79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Well here it is, I'm finaly getting to start my U/SA project.
1979 Mustang, 302 2V, auto.
It's the first stocker i have ever built.
Thanks to Billy Nees for helping me deside what to build. It was a toss up between a Maverick, 78 Fairmont, 78 Mustang and 79 Mustang.
I picked this car up in Vegas for $700. Nice clean rust free body, never been in a crash. It's a V6 car but thats no big deal. The guy I bought it from was the 2nd owner.His brother was the first owner, so i know the cars history.
I still need to sell my 67 Mustang bracket car to fund this one but there is Lots of cheap and free stuff I can do till then.I have built a few bracket cars so I plan to do as much as I can myself.I'm really looking foward to this one!
My first project was the rear bumper. The muffler tip had come loose and burned the bumper cover. i found one for $40 and changed that before i ever pulled it off the trailer. !st job down lots more to go.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Now for your first step in this project, go back to the yard where you got the bumper cover and find a car with Ghia trim on it. It should only be a couple of badges but it might be a few other things. As your project sits, it is a P/Q/R car. It has to be a Ghia to make U. But that's a good thing! You have a car that can make 4 classes! The more flexible, the better.
Now on to the hard stuff. First of all, do your best to keep it fun! Doing a project that turns into a second job is a sure-fire way of getting discouraged. Second, don't over-spend your budget! Cutting yourself short so that you can't enjoy the other things in life is never a good thing. And last but not least, seek out the advice and help of good people! There are some very knowledgeable people (Yac, the Grahams) in your area that I'm sure would help you if you needed it.
Good luck!

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Have fun on your build Rob ! Building a U car myself ('78 Camaro type LT - 305 2V). Billy has a wealth of information building lower class stockers and has helped me in one way or another since the early 80's when I was putting my Monza together for T/SA with the 262 combo. Just on hold right now 'til I mend. Fractured my pelvis in 2 places and my hip. Fell off a ladder cutting down a tree in my yard.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

I'm happy to say that this car is a Ghia from the factory.
Billy, is this bumper ok to use? It looks the same as the old one but it looks huge because it's white. I will take my time on this car and not break the bank for sure. It's great news that I can run so many classes. Cool!
Joe, hope you get better fast. have fun with your project too.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Cool. Looking forward to seeing this come together.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

'79 Mustang - good choice.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Looks like AZ will be the U/sa capital of the country. 3 of them in Phx

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Awesome, Rob! I didn't realize you were looking at getting into stock.

I must say, I'll miss the '67 though. You sure had some good times with it.

I'm not sure which one of us will make our debut first but I look forward to seeing you out there.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Thank Dave, it's something I have been wanting to do for a while now. I look forward to racing you. We always have close races. I plan on running Summit Sportsman with the car too so I'm sure we will be beating each other up.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

This is a great project; I can't wait to see where it goes!

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Busy day today. Pulled the motor, trans, exhaust, and fuel tank. The junk pile is growing!

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Cool!

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Update, pictures, anything....please!

Love this build, was supposed to start the same build a year ago and...it's still sitting...
Living vicariously through others so give an update please :)

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Amen. Give us something!

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Just cleaning up a few things and made a dump run to get rid of junk parts. I may have a buyer for my bracket car! If it sells it will be full speed ahead.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Well got some bad news this weekend. The buyer for my 67 backed out. So this will be a slow build but I will get it done. I'll post as I get things done.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Ok guys, i need some help. What is the best way to remove the door bars? I got no clue.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

I guess you can ask that here, seeing nobody else has them either.

Best way I've found is to take the door off and lay it on saw horses.

You cut the out the section of the jamb where the bar is spot welded with a thin cut off wheel , front and back.
Then you slide the bar out ,with the jamb pieces attached.

Separate the bar from the sheet metal pieces and then tack weld the pieces back in where they were.
Continue tacking until almost a solid weld, then grind and spot putty the jambs..

On some cars, you can drill the spot welds out on one end and not have to cut a window on both ends.
Once the bars are out, make sure the door shell is not able to be twisted.
In that case , weld the corners of the skin to the frame or brace accordingly.
Those door beams add quite a bit of structure to some models.

Call me if you need to..
MY

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

I would suggest removing all of the easy stuff first because it will be light for U/SA 3030 lbs. I have a 79 U/SA mustang Ghia with the standard easy stuff removed-heater box-wiper stuff and with a 200 lb. driver, I have to add 50-75 lbs. Brian

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

I haven't done it myself, but have read about it on Thecorral.net. It sounds like it's a b**** on a Fox. Maybe search over there to see if someone has a good method?

