1994 Mustang GT Pro-Touring

[Peter R]

New project build from west Michigan. I love this site, from the great detailed builds and friendly helpful people. I have spent many late nights going through the forums here. I thought since it has been too cold to work on the car, I would start my build thread and maybe get some motivation with spring coming soon. I love the old muscle cars, but I didn't want to deal with a lot of rust and can't afford a rust free muscle car. So I found a mostly rust free 1994 Mustang for a price I could afford. Getting a rust free car of any year is hard in Michigan so I was pretty pleased with this one. I don't see too many people do much with these cars so I'm hoping I can do something a little different. I love the wide rear tires but only when they are inside the fenders. I also like the SVO side exhaust idea, but I want to bring it through the rear quarters, in front of the back tires. Time and money are always limited so I will update when I can.
Here is what I'm starting with.

[Peter R]

I bought the tires before I bought the car so I wouldn't take the easy road and buy smaller tires to fit the car. They were even bigger than I thought they would be.

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Hoosier 345/35ZR18

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18 x 12" wheels don't come cheap so I ended up buying some Saleen replicas and had them widened 2"

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Here they are next to some 225/60-16 tires for comparison.

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[Z06killinSBF]

Nice color choice! (although mine looks black it's actually green). Good thing parts for these are crazy cheap and very plentiful. Tuned in.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/image_zpsznpil2em-1.jpg (http://s9.photobucket.com/user/Z06killinSBF/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpsznpil2em.jpg.html)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/image_zpse38ce991-1.jpg (http://s9.photobucket.com/user/Z06killinSBF/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpse38ce991.jpg.html)

[BMR Sales]

Welcome! Is that a "Bullit"?

[Peter R]

Z06killinSBF,

Your car sits low in the front, how does it ride? What did you do to the front suspension?

[Peter R]

Welcome! Is that a "Bullit"?

I don't think it is a bullet. I really don't know a lot about fords, I have always had GM stuff. I like a little bit of everything though. It has a fiberglass cobra hood, I'm not sure if it came like that or if someone added it. The guy I bought it from made it sound like it came from the factory with that hood.

[Peter R]

The carpet and front seats were trashed when I got it.

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The guy included extra seats and some black carpet, so I tossed the seats and carpet. I am pretty happy with how solid the floor is.

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Ford even left a cubby hole under the rear seat for the side exhaust. I think it is going to work out pretty good. I plan to even keep the rear seat (in one form or another).

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[Matman3]

Looking forward to updates!

[Z06killinSBF]

Z06killinSBF,

Your car sits low in the front, how does it ride? What did you do to the front suspension?

That picture is with overly cut Ford Racing springs, it now has Sportlines on the front with a slightly higher ride height. It rode like crap with the cut spring but is nice with the sportlines.

[twistedstang]

Nice start! I'll be watching this one.

[wiedemab]

It would not have been a Bullit model in '94 and I'm pretty sure it would not have had a Cobra hood from the factory unless it was the SVT Cobra model. If it did, it would have the badges and the "Cobra" intake. I think the interior even had Cobra specific items (dash, seats etc..)

Cool project though. There is a ton of stuff available for these cars, which is good - - the challenge is to choose your parts wisely and to not buy twice from having made a poor decision initially.

Just my $.02 - - I'd throw all Maximum Motorsports stuff at it and some Ridetech shocks and struts.

Good luck!

[Peter R]

It would not have been a Bullit model in '94 and I'm pretty sure it would not have had a Cobra hood from the factory unless it was the SVT Cobra model. If it did, it would have the badges and the "Cobra" intake. I think the interior even had Cobra specific items (dash, seats etc..)

Cool project though. There is a ton of stuff available for these cars, which is good - - the challenge is to choose your parts wisely and to not buy twice from having made a poor decision initially.

Just my $.02 - - I'd throw all Maximum Motorsports stuff at it and some Ridetech shocks and struts.

Good luck!

Brandon,

Thanks for the input. I know what you mean about buying stuff twice, I have made that mistake more than once. Thats part of learning I guess.
I thought hard about the Maximum Motorsports torque arm or building one myself. I couldn't come up with a front mount that I liked, and the MM arm isn't cheap, so at this point the plan is to use the stock 4 link and add a panhard pan.
I have been looking at Vikiking coilovers for the rear. They are about $500 for double adjustable coilovers. Coilovers are my next big purchase and I'm at the point where I need them to get the mounts mocked up.

[Peter R]

Needed to make room for the tires, so out came the wheel well.

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[Z06killinSBF]

FYI, I don't think anyone makes a useable coilover (except MM) that will work with a panhard bar. The coilovers use a drop down bracket where the shocks mount to the rearend. The panhard bar uses that same mount as a pick up and removes the option of running coil overs. I am currently running the MM panhard on my 95.

