I think I want a race car.

[Boogerschnot 12]

Ive been tossing around the idea of actually doing something fun with my car besides just cruising on the weekends. Well, now the wife has a 67 fastback 289 A code, very original and in need of a paint job, but in awesome shape, so I figured im ready to have some fun with my car. Im looking at autocross setup or pro-touring type of stuff.

 

I need bigger brakes, and possibly a tighter transmission. The AOD will hold up though, at least I think. Ive got 3.73's in the rear, but will probably blow them up at some point due to me being a cheap skate in the beginning. They are noisy cheap gears.. Someday Ill replace them with something good.

 

Im getting a champion radiator, 3 row with trans cooler to take care of the engine.

 

What else will I need to keep this thing planted..

 

So far:

Grab a track 4.5 leafs, shelby drop and roller perches, along with all new upper/lower a arms from opentracker, and a 1 inch front sway bar.

 

What do you think?

[Boogerschnot 12]

OH, and Im not looking to beat track records.. Just to have some fun at cone smashing events really..

[FrozenMonkey 12]

Looks like a good start to me. Are you looking into SCCA autocross type stuff or just having fun driving like a maniac in "mexico"? If doing SCCA stuff make sure you check out their page and see what things your car must have to run and what mods will put it in what class. You'll need a coolant overflow tank for sure if you don't have one already, along with a proper battery tie down system. And don't forget tires! The best mod you can do for autocross is get a set of tires that grip like mad.

[rwcstang 201]

AutoCross is the way to go, as much as I would like to RR, the nearest track is 3+hrs away...

 

I'd say do it but its pricey, well for what I did...(suspension, brakes, wheels & tires). Im sure you'll be fine thought just lay out a plan thats within your budget.

[69gmachine 15]

I would recommend you just go to the nearest/soonest event and enter. Don't wait for any trick part. You will have fun.

 

I agree with Frozenmonkey that tires will make the biggest difference. You need to find out what they allow in your region. Some regions allow DOT race slicks, while others require a minimum UTQG rating of 200 (real street tires). Get the best tires you can afford, but don't waste your money on tires that aren't allowed in your local class.

 

Let us know how it turns out.

[cphsonic 11]

Good initial plan! But get more control of the front end: definitely add roller spring perches and adjustable strut rods to that. Opentracker or maybe http://www.rosehillperformance.com - it's fantastic value for money. Also stiffer front springs (620-750) and 4 good gas shocks, 1 or 2 way adjustable.

[Boogerschnot 12]

I forgot that I do have the roller perch from rosehill. Thinking about the strut rod though I havent commited to that fully. And gas a just kyb's.

[Powershift 19]

One thing you will need for sure, a BIG pile of disposable cash. LOL

 

Race car builds tend to eat it up like candy, and quickly too!!

[rwcstang 201]

one thing you will need for sure, a big pile of disposable cash. Lol

 

race car builds tend to eat it up like candy, and quickly too!!

 

 

amen!

[69gmachine 15]

Once you start trying to make the car faster, it never ends. Waiting to go racing until you buy a bunch of go fast parts is like waiting to have sex with a beautiful woman until you lose x pounds and can bench press y weight. Just DO it and start having fun. You can add/swap parts as you go along. That's just my .02

[Boogerschnot 12]

Sounds good.. ill get the cooling issue settled with a new radiator and ho for it!

[MustangChuck 16]

While we are on the subject, what about the rear end, especially for autocross or pro-touring?

 

I'll admit that I watched "R U Faster than a Redneck". The thing I saw often was the classic cars would lose traction and spin out, often times ending up in the infield. What can be done to improve the rear handling characteristics of our cars and keep the back of the car BEHIND it?

 

Chuck

[jnet4jt 10]

3 or 4 link if you don't want to spend a fortune. Cost of $1900 and up Depending on the set up. Either is capable of pulling .98 -1.0g on a skid pad. You can also adjust for straight line racing.

[69gmachine 15]

The more powerful your engine, the more finesse it will take to harness it on an autocross course.

