Want to hit 12s in a relatively stock stang

[StreetDreamsGT]

So I was looking over this article 1989 Ford Mustang LX - Fox Buildup

How hard would this be to achieve? I'm trying to make a list of everything they did and here's what I've got so far.

Off road H pipe and 2 1/2" mufflers with dumps
Weld Draglites with BFGoodrich 275/50-15 drag radials
3.73 rear gears
S blade summit electric fan
March performance alternator bracket
battery relocation
upr upper/lower control arms
removal of ac/smog (I plan on keeping the powersteering)
removal of swaybar (for me at the track only)
mac cold air kit

I figure I can pull out the backseat and passenger seat to try and make up for keeping the power steering pump.

So how does it all sound? While reading the article I noticed they said they lowered it... was that from adjusting the control arms?

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

Well with fuel injection, i can't give much advice, but the hot recipe around here seems to be going to the JY and buying an Explorer engine complete and swapping on the necessary Mustang related parts like the oil pan and front dress, upgrading the valve springs with the Trick Flow kit and swapping in a hot cam (most use the TFS1) and with the usual supporting goods like throttle body/CAI/exhaust/gears/slicks etc there are guys running 12.50s and faster with nothing else. I'm not an EFI guy though so that's all i can say about that...

However, if you wanna run a carb, here's what i've got in a nutshell, and on a mostly stock suspension and bald drag radials i'm running 12.80s...i've jetted the carb up since and i'm getting control arms on in the spring and gonna borrow some slicks and see what happens.

Here's the list:

Original unrebuilt '85 302, gobs of miles
'69 351W heads, ported and polished with 1.94/1.60 valves
Holly 650DP 4V carburetor w/mechanical secondaries
Wieand Stealth intake
Wilson Manifolds tapered 4 hole spacer, 1 inch
X303 cam installed straight up
MAC Full Length Headers
Dr. Gas offroad X pipe
Magnaflow 2 1/2in cat-back
Tremec 3550 five speed transmission
Pro 5.0 Power Tower shifter
FRPP King Cobra clutch
FRPP billet flywheel
FRPP aluminum clutch quadrant
FRPP aluminum drive shaft
FRPP subframe connectors
FRPP A/C delete kit/short belt
Factory duel snorkel breather, no filter
Taylor Spiro-Pro 8mm sparkplug wires
Malory Comp 9000 distributor
3G alternator
Optima Yellow Top battery
Lincoln Mark VIII electric fan
Eibach Pro Kit springs w/ Energy Suspension spring isolators
3.73 gears
Weight minus driver = 2880lbs

Weight has a lot to do with it, and there's areas i could still drop a lot of weight like if i switched to Draglites and skinnies instead of the fat 16s i'm running but i like to keep my car in "street trim" and i don't like driving on skinnies. I still have all my seats too but i ripped out the carpet because it was naaasty.

 

[Rick James]

With 4.10s ,alot of hook off the line,powershifting the hell out it ,taking the spare,jack and seats out ,almost empty gas tank with those mods,should put you real close to hitting a 12.9xxx.But it aint gonna be easy.I think if you went with some 90/10s front and back(or similar)would help.With limited power, removing weight and getting the suspension to work will help alot.

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

If anyone has any old MM&FF mags, dig out the June '06 issue. There's a car in there that's running 11.90s with 300rwhp...it's all in how well you can use the power you're making. I really doubt i'm making 300hp at the wheels.

 

[StreetDreamsGT]

85_SS_302_Coupe 85_SS_302_Coupe ...I plan on doing the explorer engine swap this summer, but I want to try and do it like they did in the mag with almost no mods.

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

85_SS_302_Coupe 85_SS_302_Coupe ...I plan on doing the explorer engine swap this summer, but I want to try and do it like they did in the mag with almost no mods.

Well, i have a buddy who's running 11.90s, and this Explorer engine has never been opened beyond swapping the valve springs and cam (if you plan on racing it, you NEED to swap the valve springs, especially if you swap the cam). The other stuff is just typical things like headers/exhaust which a lot of people have anyways and gears. Plus as for my list of stuff, half of it is just drivetrain parts that i included when i put the Tremec in it...the flywheel/clutch/quadrant/trans/shifter/driveshaft don't necessarily make the car any faster, just stronger.

 

[StreetDreamsGT]

Well, i have a buddy who's running 11.90s, and this Explorer engine has never been opened beyond swapping the valve springs and cam (if you plan on racing it, you NEED to swap the valve springs, especially if you swap the cam).

Last time I did it I tossed in a crane cam (2030) and their valve springs... I'm probably going to do the same this time. What else does ur friend have done?

 

[2000xp8]

4.10's, full exhaust, timing bump, drag springs, slicks and skinnies, underdrive pullies, k&n plate filter, battery in trunk, and pro m 75mm bullet.
I've seen it done this way more than once.

Being low on gas or removing the rear seat may not help, because it removes weight from the rear tires.

 

[StreetDreamsGT]

4.10's, full exhaust, timing bump, drag springs, slicks and skinnies, underdrive pullies, k&n plate filter, battery in trunk, and pro m 75mm bullet.
I've seen it done this way more than once.

Being low on gas or removing the rear seat may not help, because it removes weight from the rear tires.

Well then i'd think at least pulling the passenger seat, as well as the rear seat then making sure I have around a full tank of gas would help offset that weight back...

 

[Bullitt95]

So I was looking over this article 1989 Ford Mustang LX - Fox Buildup

How hard would this be to achieve?