You need to check out sn95forums.com that site has a ton of experience if you haven't checked it out yet.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/image_zps4e6b3951-1.jpg (http://s9.photobucket.com/user/Z06killinSBF/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps4e6b3951.jpg.html)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/image_zpsbrl8if0o-1.jpg (http://s9.photobucket.com/user/Z06killinSBF/media/image_zpsbrl8if0o.jpg.html)

[Josh@Ridetech]

Welcome! Is that a "Bullit"?


I don't think it is a bullet. I really don't know a lot about fords, I have always had GM stuff. I like a little bit of everything though. It has a fiberglass cobra hood, I'm not sure if it came like that or if someone added it. The guy I bought it from made it sound like it came from the factory with that hood.

Not a bullitt, but a GT with bullitt wheels! :cheers:. It should've came with a different hood from the factory on that one but I would've switched over to that one probably too!

Good looking project, I'm a big fan of the SN95 cars, I can't wait to see this one come along!

[Justin@EntropyRad]

Josh is right again...Ford never did a Bullitt in an SN95..but the wheels look good on just about anything!

This will no doubt make me miss my SN95's, and I'm sure I'll have another one day!

Glad to see you are running MM stuff...their stuff basically can't be beat.

[gmcconn1]

Looking forward to this build. I have a 1997 Cobra that I will be starting a build thread for. Good luck....

[Peter R]

FYI, I don't think anyone makes a useable coilover (except MM) that will work with a panhard bar. The coilovers use a drop down bracket where the shocks mount to the rearend. The panhard bar uses that same mount as a pick up and removes the option of running coil overs. I am currently running the MM panhard on my 95.

You need to check out sn95forums.com that site has a ton of experience if you haven't checked it out yet.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/image_zps4e6b3951-1.jpg (http://s9.photobucket.com/user/Z06killinSBF/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zps4e6b3951.jpg.html)
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2015/03/image_zpsbrl8if0o-1.jpg (http://s9.photobucket.com/user/Z06killinSBF/media/image_zpsbrl8if0o.jpg.html)

I cut out the upper shock mount to make room for the mini tubs. So I will have to fab up mounts for the coilovers and have to use universal ones. I plan to make my own panhard bar and mounts, the shocks don't have much room with those wheels so they will dictate where they can be mounted and I will build the panhard mount after getting the coilovers on. I have been on sn95fourums a little bit, mostly looking at pictures and getting ideas. Thanks for the idea and the pics.

[Peter R]

Sorry to disappoint you guys, but the bullet wheels were already sold. They were beat up and not even the same color, must have been off different year cars. After looking a a bunch of pictures, I still love the Saleen wheels on these cars, so thats what I went with. Of course there are better wheels, but not in my price range. I took them to my brothers shop to get the tires mounted. I didn't think about valve stems until the day of and after stopping at 3 places for some bolt in chrome stems (with no luck) I used the rubber ones. I will change them at some point.
Here is the first check on the balancer. I thought this was a lot of weight but considering these are heavy wheels that have been modified and used tires he thought it was pretty good.

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And it balanced out OK.

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[Peter R]

My first attempt at rolling the fender lip did not go well. The inner fender lip meets up with the quarter panel so once "rolled" up (it was more like beat up, with a large hammer) it was 4 layers of sheet metal with seam sealer in the middle. It looked terrible and was still to wide and rubbed the tire.
Here is the first "rolled" attempt.

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I put the tape on after to act as a guideline for cutting the lip off. I bent it back down 1st then cut away.
Here you can see the inner fender after the quarter was cut off. More spot welds to grind off.

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Then I cut the inner lip off.

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I cleaned up the rough cut to check fitment.

[Peter R]

It fits

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[Z06killinSBF]

Man that looks good!

[69stang]

Josh is right again...Ford never did a Bullitt in an SN95..

Ford did a Bullitt in the SN95 body but it was later, thinking with edge version of the body.

Peter, love the earlier SN95 cars. never got around to buying one though. Nice fat rubber.

[LS1-IROC]

Cool project! Where in West MI are you?

[Peter R]

Cool project! Where in West MI are you?

Thanks. I'm just outside of Grand Rapids. That IROC is awesome looking, I always loved them. The stance is great. For me, the stance can ruin an otherwise great car.

[Justin@EntropyRad]

Ford did a Bullitt in the SN95 body but it was later, thinking with edge version of the body.

Peter, love the earlier SN95 cars. never got around to buying one though. Nice fat rubber.

semantics, but we always called those SN99s since they are too ugly to compare to 94-98 ;)

Saleens look great on everything, nice wheel choice!

