11.4.04
Head pics of install...
Interior:
before...
and now (not done yet)
cover is held on with 3m surebonder spray adhesive. it will not slide. ever.
Tail of the car before...
and now
Once i figure out the timing, i should have her running. Then i have to find out where i can fit this monster FMIC i got... (volvo IC, 23" x 17" core, 29" at inlet, 2.5" inlet / outlet.... 1" thick. ugh. gonna be a squeeze)
4.9.05
repainted side trim, tinted tails...
mocked up the intercooler mounting after removal of the AC system
yes, that's the IC. no, that's not the radiator. Yes, it's big.
and here is my super custom K&N filter that is just sitting over the stock air tube. adds at least 509q28348905a;a hp.
2.4.06
Car's been sleeping for winter, but here are some pics (exterior pics from november, race bucket, turbo timer, etc, from today)
it's been nice out so i made a panel for the turbo timer and installed that. put the battery in, tested it out (works great, i like it), let it warm up, shut down, etc.
anyway
2.6.06
just made myself a rear strut bar.
my first venture in aluminum construction. i much prefer welding steel.
i still need to put two bolts thru the floorpan for the lower support, but that's basically it.
next up...
2.22.06
heh, thanks sam
3.24.06
Well, suspension is well underway. sorry for the poor quality images - my camera is ... lacking.
Details -
oem setup is something like 97lb/in front springs, rears are a little more.
new setup -
hypercoil 500lb/in front coilover
hypercoil 850lb/in rear
koni yellows
powerflex bushings
nylon steering rack, inner and outer STA bushings (rear control arms)
mc2racing rear diff mount (1lb - aluminum and polyurethane)
anyway, onto the pics
yes, that's nylon
3.26.06
little bit of chassis stiffness...
i welded some plates to the front, as well, to make it more rigid to the chassis...
rear suspension...
and new stance. yes i know the rear tires set in too far - they're focus wheels with focus offset. i put some hubcentric spacers in the front with longer ARP wheel studs.
4.5.06
no explanation needed. new FMIC
aluminum flat stock, a cutter, a vice for the bends, and stainless hardware. also clearance to radiator.
"http://www.roadtrippin.org/"
new charge piping from our new sponsor, racing solutions (nice stuff), all mandrel, test fit, cut, tacked, test fit, welded, painted. ignore the mess. yes i know i have too much ****.
and installed
again, radiator clearance
my baby's new grin
also completed --
all new wheel bearings / races/ rear brakes (and wheel cylinders / hardware) - courtesy of mc2racing.
synthetic wheel bearing grease
4.28.06
Progress pics
Relocation of battery pics
Thanks drew for the dist block.
Focus pedals fit merkurs. Schwing! i can actually heel/toe now.
Heat shield for the filter...
And rubber (thanks schnack for the tires, autoXchick for the wheels)
For Those Who Ponder Pinch?
first autoX
5.1.06
only pic so far of saturday's event
you can see a fairly clean run, versus a not so clean run. tried a different rear tire pressure. didn't work. and they changed the course btwn that run and the one i had before (note: it's where i killed the cones).
8.11.06
here are the pics of recent progress. next up is cleaning the interior (grinding, cutting, and welding makes a mess) then painting hte whole shebang white.
t5 to bellhousing junction
clutch cable thru bellhousing - had to cut steel on bracket (seen) to fit cable
clutch pivot from cable to fork (two views)
had to cut about 2" of steel in front of the shifter plate, and about 1/2" to the dirvers side to fit the t5 shifter
used a mustang driveshaft - so here is the adapter
all of this and i wanted a harness bar, and while i was at it, a cross bar. this took a while (mostly test fitting, grinding, test fitting). wanted it to mate really nicely. the plate is 16ga stainless on the rear pickup.
harness bar
this shows the angle of the harness bar to the seat harness points - shouldn't have a problem with spinal compression with this angle
cross bar rear mount
top mount (i like how it says momo in the rearview)
and the whole thing - before you comment , YES i just ordered new lift struts.
