Open track Suspension for a 66 fastback??

[HistoricMustang]

Elbert thanks, the camera angle does not do justice to the banking. I have actually seen some guys get the right or left front wheel off the ground in an early model. That is when you know you are "hooked up".

Lance, I will be helping the NASA group this year but will not race (AIX). The attached memorial project is talking up all my spare time.

And yes, we will all need to get together and if you want to get over this way and do one of the oval like Daytona or Lowes, let me know.

HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com

 

[Billgear]

I agree with the LanceMach, Opentracker, and Historic. A stock based setup can be a blast, and quit fast.

I tend to like more motor then Lance, but thats just so i can stay up. Oh, by the way, I passed that Neon that lance was talking about and here's the proof

 

[HistoricMustang]

Edbert, that pic of the car is a great shot on how I have her set up using the 4L's (Low, Lite, Loose, Lateral). You can see two of the "L's" in the pic. Low and Lateral.

I am a believer in moving the center of gravity to the rear a bit by having the rear down as much as possible. Sitting, the car is pretty neutral in stance and at speed she is actually down in the rear. Perhaps not as cool looking but functional.

Usually use 225/60's up front and down to a 245/45's on rear to help the stance.

One reason I have stayed away from 16" or larger rims is to keep it low.

Thanks,
HistoricMustang
www.historicmustang.com

 

[Opentracker]

Sorry I don't get back to this thred more.

I have been told by more than one person at the track that the rear of our car is too low. Well, I like it that way for looks only. I spend a lot of time getting the cars to sit right. If it is proven that it's faster with the rear end up in the air, I will go a little slower than those guys. The car has to look good to me when I walk up to it in the parkinglot. I want it to be the car I would want to drive, out of all the rest in the lot. Includeing the perchase price of $3,100 we have 7K in the orange car and it hauls the mail. I can't see anyone driving a car the way the vintage racing Mustangs are built and not be happy. The fastest road racing Mustang in the US runs modified stock suspension. If you look at it from the spindles point of view, your held at the top by the ball joint on the upper arm, that is held to the body with a steel bushing. No slop. The bottom is held by a ball joint on a longer arm with a rubber bushing. Well lubed poly is better, a bearing of some kind is the way to go. From the spindles point of view, not much will change if you replace the upper and lower arm with a tubular unit. What is bolted to the upper and lower arm is much more important to me than what the arms are made of. There should be a bearing of some kind on the inside pivot of the lower arm. The upper arm should have the ball joint area realigned if the owner wants to make the mounting point lower than 1". I don't think more than a 1" drop does much to a street car. That 1" drop helps a lot with tire wear. Caster is what we should want more of, not camber. That's what the adj. strut rods do. I give the main shaft of the upper arm a spin to get more caster. I end up with a right and left arm and when I do the 1" drop on one of my cars I add more than a 1/8" rearward offset, then modify the shock tower with a BFG to get the zerk fitting to fit. Weld in a plate like the old Boss 320 Trans-Am Mustangs did and weld up the hole front end. I have been adding roll bar gussets to the areas that I think need it. That works real well.




Historic - Damn nice looking car and a lot of fun to drive I bet. I would love a chance to run with all of us there.
Lance - Nice write up. Seat time has more to do with the fun you have and your lap times, than how much ability the car has.

As for the perches, send me a email and I can steer you in the right direction.


John

(edit)- We run 225/50/16 Hoosier radials up front and 245/45/16 in the rear on VWW #48 w/4.5 backspacing.