[Peter R]

We finally have nice weather but I haven't had any time to work on the car. My friends motorcycle engine locked up and he asked me to fix it. It was much worse than I was expecting (it sucked in a metal washer and did a number on everything), but that is done so I can get back to the mustang. I did get the wife to let me spend some money so I have plenty to do for a while. I got the Viking coilovers with 250lbs rate 12" springs. The rate was kind of a guess since I couldn't find any solid numbers to go from. It should be close for a starting point at least. I went with the larger 5/8" eye bushings since I'm not sure if I am going to use the bottom mount in single or double shear yet. I know that double is stronger but it seems like most people are using single shear without any problems. Single shear sure looks a lot cleaner but I may go with a double shear mount just for the peace of mind. I am open to input on the mounts, or better yet pictures.

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[Peter R]

Measure twice, cut once. Looks like I should have measured 3 times. I tried to mock up the coil overs tonight and It's a lot tighter than I thought it was going to be. I should have went with the next shorter shock. I wanted to try and keep a decent amount of travel, so went with the longer shocks. I was going to keep the shocks below the truck floor but It will need to stick above it a little. The stock shocks mounted a similar way so I am going to try and use the factory hump for some extra space.

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I cut out some of the extra bracing with a cut off wheel for more room.

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Here is the rough cut.

[Peter R]

Then I smoothed it out with the grinding wheel. I will need to weld the seam before I'm finished.

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I also had to cut a notch out of the frame to move the shock in to clear the wheel.

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[PANTYEATR]

love the SN95s! subscribed!

[Protour_Pinto]

Who did the widening? How much was it?

[BlackMachOne]

Wow thats a good looking coil-over kit!

[BmoreKeith]

Who did the widening? How much was it?

Since there wasn't a response, my gut tells me Weldcraft Wheels did it since they are both in Michigan. Weldcraft is pretty well known for this stuff.

[Peter R]

Since there wasn't a response, my gut tells me Weldcraft Wheels did it since they are both in Michigan. Weldcraft is pretty well known for this stuff.

You are correct, it was weldcraft. It was $235 per wheel to widen 2". That was the most economical way to get a 12" wheel that I liked.

[Peter R]

I picked up this:
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To get this:
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The truck intake is to tall (and ugly) so I got an ls1.
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[Peter R]

Here was mocking up the 6.0L engine.
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The truck oil pan hangs way to low and this is a budget build so I chopped 2" out of the stock oil pan.
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I was trying to section the pan but because it is tapered I decided to just use a new piece for the bottom.
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It welded better than I thought it would for an old oil soaked cast pan, but by not means does it look very good. I will find pictures of it welded, but here is the pick up I had to shorten.
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[Peter R]

1st time in almost 2 years it is off jack stands. It felt good to get it out side and wash it.
2 years of grinding dust:
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You would not think I have an eninge in there becasue it sits so high but I do. Don't worry, those coils are going to get cut.
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[Peter R]

It was probably to soon to cut the coil springs since there are several hundred pounds of parts that still need to be installed. But I hated looking at it sitting up so high. I cut 2 coils off of each stock coil spring.
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[Peter R]

First time I ever tried to make a fuel tank. I was concerned about fuel slosh/starvation on track days so I build a little sump inside the tank. I will be running dual internal pumps.
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The outside corner welds came out pretty good. The inside corners did not come out so great.
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[digitalsolo]

Cool build, I like the huge tires that aren't obviously huge from the outside. Nice work!

[LERM]

Awesome job so far. I'm looking forward to seeing more.

[thethrillofspeed]

What size rubber are you running on the front? I have 275's on the front and 315's on the back of my SN95, sure would like to go bigger up front.

[drivefaster80]

Hi, great job. I was thinking about doing something similar widening XXR 531 19x11 +15mm 6.59"BS with an extra 2 inches and fitting some 345/30/19 Michelin Pilot Sport Cups. Do you think that would work? or what that be too tall and too wide?
http://www.nlmotoring.com/XXR-531-Wheels-19x11-Chromium-Black-p/53191432n.htm

I guess you started out with an 18 by 10" saleen wheel with 22mm offset, 6.37"bs and added 2" to the inside of the wheel giving yourself a total of 8.37"bs making the wheel wider on the inside, thus having to remove things in the way towards the inside of wheel well like, quad shocks, exhaust then cutting the tubs? does this sound about right?

[supernatural]

Nice build! subscribed!

[Josh@Ridetech]

Looking good. I'll be sending my wheels off to them to widen shortly, glad to see them doing quality work.

[Peter R]

What size rubber are you running on the front? I have 275's on the front and 315's on the back of my SN95, sure would like to go bigger up front.

275/35-18 on 9" wide wheels. I wanted to go wider but it was going be a lot more work so I took the easy route on the front. The 10" wide wheels stuck out to far for my liking. Some fender flares may have looked good but I am not ready for body work yet.

