Fox Build Thread- Some Days I Should Of Let It Burn Down

I had some time to update. I purchased the tubular uppers and lowers control arms from our vendor CJPony, Strange 10 way adjustable shocks, and some SVE progressive lowering springs. I took some side by side shots for everyone. However, there has been a revised design of the arms at LMR, but I wanted the grease zerks.

All together

Lowers control arms

Upper control arms

Old set up (4 cylinder springs one coil cut)

Shock side by side

New set up

A few key notes if you are doing the control arms. The hardware provided, I wasn’t a fan of. It is stamped grade 8, however it is very soft.

If your old hardware is in good shape, then reuse it. The stock upper control bolts you cannot reuse due to the length (see below). But, you can use a set of stock lower control bolts instead from another build I had or junkyard.

Overall I think the car hooked a lot better on the old suspension IMO, but I still playing with shock rates. I think the progressive springs are way more forgiving on the street.

More to come, almost have everything for the front end suspension.

Mini update

Well the exhaust with the catted h pipe and flows in the back was on the car, but has a clogged cat. The pipe also has a small hole that needs to be welded.

Sooooo, header packs FTW. Old school cherry bombs and surprisingly a lot quieter.

Up next wasn’t much of an upgrade, but needed to be done, was the rear brakes.

http://s1087.photobucket.com/user/Black1987coupe/media/20150412_133918_zpsujnxlmgd.jpg.html

Just trying to make it drivable for now. I also thought I just had a bad bearing in the rear. However I later learned upon pulling the axles, they were pitted and needed to be replaced.

The new to me axles have really long stud and are beefier. They’ll work for now.

The middle one is one of the new ones.

http://s1087.photobucket.com/user/Black1987coupe/media/20150412_133918_zpsujnxlmgd.jpg.html

New bearings

So, don’t be dumb like me and wiggle the axles while putting the C clips in…..or the spider gears will pop out. Lesson learned smh

Black1987 · Apr 12, 2016

Oh and my diff cover had a crap ton of RTV too. Before and after below. After putting the cover back on, I filled with LMR kit of royal purple.

I hope to get to the front end soon, but being 1.45 hour away sucks and eats into my budget. Well anyone remember this, I found it in my storage

Well when it rains it pours haha. I had a leaking header on number cylinder 4, I thought. However, after a long day of finally deciding to go back for shorties for the time being. I also wanted to finally install a remanufactured cobra rack on this car, which meant changing to the hybrid maximum motorsport steering shaft.

Driver side header

Leaking SOB

So, I forgot how much of a PITA it was to put/pull these headers. Basically you have to pull the motor almost completely out. That’s when dumb crap happens like the yoke popping out and spilling that cheap old Dextron III on the ground smh. Moving on old rack out, old steering shaft, and comparisons.

I will say an fyi, if you have a 4 cylinder conversion with the original rack and want to do the 03/04 swap. Then you will have to swap to the 5.0 spindles and hubs or cut the ends. I went ahead and swapped to the GT stuff that was off an old project.

Stock vs Expensive

Headers side by side and an old h pipe off a member here.

Struts and spindles

20 dollar mistake

Home sweet home

[URL=http://s1087.photobucket.com/user/Black1987coupe/media/12180041_1075741179116580_1827978171_n_zpsrddrpuv5.jpg.html][/URL]

I finished putting the hubs on and its sitting on the ground rolling. Waiting on new rubber brake hoses and pads. Then I have some PowerStop rotors for it. I still have to bolt the catback on. But some progress.

Black1987 · Apr 12, 2016

stykthyn said:
I seriously dig your hyperlinking

Yeah no clue on why it does that, but i posted this to help kill time for a buddy of mine on 3rd shift. Enjoy

stykthyn · Apr 12, 2016

I dig the progress. Love the stance in that tail shot.

Black1987 · Apr 12, 2016

stykthyn said:
I dig the progress. Love the stance in that tail shot.

It is actually lower with LMR progressive rears than with the stock 4 cylinder springs with 1 coil cut . It nibbled my tire when I flexed accidentally on my path to the house.

Black1987 · Apr 12, 2016

Finally took the sticker off. When I bought it, it said insane lunatic tattoos and piercings. My family thought it suited the car, but been getting odd looks going on to base everyday now.

Also, been driving around lately and had a 75mm throttle body laying around from another car I sold.

So I thought bolt it and just see what needs to be clearanced. Not quite what I expected.

It was nice the other day, so I had a CAI laying around

Currently fixing odds and ends .....btw this is the path that cut the tire

View: http://youtu.be/GoYG_h7zhB8

Davedacarpainter · Apr 12, 2016

Black1987 said:
It is actually lower with LMR progressive rears than with the stock 4 cylinder springs with 1 coil cut . It nibbled my tire when I flexed accidentally on my path to the house.

Very cool man, that chick is a keeper btw. If my wife sees grease on ME, she feels like she needs to clean up.

Black1987 · Apr 12, 2016

Davedacarpainter said:
Very cool man, that chick is a keeper btw. If my wife sees grease on ME, she feels like she needs to clean up.

