S197 Mustang GT Drag Pack - Throwback Pack

Horse Sense: Stop the presses-temperatures in Hell must be freezing now! With this new Drag Pack, has Ford Racing Performance Parts given a green light for flogging '05-'06 'Stangs at the dragstrip? You can bet the performance gurus for the other guys haven't done anything this cool.

Many of you are probably too young to know this, but there once was a time when buying a dragstrip-capable-and competitive-Mustang or Ford was as simple as selecting an option on a dealership order. No way? You don't believe us? Seriously, folks, back in the '60s, Ford offered high-performance engines and lightweight body packages in several small- and intermediate-size cars that many an enthusiast purchased and took straight to the track and raced.

In 1969 [yes, KJ is old enough to remember-Ed.], a gear-ratio option package (3.91s or 4.30s) for 428 Cobra Jet Mustangs was offered, and it mysteriously included more high-performance goodies than just the gears. For the ridiculously low price of a little more than $6 (you read that correctly), the selected gearset was complemented by fortified internal engine pieces-super-stout cranks and tricked-out rods, forged pistons, and an external oil cooler-that screamed "take it to the track and flog it" to those who were wise enough to check the right boxes on the order form. While it wasn't an official Ford name back then, the hot upgrade became commonly referred to as the Drag Pack and was widely popular during the big-block 'Stang's heyday.

Unless you've spent the last two years in hibernation, you're aware the new 'Stangs have been talked about, hyped, and lauded ad nauseam. Yes, the '05 and now '06 Mustangs are wonderful cars, and we're certain they're only going to get better as time goes on. But the latest major '05-'06 news is that Ford Racing Performance Parts has relighted the same Mustang-performance torch that once burned brightly for the Cobra Jet with the introduction of four new performance-theme packages-the Power Pack, Drag Pack, Handling Pack and Super Pack-designed for improving S197's power and handling.

Our focus is on the Drag Pack (PN M-2005-FR2; $1,399). Yes, the name is back and, once again, a stepped-up ring-and-pinion with a 4.10 ratio is its heart and soul. While hard-knocks internals were the supporting cast in the OG Drag Pack, today's kit features a super-short-throw shifter for five-speed cars, a 90mm cold-air kit, short-tube headers, and a Pro-Cal handheld flash tuner that uses a custom program for the Spanish Oak processor. The 4.10s, along with the air filter, programmer, and tune, are the icing on the performance cake, as Rick Anderson learned after installing a Drag Pack on an '05 GT that was sitting on the Anderson Ford used-car lot, and dyno- and drag-testing the new package.

TJ "Doogie Howser" Clark once again handled installation duties for this latest test by Anderson. While installation was fairly basic for most of the parts, including the headers, Rick found that the programmer takes a little more than 10 minutes to reflash the PCM, which he believes is a bit slow. See what happens when you're spoiled by the PMS? While this isn't too critical, we asked the guys at Ford Racing why the download is slower.

There are three modules the FRPP flash tool interfaces with: the powertrain control module, the throttle-plate position controller, and a redundant computer check called the E-Quizzer. The difference between the Drag Pack's flash tool and others on the market is it updates the software calibration on all three modules, as opposed to only the PCM. "Ours is uploading more information and thus takes longer, but it really sets us apart from other plug-in tuning tools for the best driveability and the safest calibrations for new Mustangs," FRPP's Jesse Kershaw said.

It makes sense that something called a Drag Pack is drag tested, but that isn't easy when winter's cold still has a tight grip on the area. Undaunted, Rick Anderson and his crew took the test '05 to a clandestine stretch of asphalt that serves as his personal test track and used a Vericom onboard vehicle dyno unit to record before-and-after quarter-mile performance. A Vericom is similar to today's popular G-Tech Pro and can calculate approximate e.t and mph over any measured distance.

In bone-stock trim, the 'Stang baselined at 13.54 at 106 mph on BFGoodrich Drag Radials. After bolting on the Drag Pack, e.t. dropped to 13.08 (0.46 second) and the Mustang gained 4.5 mph, with a top-speed of 110.8 mph at the end of the run.

"This is just a really good, all-around package for new Mustang GTs," Rick said. "Just bolt everything on and it's done. Nothing additional is necessary-no dyno, no nothing-and it feels really good on the street and on the track."

The following photos and captions take you through the installation, along with dyno and quarter-mile numbers that prove the Drag Pack lives up to the reputation of its namesake.

Ford Racing Performance Parts now offers Power Packs for automatic-equipped '05-'06 'Stangs in addition to the kits for the '05 Mustang GTs with manual transmissions. It's important to note that Power Packs are year-specific. An '05 system must be used on an '05 Mustang GT. Pricing for each is as follows, regardless of transmission type: