My Foxbody Plan; Poke Holes In It

As I’ve posted elsewhere we will be getting a 90 LX Mustang.

The basic plan is a Friday car that can do an occasional autocross, HPDE & Local Time Trials

Currently the car has slightly upgraded brakes, 5 lug conversion, lowering springs, Konis and 17” wheels.

For time trials the car currently falls into Sport 5

Because the car belts out a whopping 225hp I was looking at doing some moderate upgrades to bring it up to around 275hp……………that naturally will bump the car into Max category where it then competes against 1984-2014 Mustangs…………it will never be competitive but I am not sure I really care.

So logic dictates it may be best to leave it as is and enjoy it for what it is. I am sure the car will be more valuable that way.

I am really thinking modify it how I please and whine about being an underdog.  I am pretty much doing this with the Datsun, so this is not wholly unfamiliar territory.

Opinions??

The goal is to have a fun street car. Make it whatever you want it to be. For the odd occasion where you're tracking it, just focus on having as much fun in it as you can regardless of class. Smiles per gallon and all that...

How clean, which body style, and five-speed or auto? 

STM317 said:

The goal is to have a fun street car. Make it whatever you want it to be. For the odd occasion where you're tracking it, just focus on having as much fun in it as you can regardless of class. Smiles per gallon and all that...

This. More power is going to be fun ALL the time except for when trophies are handed out.....

I say it depends on what you really want out of the car. Any sort of track duty you have described is for fun, so performance mods, classing, and ultimately results probably don't matter. There's not much weight to the value proposition of a Fox these days unless it's a pristine creampuff you plan to sell it to the chalk-mark crowd as a useless time capsule...listed mods indicate that's not happening, so go nuts. No one really wants a stock one. There's nothing but options for the 5.0 to improve performance and the chassis has plenty of potential. I understand (and wholeheartedly subscribe to) the theme of driving slow cars fast, but I also have no patience or interest in a slow "musclecar"--they just don't do anything exciting. You've been driving the E36 M3 out of the "slow" Datsun for 4 decades, so maybe build something that doesn't have you denting the floorboard under the skinny pedal for a change.

I run a GMC Sonoma truck in Max1 SCCA TT. It falls into M1 because I put a modified 5.3 LS in it. I will never be competitive in the class but I really doubt the other guys are have more fun than I am! My goal is only to improve my own lap times at each track. Part of the fun for me is in the shop, doing things trying to make it faster.

I say build what you want to and go have fun in it.

David S. Wallens said:

How clean, which body style, and five-speed or auto? 

Pretty clean hatch with a 5 speed; it makes me a bit reluctant to go crazy with the mods.

My current mod thought was bigger sway bars if needed, some cylinder heads and a roll hoop. 

My immediate thought was K-member + suspension package from Maximum Motorsports, but it sounds like you don't want to go that far. 

IIRC from the magazines back in the late 90s, "cold air" intake pulling from the fender, long tubes and full exhaust with an X pipe, will net something like 60-80whp. And 100+wtq

If being competitive isn't super important, I vote to leave it mostly stock and enjoy it for what it is. Maybe add some minor power adders or handling add-ons that don't make the car worse on the street. 

The G35 was pretty modified and zero fun to drive on the street. Too low, two stiff, noisy tires, and noisy brakes. Consequently, it spent most of its life sitting in the yard and by default turned into a track rat. 

The Mustang is 100% stock and is a great street cruiser and a fun track toy. Consequently, it gets driven frequently, both on and off the track. The future may bring some adjustable shocks and slightly stickier tires, but that's about it. It's been a lot of fun on all seasons and stock shocks and is still quick enough I can trophy FS at the local autocross. 

Having seen these cars autocross in mostly stock form...you don't want to leave it stock.

In reply to Tom1200 :

My BIL still has his first new car, a 1986 GT / 5 speed version of the car you're looking to buy.   It's been a hot minute since I've driven his but my recollection is the "go" part was more than adequate (at least by the standards of the day), the brakes on the other hand were borderline dangerous.  You're already ahead of the game with the 5 lug / 4 wheel disc upgrade so win.

