Backhalved Fox Mustang... UPDATED 5-31-2018 IT'S ALIVE!!!

My buddy came over today and finished welding the hoop, a-pillar bars, rear down bars, and frame connectors. I also cut the bar that goes behind the seat and we got that welded in too. I also cut and welded in one bar that will tie in the hoop to the rear down bars. Not doing an X though. Sorta triangulating everything in.

I started brainstorming on the floor/trans tunnel/seat mount. I'll order some 1.25 tubing this week and get after the frame connector kicker bars, finish the hoop triangulation with the rear down bars and get the dash bars in.

It's coming along pretty good. Goiing to try and get the glide in there next week so I can lay out the motor/mid plate tabs, etc...

Thought I'd post up a list of what parts I bought/traded off of the sites and from whom. I figured this would be a good way to show the new guys on here what a good group of people we have here and what resources are available in the classifieds section. Just so you guys know I've bought parts from guys back in the Net54 days, the old 460Ford forum and now this one.

I’ve gotten a bunch of parts from people. I’ve listed all that I can think of below. I’m sure I forgot some so I’ll have to update it as I remember them. Some parts will not get used due to my recent switch to a glide. But you guys can get the idea from the list below. Some screen names are from the older/other sites and may not be the same name they have here…

richter69 - Roll cage kit that was pre bent for a Fox Mustang
D. Sea - Motor mounts
Lem Evans - cylinder heads
rvesterby - Timing cover
JSracing – rear coilovers, crankshaft and SFI damper
J. Shelfo – Water crossover
Dave Meister - shortblock #1
Codeblue - shortblock #2. Traded shortblock #1 for this one
Bsherry - converter and flexplate. Not needed anymore due to the switch to a glide
95MUSTANG - rear disc brakes
waterslinger - ignition box
badnotch - k-member and a-arms
prosandguy - radiator
jmayabb - steering rack and bump steer kit
turboten5 - motor plate and glide adapter plate
nitemare - shifter

Shit John....Your rockin and rollin...you'll be done by Bash time they way your gtoing Bro !!

Steady as she goes Russ. I want to try and get the chassis finished by the end of the year. That's engine mounted, seat mounted, cage finished, fuel cell mounted, sheetmetal the floor, etc... all welding done for good! Then I can concentrate on plumbing the brakes and fuel, wire it up, assemble the engine and light it off.

cool deal looking good.

Well John the main thing is to just keep gettin after it...I think you'll find it'll be like a roll of ass-wipe.....the closer you get to the end of it..the faster it'll go !!

Yanked the C4 last night and installed the adapter midplate and Powerglide. Gonna try and get the motor plate setup done this weekend as well as try and fit the headers... If they fit I'll be able to determine the final engine placement and decide if I want to go bigger on the hood scoop, go to a drop k-member or go with k-member spacers... As it is right now my 4.5" cowl hood doesn't fit with an 850 Holley and a 1" spacer on top of a Victor.

Need to trim the trans tunnel opening in the floor so I can get to all of the trans bolts. Once I do that I'll be able to completely remove/service the trans from inside the car.

Also have some 1.25" tubing that should be here next week so I can continue with the cage.

John,

It sounds like you're really get'in after it.
Go GO GO....

Gordon

Hot Damn John !! You've done more work to the Stang in the last month than you have in the last 3 years !! Good On Ya !!! At this rate you'll be doin Big Smokies before Christmas !!

Just saw where the drill bit I needed should be delivered to the house today so I can drill the front hubs for the new wheel studs. Tubing will be in on Monday.

I'm getting it done now !!

Are you attempting to install the engine plates at the so called stock location with the engine mounts? Why?

jbozzelle wrote:Yanked the C4 last night and installed the adapter midplate and Powerglide. Gonna try and get the motor plate setup done this weekend as well as try and fit the headers... If they fit I'll be able to determine the final engine placement and decide if I want to go bigger on the hood scoop, go to a drop k-member or go with k-member spacers... As it is right now my 4.5" cowl hood doesn't fit with an 850 Holley and a 1" spacer on top of a Victor.

Need to trim the trans tunnel opening in the floor so I can get to all of the trans bolts. Once I do that I'll be able to completely remove/service the trans from inside the car.

Also have some 1.25" tubing that should be here next week so I can continue with the cage.

You know you have to add bars when you remove the floor pan.. right? A welded to the floor pan 10 point cage goes 8:50..


Of the two times in two years I had to pull my C-4 trans out.. Once was my fault for leaving in Drive Lol.. And a second time was torque converter failure. How many times you expect to pull out that Chebbie Tranny!

John I don't use .124 any more find sometimes when you bend it, it has a tendency to get thin in the bends it has to spec min .118 or you get to change it out... I was at a race here a few years back and this guy came in witha beautiful 64 tube chassis thunderbolt clone he just got it from the chassis shop... took it for spec and they sent him home cuz a few spots were .117/ .118


Les give it a beak on the Glide. I know of a couple times you had to pull the engine cuz someone didn't break the cam in right..... or to cheap to buy a roller....... it is fact a Glide is quicker than a c-4 and one less gear to have to shift. and possibly miss....


Randy

C4 removals for breakage in 2008 = 2

Glide removals in 2009 = 0

Randy, All of the 1.25 will be straight pieces of the cage (subframe kicker bars, x-brace the doors, trans tunnel lower frame, etc...). I went 1.625 on the important stuff. My only concern would be the hoop and a-pillar bars. They are bent from .120 DOM, but it's from Duffy, so I think it'll be OK. Alot of the other stuff is .134 I had left over from the other cage and what I picked up from a friend of mine. He had 2 complete cage kits he never used for larger Mopars. I gave him $50 for all it. It's saved me a ton of cash so far...

Les, the cage will cert to 8.50 no problem. I've got he block in there on the factory stands and swap mounts just to mock up the block, midplate and trans. Once I get the motor plate on today I'm going to stick the heads on, remove the swap mounts (and maybe cut off the frame stands), stick the headers in and move it around the where it needs to go. I'm going to try and get it as low and back in the chassis as I can all while having enough ground clearance for the headers...

And, I'm switching to the glide for easier converter selection, tamer launch and ease of replacement if I break one at the track (I can swap one from a friends Chevy in there to finish the race if needed). Talking to Damon, richter, Coug, the Sherry's and others about it convined me. They noticed their cars became more predictable and consistent once they chucked the C4/C6 and switched to a glide. And ET didn't suffer either...

I'll try and get some pics up later tonight of the progress.

NHRA is not to check the bends just stright tube.
.120 wall dom should be fine
.134 wall hrew should be fine
.083 wall CM should be fine
Your main door bars have to be 1 5/8 and then the x bar can be 1 1/2
Your kicker bars have to be 1 5/8
your dash bar has to be min of 1 1/4

Did the rule on the kickers change? My rulebook says 1.25"

As far as the X on the doors I thought you can use a 1.625" bar with the other being 1.25" to make it an X since the 1.625" bar by itself meets the rules.

I also unsderstand that if you substituted an X instead of the 1.625 down bar then the X had to be 1.5 minimum.

How does this sound?

John,
If by 'kickers', you mean the bars that go from the main hoop down to the sub-frame connectors or crossmember, then 1 1/4" is the correct minimum size. With you doing only an 8.50 cert, you don't even need the door X bars (good insurance, but not required when the main door bar is 1 5/8"), but again you are correct about the main one being 1 5/8" and the secondary being the 1 1/4" (the passenger side door bar can be 1 1/2" with the 1 1/4", but I like to keep everything symmetrical). Since you are making the tunnel removable, then you do need to have the lower door bar on the driver's side. Also, the minimum wall thickness of 1 1/4" tubing is 0.108" for Mild Steel per the SFI specs, but I am using the 0.120" wall to be safer.

Sorry about that when i said kicker bars i ment lower rocker bar i call it a kicker bar because you all ways kick it getting out that is right on the door bar bars for sfi but on a 8.50 the main bars (A) have to be 1 5/8 and the x bar (E) has to be 1 1/2 and bar (D) your kicker/frame bars can be 1 1/4

On an 8.50 cert, you do not have to have the 'X' brace in the door bars if you make the main door bar out of 1 5/8". If you make the main door bar out of 1 1/2" then you must make an 'X' and use minimum of 1 1/2" for both bars (E) per the rule book, but if you use the 1 5/8" main door bar then you do not have to make an "X" or you can go with smaller tubing than 1 1/2" to make the 'X', but you should make the secondary bars out of a minimum of 1 1/4" to allow for upgrading towards SFI later.

isnt that what i just said. Well im out sorry for tying up your post.

Yep, ya'll are both right

richter69 wrote:C4 removals for breakage in 2008 = 2

Glide removals in 2009 = 0

Exactly my point Jon and Thank You for the Stats..

Why add all of the tubing because of floor removal? Not necessary! IDK? I'm happy with my 2645 lbs of Mustang.. Cage is good for 8.50's..



Laters!

the Coug wrote:John I don't use .124 any more find sometimes when you bend it, it has a tendency to get thin in the bends it has to spec min .118 or you get to change it out... I was at a race here a few years back and this guy came in witha beautiful 64 tube chassis thunderbolt clone he just got it from the chassis shop... took it for spec and they sent him home cuz a few spots were .117/ .118


Les give it a beak on the Glide. I know of a couple times you had to pull the engine cuz someone didn't break the cam in right..... or to cheap to buy a roller....... it is fact a Glide is quicker than a c-4 and one less gear to have to shift. and possibly miss....


Randy

No worries.. The point made was... there is no reason to mod the floor pan! On a side note: If ya wanted to cheat.. Swap in a SN95 Firewall and cover the welds with caulk.. It would go undetected and allow more rearward placement of the engine due to a much larger firewall tunnel for the 4.6 engine..

Later!

Tubing is in. Gonna try and get the headers sorted out this weekend in addition to finishing off the rear of the cage, dash bar, rocker bars, etc...