current status is the raw steel is painted. this weekend /next week i'm going to clean, mask off the car, and paint the rest of that crap white (not the rear brace i like it shiny)
10.14.06
Just an update:
limited slip is in, i'm going to miss the whining sound my other diff made, but it's okay, hopefully i get more grip. Race season is drawing to a close with me STILL troubleshooting a vibration i've had since the t5 install. Yes i'm working with some XR people but have yet to find a solution. trying a couple things this afternoon, if that doesn't work then i'll co-drive someone else's car @ tomorrow's event. a reputable guy out in seattle (john vanlandingham) is confident it's the t5 crossmember (basically it's just a flat piece of steel) that is the culprit, and i'm likely to believe him as he kinda knows his way around these cars. but, sadly, that wont be ready before tomorrow.
Next up - (sean you'll like this) - so anyway i saw that gene had made fox mustang camber plates fit... so of course, i ordered some as i would love to be able to do that as well. basically you cut the top off the strut towers under the hood, weld and reinforce plates... slot and cut the plates to fit the camber plates, and voila.
it's really funny, when someone asks what's done to the car, etc etc etc, but all they wanna know is "how much power" do i make - when the answer is, enough. no i dont need more. no i haven't really considered adding more power. yes i've been working on making it stick better. no the brakes are still stock (but new). yes, they kinda suck. no, i wont do a burnout. yes, if you come next weekend i'll take you for a fun run at the track. no, you have to race that day. yes, you need a helmet.
*lol*
10.16.06
at the end of our long straight i was deep into 3rd gear. fast course.
CART has their images up
10.20.06
Thanks (a big thanks) to Gene for much inspiration.
Basically i bought 1/4" plate (top) and 1/8" x 1.25" flat stock (riser)
Then i mapped out the area (still havne't cut the car) with some measurements, transferred to cardboard. Note: Koni spring perches (that i cut off for the coilovers) are 6" around, used that for my circle. then, referencing gene's pics, i marked my slot. Cut them with an oxy torch (first time, i know i need to finish cleaning up the cuts), ground that out, then went to town with the flat stock.
anyway, pics.
[/SIZE]
10.21.06
11.6.06
[QUOTE=hEaT]Pics I took that are in the vid:
Pics would have come out better if there was more light out. Next time.[/QUOTE]
1.3.07
Big VAM from a TC, painted black (i have to keep my theme!)
LA3 all repinned and the new wires run
wideband o2 gauge
Motor mounts
You can see the wideband o2 sensor behind the mount in this pic
3.16.07
first here we have the new pulleys sitting next to the old. i was also suprised at the size difference.
water pump pulley comparo:
crank pulley comparo:
here is looking down at the crank (left side/ pass side). i notice now maybe i should have cleaned / painted the water pump. decided against it. reference sticker on back window. then again, dirt has mass...
same thing, another view.
cossie replica ABS hood vents:
Here's a funny little aside: So i cut big holes out of my hood. Then i painted the vents with krylon fusion white and stuck em on the car. noticed that krylon fusion white wasn't even close to merkur white. oh well, i thought. anyway, so i figured i'd redo it. so i took a piece of hood and a roll of blue painters tape down to advance auto, and taped off the piece with little swatches left. tested a bunch of different whites. one customer was looking at me really odd (the guys there didn't mind at all). so anyway i told the customer "I cut a piece of hood off to match color." he replied "wow... hardcore..." heh. anyway it's duplicolor bright white cc. and yes i riveted it on.
in addition, my RT615's came in last night but i didn't take a picture of unmounted tires. it's snowing now so no real progress today probably.
3.18.07
so one of my sway bar bracket bolts was stripped. went out and got some nice grade 10.9 bolts. found out that the nut (on the frame rail, inner) was helicoiled and THAT was stripped.
Out came the cutting tools.
Couple notes:
1. that was a bitch to weld. no comments on the welds. i couldn't see exactly what i was doing and i couldn't fit under the dash with my mask so it was a closed eye type thing.
2. the mud / dirt / etc under the car is from an off course at waterford last year. no, i haven't cleaned under the car since then. I sprayed mud probably 30 feet behind me when i went off track, sideways. whoopsie.
anyway, pics.
first we have the offending bolt sitting next to the offending helicoil.
next, looking thru holes i cut in the floor at the offending nut that was stripped out.
another view, to give an idea of location.
welded. well, partially. finished after this pic, used the camera to see what was left. lol
another view.
ahhh, finally with studs. anyone who's ever had to remount these brackets CURSES the bolts. not anymore.
**side note - you need to slightly slot the holes on the support bar outwards**
another view.
and another. ignore the mud.
mind you this was done on a gravel driveway with packed snow / ice on it. not the most comfortable.
3.30.07
what a conglomeration...
16 x 7 mustang pony wheels (22mm ET)
SVT focus rotors
2003 Mustang GT calipers
Gonna need custom brackets, but here is mockup.
forgive the crappy quality my camera sucks @ twilight.
Got the tires mounted / balanced. also got an alignment done and indexed the camber plates. right now at 2.5 degrees negative camber and 2.8 degrees caster (to the rear whatever that is). zero total toe front for now.
had to raise the front of the car about 1.25" or so, but hey, that's why it's adjustable.
overall stance
front tire (it's slightly turned it doesn't stick THAT far out)
rear
4.19.07
Rollin' at
altered image customs
figured with the new wheels and tires it was time to MAKE them fit.
as you see the guys there are happy to work on your car... lol
"i dont wanna mess the fender up" ... heh, i said "it's a race car, not a show car!"
in use
not too shabby
so i went home and noticed that a piece of the bumper bracket thingy was too close to the tire and rubbed that a little. out came the safety glasses and the dremel with a cut off wheel. cut maybe 1" x 2" out, nothing structural, just part of the excess stamp.
then came the sand out and clean and tape up and paint. i didn't get pics of that.
so with the arches that bolt to the fenders going on the part that is kinda flat now, how do you make the arches stick? i cut the bottom out so that it just kinda goes on the fender, then tried double sided industrial tape. worked but i didn't know if they would hold. then i thought... hmmmm... and broke out the drill.
industrial!
from the inside. you can see where the oem holes are for the flares. needless to say they would not work anymore.
lowered the car about 2" or so for test purposes (might keep it like this)
4.20.07
long day. got the 300mm SVT focus rotors on and working with the mustang calipers. from what i know i'm the first one to use this setup.
started around 9am clearancing the fenders, cutting away unneeded material that just would cause some rub, then i decided oh what the hell it's only 10:30am i'll mock the brakes up.
that turned into making them work.
needless to say i didn't have brackets to mount the mustang calipers to a merkur knuckle... but i do have a welder, a sawzall, a die grinder, a dremel, a drill, and patience.
so i made my own.
first things first. this is for you lorin:
better pic of the rear stickers (in memory of gary).
early american plates, baby!
so i made some brackets. thsi was the first one. went on an angle and all that. 1" x 1/8" flatstock, tripled up in places. ended up painting the brackets with VHT black caliper paint before final assbly.
that right there is a few hours of measuring, cutting, welding, drilling, tapping (i threaded the holes for the bracket to knuckle as well)
decided to go with an easier to make design for the other side.
and... making the calipers fit.
yes it's all together. yes i'll get pics of the assembled brakes.
4.21.07
anyway i took a couple pics of the installed brakes.
omni you owe me a beer.
4.24.07 - birth of my daughter
5.13.07
Okay so i know a lot of us merkur guys have that always on, sometimes flashing, etc lights in the center stack. Also my lamp failure indicators never seemed to work right after mid last year. so i took out the modules, located above the ECU behind the glove box. This requires removing (sliding) two long C shaped clips off the body to free the panel, then you take the wiring out. I took some pics, as well.