[Peter R]

Hi, great job. I was thinking about doing something similar widening XXR 531 19x11 +15mm 6.59"BS with an extra 2 inches and fitting some 345/30/19 Michelin Pilot Sport Cups. Do you think that would work? or what that be too tall and too wide?
http://www.nlmotoring.com/XXR-531-Wheels-19x11-Chromium-Black-p/53191432n.htm

I guess you started out with an 18 by 10" saleen wheel with 22mm offset, 6.37"bs and added 2" to the inside of the wheel giving yourself a total of 8.37"bs making the wheel wider on the inside, thus having to remove things in the way towards the inside of wheel well like, quad shocks, exhaust then cutting the tubs? does this sound about right?

I like those wheels and that is a good price. If you widen those 2" they would never fit unless you did some major mods. Wheel tubes, springs, frame rails ect.

That is pretty much what I did but my quad shocks and exhaust were already gone. After cutting out the wheel tub the frame rail was also in the way. I tried 3 different ways of modifying the frame rails then just cut them out completely and welded in new frame rails. I'll try to find some pictures of that. I am missing a bunch of pictures right now.

[Peter R]

This was the 1st thing I tried. Notched the frame then tried to suport it with angle iron.
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This is version 3.0 for the frame rails, I cut out the factory frame rail then welded in a plate and butt welded the new rail in. Then I was worried it might break so I cut it all out againg and slide the frame rail into the factory frame rail. Not sure why I didn't think of that first.
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[Peter R]

I found some missing Pictures! Here is where I slid the frame rails in and welded them.

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I also sandblasted then fully welded the upper control arm mounts.

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[Peter R]

Here is the "Nascar" Panhard mount I bought cheap online.

[Peter R]

Braced it up good.

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Then cleaned up the axle.

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Here is a shot of the other panhard mount.

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Here it is finnaly done.

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[drivefaster80]

here you go this should solve your problem a little pricey but https://www.maierracing.com/product/94-98-mustang-front-flares/ How much did your 10" wheel stick out? you should be able to fit a 305 tire for sure, also I asked maier, he told me I could fit 315 on all 4's with his flares, but he couldn't tell me what size wheels, so expect to modify flares up front to fit 18 by 10's.
275/35-18 on 9" wide wheels. I wanted to go wider but it was going be a lot more work so I took the easy route on the front. The 10" wide wheels stuck out to far for my liking. Some fender flares may have looked good but I am not ready for body work yet.

[drivefaster80]

Its beautiful, a real piece of art, who needs expensive Max motorsports when you know how to build a freaken NASCAR suspension! I'm sold, I'm next, seriously can you build me a sn95 or sell me yours when its done let me know what you want for it ok. I don't have the room, the tools or the know on how to do it myself but I still want to watch, learn how people do it.

How do u mount the coil-overs and what spring rate did you use?

[drivefaster80]

nice, where would i buy frame rails like this? what size,dimension,thickness? would be possible just to weld in a already made backhalf rail, what I see is used for drag racer?

[drivefaster80]

so u just welded some plates to box it in and added a rod to support it?

[drivefaster80]

the right mount with the 10 holes, did you just weld that onto the new frame rail, how did u figure out exactly where to weld it? where did u buy it or did u build it, if so how.

The black pan hard rod thats welded onto that mount then appears to go the left upper new frame rail? where exactly on the rail did you weld that? thanks

[drivefaster80]

Where could I get such a cool, pan rod with anodized red heim joints, whats the length,thickness of the rod?

[drivefaster80]

is this where you got the nascar mount? it says it come with the SERRATED FLOATER, where did u find that? or could i just go to the hardware store and buy a small serrated plate and or block or do i have to find something specific like http://www.ubmachine.com/serratedblocks.html

http://www.2040-parts.com/new-nascar-serrated-adjustable-fine-adjusment-track-panhard-bar-rear-end-mount-i408564/

[Peter R]

here you go this should solve your problem a little pricey but https://www.maierracing.com/product/94-98-mustang-front-flares/ How much did your 10" wheel stick out? you should be able to fit a 305 tire for sure, also I asked maier, he told me I could fit 315 on all 4's with his flares, but he couldn't tell me what size wheels, so expect to modify flares up front to fit 18 by 10's.

Those look nice but I'm going to try and reduce the amount of bodywork for now. I'm getting the itch to get this on the road. Next summer I hope to have it running NA then add a turbo when funds allow.

[Peter R]

Its beautiful, a real piece of art, who needs expensive Max motorsports when you know how to build a freaken NASCAR suspension! I'm sold, I'm next, seriously can you build me a sn95 or sell me yours when its done let me know what you want for it ok. I don't have the room, the tools or the know on how to do it myself but I still want to watch, learn how people do it.

