Can a Fox be made to handle as good as.......

[CarMichael Angelo]

A C-5/6 Corvette?

I'm sure it can, but I mean can it be made to handle as good as the vette based on stock vette stats.
(i.e. whatever it's capable of on a skid pad)
The same criteria applies to the fox,...whatever has to be done to it to bring it up to snuff,...will the end result be a washboard rough, dash ratteling, kidney jarring ride, just tobe able to go through the road course and stay w/ the vette?

 

[Mr. Rustypwnz]

prolly be cheaper and more comfortable in the vette. plus 30mpg is nice too.

 

[MFE92]

"Handling" is subjective, but can a fox be made to perform as well in cornering/maneuvering/braking/acceleration exercises, given equally skilled drivers, and equal types of tire? Yes. Better, in fact. Will the end result be any less expensive to have produced as a Corvette? Maybe. Will the end result be as pleasant to drive as the Corvette? Not a ing chance.

It wouldn't necessarily have to be bone-jarring, if you put an SLA front end and an IRS rear end in it, but you're still dealing with narrower track width and a higher center of gravity than the corvette, and you have to compensate for those as best you can with things that don't add ride quality.

If you want to do it with struts in the front and a stick axle in the rear, yeah, things are gonna get rough.

It's easy to make it look like a foxbody can outrun a corvette, in cases like this, where the driver couldn't find his ass with both hands


...or this, where it's a good driver driving the vette for the first time. A few sessions later there was no keeping up with him.

 

[newskool]

You sir are the man. It's nice to see a fox going through the twisties. Gives me all sorts of hope and motivation.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Alright let me clarify,...It's no secret I can do anything I want to to the car fabrication wise. I'm talking about if someone told me (and I'm paraphrasing) Yes, but you'll need a 3 link or a torque arm, suspended rear held in place by a panhard bar, and an aftermarket upper A arm front suspension, then I'll decide whether or not it's worth it.

But I'm not talking about a road race deal here, I just wanna know how much you can get out of the car in stages short of throwing on some racing rubber (which I'm not gonna do).

Just considering some evolutionary thinking.....

 

[MFE92]

If you did a TA/PHB in the back and an SLA up front, you'd have the foundation for a pretty killer setup that would suprise the hell out of a lot of corvette drivers and be a realy hoot to drive, but you'd have to have one really well dialed in with lots of good rubber underneath for it to be better than a vette with equal drivers.

 

[N8Dogg98]

What does SLA in reference to front suspension mean?

 

[MFE92]

Short-Long Arm, meaning it has real upper control arms instead of struts. Capable of far better dynamics and geometry than is possible with a strut setup.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Stretch your fox (this would give your rear passengers more room too), put some 2" wheel spacers on each hub, and throw some ZR1 leaf springs (found on any pickup from 1940 to date) on the back, and youre all set. Oh, and start a new progress thread when you get going on it.

 

[Bullitt347]

A friend of mine took his 95 Cobra and installed a MM torque arm/panhard bar rear suspension and then relocated the front attaching point for the rear lower control arms forward 10 inches, custom fabricated some rear lower control arms, kind of mini tubbed the rear so a 335/30/18 would fit in back (was able to keep the stock rear interior intact) and then did the tubular K-member/coil overs in front with big brakes all around. Throw in a 347 N/A small block (4.125 boreX 3.125 stroke) AFR 225 heads and other goodies inside, T-56 6 speed and that car could run just about any stock vette off the road.
He then took his 01' Z06, took off the leaf springs, installed Afco double adjustable coil overs on all 4 corners, performed a cam/head/intake and exhaust upgrade to the LS1 under the hood and that was the end of the Cobra staying with the Vette.
It is hard to get the Mustang to compete with 300 to 400 lbs less weight and as mentioned lower C/G that the Vette has especially when the Vette has been "tweeked" proper.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Stretch your fox (this would give your rear passengers more room too), put some 2" wheel spacers on each hub, and throw some ZR1 leaf springs (found on any pickup from 1940 to date) on the back, and youre all set. Oh, and start a new progress thread when you get going on it.

Hey, that aint a bad Idea. I've looked at this thing a bazillion times, and it needs more rear length to balance out the long front end.
I would have a really hard time cutting up a finished car like this one though, but who knows,.....winter is a ways off.

My ideas that I'm kicking around (and I'm always kicking them around) are as follows:


REALISTIC:
Install the webers which will probably end up being EMPI EPC 48's due out third quarter w/ new idle circuit
Modify the suspension as stated above to allow me a different venue to play w/ it in.
UNREALISTIC: But boy............
Keeping the car, and modifying the rear to truly look like a 68 FB. would probably require that I stretch the body somewhere.
That will require serious staring sessions, but this idea has reoccurred several times now.
Removing the 4.6, Find a 460 and install Kaase Boss9 heads, rebadge the car as BOSS
Follow my CJ theme after I choke at the Kaase head price (14k w/ intake) and instead install true 428 FE.

 

[95BlueStallion]

I was joking about stretching the car, but I wouldnt put it past you. I only fear it would lose the modified fox aspect, and start looking more like an odd shaped '68. Right now, its easy to tell what it is, and you have just the right front and rear to pull it off. Pretty soon youre gonna have a Frankenstein car if you dont settle your "beautiful mind" down, Mr Crowe.

 

[Boosted92LX]

LOL..I would to suggest starting over with a real fastback if you were going to do all that foxes hadle like chit with big blocks.. shoot, you could probably sell the "Mike mach" for enough money to build a bad ass fastback. Take the fastback and put some modern suspension under it with IRS and build a sweet retro supercar...

