Middle Earth?:rofl:

When things just refuse to work it's more like the bottom of Satan's outhouse pit.

Oh BTW just for you Chris. Remember how we were talking about how you can break a shock without proper overextension support? I snapped my Konis messing around with the axle while on the FDstands, before I got the straps in. Modified a brand new set of Tokicos, I happened to have on the shelf, for my old 1968 AMC AMX. Fit like a glove. I can now add AMC to my list of off brand parts on the car. :biggthumpup:

Gunny's been around since before middle earth. So someplace other than that!

Dang. . . . FDstands. . . . I WILL CUT YOU :lol:

how did they snap? over extended too fast?

The suspension was hanging from the shocks (figured I'd be OK since it was on the stands). I started messing with the driveline angle by jacking the front snout on the axle. With the shocks at full extension they didn't have any give and snapped the shaft on one, bent the shaft on the other. Not one of my smarter moments. :icon_no2:

Better you did it now than at high speed in a corner.

True. But I already knew I needed limiting straps before I drove it any more that way. I thought I could get away with it while on stands, but I was wrong.

Didn't you already get some straps for the suspension? or are these something else entirely?

No I have limiting straps now. I snapped the shocks while I was waiting for them to make my straps. Just a cautionary tale for those that plan to do major work to their rear suspension, make sure that your shocks are NOT the limiters under extension (or compression either).

you know what other rotary had limiting straps? the 110s cosmo.

Didn't know that. Love those cars.

Awesome man good work!

Thanks mystery. It has kept me, umm... amused?, trying things.

needs a bigger turbo

What turbo? It's NA you lout. :) I have plans eventually, we'll have to see what's viable when I get to that point.

okay so then you need to put a turbo on it. Then immediately remove that turbo, and install a bigger turbo.

Uhh.. No. I'm not a rich dude like you California types.

Pssh, I grew up in Cleveland. Our turbos came off garbage trucks that took too long loading up in our "hood"

But you're moving to California with all the rest of the rich hipsters.

Going turbo involves ECU and fuel upgrades that I just can't afford right now. I'm trying to get the brakes, suspension, and tires upgraded to take more power. Then I'll be installing a cage and doing chassis reinforcement. Only after the chassis is where I want it, will I start upgrading the fuel system and get a good stand alone ECU, the exhaust is already done other than tweaking it. Then the engine insanity can commence. :drool5:

Get a some of the extra horsepowers from Glenn the maniac all of the horsepowers king. He might a some left over on his quest for all of them.

Unfortunately Glenn's horsepowers are GM contaminated. :(

Like your's aren't? Or is that the only brand that isn't used in this build?

Nope, no Gross Malpractice parts here. Ford, Mopar, Mazda, and aftermarket only.

:rofl: :lol:





:squint:
































:smilielol5:

Progress has been slow. The front suspension is being a real pain. Lots of measuring, fitting, tack into place, and recheck. Pull it all loose, cut it apart, re-measure, re-cut, re-weld, fit, tack, repeat. I do believe it's right this time. I hope anyway as this part is getting tedious.

I had to move the lower A arms in and down again as the tires were a little too far out when the suspension was cycled up and down. It looks like hell at the moment, nothing some grinding and paint can't fix though. I can't go much further until I get the upper A arms and mount them, so I'll be removing the shock towers until I have to go to work for 2-3 months doing the harvest thing. So no progress will be made until I'm done with that.

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5345/9...9b003bd1_n.jpg
kmember by GySgtFrank, on Flickr

DO IT!!!! DO IT NOAW PUSSY BEFORE IT GETS COLD!!!!!

Just got caught up in the thread Gunny..... kickass work so far.... We should chat @ DGRR in 2014.... I'll tell you my idea... but remember there are witnessesd should you attempt to kill me ;)

Can't, have to go to work in a week or two so I can earn enough money to make it to DGRR, well that and car parts.

These are what I'm considering for the upper A arms. The arm itself is detachable and comes in different lengths. The mounting points are slotted and use slugs to move the arm side to side for caster adjustment. The adjusters would be nice to fine tune camber adjustments with large adjustments, and camber rate changes, being made by changing out different length arms.

http://pitstopusa.com/images/M39661887.jpg

http://pitstopusa.com/images/M14590719.jpg

http://pitstopusa.com/images/M14590624.jpg

Then use an adjustable coil-over shock attached at the lower A arm.

Pitstop USA also carries splined, gun drilled, front swaybars in various lengths and diameters so I can fit it into my custom application, since neither the Mustang or FB bars will fit what I have done.

I actually moved the tires inboard about 3/4" further on each side with the intention of using through bolt spacers to mount my current high offset wheels. When I get different wheels I will be able to use something with the mounting surface closer to center of the tire. At least up front.

