Controversial engine chassis combo question. OR Stock Mustang racing.

[tim_the_toolman]

OK SO I am still working on my paint job but I am planning ahead for the motor mods when I grenade this one (stock speed density). So I am at the track and me and a bunch of buddies are discussing what I should do while watching various cars do test and tune. There are some crazy built up cars running crappy times, and then some mildly modded cars running almost as fast......so the argument begins.

I say there is no sense in making tons of power if you can't put it down, and bring up the class where practically stock Mustangs are running low 12's. But I can't remember what class it is and what mods were allowed. Anyone know?

Secondly I want to go low 12's without my spray on. I wouldnt mind keeping the speed density system because it looks so clean under the hood. I am planning on 3:73's, it is a 5 speed, it weighs under 3000 pounds, it has subs and a cage, it has a glass hood and wing. What type of combo do you all think I should go with? I know I can go quick and fast with minimal additions to power so long as all the power I make is used, and now I want to prove it to all my Chevy fan friends. Help

 

[ECU5.0]

you can make all the power in the world but if you cant get it to the ground it wont do anything for you...like you said. id just get some really nice suspension and do a few things to the engine. its hard to get to radical with a speed density car but it has been done

 

[tim_the_toolman]

yeah i agree, seems like the car i remeber reading about went like 12.12 and the motor was almost completely stock. that class only allows certain chassis mods too. wish i could remember the class

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

It's all about chassis tuning. I'm by no means an expert here since my suspension is bone stock, but i read a lot. You can lose up to 100hp to the rear wheels if your suspension is crappy (that's probably a worse case scenerio) One of the biggest gains you can get as far as drag racing is concerned is the launch, and that's 90% suspension. Traction is important too of course.

I agree, power is only effective with the right conductor, that being the suspension. I personally am doing nothing more to my motor than an Air Gap intake and new carb, then everything else is going into the suspension untill it's where i want it.

 

[89MustangGX]

The class you're talking about sounds like NMRA Factory Stock. The fastest 5.0 cars are in the high 11's.

 

[tim_the_toolman]

Me too....my car has been a 7 year project thus far. I have stripped every bit of every thing off of it for my paint and weight loss plans. I cant wait to stick it on a scale I know it will weigh less than 3000 but I bet it will be closer to 2700 (NO KIDDING) See pic.

My plan is to put the stock SD motor back in and establish a 1/8 th mile time. then do my mods one by one to track progress and ease trouble shooting. Even my wiring harness is lightened, so I am not sure what to expect when I try to turn the key. Problem is I want a car that kicks ass in the 1/8th but is also nimble on the street to ward off those pesky ricers in the curves.

The car will be street / show / strip/ daily driver. So a purpose built dragster isnt my goal. Any suggestions on mods motor or suspension.

 

[tim_the_toolman]

So who here has got in the low 12's on a basically stock combo engine wise but made chassis changes?

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

Are you talking 2700 pounds with a roll cage? That's pretty damn impressive if so, and how may points is your cage if you have one?

 

[cleanLX]

So who here has got in the low 12's on a basically stock combo engine wise but made chassis changes?

At your weight mid 12's can be had without much trouble...
The 'stock' class you are refering to is a little decieving. Those guys typically have 3000 bux in thier stock heads and are running cobra intakes.
Then, the top runners have lightweight higher compression pistons, and nifty rings...
They are making a little over 300hp with thier regulation stock motors.
And, the suspension is definatly no where near ricer burning corner friendly.

They are very impressive cars, but, don't for a minuit think that a truely stock 5.0 is gonna make the numbers these guys purpose built machines do.

What I would do, is Mental Addiction tq box re-inforcments, Kevin S. upper arms, pro3i spherical lowers, a couple of air bags and a Maximuim Motorsports panhard bar.
I dunno what I'd do up front... AJE K-member... I have mixed feelings on coilovers. ... so, dunno. Of course adjustable shock/struts...
You'll want full length subframe connectors... I can feel a difference with my strut tower brace bolted up... but I've heard people say they are useless... based on my 'feel' I would recommend one.

You do those suspension mods, and at 2700lbs, good air and some skinnies out front, I can see low 12's with a well tuned 'truely stock' motor.

 

[25thmustang]

I think your asking too much from the car, and thats not a bad thing, but will be tough to reach that goal. To have a stock or near stock motor go mid 12s is tough enough, let alone with a suspension that will handle well, and will have the luxuries we all love!