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I was joking about stretching the car, but I wouldnt put it past you. I only fear it would lose the modified fox aspect, and start looking more like an odd shaped '68. Right now, its easy to tell what it is, and you have just the right front and rear to pull it off. Pretty soon youre gonna have a Frankenstein car if you dont settle your "beautiful mind" down, Mr Crowe.

Yeah,.......you're right
I read somewhere that the average "rodder" spends 6000.00 a year to a potentially completed project. Changing and improving junk in a never ending pursuit of the perfect car. Just got back from a cruise in, and there was a whole group of guys climbing around it from a local shop that builds 150k cars. But they did this to a Shelby. Don't think I like it. Speaking of Frankenstein.


The shop owner spent a pretty decent amount of time in front of the car, but he spent more effort trying to sell me on his shop, (like I can even afford to walk in there)

I like what I've done, and the fact that I have 20k (vs the 150k the doctor has in the Quicksilver mustang above) gives me immense satisfaction that a high end shop even paid attention to the car. It still doesn't change the fact that I'm always looking for the icing on the cake, that makes the car go from Wow to Whoaaaaaa.

 

[Boosted92LX]

Yeah,.......you're right
I read somewhere that the average "rodder" spends 6000.00 a year to a potentially completed project. Changing and improving junk in a never ending pursuit of the perfect car. Just got back from a cruise in, and there was a whole group of guys climbing around it from a local shop that builds 150k cars. But they did this to a Shelby. Don't think I like it. Speaking of Frankenstein.


The shop owner spent a pretty decent amount of time in front of the car, but he spent more effort trying to sell me on his shop, (like I can even afford to walk in there)

I like what I've done, and the fact that I have 20k (vs the 150k the doctor has in the Quicksilver mustang above) gives me immense satisfaction that a high end shop even paid attention to the car. It still doesn't change the fact that I'm always looking for the icing on the cake, that makes the car go from Wow to Whoaaaaaa.

Honestly, I don't think the car in the video was very tasteful.

I really think you could do a much better job with a fastback car than they did, and it would be really cool to see it! If I had the patience and talent you have Mike, I'd be up to my eyeballs in a protouring '70 fastback. Foxes are sweet, but oooohhhh, fastbacks!

DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I guess the pain pill has fully kicked in then? What the hell would I do w/ the Resto Mod? How much do you think I could get for it? How much does anybody think I could get for it?

I have a GIANT soft spot for a 69 FB, but I just see that as an enormous undertaking, even more so than the Fox. A salvageable Sports roof is what?? 10K? Probably much more. I know me, the car would be twice as expensive as the current one. W/ me doing all the work. My wife would kill me.

 

[Boosted92LX]

I guess the pain pill has fully kicked in then? What the hell would I do w/ the Resto Mod? How much do you think I could get for it? How much does anybody think I could get for it?

I have a GIANT soft spot for a 69 FB, but I just see that as an enormous undertaking, even more so than the Fox. A salvageable Sports roof is what?? 10K? Probably much more. I know me, the car would be twice as expensive as the current one. W/ me doing all the work. My wife would kill me.

I understand completely. I work with a guy who I've known since I was a kid and he has a mustang junkyard, used to buy parts from him. Jim's Mustangs and More in Angleton, TX. He told me a while back that he had a good 70 fastback he'd sell me for 3500. The only reason I didn't jump all over it was like you said, it would cost me a fortune to make it the way I wanted. He deals in 64 1/2's all the way to 73's.... IF you really wanted one, I can hook you up with him. It is a long way to Texas pulling a trailer, though.

And yes, the pain pill has kicked in..

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I understand completely. I work with a guy who I've known since I was a kid and he has a mustang junkyard, used to buy parts from him. Jim's Mustangs and More in Angleton, TX. He told me a while back that he had a good 70 fastback he'd sell me for 3500. The only reason I didn't jump all over it was like you said, it would cost me a fortune to make it the way I wanted. He deals in 64 1/2's all the way to 73's.... IF you really wanted one, I can hook you up with him. It is a long way to Texas pulling a trailer, though.

And yes, the pain pill has kicked in..

Well then.....kinda grabs you by the boo boo don't it? Feelin all right...Feeling Mellow?................... RAAAAHHHHRRR!


(Sometimes that helps man.)

I Delivered the Studebaker street rod I had to the guy that bought it 14 months ago to some town south of Houston. And you're right, It was a long way pulling a trailer to Texas. But I did it in a day. I still gotta get sick of the Fox before I'll be ready to move on, or somebody has gotta blow my socks off w/ an offer for it. Right now I don't see either of those things happening none too soon.

 

[Boosted92LX]

Well then.....kinda grabs you by the boo boo don't it? Feelin all right...Feeling Mellow?................... RAAAAHHHHRRR!


(Sometimes that helps man.)

I Delivered the Studebaker street rod I had to the guy that bought it 14 months ago to some town south of Houston. And you're right, It was a long way pulling a trailer to Texas. But I did it in a day. I still gotta get sick of the Fox before I'll be ready to move on, or somebody has gotta blow my socks off w/ an offer for it. Right now I don't see either of those things happening none too soon.

Aw, heck I know man. I would keep it for a while and enjoy it myself anyway. I've never had a car that was featured in a magazine before, that's damned cool! Especially since you did the work and didn't write a meaningless check for a car the average Joe couldn't afford.
If I ever hit the lottery, maybe I could entice you to come over here and run a shop with me.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Aw, heck I know man. I would keep it for a while and enjoy it myself anyway. I've never had a car that was featured in a magazine before, that's damned cool! Especially since you did the work and didn't write a meaningless check for a car the average Joe couldn't afford.
If I ever hit the lottery, maybe I could entice you to come over here and run a shop with me.

If you ever hit the lottery and continue to work, I'd have to wonder if you were still taking your pain pills.