Foxbody Stocker/Bracket Racer

SwillRacer · 12-24-2012, 02:18 PM

All,

Here is what I'll be wrenching on in the coming months/years. I'll be taking this 1989 foxbody 5.0 and turning in to a bracket car for the near term and a M/S or M/SA stocker after that. I've owned this car since 1994. It was spotless when I bought it and only had 32k miles on the clock. I drove it as my D/D for about 5 years and then on/off for another 5 years, or so, as I cycled through various other D/D's and a full-on NMRA drag race car. I've always wanted to turn this car in to a racer but starting a family has meant no time for wrenching and it has lived in my garage on stands for the last 5 years only being driven once or twice a year.

Nothing much special to see here. Just your run-of-the-mill 5.0 with about 120,000 miles that probably nobody on this website will much care about. She's got some rust, but is far being a piece of swiss cheese. All the usual bolt-on mustang mods have been on this car at one time or another: headers, off-road x-pipe, sub-frame connectors, U/L control arms, NOS 150hp dry kit, B&M ripper shifter, H/D cobra clutch, black magic fan, under drive pulleys, 3.73 gears, K&N, msd 6al, removed the a/c (which was stupid)., etc. On a pair of 8.5-inch slicks she went as fast as 12.21 @ 113 on the bottle at around 3400lbs w/my 225lbs in the driver seat.

I'll start out with some 'before pics'.

SwillRacer · 12-24-2012, 02:25 PM

Here is the 'period correct' cassette that to this day resides in the center console:

SwillRacer · 12-24-2012, 02:31 PM

SwillRacer · 12-24-2012, 02:37 PM

OK, let's get started:

So now here it is......now what?

SwillRacer · 12-24-2012, 03:10 PM

So here is where we're currently at:

I've pulled the exhaust, gas tank, drive shaft, and stripped the engine down to the short block. Every nut, bolt, bracket and any other type of fastener fought me tooth and nail along the way which served as a reminder as to why I so much more like working on race cars versus street cars. The trans is 4 bolts away from being dropped and the engine 2 bolts away from being hoisted out. As you can see, I've got some rust issues that I'll need to contend with. If you look closely, you can see the frame rails (next to the headers) have rusted through in typical foxbody fashion (on both sides) so I'll have to break out the cut-off wheel and remove those sections and replace. Good thing I bought that Hobart MIG over the summer!!

SwillRacer · 12-24-2012, 03:18 PM

So my first question to you is:

Should I go the Evan Smith route and convert the car to 1993 Cobra specs? This will allow me to dump a sh#t-ton of money in to some GT-40 iron heads instead of the E7 stockers. For some reason, dumping money in to E7's just doesn't seem right so I'm leaning towards a cobra conversion. But in doing this, I'll need to also get a host of other things such as an OE cobra intake, untouched GT-40 iron heads, cobra body kit, etc., which all just adds to the cost of the project. I do love the look of the 1993 Cobras though.....wish I could just run an Cobra spec engine in my LX bodied car.

I believe going the Cobra route would also change my class designation too, yes?

Dion Hildebrandt · 12-24-2012, 06:11 PM

Here is the 'period correct' cassette that to this day resides in the center console:

[/QUOTE]

The choice in period correct music selection is spot on. Metallica's pinacle album!

Tim Ellis · 12-24-2012, 06:58 PM

I think the Cobra hp rating is far more advantageous, when you factor in the better heads and intakes, the problem [for me] is the fact that it's a stick only, and finding correct engine and body parts.

SwillRacer · 12-24-2012, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tim Ellis

I think the Cobra hp rating is far more advantageous, when you factor in the better heads and intakes, the problem [for me] is the fact that it's a stick only, and finding correct engine and body parts.

Hmmmmm....stick only. Did not realize that but it makes sense considering you couldn't buy a 93 cobra with an auto Trans.

west coast · 12-25-2012, 10:43 AM

You may want to pick what class you are going to run first if you are in a lower class where you dont need a rollbar that will save you alot of money and will be kinder on your suspenision parts. I think M is the break for that. Cobra route if you want to go faster higher class low 11s you will need a good stick, clutch and a 9in rear end rear suspenision renforcing. You are going to need a tranny, I take it yours has a AOD in it you will need a C4. Just some thoughts I went through when I built mine. I have a notch back and run K/SA in the high 11s.