Yeah she has seen me covered head to toe in mud, grease, fiberglass and doesn't care. She still brings me cold drinks and meals while working ....as long as she gets to rip on the car too. Actually the rolling shot in the curve was her testing out the 03/04 Cobra rack and steering shaft.

Boosted92LX · Apr 12, 2016

Amazing. A redhead female that likes to wrench on engines!

Black1987 · Apr 12, 2016

Track was humid as crap that day around 100 degrees, it cooled off a little that night. I had an exhaust leak on cylinder 2 and the plug in the back of head (Check engine light for that and EGR). Tires were Toyo Extenza on 35-30-25-20 psi....the guy kept spraying the burnout box even though I asked him not too (no way to drive around it either). 5 speed, full weight plus the trunk fully loaded with tools and jack and etc.

Best part of the day was no ac, wife riding for 1 hour drive to the track filled up before we left, and got 25 mpg round trip including the 4 passes on 87 octane.

Black1987 · Apr 13, 2016

@84Ttop & @madmike1157 are the mphs low for a relatively stock 5.0 with 3.73s (elevation basically sea level 15 ft)

CarMichael Angelo · Apr 13, 2016

Black1987 said:
@84Ttop & @madmike1157 are the mphs low for a relatively stock 5.0 with 3.73s (elevation basically sea level 15 ft)

Can't answer that one, not a drag racer.

Black1987 · Apr 13, 2016

madmike1157 said:
Can't answer that one, not a drag racer.

ah didn't know if you knew relatively. Well I have checked the sticky and google seems to have a wide variability

cleanLX · Apr 14, 2016

you said the trunk was full of tools, jack etc., so, without knowing the cars actual weight, and the actual air conditions (you can be at sea level and have 3500' DA) it's hard to say if that is a time representative of a 5.0 with intake/exhaust mods or not. My intitail thoughts are that it's slow but, you are throwing used parts together with unknown mileage/wear/condition...
Mine ran 100mph when it was stock with offroad H pipe and 3.73's, but it was essentially a new car at the time with an empty trunk and it had certainly never been on fire... and we typically had DA of 300' or better.

I really enjoyed reading this entire thread.
You have more guts than me, I would not have the "balls" to build a motor out in the yard like that... so if it were my car, it would be sitting and rotting.
So, all I can say is I commend you for your efforts and for actually getting out to the track and running it.
I have a lot of respect for guys that make do with what they have, and are not afraid to run their cars.
Tip of the hat to you young man.

Black1987 · Apr 14, 2016

cleanLX said:
you said the trunk was full of tools, jack etc., so, without knowing the cars actual weight, and the actual air conditions (you can be at sea level and have 3500' DA) it's hard to say if that is a time representative of a 5.0 with intake/exhaust mods or not. My intitail thoughts are that it's slow but, you are throwing used parts together with unknown mileage/wear/condition...
Mine ran 100mph when it was stock with offroad H pipe and 3.73's, but it was essentially a new car at the time with an empty trunk and it had certainly never been on fire... and we typically had DA of 300' or better.

I really enjoyed reading this entire thread.
You have more guts than me, I would not have the "balls" to build a motor out in the yard like that... so if it were my car, it would be sitting and rotting.
So, all I can say is I commend you for your efforts and for actually getting out to the track and running it.
I have a lot of respect for guys that make do with what they have, and run their cars.
Tip of the hat to you young man.

Thank you for the compliments. This time around the car will be on a diet and air/humidity is cool/low. Before like I said it was hot and you would sweat in the shade and NC humidity you can sweat but never dry off.

The in the yard built doesn't bother me as long as the parts are used (failure from FM makes anyone paranoid), but this was treated as a learning tool for the wife and nephew. The wife didn't understand the assembly/work involved but letting her do it. Now she wants to build more powerful set-up (guess she'll have to twist my arm on that...haha jk).

Have you made any changes to your set up lately?

A5literMan · Apr 14, 2016

Yes from my experience that mph is off by around 6-10mph. You should see 90 mph at a minimum(even with bad air). My 3 stock(ish) cars ran 92-95mph and with gears/tires-98-100mph. Even with higher temps/humidity something is amiss IMO. My 86 with just intake,exhaust,and stock 2.73 gears-Goodyear tires (before first rebuild) went 96mph(14.50's) and 2.xx 60 ft. You definitely need some better tires for the track and if you take .5seconds off that 60ft you'll see 1 second in et drop and pickup some mph.

Fox Build Thread- Some Days I Should Of Let It Burn Down

my wife Bedazzled my input shaft

my wife Bedazzled my input shaft

my wife Bedazzled my input shaft

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.

my wife Bedazzled my input shaft

my wife Bedazzled my input shaft

my wife Bedazzled my input shaft

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.

my wife Bedazzled my input shaft

my wife Bedazzled my input shaft

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...

my wife Bedazzled my input shaft

It's only an inch or two. What's the big deal?

my wife Bedazzled my input shaft

my wife Bedazzled my input shaft

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

my wife Bedazzled my input shaft

my wife Bedazzled my input shaft

At least it is lumpy...

Similar threads

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency