Okay so i have a 1994 mustang gt the car was a 5.0 with a t5. About 6 years ago my dad took the car to a childhood friend to have it built with a 393 stoker 9inch rear end and have the whole front suspension done. Well at the time in our friends life he was just turning 70 and 2 years in had been diagnosed with cancer he just wasnt able to finish it, now im picking up where he left off. He has made a custom mustang 2 front suspension all the shock towers and original fender wells have mostly been cut out he has made custom subframe connecters that are also welded into his custom k-member. At one point he did have the steering rack mounted with custom brackets to mount the coil overs to the mustang 2 front end i have a picture where i can see all of the brackets and how he had it. The reason he cut it back up and apart removing his custom brackets for the coilovers was because when he set it on the ground the front end sat low with like an inch of travel maybe 2 i forget exactly what he said and the back was sitting too high honestly that doesnt bother me the back needs to go on coilovers and squat a few inches bc at the time the rear was on stock springs. Most of the engineering is completed besides remaking/replicating the front coilover brackets and picking out a steering rack that with work with what i have ( clearance wise ) it will most likely be a Manual rack. So in finishing the car i see two options buy a donor car with a good front end cut all the welds that hold the front end on and start from scratch with a stock sn95 front end and buy coilovers or such and a k- member to just bolt on. Or get a manual rack and try to finish the mustang 2 front end following a picture i have that showed it completed. Im looking for advise on which route you guys think is best and no i wont be just throwing the car away alot of sentimental value is in this car. I will do whatever it takea to make it drive again. Also i have a 408 stroker that the same guy built that i will be putting in it i plan to get an 8.8 and weld in some 9inch axles and maybe mini tub it for some 345s or just leave it and run 315s later i can post pictures of the state the car is in along with the photo of the finished mustang 2 front end
SN95 doin it anyway! Mustang ii suspension
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Wow, your friend must have put a lot of work into it.
Yeah, pics of the present setup and with the suspension done as far as he had it will be necessary.
Yeah, pics of the present setup and with the suspension done as far as he had it will be necessary.
Okay i can go take some photos soon he did lots and lots of hours and hard work. He was quite the builder. Worked for ford for some 40+ years and built many many many cars. His son built a capri that ran 11.84 on stock bald tires i think they were like 15x7 rims with 215 or 205 Tires lol. I trust his work with my life so if i go the route of finishing what he started liability factor is of no question. Anyway ill get some photos posted up by the end of the night
Now I am not a fabricator, nor have I ever played one on tv but I'll tell ya that looks pretty stout to me, are you doing a cage of any kind?
The reason I ask is I (and remember I'm not a fabricator) would add those bars from the cowl to the front frame rail at the radiator support. Other than that I think it looks very good.
Let me fone-a-friend, @a91what or maybe @TOOLOW91
Ok, two friends
well maybe not real close friends
Ok, so I never met one of them, I think the other one just tolerates me.
I do have a dump truck after all
The reason I ask is I (and remember I'm not a fabricator) would add those bars from the cowl to the front frame rail at the radiator support. Other than that I think it looks very good.
Let me fone-a-friend, @a91what or maybe @TOOLOW91
Ok, two friends
well maybe not real close friends
Ok, so I never met one of them, I think the other one just tolerates me.
I do have a dump truck after all
@jeremythedestroyer literally cut his car apart like this and did crazy stuff maybe he can chime in for us.
unless there is some reason that car should stay in your life, your fathers friend has doomed it to JY status. If you arent a consummate welder, the whole deal will be best left to die in some field behind some shed.
Taking a donor car, and going through the process of cutting off that snout, then replacing it on the future dead car would have me wondering why?
A 460 would’ve fit the engine bay in its stock configuration w/o needing anything other than mounts and headers. ( And those are already made by somebody else) let alone a 351w which would’ve literally dropped right into the stock mounts.
The work in those pics just screams “ I don’t know what I’m doing” ..any competent chassis guy would’ve advised your father he didn’t need to do any of that. And... even if he was putting in some obscenely huge mis-matched combo ( like 426 hemi) and needed the additional room that the factory strut towers interfered with, a competent chassis guy would’ve jut notched the strut towers to clear.
In its present state, there is no place for any of the sheetemetal to mount back to. There is already ride height issues, and it’s just one big pain in the ass waiting to get bigger. Who knows what kind of bump steer issues you have, and looking at the whole fab would have me terrified to drive it past a slow roll.
I wouldn’t bother buying a donor car. I’d buy another car, and donate the one you have to the shredder.
Taking a donor car, and going through the process of cutting off that snout, then replacing it on the future dead car would have me wondering why?
A 460 would’ve fit the engine bay in its stock configuration w/o needing anything other than mounts and headers. ( And those are already made by somebody else) let alone a 351w which would’ve literally dropped right into the stock mounts.
The work in those pics just screams “ I don’t know what I’m doing” ..any competent chassis guy would’ve advised your father he didn’t need to do any of that. And... even if he was putting in some obscenely huge mis-matched combo ( like 426 hemi) and needed the additional room that the factory strut towers interfered with, a competent chassis guy would’ve jut notched the strut towers to clear.