Here we have the offending module boxes.
here we see how they are crimped. to gain access to the boards i just used a screwdriver and bent the metal back a bit.
here is the light control module, i started to already resolder this one. it wasn't in bad shape, but i redid all the points anyway.
another closer view
this one (the other module) was a bit nastier. not only did we have corrosion, two of the lines were broken (fixed in later images)
zoomed out view a little.
another view. at this point i think i had already started to resolder.
resoldering complete. i used some teflon coated 20ga wire to reconnect the pins that had broken leads on the board.
all done. i also sprayed the boards with electronic grade clear coat to protect them for at least another 22 years.
to recrimp the case around the board i just used some vice grips and lightly pressed them back. then i filled the pins for the wiring connector with dielectric grease and resinstalled in the vehicle.
After resintallation, everything works wonderfully.
5.21.07
5.26.07
front clip:
and of course...
6.2.07
some air filter heat shield decor...
Poland Springs brand FMIC spray. (vacuum line, water source, air compressor)
7.3.07
Well this was a pain in the ass. Fairly straight forward and simple, but still a pain.
3/8" stainless braided fuel lines
Russell fittings
turbojoe 0.550" ID fuel rail
proflow 25-75psi 1:1 boost reference raise rail
etc.
this winter i might send my car to the fab shop to have an aluminum fuel cell made up, and to finish the roll cage. (halo, a pillar, thru firewall to front shock towers.- now accepting donations
)
I still need to fab up a mount for the regulator. going to just go with some aluminum flat stock or something.
anyway, pics.
8.31.07
wheels got some paint too.
clean with dish detergent, wetsand with 400 grit, preclean with paint precleaner, tape, clean again, self etch prime, then a few coats of white.
9.11.07
The buzzing / rattling sound is the lenscap on the harness bar. Sorry.
First run recorded is my second run, which was also my worst time. I think i also recorded runs 4 and 5. The 5th was my best by about 0.8 seconds (you can see if you watch i was a lot more ... throttle judicious.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BmJvQ4kvaY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWyUcUdbeDk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfihEYm8TFU
10.4.07
couple new pics of the new rear end stance, and some of my baby wearing her new favorite shirt (thanks sam)
break out your "awwwwww" face...
here's my daughter in the race bucket
11.11.07
Was able to mount the cooler where john said. sits right in front of my charge cooler so that's convienent. Had to rotate the spin on plate for the block up and back to get the lines able to clear random things like the engine, the dizzy, and the dipstick.
Now, IN is the upper port and OUT is the bottom port, right? (upper being out on the side)
Also, while installing this we (Sam) found that the bolt holding the oem water cooling unit on was very not that tight (ie, loose), which would do a lot to explain why that side of my engine was always covered in oil.
Also found out that using this plate required the use of a shorter filter, as the normal merkur one (which is also used on like every ford truck since 197x) and taurus's, tempos, etc etc etc, so we had to switch to a v8 filter from a mustang, crown vic, or any other ford V8
Pics to follow.
here is the angle we had to rotate the plate so that the lines were able to go on
another view
another view again
here is the oil cooler and intercooler
here is the "return" line from the cooler
random picture of the lines
1.9.08
It may be winter (which, btw, kris is something you should know about), but i'm still doing a few things...
Messed with the exhaust the other day, (pics to follow, provided it works out, it might not)
and just got these precious little gems in...