 

I didn't watch the show, but to keep the rear planted I would say number 1 is tires. Number 2 is not overpowering it with the throttle, and number 3, get rid of the leaf springs. There are several options for the rear that can be made to work well:

 

a) 3 link,

b) torque arm,

c) truck arm

d) even a 4 link if it has enough articulation (although most don't).

 

The OP stated twice his goal was to have fun. All he needs to do to have fun is have safe working brakes and steering.

 

You can go faster by using any number of aftermarket kits, but one of the first things I would recommend is a better seat with a 4 or 5 point harness. If your butt is flying around it makes it really hard to concentrate.

 

If you're goal is to be competitive, that will require a radical approach requiring modern steering suspension and brakes, and will take you out of the stock classes (at least in SCCA). In my opinion, the stock spindle simply cannot be made to work well enough to compete with a modern car, but don't let that stop you from trying.

[MustangChuck 16]

I, too, am not out to be competitive. Just have as much fun as I can squeeze out of my car. My engine isn't powerful (a lightly modified 94 5.0 with a carb on top). Since I am in the process of rebuilding it (including the entire suspension), I figured now is the time to investigate other options before I invest in pieces.

 

Thanks for the input.

Chuck

[Boogerschnot 12]

I think Ill just stick with the 4.5 leaf mid eyes.. I do have stock lowering blocks from the grande' if I wanted to go lower, but I think that the 3.70 trac lock rear will be fine for me..

[Trav_450R 10]

b) torque arm,

c) truck arm

.

 

Whats the difference between these two?

[69gmachine 15]

A torque arm is a single arm that hard mounts to the bottom center of the rear and goes straight up below the driveshaft and pivots at the front attach point. It can be used as a variation of a 3 link design or with the stock leaf springs. They can range in length anywhere from 50 to 60 inches. Here are some examples:

http://www.totalcostinvolved.com/c/317/rear-suspension

http://www.totalcontrolproducts.com/torquearm.html

 

Truck arms are attached closer to the ends of the rear end and come together like a V below the tail end of the transmission and can use either heim joints or bushings. Typically they are about 53" long. This is the design I have decided on for my car.

http://www.hotrodstohell.net/truckarm/truckarm_index.htm

 

Both will require either a panhard bar or a watts link for lateral location (unless a torque arm is used with leaf springs, but then that defeats the purpose of using a torque arm for increased articulation).

[Jimjific 23]

Here's my thought on racing and upgrades. I think it would be cool to start with your car like it is as a baseline and then as you do the upgrades you will be able to log which things actually improved your time. I made some upgrades already since my car was really not safe to drive, but I hopefully will get involved with the local SCCA and see how I do with a plain Jane 302 C4.

 

Jim

[cphsonic 11]

For the basic rear I would go 5-leaf reverse eye (well, you already went for 4½ so...) and HD shackles & Delrin/POM bushings as a must, and maybe a panhard bar. You want lateral control first of all, so I wouldn't worry about torque arm, multilink etc. with the braking performance and power you have right now. 69's generally don't need a rear swaybar but it doesn't hurt either.

 

Oh, and as I just noticed you have a Trac-Loc plate diff you might also want to put a torsen type diff (Truetrac etc.) on your wish list somewhere down the line. You'll be amazed at the difference out of tight corners (ie. parking lot racing). Like:

http://www.moserengineering.com/differentials/ford-9-inch-rear-31-spline-913a586.html or http://pitstopusa.com/i-5084463-torsen-gleason-ford-9-differential-31-spline.html

Edited June 10, 2013 by cphsonic

[RPM 1,190]

While we are on the subject, what about the rear end, especially for autocross or pro-touring?

 

I'll admit that I watched "R U Faster than a Redneck". The thing I saw often was the classic cars would lose traction and spin out, often times ending up in the infield. What can be done to improve the rear handling characteristics of our cars and keep the back of the car BEHIND it?

 

Chuck

 

Most of the moron American drivers on the redneck show drive too deep into turn one before braking, or brake too hard causing them to miss the turn. It doesn't matter which rear suspension they have, as driving skills usually win.

 

Bob