How do u mount the coil-overs and what spring rate did you use?

Thanks for the compliment but I'm learning as I go. What is nice about working with metal is when you screw up you can just weld it back up or start over if needed. It cost more time than money. I made the coilover mounts. I'll see if I can find some pictures of them. If I remember correctly I think the rear springs are 175lbs. They might be to stiff but I won't know unti I get it on the road. It was a bit of a guess on the proper rate.

[Peter R]

nice, where would i buy frame rails like this? what size,dimension,thickness? would be possible just to weld in a already made backhalf rail, what I see is used for drag racer?

I used 2"x3" tubing, I don't remember what thickness but could check if you want. I use Central Iron in Grand Rapids, they have great prices and have new and used steel. They will even cut stuff to length if needed. You could get a back half kit, that would give you more adjustablity but would probably be more work to install and more expensive. I'm on a budget so I am making what I can, the trade off is that it is taking forever to build.

[Peter R]

the right mount with the 10 holes, did you just weld that onto the new frame rail, how did u figure out exactly where to weld it? where did u buy it or did u build it, if so how.

The black pan hard rod thats welded onto that mount then appears to go the left upper new frame rail? where exactly on the rail did you weld that? thanks

The panhard mount is also 2"x3" tube left over from the frame rails. The part with holes is just 1/4" flat stock I drilled holes and welded to the 2"x3" tube. I got the idea from some pictures I found on line. I would give the guy credit but I can't find it now. I made the mount on the axel first than just lined up the mount for the other side.

[Peter R]

Where could I get such a cool, pan rod with anodized red heim joints, whats the length,thickness of the rod?

The serrated mount I found by searching "NASCAR panhard mount" It wasn't very expensive. The rod ends are aluminum QA1. The panhard bar is also aluminum, I can't remember if it was also QA1 or someone else. The rod comes in different lengths. I just measured what Length I needed after I had the mounts made.

[Peter R]

is this where you got the nascar mount? it says it come with the SERRATED FLOATER, where did u find that? or could i just go to the hardware store and buy a small serrated plate and or block or do i have to find something specific like http://www.ubmachine.com/serratedblocks.html

http://www.2040-parts.com/new-nascar-serrated-adjustable-fine-adjusment-track-panhard-bar-rear-end-mount-i408564/

Your second link is the one I bought. I paid much more on that bay site though. I cut that little extra piece off of mine. Thanks for the link. I wanted to have the other side serrated as well but decided on the holes because it was cheaper and easier.

[Peter R]

Time for more picutres.

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[Peter R]

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[Peter R]

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[Peter R]

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Adding a drain

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[Peter R]

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I wish I had better hand writing

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[Peter R]

I wanted the tank vent to stay above fuel level so I had to go through the frame rail.

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[drivefaster80]

thanks this helps me understand better, will check if they ship to Canada or try to find some local Canadian equivalent company. what length aprox. of 2"x3" square tubing did you get?

[drivefaster80]

what length rear did you choose? I think u mentioned that it would have better to have gone with a shorter shock, so was it ok?

[groho]

Great job! Damn, I sooo need to buy a tig. . . . .Honey, are we doing xmas lists yet?

[drivefaster80]

Your second link is the one I bought. I paid much more on that bay site though. I cut that little extra piece off of mine. Thanks for the link. I wanted to have the other side serrated as well but decided on the holes because it was cheaper and easier.

right, but the serrated side rod end bolt is that a 5/8" bolt? and the flat square bare metal looking piece(or is it aluminum?) which I think would be called serrated blocks and plates that attaches the rod end to the serrated mount, did u make that or buy it? I'm assuming if you made it you had to cut-make the serrated parts? they sell and assortment of different sizes, which size did you choose?All UB serrated blocks and plates are 1/4" adjustment

46-1601-AC
46-1601-A 3/4" hole $11.75
46-1601-B 5/8" hole $11.75
46-1601-C 3/4" hole w/sides $17.10
46-1601-D 5/8" hole w/sides $17.10

[drivefaster80]

Those look nice but I'm going to try and reduce the amount of bodywork for now. I'm getting the itch to get this on the road. Next summer I hope to have it running NA then add a turbo when funds allow.

when u do have it running, your just going with 275 on 9" front with a humungus 345 on 12" rears, u might have some driveabilty problems, I know because I daily drive summer and part of spring still have em on now 295 on 10.5 with skinnies up front you know old school drag racing weld racing pro stars.

[drivefaster80]

I like those wheels and that is a good price. If you widen those 2" they would never fit unless you did some major mods. Wheel tubes, springs, frame rails ect.

