build threads without pictures suck - I know
So I went back and found the install of the Kooks Cat Back system... at least the pic of the parts out of the box.


Installing these w/o your own lift was basically a non-starter so I called a local Mavis Tire and they let me come in for a reasonable $80 - and let me work alongside their mechanic to pull the existing stock pipes off and then put the new cat back ones on... and then fiddle around for a bit to get the lengths right. They let me leave the stocks there and come back later in the day with the pickup and bring them back home.

 

[fishpick]

Well - I have a "best chip PCB" :/ VCM2 knock off that's supposed to be on a boat from China on the way.
That's to help facilitate the upgrade that is also enroute to me - a 2013 Premium gauge cluster, ABS module and Select A Shift shifter... the goal here is to pull my gauge cluster and upgrade to one with the Track Apps following the writeups out there with this procedure.
So - for now it's still 20°F outside and no work is starting yet... but once the VCM2 gets here the very first thing I'm gonna do is yank the base steering wheel and see if I can change the AS BUILT codes to understand the Premium wheel.
Boats from China are slow tho...

 

[MKMotorsport]

Always interested to see a 'vert build, looking forward to see how yours goes!

 

[fishpick]

Always interested to see a 'vert build, looking forward to see how yours goes!

Thanks - waiting for parts from China (VCM2) and temps to move above freezing
Hope for some progress in the next few weeks with just messing around with the VCM2 (if it ever ships from "most best chip factory")!

 

[fishpick]

US Customs has my VCM2... so - I dunno.
In unrelated news - my wife got me this license plate holder for my birthday yesterday...

 

[fishpick]

We got into the low 50's today - so for a treat in installed a new to me "Premium" wheel in the base car... Still fighting with the IDS software to make the buttons work - but not gonna spend a ton of time on it as all that may get ruined anyhow when I do the cluster swap soon to get the LCD screen, gauges and Track Apps of a 2013.
Here's the before shot of the base wheel... Never really realized how "base" it was.

And then post upgrade - this is how the Premium wheel looks...

Much nicer grip too.
If you are interested - here's the thread where I have details about the wheel install)

 

[fishpick]

Today was a bit of progress in the secondary project... the gauge cluster upgrade to a 2013 LCD gauge with TrackApps and Select-a-Shift.
2013 GT500 LCD Gauge Cluster Install into a 2011 GT500 With Track Apps and LC
Had a bit of a "look harder" moment - was trying to figure out why the pins in the instructions out there didn't match with the pins I was looking at - and - well - wrong connector.
View attachment 83507
So lesson learned. One good thing about upgrading the steering wheel is - all the pins you need for this (as well as complete pined out wires of the correct length) can be taken from the old steering wheel harness and used for the new connections.
So at this point, I have the cluster "working" from the control pad on the new steering wheel...

Next up I need to swap out the ABS module and then I'm ready to start reprogramming ABS and the PCM and then do PATS... which then leaves the part of this project that's the least documented... the change over of the auto shifter to the select-a-shift knob and/or the box itself... I have the whole box but have a feeling you need to get under the car and above the transmission to change the interlink to the shifting cable... so - I'm gonna have to figure out the best solution for this when I get there.
All this is just a run-up for late March - that's the Whipple install... tick tock...

 

[fishpick]

The cluster upgrade is DONE!
The last part was the installation of the Select-A-Shift box and the wiring to the PCM.
With that complete - I'm now laying out the Whipple parts in the barn for the install in less than a month!

 

[oldbones]

Glad you posted about the steering wheel swap. I need to do mine.

 

[fishpick]

Massive good props to the folks @ Whipple Superchargers... one of the reasons why I picked them out of the choices out there was in pre-sales, NOBODY ELSE took the time to answer my newbie questions like they did with the details they offered (thanks Mike). Made me VERY comfortable with my first blower that any questions or problems would be listened to and taken care of by them (let's not BS tho - I wanted a real twin screw and that whine too).
So I just emailed them info about my car to get their base tune for the install in a couple of weeks... and to be honest I was a bit concerned. They make it very clear that their install tune is not a "full custom tune" - and they don't / won't support all sort of other hardware mods. Which totally makes sense - they are Whipple - and they tune their SC, not everything out there... SO, I was concerned because after the cluster upgrade - my PCM reports a different strategy since it also has the 2014 VIN loaded in there... for the cluster.
So I gave them an email with the 2014 VIN/strategy that the SCT reports back... AND details about the original 2012 VIN/strategy as well as the fact that the whole car is REALLY a 2012 - per their instructions.
No joke - within 10 minutes Will emailed me back, thanked me for the details and the clarity of my situation, and told me I would have to wait all of 24-48 hours.
Seriously - Whipple customer service really has been terrific through the sales and pre-install process!
March 22nd - the install begins with the front teardown to install SST OPG and sprocket...

 

[Paul.]

+1 for Whipple customer service. They are fantastic. I've had nothing but A+ experiences from them.

 

[fishpick]

Well - I'm on a mission to see if after the cluster upgrade I can actually FIX the VIN mismatch, and I have a plan to try something in the next few days... Not that I have to... but I would really LIKE to!!! It's the perfectionist in my nature I guess...

Anyhow - that's not as exciting to most folks... like I have never been to a car show and heard people ask about VIN's... just not sexy...

BUT - finally out of all the packing materials... this, this is sexy... And holy lord is this thing MASSIVE!

Install will make this thread pretty busy starting in about a week and a half! The OPGs, sprocket, the Whipple and FRPP radiator and GT500 fan - all go on... I'll be taking pictures and posting updates - and I'm sure - asking questions too!

 

[SVTStampede]

Ah, I love the looks of that blower. Going to be interesting to watch. I sincerely hope it goes smoothly for you.

I ended up picking up another supercharger. Magnuson due to the incredibly low price they were selling them off for. I have a "feeling" you'll be making more power than me with that beast though.

 

[Paul.]

Here's some inspiration for you...

 

[fishpick]

Here's some inspiration for you...

@Paul. all your posts are inspirational- but then I got stuck on your YouTube channel - and I saw a few too many tailights of bowtie wearing cars...

 

[Paul.]

Those 1/2 mile events are no joke. Lots and lots of fast cars. I win some, I lose some, but I always have a great time. The white ZR1 belongs to a friend of mine, and that thing is a missile. My best mph ever was 158 in the 1/2. That Corvette does 173 without trying too hard.

...and that doesn't even get into the angry Nissan GTRs, Lambos, Porsches, and all other manner of high-powered ubercars out there.

My car does great for a stock Mustang with a blower, and I've put a hurting on lots of cars that have more power than me.

Paul.

 

[fishpick]

My car does great for a stock Mustang with a blower, and I've put a hurting on lots of cars that have more power than me.

Paul.

If I don't destroy mine with this build - I'm gonna be just as happy as you are!