Fox Mustang - my "Street Car"

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Here's a couple photos of my 1980 Mustang. 79000 Km original milage. Picked it up for $1000 at the start of the build. Got a few more dollars into it now

408 stroker dynoed at 532 HP, 550 TQ
C4 with manual valve body, Hurst ratchet shifter
3800 stall converter
Aluminum driveshaft
3.89 gears, spool, c-clip eliminators
Strange 10 way adjustable shocks and struts
coil over conversion on front
aluminum interior
roll bar, sub-frame connectors that also weld full length to the floor pan
tubular K member, tubular A arms

Anyone interested in build pics?

 

[Country Misfit]

That looks like a mean machine.I would love to see build pics.

 

[rex1927]

Build pics please

I have always liked the 79-93 fox body mustang,[dr
My neighbor has a 1992 5.0 convertible.Nice cars.

 

[von-zipper]

Definitely want to see build thread! [dr

Zipper

 

[donsrods]

My Son is building a four eye Fox. Love how yours came out.

Don

 

[sc5080]

Why?

OK. This one was built because I kept getting in trouble at the dragstrip with my 81 Granada for going to quick without a roll bar. Rules require at least a 6 point roll bar at 11.49 or quicker. I was running as quick as 11.0's with that car and would have put the roll bar in it but it also needed a lot of rust repair - especially in the rear quarters. I figured it would cost at least 3 grand to install a roll bar and do the body work and a cheap paint job. The Mustang was advertised for $2000 but no one was biting at it. I watched the ad for a couple of weeks and then decided to take a look at it. It was a bare bones 6 cylinder car - still had the original AM radio - with 79000 KM on the clock. Thats about 50000 miles for my American friends. Most importantly - NO rust. I guess the guy was desperate for money 'cause when I offered half of what he was asking he took it and the Mustang was mine.

I still have the Granada sitting in the back yard .. somehow can't seem to part with it. It was a perfect sleeper and Mustangs are kind of like belly buttons, but I couldn't argue the financials on the deal.

 

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Sub-frame connectors

I found a set of subframe connectors on E-bay from a company called, I think, US Steel. They were CNC profiled to match the floor of the Mustang and, when fully welded in formed a boxed frame member. They actually fit it quite well. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures when the torque box reinforcement plates were installed. Although they are supposed to be a bolt-in we welded them in as well. We did the full kit, both upper and lower control arm mounting points.

 

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roll bar

The roll bar was a Competition Engineering kit. I added the "X" bar to connect the upper control arm mounts to the roll bar to ensure all the power was going to push the car and not bend the floor.

 

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Engine swap

The drivetrain was originally installed in the Granada. The opportunity arose to use two hoists in my buddy's shop and so the Granada went up on one and the Mustang on the other. The engines and K members were dropped out of both cars and switched. We started friday evening and brought both cars home Sunday with the swaps complete. The Mustang got the 408 v8 and the Granada got the 200 inline 6. The transmissions and rear ends were swapped as well. The exhaust systems were transferred and modified as required to fit their new homes. The Mustang got a Champion aluminum radiator and dual electric fans as well as an aluminum drive shaft.

 

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fuel cell

The fuel cell was mounted in the trunk. Supports were welded into the spare tire well and the fuel cell was mounted onto them. This allowed the cell to be mounted with the sump above the trunk floor and no hole had to be cut to clear the tank sump. A fuel filter and Holley black pump were mounted under the trunk floor. All fuel lines are braided steel with AN fittings.

The battery was also mounted in the trunk and an external power shut off installed.

 

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Suspension

An anti-roll bar was installed to make sure the car launched straight. Strange 10 way adjustable shocks and struts were used. QA1 caster/camber plates where used. Tubular A arms and a coil over kit for the front struts were used. Springs are 12" 150 lbs.

The anti-roll bar didn't work out on the street .. there was very little travel before the upper control arms would hit and it made street driving very uncomfortable. I cut it out and have yet to remount it. I think I can mount it behind the axle where it will not interfere with the travel of the upper control arms and still function as it should.

 

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Interior

All the factory interior panels were removed and replaced with aluminum. There is also an aluminum rear seat delete kit installed.

 

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more interior

I fabbed up some mounting brackets for the poly seats. A Grant "Challenger" steering wheel was used. The Hurst ratchet shifter was installed and aluminum panels made to fit it into the stock console. The gauges were mounted into the radio opening and the radio eliminated since I couldn't hear it in this thing anyway. Tach and fire extinguisher complete the interior.

 

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wheels and tires

I chose Weld Draglites for the wheels - mostly because I'm still using the four bolt axles (aftermarket). Front spindles and brakes are from an 87 Thunderbird Turbo to match up with the Strange struts. Tires are MT ET Street radials 275/60-15 on 8" wide rims for the rear and 25" tall 600-15 MT Sportsman on 4" wide rims on the front.

 

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conclusion

I'm sure there are lots of details I've missed but that's the basics. I forgot to post pics of the drive shaft hoop, trans shield, manual brake master cylinder, and the strut tower brace.

The hood scoop is a plastic piece from Summit. The 4" air cleaner is K&N. Ignition is MSD 6 AL.

Likely a few other things I forgot to mention as well.

 

[bob w]

Lots of nice modifications on the Mustang. How quick is it?

It would be nice to save the Fairmont someday.

 

[Country Misfit]

Nice job,looks great.

 

[sc5080]

Lots of nice modifications on the Mustang. How quick is it?

It would be nice to save the Fairmont someday.

Our local track runs a "Heads Up" series. The Mustang was built to run in the 10.50 Heads Up Index class. So far I've only made 2 shakedown passes that revealed some fuel system problems that I think I've fixed but haven't been able to test. The shakedown runs netted 11.50 @ 120.

I was a little disappointed but hope to hit the 10.50 target with the change to the fuel pressure regulator and fuel bypass system and some tuning. I put a different carb on the engine and a fuel return system when I swapped it into the Mustang and so far it hasn't worked out the way I expected. Guess I'll find out in the spring when the track reopens - or go back to the old carb and fuel system One way or another I'll get a mid 10 out of it.

Don't know about saving the Granada. Wife wants her patio back! I do have a 460 and a c6 that I'm not using right now so .... Maybe after the "Sheets and Giggles" altered T is finished. And get my daughter set up running the dragster now that it has the "training motor" in it.

 

[sc5080]

Nice job,looks great.

Thanks

 

[sc5080]

And this is the engine that came out of the dragster to make room for the "training motor". I would like to find something to put it into as well.