2001 Mustang Build

[Factory2]

Wow guys, found this forum today and started browsing and all I can say is that some of the cars I've come across are absolutely gorgeous! Most of the fab work i've seen is top notch and completely amazing! It made me want to post my car up here because I'm working towards something similar. Here's a little about myself. Names Chris and I'm a 25 year old who's starting a fabrication career and currently building CNC deburing machines in a small shop in Broomfield, Colorado. I've loved cars as long as I can remember and I've always wanted to build something of my own. That gets me to the car. I've had my 2001 Mustang GT since it was brand new back in 2001. Started racing the car a couple of years ago after adding a full Maximum Motorsports package and a new high compression engine. After about 1000 miles, the engine started leaking oil from an oil catch can and I tore it apart to find that the engine builder left out a wrist pin clip in one of the pistons and it left a 1/8" groove in the cylinder wall. At that point, I decided that I wanted to change the car up and turn it into a full time attack race car and I eventually would like to do the Pikes Peak Hill Climb with it. And here we are. Car is currently completely gutted and I just bought my first TIG welder today to start building a roll cage. I'll keep updating as I make progress and I'm really curious about input because I want to hear what kinds of ideas everyone has. I love browsing through other peoples builds to keep an open mind about ideas I can have for modifying the car and chassis. Enjoy and let me know what you think!
Here was the car at the last event a couple of years ago


As it sits


Front Suspension


Rear suspension is about to go in the car for mock up. Eventually going to build tubular control arms and change the geometry up after the car gets some drive time


Rear IRS cradle bushings that I made




New seat, money well spent!

[dug]

I read a lot of threads and guys say they want to race their cars etc. but nothing makes you look more serious than a ****in seat like that. Keep it rolling, I enjoy these mustangs and there aren't enough on here.

[Factory2]

Full containment baby! Thank you and that's probably one of the best compliments anyone has ever given me. Learned a long time ago that safety should be the most important goal when you're building a car.

[2ndroundko]

very nice. Are you going to drive it on the street at all or are you going full race. If you are leaning more toward the race side you might want to check out lateral-g.net lots of good info there as well.

[Factory2]

Update

[Twentyover]

Missed this first time by. What's the deal with the SLA front suspension? Aftermarket, or did you build yourself? Any details?

[Factory2]

The front suspension is from Griggs Racing. A few companies make SLA kits for these cars, but I've always wanted to try out the Griggs stuff. Trying to figure out which front upright that I'm going to use. Either use a Griggs, cortex or build my own, but haven't gotten to that point yet. Also, going to run a nice set of 3 or 4 way shocks from either JRI or Penske. What else would you like to know?

[Factory2]

Haven't updated in a while, so figured it would be a good time. Haven't made a ton of progress lately because I'm working on loading everything up and moving across the country to Mooresville, North Carolina. Here's a few pics of what I have managed to get done/parts that have showed up. Also, managed to move the car home so I no longer have to drive an hour to work on it. Enjoy and as always feedback and suggestions are welcomed and encouraged!

[Factory2]

[gmcconn1]

Nice build - good start going. I am currently doing a 1997 with full Griggs World Challenge set up. I need to start a build thread.

What front hub assemblies are those?

[LERM]

Those cortex spindles are beyond sexy. Itll be a shame to cover them with whatever aluminum hat 14 inch rotor you choose. Killer car. I'll be following along for sure.

[Factory2]

Thanks guys! Are you keeping the stock front hubs or going with aftermarket on your GR40 build? These are cortex hubs and I couldn't be happier with them. Lots of modularity so the options are endless. I'll be bummed to cover them up, but I have some plans to "modify" them a bit in the future, although my goals right now are to just get this thing sitting on its own weight.

Need some input, can't decide what to do with the rear roll cage bars, what do you guys think?

[LERM]

I'm really interested in seeing what changes you make on the IRS. I'm really interested in adapting one into my car.

As for the cage, $.02 from a non-expert nobody- I've always liked the idea of the cross bar between the two rear shock mounts, with bars from the B-pillar main hoop extending down to the same bar. To me, it would provide the rigidity to the chassis, nicely support the main hoop, and would still allow something of a crush zone in the rear of the car.

[Factory2]

I'll definently keep you updated about the IRS. I think the first thing I'll be doing is some kind of an adjustable sway bar that mounts in the trunk. Since there aren't a lot of options for sway bars for the IRS, i think that's where I'll start and go from there.

I've been thinking the same thing about the roll cage, but I've been struggling with finding a way to make the mounting plates. I'm making them out of 3/16" steel plate and don't have the equipment to bend it into the shapes I need. Made some negatives of where I'm mounting the plates and brought them to a sheet metal shop to have them bend up some test pieces. Once I get those back I'll weld them in and finish the back section.

[Factory2]

I'm a little concerned with the way the cross bars will look. I mounted my main hoop a little further back than most people do, so I'm worried that the angle will look weird mounting to the shock towers.

[migg400]

Nice Build!!

[Factory2]

Update, cage is coming along, been killing it with these notches!







One side of the rear mocked up


First overhead bar ready for tacking

[Factory2]

Also, here's a little side project that I'm working on. Building up a '67 Mustang for some CAM T. The owner wanted to do a TCI full suspension kit, a roll bar and he just decided to do a mini tub as well. I'll update as I make progress. 2 cars at once has been tough, but working on his gets me motivated.







Started on the roll bar last weekend. He's not sure how far he wants to take it, so we are going to do the tub first and then finish the cage/bar