In its present state, there is no place for any of the sheetemetal to mount back to. There is already ride height issues, and it’s just one big pain in the ass waiting to get bigger. Who knows what kind of bump steer issues you have, and looking at the whole fab would have me terrified to drive it past a slow roll.
I wouldn’t bother buying a donor car. I’d buy another car, and donate the one you have to the shredder.
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Except Jeremy is trying to graft an AWD driveline into the car,..this guy was trying to put a 351 w in the car.
Jeremy is not 'trying' he is doing it.
The front suspension on this members car, in my opinion, (for what it is worth) is doable, it will be challenging, problems will arise.
Yes, it is 'old school' suspension that was done on numerous old coupes and sedans, will it work? Probably. Was it a worthwhile alteration? I think not.
Your opinion, while it is given with experience and knowledge has the delivery that can be compared to a car hitting a wall.
- Apr 4, 2018
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Theres a lot to take in so I'm just gonna start talking lol.
Grafting a stock front end back onto this is the start of a never ending project. So we will continue assuming keeping the mustang II front suspension.
First you should check to see how close of a mustang ii suspension setup you've got. Measure measure measure. Will a mustang II manual rack bolt right into what you've got?
Do you mean 1-2" of travel on the coilover or do you mean the k-member is that close to the ground? Low ground clearance will be a headache, I aimed for a minimum of 3" at the k-member which matched the 03-04 cobras with my tires tucked.
If you are can do the math you can figure out where to put your upper shock mount. It's a lot of measuring and articulating the spring-less suspension but it is doable. You'll need wheels with tires to do this, i don't see any in the pics.
Grafting a stock front end back onto this is the start of a never ending project. So we will continue assuming keeping the mustang II front suspension.
First you should check to see how close of a mustang ii suspension setup you've got. Measure measure measure. Will a mustang II manual rack bolt right into what you've got?
Do you mean 1-2" of travel on the coilover or do you mean the k-member is that close to the ground? Low ground clearance will be a headache, I aimed for a minimum of 3" at the k-member which matched the 03-04 cobras with my tires tucked.
If you are can do the math you can figure out where to put your upper shock mount. It's a lot of measuring and articulating the spring-less suspension but it is doable. You'll need wheels with tires to do this, i don't see any in the pics.
as it was intended. This project has hit a dead end. Any time or effort spent fixing that disaster will be the same as if that car had hit a brick wall.
This project is just as dead as trying to beat pistons out of a 10yr old rusted block.
To add: Living in the south I see work like this show up at the poor(er) drag strips I've been to in the past.
I know a guy that turned out that caliber of work, and charged people to do it. Those guys paid him good money to phuck their cars all the hell up. One day They'd show up at the track with their newly butchered car. The thing wouldn't go down the track, and if it did, the guy driving it was DRIVING it. And when they wrecked, the car came apart in places it should never have due to the sht welding.
Guys like the guy that built that car, should pay the owners, rather than the other way around.
And my advice is harsh, as opposed to the " You can do it" thats coming from a few others, simply because...
if the guy that owns it now can "do it",
Why did the car go to the hacker in the first place?
Grafting on a front suspension isn't a first timer level project..especially considering how important being able to trust how the car will handle at speed.
Unless the person giving the advice has, OR can do the work he's advising, I think it's best that he doesn't advise.
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Okay so the 1-2” travel is on the coil over the k member has plenty of clearance to the ground. There are wheels but in my shed. And while a mustang 2 front suspension on a fox platform is just quite retarded in my opinion aswell as many others have said, his intention was to build this car the same way he planed to build his 71 ranchero figure all the details and then do his car. The bump steer he had all figured out and done. Again like i said both his kids told him he shouldnt be putting a mustang 2 suspension on a fox platform but he knew what he was doing wise eh maybe not but whats figured i do trust the bump steeer i trust the welds i trust i trust his work. While some may think its a hack i think its truly quite incredible do icwish i could start from scratch you could say so. I wont be ditching the car to rot it just wont be happening. The car has zero rust has been reinforced better then i see any fox chassis cars. The car was a little tweaked and he had completely straitened it out. You can call the work no wise but dont insult the man that built it he was no hack he was brilliant. Most of all the cars he built he made custom mustang 2 suspension he knew exactly what he was doing and had it almost completed.
So the question still stands while I appreciate the few good questions and helpful replies the insults to the car and builder do nothing for me. Im still trying to decide the wisest choice to move forward, should i get a clean donor one with a good strait front end and cut n weld it back to where it started life or should i finish the almost completed mustang ii front end. ( i know the bumpsteer is completed. I know that he had the motor mounts right with the driveline angle Is right. He had the car sitting on the ground and it was right, the cut the coil mounts back off because his kid said the ass end was sitting too high and the front end was too low. The whole front end was done on the ground steering rack in place and connected everything was good. So i would just be restoring it to that state which i dont think its far from there. Thank you for all the replies it is all helping me keep a clear mind to make the right choice. But please no insults and no ditching the car wont be happening.
