Billy Johnson, Author at MotoIQ

Project Budget 400WHP S197 Mustang Track Car: Part 3 – Dyno Testing Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust and Tune

Posted on January 17, 2021January 18, 2021
byBilly Johnson

Despite achieving our 400 WHP goal, we installed a Borla S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust to further increase power, reduce weight, and improve the sound of our Mustang. We also found a…

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Tech

Make Your Own Parts with Shareware CAD and 3D Printing!

Posted on January 10, 2021
byBilly Johnson

Additive manufacturing is a booming industry. Due to advancements in technology, designing and 3D printing your own parts at home is becoming cheaper and easier than ever. You don’t need…

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Project Budget 400WHP S197 Mustang Track Car: Part 2 – Finding out what it takes to make 400WHP

Posted on October 20, 2020October 21, 2020
byBilly Johnson

We strap our first-generation 5.0L “Coyote” V8-powered S197 Mustang to the dyno and test the 2018+ “Gen-3” intake manifold, K&N air intake, and tunes by Palm Beach Dyno to find…

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Project NSX: Part 8 – 2002 Facelift and Widebody

Posted on September 20, 2020September 22, 2020
byBilly Johnson

Our 1992 NSX gets a make-over with a 2002 facelift conversion and subtle flared fenders from Downforce USA. This will help us fit wider tires in anticipation of more than…

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Project Budget 400WHP S197 Mustang Track Car: Part 1 – Intro

Posted on August 30, 2020September 15, 2020
byBilly Johnson

More people need to consider the (2005-2014) “S197” Mustang for track use! Parts are cheap and it really does not take much to turn one into an awesome “Driver’s-car”. There…

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Tech

Not all Michelin Cup 2 Tires Are Created The Same

Posted on June 14, 2020June 15, 2020
byBilly Johnson

They may look the same, smell the same, and be the exact same size; but not all Cup 2 tires are created equal, and for good reason. Michelin produces off-the-shelf…

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Tech

Vapor Blasting: Restoring Metal to Better Than New

Posted on June 10, 2020June 13, 2020
byBilly Johnson

Traditional chemicals, parts washers, and hot tanks can only do so much to clean dirty car parts. When pride is taken in rebuilding anything from a carburetor to an entire…

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Project VIPER GTS: Part 11 – Understanding the Factory Temp Gauge

Posted on April 26, 2020May 4, 2020
byBilly Johnson

The Viper has an active water temperature gauge that is far more useful than the dummy gauges in most modern cars that only move when there is a massive problem.…

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Project NSX: Part 7 – Installing PFC Multi-Pad Monobloc Calipers

Posted on April 22, 2020April 30, 2020
byBilly Johnson

Project NSX is back! (Again!) We return by installing arguably the most advanced brakes ever to be fitted on an NSX, in anticipation of more than doubling the stock output…

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Project Viper GTS: Part 10 – EMI Racing Toe Stiffener

Posted on July 2, 2019July 2, 2019
byBilly Johnson

The Gen 2 Viper has a pretty serious, fundamental flaw that’s not widely known. The rear toe deflects by HALF AN INCH under hard cornering and acceleration. Unfortunately most of…

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Tech

Testing Steeda’s Extreme G-Trac K-Member Brace

Posted on June 16, 2019
byBilly Johnson

After our article reviewing Steeda’s Stop The Hop Package for the S550 Mustang GT, some of our readers asked us for feedback on Steeda’s Extreme G-Trac K-Member Brace. Since our…

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Tech

Testing Borla’s S-Type Cat-Back Exhaust for the 2018+ Mustang GT

Posted on June 3, 2019
byBilly Johnson

For the fourth year in a row, the Mustang continues to be the “best-selling sports coupe in the entire world”. The S550 platform that debut in 2015 catapulted the brand…

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Tech

Does Wheel Stiffness Affect Performance? We test Carbon Revolution’s Carbon Fiber Wheels

Posted on September 10, 2018June 8, 2020
byBilly Johnson

10 There is a lot more to Carbon Fiber wheels than just cool looks and lightweight. We met up with Carbon Revolution at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to learn about…

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Tech

TESTED: Ford Mustang GT Power Packs 1-3

Posted on October 19, 2017September 22, 2020
byBilly Johnson

TESTED: Ford Mustang GT Power Packs 1-3 by Billy Johnson Ford Performance offers three different 50-state legal “Power Packs” for the 2015-2017 Mustang GT that increases horsepower without affecting the factory…

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Tech

TESTED: Ford Performance Cat-Back Exhaust and GT350 Valence

Posted on August 30, 2017September 24, 2020
byBilly Johnson

The Ford Mustang may be the best-selling sports car in the world at the time of this writing, yes you read that right, but it is far from the best…

