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1968 Mustang Time Attack Racer

183K views 565 replies 84 participants last post by  Caper50 
#1 · (Edited)
Hi folks, I'm in the process of building a 1968 coupe to compete in Time Attack events at Castrol Raceway in Alberta, Canada this summer and I thought some of you would be interested in following the build. Thanks, I look forward to your comments!
 
#3 ·
It was a California car that the previous owner had brought up to Canada a few years ago. Pretty basic specs:

Plant: San Jose, CA
Date: September 1967
Engine: 289 2v V8
Body: 2 Door Hardtop, Standard Interior
Color: Sunlit Gold Metallic
Trim: Nugget Gold Crinkle Vinyl / Nugget Gold Kiwi Vinyl
Axle: 2.79:1, Conventional
Trans: 3-Speed Manual



 
#4 ·
Over the long Calgary winter I cleaned her up as best I could. She wasn’t pretty but by the time the snow had melted I’d finished the basics to get it back on the road. New shocks with stiffer springs front and rear, lights all working, and registered in Alberta.

And this is when my project took a crazy turn. I decided to race it.

 
#7 ·
At the end of the second day we were given some solo practice time on the track. I still remember the feeling of it, just me and the open track, the summer air and the beautiful sound of that old V8 rushing through the windows.

And I was getting the hang of it - hitting the apex…

 
#8 ·
I signed up for the 2011 Calgary Sports Car Club Time Attack race series and had a 6-point roll bar welded in before the first event. I also had a local shop install long-tube Hooker headers and a Flowmaster exhaust to get some more power from the stock 289 V8. Loved the headers and the exhaust but got ripped off by the garage who did the work - I was so pissed I decided to do everything I could myself from then on.

 
#9 ·
Time Attack is a great racing format for all types of cars. We had about 25 cars running in 3 different run groups. Each track session is 20 minutes and the goal is to log your fastest lap while competing against similarly classed cars. We ran sessions all day long which meant that we had roughly 2 hours of track time at each event.

Here's my 68 Mustang at my first Time Attack event at Race City Speedway in Calgary. You'll notice that I'm racing on replica Firestone Wide Ovals - they didn't last long on the track!



 
#11 ·
After destroying the replica Firestone Wide Ovals at the first track session I raced a couple of events on Cooper Cobra radials but they were hopeless on the track. I couldn’t find any 15” performance tires with the sidewall height I was looking for until I found that Hoosier made 15” vintage race tires in the sizes originally used on the racing Mustangs in 1967-68 - they’re great looking period-correct race tires. I had them mounted on lightweight Bassett steel wheels, 7” width on the front, 8” rear.

The soft compound Hoosier racing tires (#44286 front/44306 rear) made a massive difference on the track - I couldn’t believe how much grip I had going into the corners and I dropped over two seconds from my previous lap times.



This is how I drove to the track - the rear race tires and my tools were in the trunk and the front tires filled up the passenger side.

 
#17 · (Edited)
I competed in eight Time Attack events that summer and loved every minute of it. I learned more and more about the car and how to drive it fast and met lots of great people. I had found my passion.

Sadly, our last event also marked the last day of Race City Speedway. The city of Calgary had slated the track for demolition to extend a landfill site.

It was the end of the summer and as we put in our final laps of the day a demolition crew was already ripping apart the stands.





 
#19 ·
In the summer of 2013 I decided to rebuild the Mustang. After the closure of the race track it had sat unused for almost two years and I was now determined to get it out racing again at another track.

I stripped the car down and found a local bodywork and paint specialist who agreed to work on the car in my garage on weekends. The Mustang was free of major rust but it had received damage on the right rear quarter and the front.

 
#24 ·
To prepare the car for the installation of sub-frame connectors and traction bars, I had to have it sitting at the correct ride height. I installed lowering blocks on the rear leaf springs and cut the front springs several times until it was sitting close to the way I wanted it.



I purchased Global West tubular subframe connectors and early Shelby style traction bars. Both the subframe connectors and traction bars were tacked in place when the car was on the ground and then the car was raised on stands for final welding.

 
#25 ·
By February 2014 the bodywork was complete and the Mustang was finally ready for paint. I had put up a full-size car shelter inside my garage to keep the dust down as the body was being sanded - it worked so well that Jason decided to shoot the primer in the garage instead of transporting the car to a paint booth.



 
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