Ford vs Chevy Build-up

[west coast]

Been really busy lately but here is the biggest bang for your bucks. Start with these 3 camshaft, rear gears and low gear set in a C4 is a must with that heavy of car these will be your biggest gains on et. Yes the roll bar, front springs and rear suspension are a must also. Could type more but it is lunch time.

[HandOverFist]

Originally Posted by west coast

Been really busy lately but here is the biggest bang for your bucks. Start with these 3 camshaft, rear gears and low gear set in a C4 is a must with that heavy of car these will be your biggest gains on et. Yes the roll bar, front springs and rear suspension are a must also. Could type more but it is lunch time.

Appreciate any input James - I'll contact Bullet Cams when the time comes. I'm sure Thomas Arnett can help on the C4...I know squat about Ford transmissions. Right now I'm trying to garner info on control arms and springs...also wondering about 26" vs 28" rear tires.

Still awaiting repairs on the lift I just eyeballed the car a bit more this afternoon. I focused on the steering wheel with the blown airbag and began to mess with it a bit. The previous owner had taped the face up with some duct tape...effective, but it left a mess of glue residue when I peeled it off. A little WD-40 and a rag and it began to clean up and come back to presentable. I believe I can salvage the wheel after all...might even use the built in horn button for a linelock switch before it's over.





I need to formulate a plan for the console as far as switches and aftermarket shifter go.



Even with the back seat deleted the roll bar appears it will be a tight fit. Still leaning towards the Maximum Motorsports 6/8 point kit for convertibles until I hear better otherwise.

[HandOverFist]

Question for those in the know - Am I going to have any problem getting this car down to 3225 pounds with a mild steel 6-point roll bar installed? It will have the usual Stocker parts removal process.

[Painter]

The difference between a mild steel and chrome moly rollbar is exactly like the difference between a good foundation and not so good foundation under your house. Works good for now, but REAL hard to change later. Mild steel is for trailers.

[HandOverFist]

Originally Posted by Painter

The difference between a mild steel and chrome moly rollbar is exactly like the difference between a good foundation and not so good foundation under your house. Works good for now, but REAL hard to change later. Mild steel is for trailers.

Probably a poor choice in wording on my part...what I meant was 0.134 wall DOM tubing. Reasoning is I will be doing this on my own and don't have the expertise or equipment to TIG weld Chro-Moly. Btw, finally got a ring package for those CP pistons and I'm just about ready to re-assemble the engine for the other car...thanks again!

No, I have not weighed the Mustang as it sits yet. When we were working on the Camaro I had access to wheel scales and it proved to be accurate...may try to borrow those one more time for this car. I was just fishing for answers from others who have/had similar cars concerning weight.

[Robert Swartz]

Originally Posted by HandOverFist

Question for those in the know - Am I going to have any problem getting this car down to 3225 pounds with a mild steel 6-point roll bar installed? It will have the usual Stocker parts removal process.

Rich,

It depends? First you need to weigh the car as it sets, also need a good idea of how much fuel is in the car, this gives you a baseline. Being a convertible and needing a roll bar and sub frame connectors, I'd want to know their weight. That is compensation weight, you will take weight out but putting those in adds weight back, I'm sure you know this. I prefer a track scale or one of the digital setups the circle track guys use.

I like to use a common bathroom scale, weigh everything and record the weights as I take it out. That includes wheels and tires and record the difference. Modern aluminum wheels weigh a bunch. Using stocker thought, there are a lot of unnecessary items in a car. Don't forget the underneath of a car, undercoating sucks but it's weight. Changing from power to manual steering, manual brakes, can get rid of that booster. Then you can work the interior, since it's getting a roll bar, it all has to come out anyway.

Good luck, hopefully I can get my "U" car together and meet you at a track someday.

[Sean Marconette]

Originally Posted by Robert Swartz

Rich,

I like to use a common bathroom scale, weigh everything and record the weights as I take it out. That includes wheels and tires and record the difference. Modern aluminum wheels weigh a bunch. Using stocker thought, there are a lot of unnecessary items in a car.

Exactly! Anything that came off or was modified I have a list as what it weighed before and after. Having a digital scale to weight refrigerant is what I use. A couple of pounds here and there adds up. I would shoot for getting the car down to the lowest class it fits in, and then put the weight back in where you want it to get back to the class you choose. Its amazing how much weight you can pull out of a car if you work at it. The top will not need any of the mechanical devices to raise and lower it automatically.

Rear Suspension parts, Metco. Also you can only relocate the upper control arm, so nothing adjustable on the lowers. Good struts and shocks. Aftermarket springs are overrated, and a waste of money. Shocks and struts are where its at. No anti-roll bar is needed with good shocks.

Sean

[HandOverFist]

Good to know about the sway bar...it will be deleted then. From what I gather a set of well worn GT springs work better than anything, maybe with a coil cut out. Just so happens there is a set already in the car. Have you ever experimented with 26" tires vs 28"?

[Sean Marconette]

I have three different sets of springs. The original 83 GT springs with a coil cut, for K/S, and now an uncut 90 GT set for L/S, and a set from a Faimont wagon. The wagon springs were way too much for L weight.

The smallest tires ever on the car were Goodyear 28" but that has been many years ago, and with 5.13 gears. When I decided to do the bodywork and paint is when I was able to go to the 29.5 stick MT's. Unless you put a 9" in it you are screwed with gear selection. Also only street gears are available for the 8.8, which I have only had 2 sets in the car. The pinion gear stress fractures and starts cracking. High RPM launches and having the clutch set too tight doesn't help their life span.

For gears, Motive sells a lightened 8.8 set, welding the tubes to the center section is not a absolute have to deal, but highly recommended. Installing an LPW rear cover to preload the bearing caps, you may already have one on the Camero. An 8.8 and 12 bolt are very similar in design.

Sean

[slowpony]

Originally Posted by HandOverFist

Appreciate any input James - I'll contact Bullet Cams when the time comes. I'm sure Thomas Arnett can help on the C4...I know squat about Ford transmissions. Right now I'm trying to garner info on control arms and springs...also wondering about 26" vs 28" rear tires.

Still awaiting repairs on the lift I just eyeballed the car a bit more this afternoon. I focused on the steering wheel with the blown airbag and began to mess with it a bit. The previous owner had taped the face up with some duct tape...effective, but it left a mess of glue residue when I peeled it off. A little WD-40 and a rag and it began to clean up and come back to presentable. I believe I can salvage the wheel after all...might even use the built in horn button for a linelock switch before it's over.





I need to formulate a plan for the console as far as switches and aftermarket shifter go.



Even with the back seat deleted the roll bar appears it will be a tight fit. Still leaning towards the Maximum Motorsports 6/8 point kit for convertibles until I hear better otherwise.

Steering wheel for 89 is different, no air bags.