how much power can these bodies handle before you have major problems?

DarkoStoj

Founding Member
Sep 4, 2002
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Detroit
how much horsepower/torque can these bodies handle before you have major problems?

I've had a rust free perfect j code 68 mustang fastback sitting in my garage for about 3 years waiting to be started since i had a few other projects I had to finish off. The time has now come to where I'm starting to strip it and i'm going to drop it off in a couple weeks to get the paint/body work done. The car is going to get a show quality paint job done on it with a rotisserie, and there will be no expenses spared. The plans are as follows

-302 base motor(aftermarket block and all the other goodies), fuel injected, going to have a shop put the motor together and build a turbo
-tk0 600 trans with a soft lock clutch that has a small amount of slip that it allows when launching at the track to save the driveline the large amount of shock from it being a manual trans car
-basically everything tcp offers
  • coilover front suspension
  • power rack and pinion
  • all the subframe connectors they offer
  • their motor mounts
  • their 4 link rear or the pushrod/watts link suspension
  • their fabtech 9" axle housing
  • their export/monte carlo brace setup
-13" baer track brake kits (already have these)


goals for the car is something that can be used anywhere whether it be track, strip, or driving across the country comfortably. The goals I have are for the car to be able to go a 9.99 et in the quarter and have at least 1001 horse power.

I have never heard of these cars in mostly a stock body trim with that much horsepower, and the last thing I want to do is start tearing the car apart at the seams from running too much power. I was wondering if anybody has any experience with these cars and that much horsepower...and how to prep them so the car doesnt tear itself apart.

heres a pic of it as it sits now so you guys can see what i'm working with. It is basically a perfect car and after playing around with muscle cars for a while, i can honestly say this has the best body out of anything i have ever seen...the paint isn't in the best shape anymore, but the metal looks like it did 40 years ago.
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it is not just the power but how you drive it. You can get problems with just 300 hp if you really dive into turns and launch and brake hard with a 40 year old car with no structural improvements.

I would upgrade to sub frames at just 350 hp. Of course I have no basis whatsoever on which to make that statement - I am just throwing it out there because it is what I think.

These cars are just sheet metal pieces that are bolted or welded to each other. You get a lot of flex with them.
 
1001 hp on a base 302? What?

I don't think you can run that much power through a tko trans. a 408 stroked windsor with a aftermarket block and turbo can get you a decent streetable 600-650 hp, but even then you want to think about running a c4, because sticks can't handle that much power.

at 1001 hp, you want to do a 6 point cage at least. What is the highest HP car you've ever driven. I wanted to do a 600 hp engine in my car, but after driving it with a 400 hp engine I can say it is WAY more than enough on the street. You get on it, and you're already there, not much of a way to stretch out its legs if you ask me. a 408 stroker and tko600 would make you a very happy man, no turbo needed.
 
Don't need 1000hp for 9's. But it's cool if you want the dyno slip. You will need AT LEAST a 10 pnt to think about ruining that car the first week out, but a 12 should go in like Paul suggested.
Turbo and 302 base is entirely possible. Just need to get the right parts. Good heads on a 363 with a nice little solid or so, add 25 psi and whammo.
PS, what kind of budget are we talking here ? This will get expensive fast, especially if your not doing it. But if ya got it, flaunt it. I love these kind of builds. But if you do this, you will probably end up slipping and sliding to a 10.00 @ 175 mph :D
 
1001 hp on a base 302? What?

a 408 stroked windsor with a aftermarket block and turbo can get you a decent streetable 600-650.

What is the highest HP car you've ever driven. I wanted to do a 600 hp engine in my car, but after driving it with a 400 hp engine I can say it is WAY more than enough on the street. You get on it, and you're already there, not much of a way to stretch out its legs if you ask me. a 408 stroker and tko600 would make you a very happy man, no turbo needed.

well a 1000+ hp motor on a aftermarket 302 block is very possible but very expensive.

Highest hp car i've driven....well my current daily driver is a 671 supercharged 67 camaro with 550 horse and a 4 speed trans :D

I like the turbo because I don't care what anybody else says boost is the BEST way to make power....there are just so many reasons why.... and whats wrong with wanting 4 figure hp numbers.... :nice:
 
Don't need 1000hp for 9's. But it's cool if you want the dyno slip. You will need AT LEAST a 10 pnt to think about ruining that car the first week out, but a 12 should go in like Paul suggested.
Turbo and 302 base is entirely possible. Just need to get the right parts. Good heads on a 363 with a nice little solid or so, add 25 psi and whammo.
PS, what kind of budget are we talking here ? This will get expensive fast, especially if your not doing it. But if ya got it, flaunt it. I love these kind of builds. But if you do this, you will probably end up slipping and sliding to a 10.00 @ 175 mph :D

i know you don't need 1000hp for 9's...but I WANT IT! :rlaugh:

yes very very very expensive....don't remind me :(
 
Before the Challenger I have now I had a red 428 fast back in the early 90s. It wasn't as nice of a car as my Mach 1 is, but it was nice. I had the 428 set up with a big, nasty solid cam, headers, big carb etc. It was a 4-spd car with 4.10s if memory serves. I ran it quite a few passes down Carlsbad raceway (it was still there). I broke the fastback seam in the bottom right corner below the window and I think if I had continued to push it the glass would have come out. To be honest with the stock 428 there was a lot more twisting in the back than I liked. They aren't very strong cars. They can not handle 1000hp without major improvements, and frankly I wouldn't even try for a horsepower number like that with as nice of a car as you have there.