I am trying this too, and found it is tough (I dont care about twisties).

Also that is Factory Stock!

 

[tim_the_toolman]

the cage is a 6 point but its kinda a custom layout (see pic) the front bars arent in yet. the car is super light. i plan on posting all of the weight mods but just by looking at the pics you can see how serious i take the teardown

 

[tim_the_toolman]

http://forums.stangnet.com/showthread.php?t=458993

2 pics here as well

 

[MrKwik]

Not to change the subject but....in the other thread you said something about custom fender aprons or something, can you post a pic of that?

 

[tim_the_toolman]

not totally done yet but here ya go. the front part hides the headlight harness and shrouds the radiator the side eliminates and smooths the stock junk and the bottom blends into the frame rail and the frame rail is smoothed

 

[autoXr1]

OK SO I am still working on my paint job but I am planning ahead for the motor mods when I grenade this one (stock speed density). So I am at the track and me and a bunch of buddies are discussing what I should do while watching various cars do test and tune. There are some crazy built up cars running crappy times, and then some mildly modded cars running almost as fast......so the argument begins.

I say there is no sense in making tons of power if you can't put it down, and bring up the class where practically stock Mustangs are running low 12's. But I can't remember what class it is and what mods were allowed. Anyone know?

Secondly I want to go low 12's without my spray on. I wouldnt mind keeping the speed density system because it looks so clean under the hood. I am planning on 3:73's, it is a 5 speed, it weighs under 3000 pounds, it has subs and a cage, it has a glass hood and wing. What type of combo do you all think I should go with? I know I can go quick and fast with minimal additions to power so long as all the power I make is used, and now I want to prove it to all my Chevy fan friends. Help

You might want to check out the NMRA Factory Stock, Pure Street, and Open Comp classes to see which would be easiest to fit into. www.nmraracing.com

 

[SmockDoiley]

Not to burst your bubble but I really doubt you are going to weigh 2700 lbs. I gutted my 85 which is already a light car. I have no windshield wipers or motor, no fog lights or wiring, no AC at all, no stereo speakers or wires, nothing surrounding the radiator, no smog anywhere, dumps, no interior including that factory dynomat junk, no rollcage, no spare, aluminum heads, and aluminum driveshaft and the car weighs 3000. I have a factory dash with everything in it so if you wanted to get down to 2700 youd literally have to have no interior at all, drop the cage, run plastic seats, plastic instead of glass, and cut as many holes as you could in everything to hollow things out. This of course would make the car completely unstreetable and I'm not sure you can gut the car like that in the factory classes if you wanted to run in them. Your better off just building a stout engine and getting the power to the ground. If your just looking to woop some chevy's then put a stout 331 in that thing and put a suspension behind it.

 

[tim_the_toolman]

wow, thats hard to believe. the last time my car was weighed (at a scrap yard mind you) it weighed 3200 basically stock wit hthe full interior. I have removed almost everything you have and then done some things you havent mentioned. for one stripping the car to bare metal for new paint. I even saved the removed paint to weigh it just out of curiosity (havent finished stripping the hatch or fenders yet or i could tell ya what it weighed). Any way I have removed over 225 pounds of stuff already and I am no done with the sound deadner yet. I have light weight seats (corbeau), a custom dash, removed ALL smog, no back seat, blah blah blah. who knows....i may be way off base.... we'll see. I am not really interested in running inany of the classes just curious how they were accomplishing those numbers

 

[SmockDoiley]

I'm sure you'll be lighter than me but not by much since you are adding a rollcage. And although you are stripping the paint, you are repainting it.

 

[tim_the_toolman]

Agreed...my estimation is more of a guestimation. I am really curious what it will end up weighing. I have put a ton of effort into this and I know aside from swiss cheesing everything there is NOWHERE I can lose more weight. I plan on modifying the bumpers a bit to cut some weight there too.

 

[25thmustang]

My dads car is down to about 2700-2800 without him in it...

He has no sound dedening, lightweight wheels, no radio or speakers, no back seat, no spare or jack, fiberglass hood, aluminum radiator, and other small weight removed...

He has for extra weight, roll cage, iron heads over aluminum, full dash, carpet and power windows and locks.

With a 3300 lb weight limit he has to add himself (225), 100 lbs in the bumper, the spare and jack, and then another hundred or so in the trunk (Im sure Im missing some). He is amazed how easy it was to get the Mustang light and this is a htach not a notch!