A solid first step to upgrading underhood aesthetics is ditching ugly factory plastic tanks for high-quality Mustang coolant reservoirs. For owners of the modern chassis, swapping out the stock degas bottle prevents dangerous track spills while cleaning up the engine bay. Dan Snyder of SPE Motorsport recently detailed their heavy-duty replacements for the S550 and S650 platforms.
To kick off the comparison, Snyder highlighted their original two-piece clamshell billet bottle. Milled from solid aluminum blocks, this anodized piece provides a sturdy replacement for the flimsy plastic unit. As a new second option for the catalog, the shop now manufactures a lightweight fabricated sheetmetal version. Bolted directly to the radiator shroud, both Mustang coolant reservoirs achieve the exact same performance outcome.
Upon closer inspection of the new fabricated tank, builders will notice specific engineering details designed to mimic original flow characteristics. Instead of standard welded tubes, these tanks feature a specialized billet chunk split down the middle to divert fluid properly.
“One of the things that we do that’s different on these bottles versus, say, some of the other fabricated tanks on the market is we’re doing these really nice flow chambers here for your actual degas line,” Synder noted.
By utilizing a billet hose end and a matching mounting tab, SPE keeps the installation process highly repeatable.
Beyond basic fluid storage, track safety drives the decision to ditch the factory hardware. High-horsepower track cars often push extreme pressures, causing the stock plastic screw-on caps to vent uncontrollably.
“A lot of people are usually confused about why we don’t use the factory cap. And the main reason we don’t use it, it’s not reliable, and it’s not safe,” Snyder explained.
SPE welded a billet bung onto the tank and pressed a standard radiator cap underneath a round cover to solve this problem.
Containing hot fluids during a race requires dependable hardware that goes beyond visual aesthetics. Whether you prefer heavy-duty billet design or the clean fabricated sheetmetal look, upgrading your S550 and S650 Mustang coolant reservoirs is a great move for aesthetic and safety reasons.
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