Well,... I guess you've made your mind up then.
You ask for advice, then tell us that what you've posted is the end result of a "brilliant" man. Just because he was a smart man, doesn't automatically convert to exceptional skill. I know plenty of heart surgeons that could hold your heart in their hands, but couldn't turn on their surround sound systems.
If you're all fired up to run that mess, then more power to you. I'm done.
With all do respect the front end was finished. Shortly after finish he had brain cancer he couldnt think strait around the same time he started cutting what was done apart. Shortly after he was on chemotherapy treatments and 2 years later he died and didnt work on it throughout that period. He was breaking ribs not even doing much. Its all a mess but ehat he had when in the right mind it was right. I havent made up my mind thats why my question still stands on wether finish or donor a front end on. I dont see how you can say ive made my mind up on what to do? All im made up on is not ditching the car. Thats for the help but still the personal jabs are not what im looking for
You'll have to look past Mike's posts, it sounds like either someone pissed in his Cheerios or they were milking the bull instead of the cow for his breakfast. That would be enough to make anyone mad. 
BUT what he said, while said with the tact of a bull in a China shop, is decent advice. I also understand the sentimentality of a vehicle. My dad left me a basket case of a 55 Chevy that I won't get rid of. It was well beyond my skills when I got it, but now I don't believe it is. In any event, getting rid of it was out of the question only because of it's sentimental value and I still don't regret it. As I'm sure will be pointed out, it's a 55 Chevy and not a mid nineties Mustang, they're basically apples to oranges, but I still get it.
Now, my opinion, for what it's worth, would be to abandon the II front end. I mean there's nothing there but a whole lot of work to make sure it's right. Going with a donor to replace all that has been removed will be a bunch of work as well, but as long as it's been replaced by a competent body man/fabricator, it should yield you a workable chassis. Neither is impossible, but I think that taking the chassis back to stock would be your best bet. There are a multitude of things you can do with that chassis vs what can be done with the II front end that would be custom made for the car. If it were me I'd cut the front end out, try to sell it to someone with a street rod who could actually use it to update his suspension, and go back to something more original. Just my thoughts, take them for what they're worth. Best of luck!
BUT what he said, while said with the tact of a bull in a China shop, is decent advice. I also understand the sentimentality of a vehicle. My dad left me a basket case of a 55 Chevy that I won't get rid of. It was well beyond my skills when I got it, but now I don't believe it is. In any event, getting rid of it was out of the question only because of it's sentimental value and I still don't regret it. As I'm sure will be pointed out, it's a 55 Chevy and not a mid nineties Mustang, they're basically apples to oranges, but I still get it.
Now, my opinion, for what it's worth, would be to abandon the II front end. I mean there's nothing there but a whole lot of work to make sure it's right. Going with a donor to replace all that has been removed will be a bunch of work as well, but as long as it's been replaced by a competent body man/fabricator, it should yield you a workable chassis. Neither is impossible, but I think that taking the chassis back to stock would be your best bet. There are a multitude of things you can do with that chassis vs what can be done with the II front end that would be custom made for the car. If it were me I'd cut the front end out, try to sell it to someone with a street rod who could actually use it to update his suspension, and go back to something more original. Just my thoughts, take them for what they're worth. Best of luck!
This is the kind of advise and help im looking for! Okay so taking the mustang ii out of question and now focusing on reverting it back to stock. I personally havent done it but i do know the suspensions n such of these cars i have an 89 that has all stock front end and i plan to go to full mm front and rear suspension and would if reverted do the same to this car. So i guess a new questions is upon the process of reverting back to stock what could be some of the hurdles i could stumble on aloung the wayYou'll have to look past Mike's posts, it sounds like either someone pissed in his Cheerios or they were milking the bull instead of the cow for his breakfast. That would be enough to make anyone mad.
BUT what he said, while said with the tact of a bull in a China shop, is decent advice. I also understand the sentimentality of a vehicle. My dad left me a basket case of a 55 Chevy that I won't get rid of. It was well beyond my skills when I got it, but now I don't believe it is. In any event, getting rid of it was out of the question only because of it's sentimental value and I still don't regret it. As I'm sure will be pointed out, it's a 55 Chevy and not a mid nineties Mustang, they're basically apples to oranges, but I still get it.
Now, my opinion, for what it's worth, would be to abandon the II front end. I mean there's nothing there but a whole lot of work to make sure it's right. Going with a donor to replace all that has been removed will be a bunch of work as well, but as long as it's been replaced by a competent body man/fabricator, it should yield you a workable chassis. Neither is impossible, but I think that taking the chassis back to stock would be your best bet. There are a multitude of things you can do with that chassis vs what can be done with the II front end that would be custom made for the car. If it were me I'd cut the front end out, try to sell it to someone with a street rod who could actually use it to update his suspension, and go back to something more original. Just my thoughts, take them for what they're worth. Best of luck!
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