Why nittos? because I have pissed away plenty of money on different brand tires Goodyear, BF Goodrich, Firehawk Wide Ovals, Nittos, Sumitomo HTRZ,  and Dunlop, and I can tell you nothing can stick 500-600HP down like Nittos on the street.  There may be better options for the track like MTs but, honestly they will see very little track time compared to street.

I have tried all three Nitto 555R tire sizes now and can give some insight to those trying to make the decision. It is important to note that Nitto did not produce the 305/40 18 when I bought my 35 and 45 series, hence the size swapping. I guess Nitto realized there was a pretty big gap between models too.

First: Nitto 555R 305/45 18 on my ROUSH/GT   28.78″ TALL (way too tall for me)

Second: Nitto 555R 305/35 18 on my 2008 Shelby GT500 26.42″  Nice but smaller than the 27″ stock goodyears and it shows with the big wheel well gap

Last try: Nitto 555R 305/40 18 on my 2008 Shelby GT500 27.72″  Just about perfect, not too tall but fills out the stock wheel well with room for an FRPP handling kit. WINNERS!!!

Slideshow of all three.

Like many GT500 owners I started out with the FRPP intake and tune and slowly warmed up to the idea of something more potent, then I stumbled accross a  pulley/tune package  from  VMP Tuning that is specifically for the FRPP kit. The contains a 2.65″ pulley, 90mm idler, SCT Flash Tuner, 3 custom tunes from Justin, and I opted for his stellar pulley puller tool (save yourself the nightmare of the cheap pullers that you read so much about).  This kit is consistently putting down 550RWHP on average, pretty damn stout for a $700 investment.

Woah, not so fast, you have now introduced a new problem that needs to be addressed before becoming a YouTube hero.  As any Shelby GT500 owner already knows, the car suffers from heat soak due to extreme temperatures generated by the supercharger and that rather wimpy stock intercooler. You can drop 60HP+ pretty quick when the temps get up there, which is pretty easy in 90 degree temps.  Essentially, the temps climb and the computer kicks in and pulls timing from the motor to keep it from a meltdown, this in turn saps power noticeably.

So what do you think is going to happen when you swap a pulley from 3″ to 2.65″ and add 3-4psi?  You are going to take an already known issue and exacerbate it.  Solution?  Cooler plugs for one, NGK TR6 plugs gapped at .035 will run one range cooler than stock.  Second, an AFCO heat exchanger to replace the stocker.  I spent some time researching all the various Shelby Heat Exchangers on the market and stats all point to the Shelby dual fan HE and the AFCO as leading the pack. Steeda makes one, and I am usually a fan but in this case it is smaller and more expensive than the afco, huh?  The afco runs about $380 while the shelby fan cooled is around $750.  The AFCO is more than enough for my needs and, I got a sweet deal on a used one from a forum buddy.  Some quick data to back the decision:

Core Size
AFCO core is 9″ tall x 22.44″ wide x 2″ thick.
Stock is 6″ tall x 23″ wide x 1.25″ thick.

Height:
Stock 6″
AFCO 9″

Width: Stock 23″
AFCO 22.5″

Thickness: Stock 1.25″
AFCO 2.0″

Front Face Area
Stock 138 sq. in.
AFCO 202 sq. in. (50% increase)

Overall Surface Area:
Stock 690 sq. in.
AFCO 1616 sq. in. (135% increase)

While it is rather an easy install it is time consuming to get the front fascia off, see pics below.  After driving around in hot weather I can actually tell a difference, while it probably won’t solve your heatsoak issues on a long road race course, it will surely resolve your average street use heat soak.

You will need 1.5 Gallons of mixed 50/50 Motorcraft Premium Gold protection Engine Coolant with Bittering Agent VC-7-B, sold at all Ford dealerships $11.00/gal. The GT500 manual specs VC-7-A but the parts computer has been updated for 2009 showing VC-7-B as the official replacement for that part. Only difference is a bittering agent I believe was added. Any Dealership will carry this don’t screw around trying to find it at your local Autozone, PepBoys, etc.  And it is highly advised not going with some off the shelf product due to the possible chemical reactions within the GT500 cooling system and this foriegn coolant, not to mention the yellow keeps it looking factory.

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LAS VEGAS – June 26, 2009 – Continued demand for a “Super Snake” post title package has led Shelby Automobiles to unveil a new program to turn a limited number of 2010 Ford Shelby GT500s into Shelby super cars. The Super Snake package will include enhancements to the 2010 Ford Shelby GT500’s handling, styling and power; output ratings will range from 630 to over 725 horsepower. Exclusivity will be assured as a limited number of Super Snakes will be built at the Shelby Autos facility in Las Vegas or one of the Mod Shops, beginning in August 2009.

“We take great pride in engineering fast, fun cars that people love to drive,” said Carroll Shelby. “Over the past 12 months, my team of hot rodders was hard at work on a Super Snake package for the next generation GT500. Every lesson we learned kicking the competition around on the track over the past two years has been poured into this new car to keep Shelby owners out front.”

Born on the drag strip and road course at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Ford Racing and Shelby Automobiles dialed in an even more aggressive suspension and engine package for the 2010 car.

“Since we introduced the Super Snake package for the GT500 in 2007, this Shelby has become the pinnacle of current generation muscle cars,” added Amy Boylan, president of Shelby Automobiles. “While the stock GT500 is a fine car, serious enthusiasts know that they can come to us to make their Shelby even better. For those who crave a harder edged Shelby, this is your car.”

