Speaking of fuel, how's the consumption look like on your redline? I may be kicking myself right now... Premium is 40-50 cents higher than regular... If the mileage isn't at least decent, it'll cost me more to drive than the Taurus does, which could potentially be a deal breaker, or at least enough to stifle my excitement...

And will it run on 91? 93 is kinda tough to find around here...

 

91 is fine. Whatever the highest octane you have is.
Its hard for me to say. Its not my daily, so when I drive it, I step on it.
But I've never heard about anyone complaining being on pump gas. I'm sure you know to run some fuel injection cleaner through it, and change the fuel filter.
Just dont punch it everytime you drive it, and you SHOULD still get high 20s/low 30s mpg.
Hmm. I drove mine last week while I was getting my clutch done on my 03. Just driving my 3 miles to work and back, the mileage wasnt much different now thinking about it.

 

Yeah, I've been reading on redline forums and it seems 23-26 is normal, some get as high as 30mpg... C/D magazine averaged 19mpg in a road test, but that was probably beating on it pretty good... The UltraGauge has helped me drive economically in the Suzuki I used to have. It was rated at 20c/28h, and I could routinely get 28, and with some effort, I have seen 33... Given that the IRL is rated at 23c/30h, I would speculate I could get 26-27, after the new car feeling wears off...

Something I have always been wondering about S/C cars, is the boost constant with RPM, or is it still throttle dependent?

 

As soon as you step on the gas, boost starts building. The supercharger is part of the intake, so its always pulling air in, and building.
Being youre new to a boosted car, especially modified like that, you will feel it throughout the RPMs. But that feeling will eventually go away. Then you'll be randomly punching it for a big ole smile.

 

That sounds fun... Yeah, I spent like 8 hours reading stuff over on redline forums, got a better understanding of the LSJ power plant... He mentioned that the car could use a re-tune, I wonder what has been tuned for? I've yet to see cars with all these specific mods dyno'd, but stage two cars have made 235-270whp... It seems odd, however, that most of the stock ones still dyno over 200...

Honestly, the main thing I'm worried about is the learning curve... I'm not used to something that potent... I drove the 2.3T ranger for about ten miles, most of it freeway, then never again... My 4.0L ranger is quick, it still takes 8 sec or so to get to sixty, and I can pretty much floor it in first with no spin, except in cold temps, or on gravel, mud, water... I hear that first is useless in these after modding, and it imagine second can be sketchy at times...

 

Looking at the mod list again,
1st gear will be useless.
It is on pump gas, so you don't have AS much power as you could be getting.
You will probably be in the 260-275 power range.
It had to be tuned for the 2.8 pulley and he is probably running 60# injectors, ported blower, intake, and ls4 throttle body.
There are quite a few redline/cobalt people your way, so finding a tuner shouldn't be hard. But that is not cheap.
The only thing I would switch up on that set up, is the header. A mid-length or long tube would probably work better.

Stock is 205whp. 0-60 in 6.2 seconds.

OH, and please remember there is a lockout on the reverse. Lift the shift **** up to get it in reverse gear.
I cant tell you how many shops thing I need a clutch because of that.

 

Yay! A reverse lockout! Keeps me from trying to shift to reverse when I'm really aiming for 4th, lol... Had that happen once in the old ranger... Didn't sound pretty when I hit reverse at 50mph...

Oh, and an update, the Taurus is officially gone, and I have twenty-five crisp, neatly pressed bills in my wallet, waiting for the (soon to be ex) owner of the redline... Friday is the day! I have a ride and everything... Just waiting on his reply containing address(obvious reasons) and the VIN, so I can transfer my insurance from the Taurus...

I'm really hoping he can meet me partway, I have a little less extra cash than I had hoped, due to getting a speeding ticket on the way back from town on the freeway... Even had grandma with me and everything... He got me at 82, but wrote me a "no points added" ticket at 79mph. He thought I was trying to hide by getting off the freeway, but grandma is blind, and nearing 70, which makes her nervous when stopped next to a freeway. I stopped at the bottom of the exit ramp and had the window down/engine off by the time he had his lights on... He expressed appreciation for me exiting the freeway so he could cite me without fear of being hit by traffic though... $168 later, I'm all taken care of... I got it mailed out literally less than 20 min after he cited me...

 

Damn, what's the speed limit on the freeway up there?

 

Speed limit on the interstate in WV, or at least the section of I-79 I was on, is 70mph(111km/h)... They never have bothered me at less than ten over though, so I try to cruise at near 80 on the freeway, and the vacuum operated cruise control in the Taurus isn't as accurate as the newer electronic systems... Going downhill, it cost me pretty big... I had it set at 77mph(125km/h)...Funny thing, in inclement weather they are so averse to getting out of their cars that I have passed them going as much as 90 without so much as a second look... First pretty day in months, and they nail me at 82...


That was the only benefit of driving that car, it blended in pretty well...in the IRL, I will have to be extra careful to not attract any more attention than the car will naturally attract on its own...

 

It is 70 around here, too.
And yea, the car will definitely stand out. Especially full exhaust and looking that good.
I just found out my cruise control worked the other day. Never think to use it. LMAO