That is pretty much what I did but my quad shocks and exhaust were already gone. After cutting out the wheel tub the frame rail was also in the way. I tried 3 different ways of modifying the frame rails then just cut them out completely and welded in new frame rails. I'll try to find some pictures of that. I am missing a bunch of pictures right now.

what about the lower control arms, are those in the way? are u going to relocate them? or make new ones in, in a new location?

[Peter R]

thanks this helps me understand better, will check if they ship to Canada or try to find some local Canadian equivalent company. what length aprox. of 2"x3" square tubing did you get?

I would look for a local place, shipping will cost more than the metal. I did a quick check and the 2x3 tube is .080" thick. The Frame rails are about 3' each, I ran 2 supports across and used some for the panhard mount. I probably used about 12' total. It was only a couple bucks a foot I believe.

[Peter R]

what length rear did you choose? I think u mentioned that it would have better to have gone with a shorter shock, so was it ok?

The shock travel is less with a shorter shock of course but it would have been easier to fit it in there. The shock mounts above the frame rails and is less than 1/2" from the wheel. I could have moved the shocks inward but it made more sense to me to have them as far outward as possible. I couldn't find the part number on the shocks. I'll measure them next time I'm crawling under neath it. I'm replacing the rear end flange with a strange unit and I haven't decided if I'm going to take a short cut or pull the rear end apart and replace the crush sleave. Either way I'll be under neath it again. I got it off blocks for the first time in forever! The car seems so little now.

One guess where I'm going to mount the ECU.
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And after a hose down.

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[Peter R]

Great job! Damn, I sooo need to buy a tig. . . . .Honey, are we doing xmas lists yet?

I love having a tig, I think mine is from the 70's and is the size of a small car but the price was right. I would love to have a larger mig, I am borrowing my brothers and it is only a 110 volt and it struggles with much more than sheet metal.

[Peter R]

right, but the serrated side rod end bolt is that a 5/8" bolt? and the flat square bare metal looking piece(or is it aluminum?) which I think would be called serrated blocks and plates that attaches the rod end to the serrated mount, did u make that or buy it? I'm assuming if you made it you had to cut-make the serrated parts? they sell and assortment of different sizes, which size did you choose?All UB serrated blocks and plates are 1/4" adjustment

46-1601-AC
46-1601-A 3/4" hole $11.75
46-1601-B 5/8" hole $11.75
46-1601-C 3/4" hole w/sides $17.10
46-1601-D 5/8" hole w/sides $17.10

I think the rod end bolt is 3/4" and the searated mount is 1", I will need a spacer. That little piece came with the serated mount when I bought mine. I didn't notice in your link that it was only one piece. I would keep looking for one that comes with both pieces so you don't have to fiddle with it. I did think about making some serated parts but I don't really have the equipment for it. Plus they can be found online for a decent price.

[Peter R]

when u do have it running, your just going with 275 on 9" front with a humungus 345 on 12" rears, u might have some driveabilty problems, I know because I daily drive summer and part of spring still have em on now 295 on 10.5 with skinnies up front you know old school drag racing weld racing pro stars.

The plan is to run the 275s up front. It should drive fine, it will probably have some understeer if I push it hard but I will deal with that later. My wheels/tires are heavy SOBs. I would like to have an extra set of drag wheels but that all cost money.

[Peter R]

what about the lower control arms, are those in the way? are u going to relocate them? or make new ones in, in a new location?

Removing the spring from the control arm frees up some space and I could have reused the control arms but I have something better planned.:)

[drivefaster80]

the wide wheels look like they are sitting flush with the fenders, I thought they would be protruding hence the need for flares?



The shock travel is less with a shorter shock of course but it would have been easier to fit it in there. The shock mounts above the frame rails and is less than 1/2" from the wheel. I could have moved the shocks inward but it made more sense to me to have them as far outward as possible. I couldn't find the part number on the shocks. I'll measure them next time I'm crawling under neath it. I'm replacing the rear end flange with a strange unit and I haven't decided if I'm going to take a short cut or pull the rear end apart and replace the crush sleave. Either way I'll be under neath it again. I got it off blocks for the first time in forever! The car seems so little now.

One guess where I'm going to mount the ECU.
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And after a hose down.

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[drivefaster80]

you welded boxed in the serrated piece to the axle, how did you come to the conclusion to make it that length? and what is the length and or dimensions is it? and how would u get the nut on the inside did u have to cut out a slot?



I think the rod end bolt is 3/4" and the searated mount is 1", I will need a spacer. That little piece came with the serated mount when I bought mine. I didn't notice in your link that it was only one piece. I would keep looking for one that comes with both pieces so you don't have to fiddle with it. I did think about making some serated parts but I don't really have the equipment for it. Plus they can be found online for a decent price.