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Thanks Mark and BS 428. I didn't realize that it's that easy to get the car under weight. I think I will leave them for last. I'm in strip it down mode and figured i'd pull them out too. I weigh 165 so making it light might be easier than I thought.
Mark, thanks for the help too. I for sure will call you as i progress in the project so I don't make any costly mistakes.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Robbie, you know you will be racing that fast Maverick in the Graham stable.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Remove unneeded wiring, all sound deadener, carpet insulation, and anything not needed. You will be surprised what that adds up to. It's all in the details, and adds up quickly. Get the weight off the front so you can put it where you need it in the back. Find an aluminum front bumper.

There is mastic that glues the door skin to the crash bars, so don't just start prying and pulling on it, otherwise you will do a number on the door skin. My 78 Zephyr, the crash bar had to be cut in half to get it out of the doors A cut-off wheel is best, and whatever you do protect/remove the glass or you will be replacing it. The grinding embers will pit the glass.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Drop one of the factory seats on a scale and compare the difference with a racing seat. Whole bunch right there.

If you come heads up to Brian Seaburg's U/SA Comet at a Lucas Oil Series race, get up on the wheel.

Dale

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Sean, Probably not much left on any 79 Arizona car.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Is that due to the heat Mark?

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

I recently removed the door braces on my son's Mustang. They weigh about 30 lbs together. The doors in the early fox bodies have large braces in them. The ones from about 90 on have much smaller bars.

Each bar had to be cut in three places. One cut in the middle and a cut on each end. The only tool that worked for me was a cut off tool. I used both a small straight cutter and 90 degree cutter to get it done. I was going to try a plasma cutter but it just didn't seem like a good idea.

I put an 1/8" thick, 8" X 8" sheet of of aluminum between the bar and the door skin where I made the cuts in order to avoid hitting the door skin. Once you see the aluminum stop cutting.

You need to remove just about everything in the door to make the cuts and get the bars out. It's a pretty big job but well worth it. The doors close so much easier and the weight can be moved to a better location.

Use long sleeves and wear gloves.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Yes. I don't remember the bars being stuck to the skin on my 80 turbo car (79).
Now that I think about it , I probably used the slice and dice method on it.
Yes, it was a SOB
Just left a little bit of a tab on the ends.I didn't want to get into the jambs on that style door.

The above described method works better on the 2nd Gen Firebirds and Camaros

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Mark, I look toward to racing BJ. She is a cool lady. Seeburg is a badass. I hope to get my car as fast as theirs. I'll take my time and get it right the first time.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Is the aluminum front bumper after market or does it come stock on certain years? Do you know what year I should look for?

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

It's on the earlier models. Can't say for sure when they stopped using them. A plasma cutter would do well to lighten up the steel bumper but then you are giving up some strength in the event of a mis-hap. I saw where a guy water jetted the crap out of one until it was basically a skeleton.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Yeah umm, don't go doing this to your Stocker bumper! It would be ashamed to go to your first points meet and not pass tech or even worse, to win a points meet or Natl. Event and get tossed for doing this

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Check yours as it is hit and miss, they are OEM pieces. Check ebay, 4eyedpride, it will be off a 79-81 Mustang or Capri, those years were not mandated to meet the 2.5 or 5 MPH crash test. If someone knows what they have they are not given away, and are highly sought after.

FWIW,
My stock steel one weighed 31lbs, the aluminum one weighs 13lbs 15oz, everything that was pulled from my car I have records of what the item weighed and what the new item is as well.
If you remove and or replace the heavy items you could then move your car down to the lightest class and still add weight to meet minimum. But you add weight where it helps make the car work.

Billy makes a very valid point, careful on what you cut on, it could get you into trouble in tech.

Sean

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Thanks much for the input. As I said before. I want to do it right the first time. I had the day off yesterday so i made some headway.Is it possible the door bars are spot welded to the door skin? It looks like they are spot welded in about 10 places top and bottom of the bar.

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Two pic's of what I got done.

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Time for the heat gun and scraper to get rid of all the rubberized coating on the back floor and tunnel.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

Oh yeah what am I thinking?!?! Forgetting its a Stocker. My mistake- apologies for any confusion. Thanks.

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

We have been doing this all spring and summer and we did get our GT Turbo (which was an 86 SVO car so its an original heavy car 2975 pound car when we started) to 2520 pounds with driver with the factory seats still so u can make the weight it just takes a little time..

Scott

Re: 79 Mustang project U/SA
 

I had a little extra time today so I made a little headway. Pulled out the heater and all the related pieces, radio, speakers, and all under dash. insulation.
I have 2 questions. Maybe stupid but I must ask.
The fresh air intake vents. Is it ok just to block them off with sheet metal?
The car has a inside hood release. Is it ok to do away with it and make the hood release from the front grill area? My cable is broken and I can fab a handle release that will work fine.