Fatman fabrication question

monsterstang70 · Jun 24, 2004

I was thinking about using the fatman fabrication 94-02 strut conversion. But I am kind of worried that the steering is going to crap out on me fast because they say to use a 81-88 escort complete power steering assembly. http://www.fatmanfab.com/page20.htm
Any advice would be greatly appericated.

Thanks
Jhery

Ronstang · Jun 24, 2004

There is nothing wrong with that rack....your steering will not "crap out". I would be more concerned with the fact that you don't get much for your money with those guys. Everyting I see pictured would be easily fabricated or purchased somehwere else.

monsterstang70 · Jun 24, 2004

Yeh def, all you get is a bunch of bolts and brackets and you still have to supply the struts which are pretty expensive and still get the complete power steering.
Thanks for the advice.

1320stang · Jun 24, 2004

Check out this site instead.

www.rrs-online.com

You can order them out of Indiana at 1-866-805-1878.

I too thought about the fatman route until I saw this, this is the route I'm planning for right now.

MrBobMarley · Jun 24, 2004

1320stang, cool site. I like the shock tower delete for $195 bucks, but you have to order a strut kit first.

monsterstang70 · Jun 24, 2004

Yeh and that kit is about a thousand dollars more. Even though you get more parts, the extra parts don't equal the thousand dollar price difference from the fatman fab set up.

1320stang · Jun 24, 2004

I dunno, the RRS kit comes with everything and it's new. The Fatman kit, you still have to come up with the rack (most likely used, unless you buy new), struts, spindles and brakes (again, used UYBN), and a GM adaptable steering wheel (if you already have a Grant or LeCarerra you can just get another adaptor). You add up all new prices on the Fatman kit and I guarantee it'll come out to be more, especially if you make the components equal (PBR, KYB, Eibach). In fact, I'd bet if you made it all equal and bought all new parts, you probably be able to get the RRS rack and pinion for the same price. The RRS has created a spindle especially for this setup, Fatman creates adaptors to use existing parts.

And if you've added parts up, there are far more than a thousand dollars worth of stuff extra, the Fatman kit, all you're paying for is their engineering. I know I could replicate the Fatman kit if I had one in hand, I couldn't do that with the RRS kit. I also think the lower control arm on the Fatman kit looks kinda tiny, with the RRS kit, you use the factory one (or you could get a Global West one).

It's all a bunch of money, too much for me right now, nut I'd sooner spend the extra G for the RRS kit and have everything then to get the Fatman kit and have to search for good parts.

monsterstang70 · Jun 24, 2004

Yeh you got a good point there, but the good thing about adapting other car parts is that they are easy to find. Say that the rack and pinion goes out on the RRS kit, you have to order one from then. With the Fatman fab kit, all you do is find a reman escort rack and pinion. But nothing is set in stone, I'm still exploring my options.
Thank alot for your advice though.
Jhery

1320stang · Jun 25, 2004

Well, the RRS site says that any shop that does R&P repair should be able to replace any parts that could wear on their setup, and other than the spindle, all the other parts for their strut setup are manufactured in the good old USA. I'm still not sold on the RRS R&P for the record. I just don't see why someone can't make a R&P specific to our cars instead of adapting something.

63_Fairlane · Jun 25, 2004

Just a few thoughts....

Wouldn't it be just as easy to "roll you own" so to speak. Seems like you could get most of the parts from a wrecking yard like MPS and pretty much put it together yourself. Install a latemodel K-member and use all of the good aftermarket stuff available for the FOXes? You could theoretically run Cobra discs, Koni coilovers, CC plates etc. This would get rid of the strut rods, the steering box, and the hokey power steering in one stones throw. Plus, you can still pick up parts at NAPA.

The downside to this is you are giving up a dual arm system for a strut type suspension, probably adding more weight to the front end, using a latemodel double sump oil pan, and cutting up the car.

1320stang · Jun 25, 2004

That was my thought over a year ago, and we hashed this out rather harshly. One way to get rid of weight was to use an aftermarket tubular K member.

I've got a stock K member and a '65 coupe and have taken measurements and there's so much difference that it wouldn't work. However, my idea was to make a tubular K member that would bolt up to the factory frame, yet use factory latemodel struts and parts. It's a great idea, but I really don't have the time or resources to develop it, so there you go, run with it.

63_Fairlane · Jun 25, 2004

I figured the dimensions would be way off, but I haven't measured them yet. My fiance has an 03 vert, and I have a 65 coupe sitting in the garage taking up space.

I would definatley use an aftermarket K-member along with the afore-mentioned struts, CC plates, etc, if I were going to try this. It might be worth it to pick up a used k-member, some used struts, latemodel spindles etc, and see what it would take to mate everything up or build a new k-member.

I will probably take the path of least resistance as I already have a set of Granada spindles and calipers ready to go. Still, it's an intersting concept and could be fun to try.

As the experts usually say, "KIDS DON"T TRY THIS AT HOME"!!

monsterstang70 · Jun 25, 2004

lol yeh it would be pretty wild to use a late model k-member in a early mustang but that is wayyyyyyy beyond my skill, money supply and willingness to do that. If I was doing this for a major company, than it would be worth my wild but just for my car and without the right equipment, its not worth it. I rather pay the 2k for the fatman kit and get the aftermarket sturts and brakes assembly. With that, my car will handle a whole lot more than it did stock.

Glen's 1965 5.0 · Jun 28, 2004

fatman's Kit

I have been researching and working on doing an install like this. Another consideration is exhaust. They recommend a stock exhaust and the only header system is the ones from Sanderson’s that can be seen here: http://www.sandersonheaders.com/pagesbypartnum/ff1.htm These are a maybe!!! They checked the fit on a 67 car but not on a 65-66 car. They assumed that with the frame rails being the same distance apart that they will work also but we know that the shock towers are different. So considerations need to be made here also.

If anybody knows how to convert a stock LCA from the early style ball joint into a fox style ball joint I’m interested. If you have ever dis-assembled a LCA you will see that the socket for the ball joint is spot welded to the stamped piece of the LCA. The amount of fab work here is astronomical. Which now requires making up your on LCA which will probably be cheaper in the long run. So the research goes on.

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