[drivefaster80]

I got my drags cheap years ago, used off ebay even my 295's discontinued goodyear eagle gt2"s were mostly bald when I got them and I still use them, got them on now

so is that correct you got a 10" wheel up front it looks flush with the bumper?

I would like to figure out how to fit a 315/30/18 up front with the mods involved and 345/30/18 using Michelin cups. something like this guys 2000 mustang
http://www.mustangandfords.com/featured-vehicles/mmfp-0807-2000-ford-mustang/





The plan is to run the 275s up front. It should drive fine, it will probably have some understeer if I push it hard but I will deal with that later. My wheels/tires are heavy SOBs. I would like to have an extra set of drag wheels but that all cost money.

[drivefaster80]

I cant find anywhere where they sell both


I think the rod end bolt is 3/4" and the searated mount is 1", I will need a spacer. That little piece came with the serated mount when I bought mine. I didn't notice in your link that it was only one piece. I would keep looking for one that comes with both pieces so you don't have to fiddle with it. I did think about making some serated parts but I don't really have the equipment for it. Plus they can be found online for a decent price.

[Peter R]

the wide wheels look like they are sitting flush with the fenders, I thought they would be protruding hence the need for fares?

The front and back tires should both be inside the wheel wells. The back will be very tight but after the fender lip is cut and rolled it should fit. :fingersx:

[Peter R]

you welded boxed in the serrated piece to the axle, how did you come to the conclusion to make it that length? and what is the length and or dimensions is it? and how would u get the nut on the inside did u have to cut out a slot?

I wanted the mount as far out as possible. The longer the bar the less side to side movement the axle will have. The panhard bar needed to clear the rear end cover so i just made sure it stuck out further then the cover did. The mount is open at the bottom so i can get a wrench on the nut.

[Peter R]

I got my drags cheap years ago, used off ebay even my 295's discontinued goodyear eagle gt2"s were mostly bald when I got them and I still use them, got them on now

so is that correct you got a 10" wheel up front it looks flush with the bumper?

I would like to figure out how to fit a 315/30/18 up front with the mods involved and 345/30/18 using Michelin cups. something like this guys 2000 mustang
http://www.mustangandfords.com/featured-vehicles/mmfp-0807-2000-ford-mustang/

Adding the fender flares might be the easiest way to do it if your not afraid of a little body work.
I have a 9” wheel in the front. Before i had my 10” wheels widened i put them on the front and they stuck out way to far. The backspacing probably was as much to blame for them sticking out. I decided to use something i knew would fit in the front for now. I have enough other changes to try and finish.

[drivefaster80]

ok I see, whats the backspacing of your front 9" wheel and your 10" wheels widened to I guess it was 12 inches? I'm asking because I want mine to stick out and I want flares, for the front and rear but I want ones that l think look good, but nobody makes them, so I was thinking of modifying a pair of universal 3" flares for the rear. I have rendering but I cant seem to copy and paste it here, I will try somewhere else.


Adding the fender flares might be the easiest way to do it if your not afraid of a little body work.
I have a 9” wheel in the front. Before i had my 10” wheels widened i put them on the front and they stuck out way to far. The backspacing probably was as much to blame for them sticking out. I decided to use something i knew would fit in the front for now. I have enough other changes to try and finish.

[drivefaster80]

I wanted the mount as far out as possible. The longer the bar the less side to side movement the axle will have. The panhard bar needed to clear the rear end cover so i just made sure it stuck out further then the cover did. The mount is open at the bottom so i can get a wrench on the nut.

to box it in(serrated mount) did u use a template cut out of paper or card board then trace it to steel, what tools did u use to cut it out? hand held tools or stationary?

[drivefaster80]

The serrated mount I found by searching "NASCAR panhard mount" It wasn't very expensive. The rod ends are aluminum QA1. The panhard bar is also aluminum, I can't remember if it was also QA1 or someone else. The rod comes in different lengths. I just measured what Length I needed after I had the mounts made.

right but with the shiny aluminum panhard bar(swaged tubes) QA1 3/4" when the rod ends and jam nuts are tightened, installed whats the length from rod end eye to eye? wouldn't it be different from what one would choose from qa1 choices of length's? for example say I measure from mount to mount and get 24" so I order a 24" swaged tube but after adding the rod ends won't it be longer and not fit?

[Peter R]

to box it in(serrated mount) did u use a template cut out of paper or card board then trace it to steel, what tools did u use to cut it out? hand held tools or stationary?

I use a think paper to make templates then trace onto metal. I use an electric craftsman angle grinder with a metal cut off wheel for almost all my cutting. I also have a metal chop saw that works good for some cuts. Nothing to fancey. Its noisy and messy but it works.

