As you know, we dropped PVT...
As you know, we dropped PVT into the weeds with a fully adjustable, Watt's-linked suspension setup from Steeda Autosports. Of course, dropping a GT500 with a low front splitter means your ground clearance is pretty low. As such, I had to opt for the Xtenders from Race Ramps to extend the ramp, thus decreasing the angle of the ramp for a gentler approach. This did the trick and made pulling PVT onto the ramps a carefree experience. Just find a flat area on your driveway or in your garage, line up the ramps with your front tires, and drive on.
Factory Mustang ride heights have long been the subject of complaints from Mustang fans. Installing lowering springs is high on the mod list of most new Mustang owners, but dropping your 'Stang can make it a bit more difficult to service. We are lucky at 5.0&SF world-domination headquarters to have access to a shop with lifts, tools, and such. However, it's nice to be able to do some of your maintenance at home on your own turf next to your family and fridge.
Here's PVT riding high on...
Here's PVT riding high on its Race Ramps. Our 67-inch XTs raise the car 10 inches in the air, and the ramps don't move around at all as your pull the car up. This inspires a lot more confidence than hoping a homemade combination of 2x4s and cheap ramps isn't going let you down. These ramps are wide enough to allow for tires that are 12-inches wide, and they will support up to 3,000 pounds per set. GT500s are heavy, but remember, it's just the weight put down by one end of the vehicle. The Race Ramps had no problem holding up Project Vapor Trail.
As such, I started looking for a way to easily get Project Vapor Trail up in the air for oil changes and other minor service issues like swapping mufflers and such. I quickly came upon Race Ramps, as the company offers a crazy number of ramp solutions for all manner of applications, including simply raising your personal car to getting it up cleanly onto a trailer or lift. Given the weed-whacking ride height of PVT, these solutions are near and dear to my heart.
After checking out the various solutions from Race Ramps, I decided on the company's two-piece, 67-inch XT ramps (PN RR-XT-2; $329) with the optional Xtenders (PN RR-EX-14; $119), which I sourced from Moss Muscle. I also opted for the companion Roll-Ups (PN RR-RU; $159), which lift the other end of the car a bit to provide extra clearance to work under the car should you need to do something a bit more involved.
In practice the Race Ramps offer a quick and easy way to get PVT up in the air without ripping off its front splitter. The ramps allow access under the car with a creeper without the headache and time of jacking it up and putting it on jackstands. It's quick on, and quick off, so you can do your maintenance and get back to enjoying the car. As you'll see in the photos and captions, these handy ramps are the next best thing to having your own drive-on lift.
I chose the two-piece ramp...
I chose the two-piece ramp because it offers a bit easier access to the underside of the car. Once you've parked it on the ramp and chocked the tire, then you can remove the ramp and leave the pedestal in place. This leaves the car up, but allows you to slide right under the side of the car without jockeying around the ramp.
If you are just getting ramps...
If you are just getting ramps for quick oil changes, you can likely do without the Roll-Ups, but adding them to the mix lifts the car up in back to allow the option of doing exhaust work and more involved projects. The Roll-Ups raise the car 4 inches and can also be handy for getting the car up enough to get a standard floor jack under it. They are also wide enough to allow 14-inch wide tires, so PVT's 305 Nittos were no problem.
Though it takes a while to...
Though it takes a while to for PVT to rack up the miles, it is on a 3,000-mile oil-change interval. I use the Ford Racing filter (PN M-6731-FL820; $179 per case of 12), which features, among other things, 50-percent more filtering capacity than the stock filter. Since my second oil change, I've been using Roush Performance's 5W-50 synthetic oil (PN 630293; $7.99 per quart). It is one of the few oils that meets Ford specification WSS-M2C931-B for the GT500. Now that I have Race Ramps, I can make this oil change faster than a quick lube and have the peace of mind of knowing I used the proper oil and filter.