Needless to say, my inner fenders will have to be... ahem... modified.

Now why would I want to kill you? Hurt you severely if it involves LS's, but not kill you. :)

It may involve LS's :suspect:

But the route I plan to take to radically update the FailBoats lack luster suspension will be vastly different and should allow for 255+ tires at all corners....

Going widebody, 255s wouldn't be any problem. I might be able to get away with 255s up front, but plan to use 245s as they are shorter than any of the 255s I've seen. I have looked at IRS and may do that myself sometime, but for now I just want to get it up and going with the suspension/chassis mods and decent power. When I start breaking the rear I'll revisit that idea I suppose.

... and both strut towers removed. Plasma cutters are the shit. :)

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7313/9...00810a28_n.jpg
strut tower removal by GySgtFrank, on Flickr

Got some measurements from AJ to verify that I had my wheels placed correctly, I did amazingly enough. So I started on clearancing for the tires. I'm going for enough clearance to run 255s if I decide to, better to set that up now than wish I had later.

Cut out most of the passenger side inner wheel well as they definitely hit pretty much everywhere. Also notching the frame rails for clearance. The tires fit without it, but being able to turn them to full lock would be a rather nice luxury. :)

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5334/9...8a3cb849_n.jpg
front suspension by GySgtFrank, on Flickr

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7400/9...25e7914e_n.jpg
open front wheel well by GySgtFrank, on Flickr

I will be putting in a loop to mount the shocks to as well as the upper A arm mounts on a pedestal off the frame rails. The frame rails and loop will be triangulated back to the firewall to add stiffness and support. Need less to say lots of bracing and figuring still to go.

I also need 2 inches more clearance at the top of the wheel arches for suspension movement with the large diameter tires. Need to pull the fenders to modify the basic body structure for that.

I'm trying to get updates posted even though it's not really presentable yet, as I will be disappearing for 2 or 3 months pretty soon to go to work. I won't be able to do much else until we finish up with harvest.

Since we got rained out today, I finished up the passenger side wheel arch and test fitted the wheel and tire. I had to do a little more minor trimming to ensure that the wheel can turn through it's entire radius while under full compression and extension.

Wheel at full compression:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7409/9...bfc0632576.jpg
full jounce by GySgtFrank, on Flickr

You can actually see how I mounted my fancy dancey cold air intake. The stock box is modified and through bolted to the bottom of the structure in front of the tire. I remove the front nose panel to access it. It clears, so it looks like I don't have to redo that part at least.

that car is in insane condition given its age.

nice.

Thanks Mitch. It is just a base model that came with the 12A and 4 speed. The only option it had was A/C. The engine was blown and it was probably destined for the crusher, as so many other 1stgens are, if I hadn't bought it. It has some hail dents, but very little rust. The only rust through it had was where the front of the lower rear axle control arms mount to the body, the normal spot. This is no longer a concern. :)

Bitchin stang bro! :smileysex:


Haha I can't even keep air in my tires

Bite me! Biotch. :)

Well, mine haven't exactly been getting a lot of wear and tear on them lately either. It could be worse, we could own FDs where one set of tires is all you'll ever need. :boxing_smiley:

Awesome build thread- how are you keeping the front end trammed in during the build?

LOL, yeah you get a break on tires but you'll need a damned good set of jack stands that are rated for 24/7 usage!

LOTS and LOTS of measuring and fitting. :lol: Which is why it is taking so long for just a little bit of work. It has been 2 steps forward and 1 step back during this part of the build. Some days more back than forward. :)

:confused: I thought those came as standard equipment on all FDs?


:biggrinjester:

Nice progress, keep it going :) I want to see what this can do when its done.

Thank you for the encouraging words. I'm hoping to be pushing into the one G plus skidpad range for grip (on a reasonable street tire) without it being glaringly obvious what I've done. The RX-7 was pretty good at close to .8 G when they came out. I'm hoping to equal or exceed most of the new high end cars for handling. That and the ability to haul it down from speed quickly.

I have never seen anyone else doing anything quite like this to a first gen. So I'm in uncharted territory as far as I know. My experience with other cars is that the unequal length A arm suspension is markedly superior to the MacPherson Strut suspension in most respects. It also allows me to tuck a really wide tire under there, and contact patch is King (for the most part) when talking handling.

I have read up on what a lot of the folks running first gens in racing have done and what they have found effective. The good part is that they have been used in racing, and winning more often than not, for so long that there is quite a bit of experience out there. Unfortunately, while their insights have been valuable, they are limited by class rules which would preclude anything remotely like what I am doing up front. The rear suspension is a blatant copy of what others have found to work on their track cars. I have merely tried to make it more livable on a street driven car.

I'm kind of itching at the bit myself to find out whether I have been inspired or that I'm a flippin' idiot. Bets could go either way at this point. :)