Need information on fox body drag car buildup

StangYellow

Founding Member
Sep 11, 2002
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I am about to start a drag buildup of an 88LX 4 banger notchback. I plan on removing as much interior weight as possible. The engine of choice will be a 351 and I will be running a C6 until a 4speed is found. My concern is traction and stability. I dont want to get to the track to find out that the car will not drive in a straight line. So my question is.... what steps should be taken to make sure that my car will stay in a straight line and not put me into the wall? I plan on starting out simple, and i am not aiming for the 10 second zone right off the bat.

What tips/suggestions would you people reccomend? I understand that I will need to convert the front spindles over to V8/stronger ones with the heavier engine. All information is welcome, im anxious to get this project started. Thanks
 
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Wow man....talk about a brooooad subject. You could search these forums for weeks and get a million different answers.

I'd probably start with strengthening the chassis, such as a well built roll bar (probably an 8-10 point) and some full length subframe connectors. Then, you can do a ton of things to the rear end, but ultimately it depends on how fast you wanna go and how much power you're putting down.

I'd start with a typical upper/lower control arm upgrade, and a nice strong axle buildup, and some drag springs/shocks and a nice airbag in the right spring. Other than that, a nice coilover setup would be perfect and you could really tune it a lot more than with just the airbag.

Ultimately, the chassis and rear end are going to be your main factors in going straight. The less your car flexes, the straighter it's going to go, and the more even the power gets down to the wheels, the less likely it is to fishtail if it spins.

As for the front, i'd get a tubular K member and A arms, and the matching coil over setup to go along with the rear end. This way, you can adjust the ride height of the front and back to aid in weight transfer. If you get aluminum heads for your 351, and the tubed K member, you'll be almost right at the same weight as a stock 302/K member.

After that, gut the hell out of it....everything but the bare essentials, and get a fuel cell for the trunk. Having a coupe is a nice advantage for the fuel cell since you won't have to build a firewall like you do with a hatch.

That's about what i'd start with, but i'm by no means an expert on this one. I'd advise against the C6, just by word of mouth i've heard they're not the dragracing type of tranny.
 
I did plan on going with the full length subframes, conrol arms, and eventually the cage. The K member didnt even come into my mind until you mentioned it. Like I said, i dont plan on going right into the 10's. I want to aim for low 13's, then work my way down from there. The C6 I already own, so it will be used until I can find a toploader or something better. I also have a 8.8 rear with 3.73's already installed. I know that i will need to ugrade the axles as well as replace the diff if i want to really hook up and go.

My main concern was basically safety. I just wasnt sure if there were any tips to staying in a straight line. I guess ill be flipping through the Steeda catalog to find myself some chassis equipment. :)

Thanks 85.
 
Now you are speaking my language.
Remember it is better to have 10 second safety and traction with a 13 second motor than to have a 10 second motor with 13 second traction/safety.

Drag only cars are easy to build. Start off with a subframe install and a roll cage. No question this is the best starting point. Strip out everything that does not make the car go faster.

An 8.8 is a good rear, but you need new axles and C-Clip elims. A full spool is also a serious benefit.

Put some good brakes back there (drag style) because you will have bigger tires back there and they will be able to handle more braking.

Then match your converter with your cam shaft/gearing. An auto is more consistent for drag racing any day. Look at most sportsman racers and see what they have. They are auto for a reason.

The number one bar non goal of a bracket racer is consistency, consistency, consistency. You want a car that will hook consistently and run the same number. Whether that number is 15.00 or 9.00 is irrevelent. I have seen people put out 6 rounds of competition in a 4 cylinder mustang II. Because she was consistent.

I resuggest that you get your traction, and safety in line and everything else will fall into place. For a minimum budget with a 351 and a goal, there is no way you shouldnt be in mid 12's.

Look at my sig, watch my video and PM me if you want any more info.