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Tech

TESTED: BG Syncro Shift II Gear Oil

Posted on August 8, 2017May 20, 2019
byBilly Johnson

Changing out the factory transmission fluid for a higher performance oil is a common solution to reduce the notchy-ness and improve shifting feel. This is especially important in the Getrag…

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Tech

TESTED: Steeda Anti Wheel-Hop Package

Posted on July 18, 2017May 21, 2019
byBilly Johnson

First iterations of new technologies are rarely flawless. When the Mustang ditched the solid axle in 2015 in favor of a 21st century Independent Rear Suspension, it transformed into a…

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Tech

TESTED: Continental Tire ExtremeContact Sport

Posted on February 26, 2017May 20, 2019
byBilly Johnson

TESTED: Continental Tire ExtremeContact Sport by Billy Johnson “Same level dry performance as a Michelin Pilot Super Sport”. That is a HUGE statement by Continental when the PSS is hands…

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Project Viper GTS: Part 9 – RareFab / Roe Racing Oil Pan Baffle Kit

Posted on February 25, 2017May 20, 2019
byBilly Johnson

Due to the high capabilities of the Viper, a huge strain is put on the factory oiling system on road courses and at the strip. This can cause oil starvation…

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Project E90 M3: Head to Head with 2016 Mustang GT

Posted on February 18, 2017May 20, 2019
byBilly Johnson

Packing more than 50whp over stock, our Project E90 M3 took to the track at Palm Beach International Raceway (ROAD COURSE) to see how it stacks up against a 2016…

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Project Viper GTS: Part 8 – Bob’s Air-Oil Separator

Posted on September 7, 2016August 15, 2020
byBilly Johnson

All cars create blow-by and positive crank case pressure which forces oil and vapors into the engine’s intake to be burned off for reduced emissions. This problem is worse on…

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Project E90 M3: Part 5 – K&N Filter

Posted on August 9, 2016May 20, 2019
byBilly Johnson

We gave our M3 a quick and easy bump in power by swapping out the factory air filter for the industry-leading High Performance K&N air filter. We have seen some…

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Project Viper GTS: Part 7 – HeatShield Products

Posted on August 2, 2016August 15, 2020
byBilly Johnson

From coolant to cabin temperatures, Vipers are notoriously hot due to having one of the largest engines ever stuffed inside a sportscar. To combat this problem we turn to the…

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Project Viper GTS: Part 6 – Corsa Exhaust and Kooks Green Cats

Posted on April 3, 2016April 16, 2020
byBilly Johnson

After some impressive gains from intake work in Part 4, we now turn our attention to the opposite side of the engine to improve the evacuation of exhaust gasses as…

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Project Viper GTS: Part 5 – Radiator Fan & Wiring Upgrade

Posted on September 8, 2015April 16, 2020
byBilly Johnson

The Viper is a “racecar for the street” in more ways than one; and like a racecar, it does not like to sit in stop and go traffic and can…

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Project E90 M3: Part 4 – Wheels and Tires

Posted on August 31, 2015August 15, 2020
byBilly Johnson

Choosing a tire is one of the most important decisions that anyone will make for their car. Since our M3 is a daily driver in Florida, wet-weather performance is very…

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Tech

How to PROPERLY select and size TIRES for PERFORMANCE

Posted on August 24, 2015March 6, 2020
byBilly Johnson

How to PROPERLY select and size TIRES for PERFORMANCE by Billy Johnson The most important part of your car is not the engine, suspension, or brakes. It’s the TIRES!!! This…

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Project E90 M3: Part 3 – LED Angel Eyes

Posted on July 20, 2015August 15, 2020
byBilly Johnson

Our E90 M3 is starting to look a bit dated now that its twin turbo successor is on the streets. We turned to our friends at European Auto Source to…

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Project Viper GTS: Part 4 – Baseline Dyno and K&N Intake Test

Posted on May 10, 2015August 15, 2020
byBilly Johnson

The Viper is truly a car built around its engine. In Part 4, we take Project Viper GTS to the dyno for a baseline power audit and see if our…

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Project Viper GTS: Part 3 – Baseline Track Testing (Data & Video)

Posted on March 8, 2015August 15, 2020
byBilly Johnson

The Viper has a reputation for being difficult to drive and even (incorrectly) known as a bad handling car. Since the 2nd Generation Viper has not been reviewed by a…

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Project Viper GTS: Part 2 – General Maintenance

Posted on February 19, 2015May 20, 2019
byBilly Johnson

Before thoroughly enjoying the purchase of a used performance car, it’s important for the enthusiast to go through some routine maintenance items. We prepare our 1997 Viper to be driven…

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Features

DRIVEN: 2015 Ford Mustang Ecoboost

Posted on February 5, 2015May 20, 2019
byBilly Johnson

We test Ford’s new 2015 Mustang EcoBoost to determine if a turbocharged 4-cylinder Mustang bridges the gap between the American Hot-Rodding community and Import Tuners. How does the Ecoboost stack…