My friends are all buying motorcycles. Fast ones. This got me thinking. I got a 2.5 liter Z3 (170 hp) and a 1.8 Miata. Meh. Not the fastest things on four wheels, but they are a blast to get around a track or auto-x course. So if they're all buying motorcycles, it makes perfect sense for me to buy, you guessed it, a Fox-body 5.0 liter Mustang. I'm thinking LX coupe for rigitity, open up the exhaust a little bit, brakes and suspension (including subframe reinforcement), and I've got a nice little track slave.
Any thoughts? I'd have to sell the Miata after the 2008 GRM challenge, but I kinda miss my old 1992 GT.
I'd check out American Iron series setups. I'll bet those guys know what will make a Mustang cook on the track better than most.
Yeah, it's called $6000 worth of Maximum Motorsports suspension. :grin:
The horrid Fox suspension is why I decided to go with a E30. V8 fun is nice, but not worth putting up with the lousy chassis or spending six large to fix it.
I hear you. Are there other inexpensive V-8 alternatives to look at? I kinda have this crazy nostalgia for that Mustang. But if Camaro will do the same thing, but better, maybe I'll get one of those. I don't think I'd mind having a sloppy car to toss around for a year though. It could be fun. Right?
GlennS
Reader
5/27/08 2:53 p.m.
i bet it wouldnt be to hard to find a used mustang race car of some sort.
You're probably right. I enjoy building the car myself though, if you know what I mean (I know you do!). It might be nice to have some of the crappy-hard work done though.
Besides, with Mustangs, it's impossible to find one that is stock. They all have 4 inch cowl hoods, heads, intake work, stupid steering wheels, short shifters (why!?), 5 inch tachs, and fuzzy dice. Maybe a racecar is a good place to start after all. :whatthe:
Might want to take a look at the LT1 Camaros and Firebirds from 93-97. They sell for dirt cheap since the LS1 cars of 98-02 are so much "better" but they share the same awesome suspension, and let's face it the small-block Chevy motor is a POWERhouse. Not to mention a HUGE hatch area, plastic body panels, and being designed some 15 years AFTER the fox-chassis. Spend fox-5.0 money and get yourself a WS6 T/A or if you're lucky a 1LE Z28.
Oooh, you might turn me in to a Camaro guy. I used to think they were ugly. That might change.
The LT1 cars actually look pretty good IMHO (I'd still take the Firebird of the same years over the Camaro, but both are good). They don't have the "catfish" look of the LS1 Camaros.
Here's some in my area:
97 Formula LT1 Firebird 6-Speed with mods for $6500
97 35th Anny Z28 Auto for $6700
Super Rare 94 Trans Am GT Hardtop 6-Speed for $7500
I've got a little over $4k in my fox, and it's a pretty fun, solid car. But f-bodies and sn95s both make better starting points for track cars.
Bigger (5 lug sn95 Cobra) brakes, stiff springs, camber/caster plates, and a good set of shocks and struts are the basics. And then you can start going through the bushings, add subframe connectors, a roll bar, and more power.
Get the fox, buy a sn95 roller, swap suspension you are close to good. CC plates, new shocks, higher rate springs, should be decent. Then after this little endeavor you will start spending money, or a lot of time, or both making it progressively faster.
Kinda how I am approaching the CP build.
Check out Coner-Carvers.com and read up on the various Mustangs. The Road Race/AutoX section on Corral.net is actually pretty decent.
After reading more about the Fox-bodied Mustangs over on C-C.com, I decided that I'm going to buy something different for a track car, and keep mine as a fun, daily driver.
DJ