Go over to the turbo forums, www.turbomustangs.com, there is a guy with a turbo big block challenger in the mopar section. Read his posts about the TKO. He went through three of them. At least one was a professional prepared, to the max unit, and I believe he said it broke the first pass when he hit third hard.

Speaking from some experience I do not think you will get any stick other than a Lenco/Jerico to handle that kind of horsepower for long on slicks, and prepare for one mother of a hit. The newest viper/z06 trans may be an exception but I don't know if anyone has really tested it.
 
Listen to this man, a voice of reason and sanity. 400rwhp is so much power it is ridiculous for the street.

Did the 1001hp come from the Bugatti as a target or what? I'm just trying to grasp the rationale behind that much power in a Mustang that isn't built for a specific need. (Drag Racing, Silver State or Salt Flats specifically)

As far as 400rwhp being too much. My Daily driver is about 350-360 so 400 in a classic stang wouldn't be enough. I'm sure this guy isnt planning on driving 1001 hp daily. heh
 
If that were my car there is no way that I would start welding things on just to run that much hp. Then it isn't my car so I don't have any say in the matter. It's just that cars of that caliber are so hard to come by.

I don't know the answer to this question but I'm sure that some of you guys do. Can you get 1001 hp out of a 302 and still be streetable? Could you drive across the country comfortably?
 
At 400hp, my car was a fun street car that was "mostly" controllable. Unfortunately I also wanted a mid-11 second street car and the best it would do was an 11.72 on the motor. Now I am pushing closer to 450hp and the car has so much torque and hp that it is nearly undriveable on the street unless I pretend to have an egg under the gas pedal.
This is a 4 speed car and I can easily break the wheels loose in 1st through 3rd just by pushing the go pedal at any rpm. Oh, the rear wants to pass me too--sometimes on the left and sometimes on the right. It got so scary that now I do all my fast runs at the track.

Oh, I did meet my goal of a mid 11 second street [email protected].
 
At 400hp, my car was a fun street car that was "mostly" controllable. Unfortunately I also wanted a mid-11 second street car and the best it would do was an 11.72 on the motor. Now I am pushing closer to 450hp and the car has so much torque and hp that it is nearly undriveable on the street unless I pretend to have an egg under the gas pedal.
This is a 4 speed car and I can easily break the wheels loose in 1st through 3rd just by pushing the go pedal at any rpm. Oh, the rear wants to pass me too--sometimes on the left and sometimes on the right. It got so scary that now I do all my fast runs at the track.

Oh, I did meet my goal of a mid 11 second street [email protected].

Nice times Dennis. I'm probably 470-480 at the wheels and I know the feeling of more than enough for the street. Its oh so fun though. :)

I think until someone drives something with tons of hp/tq they just cant grasp how fast things change as you go up the HP ladder. Our pickup has 750fwhp and 600+tq and with 15" wide tires on the rear its just an absolute monster and totally scary.
 
Nice times Dennis. I'm probably 470-480 at the wheels and I know the feeling of more than enough for the street. Its oh so fun though. :)

I think until someone drives something with tons of hp/tq they just cant grasp how fast things change as you go up the HP ladder. Our pickup has 750fwhp and 600+tq and with 15" wide tires on the rear its just an absolute monster and totally scary.

Thanks.

You are right that it is hard to grasp how much different a car acts with increased torque/hp, especially older cars that do not have the handling of the modern rides. A high performance car requires a high performance chassis and suspension even more than it needs an insane motor as the OP described.

I still enjoy my car on the street as a cruiser. I never was a street puss with it UNTIL I was tracking down a high speed clutch slippage problem. Imagine my surprise when I speed shifted from 3rd to 4th gear at 92mph and the rear wheels spun (and howled)--then the rear of the car tried to pass me on the right. Luckily the car straightened out when I got off the throttle and all I had to do was clean my shorts. That day I learned to respect the car more than I ever did.
 
On the spray its close to 700-750 at the wheels depending on the jets. An 8" tread mind you. Needless to say..........usually just spray at the track. 1000+ is easily doable with a turbo. 10.5 guys are hitting almost 2000 with a Dart block stroked out a bit. BUT!!! Unless I missed the mini tub or back half......the car will probably have trouble ever being consistent at the track and will never get traction in the first 2 gears on the street. I predict a 12.2 @ 145.