I'd say drive it as is for a bit before changing anything.  These cars are pretty light compared to current cars so 225 HP and a stick can still be entertaining.  (1990 GT specs are 225 HP / 300 lb ft in a 2,900 pound package.  Sure, my 2011 has almost double the HP and 90 lb ft more torque.  It also weighs 1,000 pounds more than a '90.  Yikes!) If you do decide to get into upgrades another 50 HP would be noticeable and better brakes / tires are always money well spent.  Keep it fun for the street and get what you get when you do autocross.  There's more than 50 HP in that engine too but you'd need to do the stroker modification and swap the heads.  Have fun with it, someone will always have something faster regardless.  I'm glad you're buying it, that looks super clean and my personal favorite year of the Fox body cars.

FWIW  From having owned / raced Foxes Body Mustangs from an 83 Comp Delete SVO to 3 different Fox Bodies Cop Cars

Make the  chassis as stiff as you can .  More is better   Good 4 point roll hoop with rear seat delete and associated bracing

Upgrade the suspension with either the Maximum Motor Sports  or Steeda Suite of chassis upgrades.

Stick a 3.73 Gear Set on a Torsten Differential in the rear

Upgrade Front brakes as much as your Wallet will allow.  Rears just added good pads to new calipers

Add GOOD Tires on you choice of wheels (size dependent on Brake Choice)

Then app horse power

Enjoy the ride

YRMV

There was a time around here that about 30% of the cars that showed up at the drag strip on any given day had a 5.0, a centrifugal blower, a T5, seldom broke, and ran 12's all day.  The serious guys added a camshaft and smaller pulley and ran 10's.

Just sayin, un-natural aspiration is the cornerstone of the fox.

Rust? I'll poke my holes there.

Ranger50 said:

Rust? I'll poke my holes there.

Been a desert car all it's life.

In reply to 11GTCS :

I do plan to drive an event first.

I've driven a few of them on track and they are fine........very much of their area though. I remember drifting one off hairpin onto the front stretch (I'd just got out of the Datsun).

Make it less floppy is on the menu.

"lowering springs" concerns me a bit.  I would try to check the rates. If you aren't doing coilovers H&R "race" or "super race" are the way to go depending on your tolerance level for stuff. (I have the "race" on my 97). A big front bar is a good addition if you aren't doing a front k member, there's a bit of "make the suspension work by not allowing it to work" at play. 

Get the biggest beefiest subframe connectors under it you can. They can tear the floorpan stock. 

You have a racecar, your call is of this is about competitive or fun to drive. My read of your intent is fun to drive. I forget if you have mentioned if it's carb or injected, but either way, play with that 302, tons of head options and such to build really good power. It would be a good foil to the no power Datsun to have a car that is kind of the other way round.

And just because it's a thread about tracking a foxbody, I'll drop this video for inspiration. 

(DTM foxbody)

In reply to Apexcarver :

My friend who built is a long time Mustang guy and preps cars for a living. He will only have installed quality springs in the car.

As the former owner of two Foxbodies ('92 notch 5.0/T5 and '92 GT 5.0/T5), I'd budget for full length subframe bracing first. Once that is done you'll have a better idea of what the suspension is doing. What is the brake setup? The 5 lug is a huge upgrade over the 4 lug fronts that house the wheel bearings in the rotor, but there are a ton of reasonably priced upgrades from the factory once you have a 4 wheel disc (and 5 lug) setup.

An aftermarket shifter is probably another good step, and I'd look into cooling, as well. They're bottom breathers, so that makes them a little more complicated, and the deflector underneath is actually functional. And it's always a good idea to check on the basic maintenance items.

1). Subframe connectors.

2). Torque box reinforcements.

Do both of those before racing it or you can damage the chassis.  
 

3). Get the rear end positively located.  The Quadra link aka Quadra bind is the main handling ailment of the chassis.

Drive the heck out of it in this state and then build to suit your taste.  
 

Do 1&2 now or pay a lot more later.  Your choice.  

Tom1200 said:

Ranger50 said:

Rust? I'll poke my holes there.

Been a desert car all it's life.

Sarcasm didn't apparently come through as intended.

When I saw "poke holes" I thought you wanted to make it lighter

In reply to Apexcarver :

Mein Mustang ist wundebar!