12-24-2012, 02:18 PM	#1
SwillRacer Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 42 Likes: 0 Liked 5 Times in 1 Post	Foxbody Stocker/Bracket Racer All, Here is what I'll be wrenching on in the coming months/years. I'll be taking this 1989 foxbody 5.0 and turning in to a bracket car for the near term and a M/S or M/SA stocker after that. I've owned this car since 1994. It was spotless when I bought it and only had 32k miles on the clock. I drove it as my D/D for about 5 years and then on/off for another 5 years, or so, as I cycled through various other D/D's and a full-on NMRA drag race car. I've always wanted to turn this car in to a racer but starting a family has meant no time for wrenching and it has lived in my garage on stands for the last 5 years only being driven once or twice a year. Nothing much special to see here. Just your run-of-the-mill 5.0 with about 120,000 miles that probably nobody on this website will much care about. She's got some rust, but is far being a piece of swiss cheese. All the usual bolt-on mustang mods have been on this car at one time or another: headers, off-road x-pipe, sub-frame connectors, U/L control arms, NOS 150hp dry kit, B&M ripper shifter, H/D cobra clutch, black magic fan, under drive pulleys, 3.73 gears, K&N, msd 6al, removed the a/c (which was stupid)., etc. On a pair of 8.5-inch slicks she went as fast as 12.21 @ 113 on the bottle at around 3400lbs w/my 225lbs in the driver seat. I'll start out with some 'before pics'. Last edited by SwillRacer; 12-24-2012 at 03:11 PM.

12-24-2012, 02:25 PM	#2
SwillRacer Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 42 Likes: 0 Liked 5 Times in 1 Post	Re: Foxbody Stocker/Bracket Racer Here is the 'period correct' cassette that to this day resides in the center console:

12-24-2012, 02:31 PM	#3
SwillRacer Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 42 Likes: 0 Liked 5 Times in 1 Post	Re: Foxbody Stocker/Bracket Racer

12-24-2012, 02:37 PM	#4
SwillRacer Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 42 Likes: 0 Liked 5 Times in 1 Post	Re: Foxbody Stocker/Bracket Racer OK, let's get started: So now here it is......now what? Last edited by SwillRacer; 12-26-2012 at 04:52 PM.

12-24-2012, 03:10 PM	#5
SwillRacer Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 42 Likes: 0 Liked 5 Times in 1 Post	Re: Foxbody Stocker/Bracket Racer So here is where we're currently at: I've pulled the exhaust, gas tank, drive shaft, and stripped the engine down to the short block. Every nut, bolt, bracket and any other type of fastener fought me tooth and nail along the way which served as a reminder as to why I so much more like working on race cars versus street cars. The trans is 4 bolts away from being dropped and the engine 2 bolts away from being hoisted out. As you can see, I've got some rust issues that I'll need to contend with. If you look closely, you can see the frame rails (next to the headers) have rusted through in typical foxbody fashion (on both sides) so I'll have to break out the cut-off wheel and remove those sections and replace. Good thing I bought that Hobart MIG over the summer!!

12-24-2012, 03:18 PM	#6
SwillRacer Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 42 Likes: 0 Liked 5 Times in 1 Post	Re: Foxbody Stocker/Bracket Racer So my first question to you is: Should I go the Evan Smith route and convert the car to 1993 Cobra specs? This will allow me to dump a sh#t-ton of money in to some GT-40 iron heads instead of the E7 stockers. For some reason, dumping money in to E7's just doesn't seem right so I'm leaning towards a cobra conversion. But in doing this, I'll need to also get a host of other things such as an OE cobra intake, untouched GT-40 iron heads, cobra body kit, etc., which all just adds to the cost of the project. I do love the look of the 1993 Cobras though.....wish I could just run an Cobra spec engine in my LX bodied car. I believe going the Cobra route would also change my class designation too, yes?

12-24-2012, 06:11 PM	#7
Dion Hildebrandt Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: calgary alberta canada Posts: 383 Likes: 0 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: Foxbody Stocker/Bracket Racer Here is the 'period correct' cassette that to this day resides in the center console: [/QUOTE] The choice in period correct music selection is spot on. Metallica's pinacle album! __________________ Dion Hildebrandt 6009 STK H/SA

12-24-2012, 06:58 PM	#8
Tim Ellis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Beavercreek Or. Posts: 272 Likes: 31 Liked 7 Times in 6 Posts	Re: Foxbody Stocker/Bracket Racer I think the Cobra hp rating is far more advantageous, when you factor in the better heads and intakes, the problem [for me] is the fact that it's a stick only, and finding correct engine and body parts.

12-25-2012, 10:43 AM	#10
west coast Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Rainy Washington Posts: 609 Likes: 12 Liked 223 Times in 73 Posts	Re: Foxbody Stocker/Bracket Racer You may want to pick what class you are going to run first if you are in a lower class where you dont need a rollbar that will save you alot of money and will be kinder on your suspenision parts. I think M is the break for that. Cobra route if you want to go faster higher class low 11s you will need a good stick, clutch and a 9in rear end rear suspenision renforcing. You are going to need a tranny, I take it yours has a AOD in it you will need a C4. Just some thoughts I went through when I built mine. I have a notch back and run K/SA in the high 11s.