[Peter R]

right but with the shiny aluminum panhard bar(swaged tubes) QA1 3/4" when the rod ends and jam nuts are tightened, installed whats the length from rod end eye to eye? wouldn't it be different from what one would choose from qa1 choices of length's? for example say I measure from mount to mount and get 24" so I order a 24" swaged tube but after adding the rod ends won't it be longer and not fit?

You need to figure in the length of the rod end and figure out how to long the bar will need to be. QA1 has all the dimensions in their catalog. There is probably an 1” of adjustment so you don’t have to be perfect.

[Peter R]

This engine has 200k on it but they must have took care of it. I pulled a valve cover just to see how bad it looked. I was surprised how good it looked! I am not going to touch a thing on the engine for now. Just trying to get it on the road next summer.
146235

[Peter R]

The outside of the engine was worse than the inside so I cleaned it a bit and hit it with some spray paint.
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Painted the coils
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[Peter R]

I have enjoyed every part of this build so far but I was really excited to rebuild the transmission. Installing a shift kit was the most I have done with a transmission before now. I got a good book and took my time and it went pretty good. I installed a trans go shift kit and HD sprag otherwise mostly a stock rebuild. I won’t know if i did it right until it get this running so I will keep my fingers crossed. :fingersx:
After rebuild before paint
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Painted
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[Peter R]

I was looking some used exhaust manifolds since the truck manifold will not clear the steering shaft and I found what I hope is a good deal on a Yank 3600 stall converter. I didn’t have the money for the converter I wanted to buy and was thinking of buying a cheap converter until I could afford a better one, but that felt like a waste of money. Then i saw this converter for sale. The guy said it was for an LS and TH400 and stall is what I wanted. Sure enough it bolts right up without any adapters or spacer. I have 1/8” between the converter and flexplate with the transmission installed which is about perfect.

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I did some measuring while the engine was still in the car and it looked like it would be correct. I have heard to many different opions about which flywheel to use or what spacer is needed so I just measured what I had.
146252

[Josh@Ridetech]

Looks good man. I've been contemplating an LS swap in one of my foxes. I may have missed it in the thread, what wiring/computer setup are you planning on using?

[Peter R]

Looks good man. I've been contemplating an LS swap in one of my foxes. I may have missed it in the thread, what wiring/computer setup are you planning on using?

I am going to run the stock PCM and wire harness to save money. I would love to go with Holley EFI but I don’t have the extra money. Plus you can make a ton of power with the stock computer.

[Peter R]

I finally got the new alternator brackets finished. It went through 3 revisions and to many trips to the parts store trying to get the right length belt, but I’m happy how it turned out.

Brackets
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[Peter R]

Wire brushed and painted the alternator and brackets. I didn’t take it apart, hopefully the paint won’t affect it.

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[Josh@Ridetech]

I am going to run the stock PCM and wire harness to save money. I would love to go with Holley EFI but I don’t have the extra money. Plus you can make a ton of power with the stock computer.

That's the plan with mine as well at the moment. I've seen some big power come out of the stock computer setups so I'm not too worried about that either. I've got a couple buddies running the MS3 Pro setup and they seem to like it too. Depending on how the build goes, I may save some pennies and try to get something different later. Too many options and not enough money...

[CSG]

I have a tweecer RT and an eec tuner sitting in my closet if anyone is looking for one of those options for the stock computer.

[Peter R]

I am using a B&M Pro ratchet shifter but wanted it to work in the stock console, even use the shifter boot from the stock 5 speed. The shifter was to tall and long so I cut out part of the tunnel so I could lower the shifter.

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[droptop73]

Hi Pete, I haven't seen this yet. Very cool!

[Peter R]

Hi Pete, I haven't seen this yet. Very cool!

Thanks Jeff. That little bit of warm weather really got me motivated. (Knocking on wood) I should be able to drive it this summer, I have even been looking at some track dates I might be able to attend to help push me along.

[Peter R]

I have been doing a lot but I haven't updated in a while so these will be in random order.
Fuel tank staps and T bolts.

150510

150511

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150513

[Peter R]

Working to get the floor and wheel tubs finished.
Rough cut of floor.

150520

Marked where frame rails were.

150521

Drilled holes

150522

Bottom cleaned and sprayed with weld thru primer.

150523

Top ready for welding.

150524

Frame rails cleaned

150525

[Peter R]

I was planning to reuse the stock wheel tubs. Just move them in a few inches and weld in the filler strip between them. Well, it was not going to be that easy so I desided to make my own.

Stock tub.

150542

Picked up some sheet metal cut to correct width.

150538

Formed the shape. Use what you have!

150539

Cleaned the paint off, I'm so happy I don't have much rust to deal with. These little flap wheels work great and were cheap on Amazon. First time I have used the little ones.

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[ProTouringMan]

Did this project ever get finished?