The 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 Super Snake post title package includes:
• Ford Racing handling pack including Dynamic adjustable dampers, lowering springs, tuned stabilizer bars, and front strut tower brace is standard for the Super Snake
• Ford Racing Supercharger upgrade kit producing over 630 HP and 590 ft.-lbs. of torque
• Borla exhaust system on the 630 HP Ford Racing Super Snake Package
• 6-speed manual transmission with 3.73:1 rear axle ratio
• Either a Shelby/Ford Racing or Shelby/Kenne Bell supercharger kit producing 725 HP with upgraded drive shaft, billet twin 75mm throttle body and exclusive badges
• Borla exhaust system on the 725 HP Super Snake Package
• An optional Shelby / Eibach handling pack is also available
• Shelby-designed Alcoa 20-inch wheels
• Short-throw shifter
• Forged Shelby / Baer brakes with 6 piston calipers and cross drilled / vented rotors
• Front brake cooling ducts
• Unique fiberglass hood featuring classic Shelby design
• Shelby signature Super Snake stripes
• “Shelby” lettering across the rear decklid
• “Super Snake” vehicle badges and official Shelby CSM interior plate
• Shelby signature embroidered headrests, floor mats and other Shelby designed components

Customers interested in bringing their 2010 Ford Shelby GT500 to one of the Shelby Mod Shops for transformation should contact Roger Sorel with Shelby Automobiles at (702) 942-7325. The price of the 630 HP package is $29,495 and the 725 HP package is $33,495 including installation but not the car. Each vehicle will be listed in the official Shelby registry.

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If you are making 500HP+ you will no doubt notice a traction issue in mustangs. If they aren’t spinning they are hopping like a banshee.  I have wasted money on different suspension parts and even gimmicks like the kenny brown brace (designed to reduce wheel hop) with little results. One set of Nitto 555Rs and problem solved. If you have never driven with an oversized sticky nitto on regular roads you will be stunned at how much grip they have.  Where once you were spinning you are now stuck like glue and propelled forward with blurry vision.  Simply fantastic, I have had a set of these on both the Cobra and the GT500, go 305 or wider!

I have had this same exhaust on the 2v 4.6 GT, 3v 4.6l GT, 4v 4.6 Cobra, and 4v 5.4L GT500 and they all sound wicked. I have tried other exhausts that cost more but nothing sounds better, period.  Gotta have the flows!!!

First addition centered shelby trunk letters- After seeing the supersnake, kr, and all the pre production models of shelby GT500s with the trunk emblems centered, I decided to follow suit.  I think ford just got cheap because it is much easier to deal with stripes if you don’t have emblems over them.  Slick install taking about 30 minutes being extremely careful to make them exact, the human eye is amazingly talented at detecting the slightest imperfection when it comes to letters.

Second addition was the Ford Racing (OEM part on shelby gt’s) brushed aluminum gas cap. I had one on my 04 cobra and really liked the look so I duped it. I know, it’s a fine line between pimping out a car and making it tacky, especially when it’s considered collectible.  I am doing my best not destroy an already perfect car by adding some small tasteful touches.

Third Addition – NITTO 555R Extreme Drag Radials. Since this car is not driven in the rain I decided to actually put down the power the car makes. One thing any GT500 owner or Car magazine tester will tell you, these cars have a major traction problem with the skinny stock 285 wide Goodyears. They just spin or wheel hop all over in first and into second resulting in crap 0-60 numbers. Anywhere from 4.3 to 4.7 says all the magazines, hell I put a set of 305 wide Nittos on and hit 3.9 from a standstill!  Beware that these tires have a major hydroplane issue in heavy rain at freeway speeds, take it from me leave the car home those days.

Fourth Addition – Flowmaster American Thunder Exhaust.  The Ford Racing exhaust kit was very cool looking and sounded great but it was no match for the flows. Flows are louder, meaner, and just sound bad ass on a mustang. I will never stray again Flowmaster, sorry. I skipped them this time because they don’t officially have a model for the GT500, on the v6 and GT. The GT is essentially the exact same muffler so I bought them and they worked spectacular.

Below are some photos.

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Since our last visit to the Shelby Las Vegas plant the whole place was rearranged with allot more professional look. Good job Shelby!  Here are some SLR photos instead of the lame iPhone pics from before.

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In the quest for more power and still maintaining the factory warranty I have I decided to buy the Ford Racing Power Pack for the Shelby. The kit includes a Cold air intake kit and ford racings programmer with a custom tune to match the fuel to the new airflow.  Only took about two days for them to mail out the programmer with an SD card containing the new tune for my car.  Essentially this is exactly what they put on the GT500KR to boost the power.  The results are 40HP and 30ft lbs of torque to 540hp and 510ft/lbs.  Another item I love but they don’t mention is the added supercharger whine, the louder the better SWEEEET!

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After seeing the HDNET broadcast of Mustangs Across America back in 2004 I went and researched the organization. I signed up and within an hour Sam Haymart, the founder,  emailed me with a forum login and mailed me off a cool MAA collectible kit full of goodies.  If you ar ever looking for a good excuse to go on a road trip this is it. Over 600 Mustangs on a road trip across America is my kind of fun.  Ford even hired a creative firm out of Michigan to bring a 2010 Mustang GT and a 2010 Shelby GT500 along for the ride and record consumer reaction to the new vehicles. Needless to say you are going to get praise from a bunch of mustang lovers. Anyway here are some photos taken in Holbrook AZ, Santa Rosa NM, and the Shelby Plant in Las Vegas where the trip departed.

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Just a few Mustang photos / illustrations I came across in my internet travels. Various photographers / artists. Couple GT500s, supersnake, and roush black jack

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