Originally Posted by Schmidt A103
Here is my take on it.I have been at it on and off{racing} for about 20 years now.I went from a street car,to making that street car a gutted out fiberglass and lexan potato chip,to buying and getting my lisence in a dragster,then deciding that if I cant drive something on the street to cruise nights and the local store I couldnt justify owning it.That wasnt to say that I still didnt want to run 9's,I just wanted to do it in a street car that could be bracket raced.I eventually put all the street equipment back onto my car along with all the steel body panels,did a frame off resto,then powered it with a strong running bigblock pump gas engine with all the same elctronics as anybody else.I have to say it was exactly what I needed.There is a big difference between a street/strip car and a street racer.
As an 18 year old kid starting out building your own stuff and not some 2nd generation prince,you should be proud if yoour first serious car can run brackets or 10.90 class.I didnt get into the 10's until I was 25,and into the 9's until I was almost 30.
As for your combo,I will be building such a car myself.I actually bought a car last year but it was an 89 hatch and had paperwork issues,I got it for nothing,but what I really wanted was a notch with a clean title so I could drive it on the street.I wanted to put my bigblock in it since it would have been about 600# lighter then my car and I dont have a cage in my car and dont want to cut up a car I spent 5 years restoring.
Here are some real helpful tips for you.Your car isnt the lightest Mustang out there.An 84-86 Notch with no options is the best choice for weight.The rear suspention setup is fine in all Mustangs.Many shops know the basics secrets to making them work.Frame connectors,a rollbar that is tied to the rear upper control arm mounts/Welding all the control arm mounts on the body to the floor of the car.Almost all the aftermarket suspention kits work.You would do well just to buy a non adjustable kit and install it with an 8.8" housing,and stock height springs and add an airbag to the passenger side spring.I have done these cars with both big and smallblocks in them,and the big hurdle is the K memeber and the steering shaft in regards to header clearance.Bigblocks actually fit better then smallblocks because the header flanges point down instead of straight out.All the lightweight stuff they sell for the front helps a lot.the tubular K member,and manual rack and shaft,are the 2 biggest upgrades,A 5 lug swap is also a good idea since there are a lot of chevy wheels out there.There is some weight to be had by taking all the sub structure out of the bumpers,deleting the heat/ac system and all that.On a hatch,you can save weight by replacing the hatch with a fiberglass and lexan one.Dont worry about weight over the rear wheels,these cars hook so well and are heavy enough over the back that it wont hurt.Another issue is running a hatch with a fuel cell,you need to close the cell in somehow for it to pass tech.You should be able to get an 89 hatch with glass hood and hatch and all the tricks I mentioned with an aluminum head smallblock and powerglide to be under 2800 without you in it,and still have side windows that roll up and down and lights that work.My opinion is that you sell the car you have and look for a no options notch to put everything in.
No matter how you look at it,you have a good combination.The reliablty of a Chevy engine teamed up with a lightweight body that has one of the best stock chassis setups of any car ever made,unequalled aftermarket support and a racer knowlage base bigger then anything short of a slapper bar camaro..
Good luck
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