1.13.08
got some progress made today before we get a foot or so of snow.
operating with no garage leaves me a victim to the elements.
factory lower reciever
factory shock tower (inside). this was cleaned up a bit by removing the underbody coating (dremel) then self etch primed and painted flat black. will have to grind out a little more i think tho.
getting started on the lower reciever. moved the attachment point up and out to clearance the spring and damper. also ground out some of the STA (just part of the pinch) for clearance. steel is 1.25" x .125" flat stock, which i doubled up.
installed. note lower strap to STA for extra bracing. would like some input on whether or not this is strong enough. it looks strong enough but i might add a vertical brace as well.
camera focused on my driveway, but this shows another angle.
crappy out of focus picture of the lower strap brace.
pass side with the damper mounted.
showing the amount of gap in the bolt. this will be rectified with a washer, or a nylon washer, or extra steel welded in.
looking up, showing clearance to the fender wall. this was massaged with a hammer. by moving the lower mount to where i did, i ganed enough room to not have to cut the fenders. score.
another view. mockup was done with joe's (hEaT's) front coilover spring, which has the exact same OD of the springs i will be using. (3.560") no problems.
inside was braced with more flat stock, square tubing, and more flat stock. the square tubing was notched to fit the damper top snug, then the flat stock that goes around the damper top was bent, then hammered into a curve to fit the shape. this will add a lot of strength, plus eliminates a lot of void. took a while, but i think it came out nice. the flat stock extends past the factory weld on each side, and is seam welded throughout.
other side.
thoughts? opinions? things i need to do that i missed? i have no problem adding more support, but after 8 hours straight on no food i was kinda beat by the end of the day.
1.16.08
Lower reciever not quite done yet, but i moved the upper mounting location a little out, and down. This gives more fender clearance, and allows the springs to fully seat. The holes were reinforced with some 0.125" steel that was welded in.
In addition, the springs came in today, which are hypercoil 2.5" ID 12" long 325lb/in springs (thanks mc2racing!) and i dont anticipate any clearance problems. btwn 1/8 and 1/4" clearance at full droop, which is when the springs are closest to the fenders. As shown, the springs are at pretty close to max height. I just set them like this as i am not going to be driving the car for at least 3 more months.
Drivers side upper reciever (yes, plates are welded on both sides). note the slight change in location.
Pass side
Pass side with spring installed
Pass side clearance is more than it looks, camera angle makes it look tighter
Drivers side spring installed:
And clearance:
1.17.08
I know this must not be exciting to most people, but apparently it takes a lot of work to make coilovers work in the rear of the car, and be strong enough for track use...
Anyway...
Made the other brace.
First, here is where i am working on the car. Note: I have a wicked nasty head cold and i feel like complete ass, but i'm home sick and i cant sit still.
Now, i made some braces that triangulate the mount. On the inside is a piece of steel that is seam welded to box everythign in. I welded that to the brace on the bench, and the welds came out uber nice. rolled dime perfect looking. Put it on the car and i couldn't get the gun in there easily, plus i could barely see, so i went in blind and shot more weld than god at it. Overkill doesn't always look pretty, but it's strong.
note how the brace is recessed to allow bolt access. This little step would have been easy to miss and would have made removing that bolt really fun.
And for giggles, i made this last week. Remove three nuts (the bolts are welded in) and voila. open downpipe. It dumps under the mid / front of the pass door.
4.7.08
first (members only) event yesterday. car is much more controllable now.
having a lot of trouble getting the power to the ground - a decent bit of wheelspin. oh well, right?
4.16.08
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tS9psAWQzlg
4.28.08
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sa-WDs__JLs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6lMh4ydYyA
matt did do better than me - but i have to say, only by 0.012 seconds, and i did shave another 0.150 off on the fun run. my first three runs sucked, i simply wasn't on my game, couldn't tie it together.
as for my codriver, who seems to be excelling at an amazing rate - decided to turn the fun run with him into a "FUN RUN" as balls out resulted in a couple spins. yes, twice. on the same run.
heh. no, no video, but i kinda wish we got that.
and yeah no more lifting inner rear. kinda looks like we're "Almost" back to lifting inner front.
some few pics. of my codriver.
and the "team" (we're on the right. )
5.5.08
some more pics courtesy of NETC
3.3 degrees of front camber looks interesting i guess... (2.5 in the rear static)
that's it so far.