Lighten the car as much as possible and you might have a chance.

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

Last time I did it I tossed in a crane cam (2030) and their valve springs... I'm probably going to do the same this time. What else does ur friend have done?

Basically every trick suspension mod you can think of...he cuts 1.40 60 foot times which is a big part of why he's so fast. He gets out there and drops the hammer at 6k and doesn't let up until he crosses the line so another part of it is that he's not at all afraid of blowing the engine since he only has $600 into it. It's really a smart way to do it if you think about it....put money into the "car" so that you can drive it without mercy, and then just run a healthy junkyard engine and you'll be plenty fast enough, and if you break the engine you won't be out a ton of money as compared to buying a stroker and breaking it.

It's cheaper than how most people do it.....buy a stroker and put it in a stock Mustang, then blow the trany and/or rear end and keep putting transmissions and rear ends in it. Before you know it you've spent enough money replacing things that you could've bought the good stuff the first time. Build a car that'll go 10s or 11s and then drop in a budget engine and you'll have one hell of a fun car that'll still be faster than most cars out there and people won't believe how fast you're going with such a basic engine.

 

[StreetDreamsGT]

Build a car that'll go 10s or 11s and then drop in a budget engine and you'll have one hell of a fun car that'll still be faster than most cars out there and people won't believe how fast you're going with such a basic engine.

That's the plan

 

[Ddaniels750]

Suspension and weight are the key It's definitely possible...if you can get the thing to hook. I have an 87 coupe with TFS heads,Track Heat Manifold, and f303 cam and the car has gone 12.40's @111. That was with a COMPLETELY stock suspension on stock cut springs. I plan on doing nothing else but suspension mods and I'm confident that I'll be able to get high 11's out of it. The car weighs about 2900 w/o me in it so I will also be putting it on a diet and using some skinnies

 

[Taz92gt]

With the mods in my sig minus the LT's and X pipe, and D&D t5 I went 12.98 on street tires @ Kinston Nc drag strip in 2002, I havent had it on the track with new mods, but now the original short block has 220k on it and is pritty wore out

 

[Saleen8786]

i launched at 5grand and shifted at 5500(buddy said i had the front up pretty good) and i went 12.80 at 107 with stock heads,stock cam,full interior,a/c and my grinding a ss T5, it can be achieved with good driving i had
mac shorties
upr x pipe
3.73
battery in hatch
flaming river manual rack
90/10 struts
50/50 shocks
no front sway bar
trick flow street heat upper and lower
c&l 73maf
bbk 70mm tb
bbk subframes
factory 5 upper and lower control arms
weld skinnies and 15x8's
275/50r15 mickey thompson drag radial

 

[xherdlr]

If anyone has any old MM&FF mags, dig out the June '06 issue. There's a car in there that's running 11.90s with 300rwhp...it's all in how well you can use the power you're making. I really doubt i'm making 300hp at the wheels.

Is that the issue about the cheap speed w/carbs? If so I have that issue...I think the guy used Ford Motorsport Y heads and E cam on a stock bottom end he got out of a junk yard...Its a perfect article for you to read.

Kelly

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

Is that the issue about the cheap speed w/carbs? If so I have that issue...I think the guy used Ford Motorsport Y heads and E cam on a stock bottom end he got out of a junk yard...Its a perfect article for you to read.

Kelly

I'll have to double check the cam specs but i'm pretty certain it said mildly ported 351 heads. It's a carb engine with a Stealth intake and equal length headers. The cover of the issue has a silvery SN95 engine bay on it where you can see through the hood.

 

[Boostedpimp]

i launched at 5grand and shifted at 5500(buddy said i had the front up pretty good) and i went 12.80 at 107 with stock heads,stock cam,full interior,a/c and my grinding a ss T5, it can be achieved with good driving i had
mac shorties
upr x pipe
3.73
battery in hatch
flaming river manual rack
90/10 struts
50/50 shocks
no front sway bar
trick flow street heat upper and lower
c&l 73maf
bbk 70mm tb
bbk subframes
factory 5 upper and lower control arms
weld skinnies and 15x8's
275/50r15 mickey thompson drag radial

I've seen this car click off those time slips in person on many occasions

Except you forgot to mention that your timing was advanced a few and you never run anything but 93 octane and you have to drive that T5 like you don't care if it's going to explode on the next pass or not

Just remember power shifting a T5 will result in better ETs but she'll blow much quicker

 

[xherdlr]

I'll have to double check the cam specs but i'm pretty certain it said mildly ported 351 heads. It's a carb engine with a Stealth intake and equal length headers. The cover of the issue has a silvery SN95 engine bay on it where you can see through the hood.

Thats it...It was the old Reider racing car?? Could have sworn it had Y heads ol well,the issue is in my locker at work...Still its a very good basis for how inexpesive a race car can be built and go fast..

Kelly

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

Thats it...It was the old Reider racing car?? Could have sworn it had Y heads ol well,the issue is in my locker at work...Still its a very good basis for how inexpesive a race car can be built and go fast..

Kelly

I was wrong, the car on the cover is a new edge, but it's silver with blue ghost flames and a nasty Dominator carbed engine and they made the pic so you can see through the hood.

The 11.90 car with 300hp is an '84 but the only pic they show of it is kinda from a side/rear angle during launch with the wheels up...it's a white car but the back is blue and it's sorta got a red/white/blue scheme to it with Motorsport on the side. It's a pretty cool issue..i'll have to read it again, i could be wrong about the heads.