Well, we just moved to CA from SC, and I'm still looking for work. In the mean time, I wrench on! I know as soon as I find a job it will cut my productivity about 95%, so I'm trying to get as much done as possible.
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How is the budget looking?
I updated post #2, and it's already getting tight. I have a few more parts from the 6cyl stuff to sell, and a bunch of dash/gauges for the Bronco, so it will certainly be interesting in the end. I'm sure something will throw me off like expensive p/s lines or something like that.
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1965 Coupe, 351w + T5 -------- 1978 280z, 4.6 SOHC + T45 Build Post (Here on VMF) ---- Build Post (On HybridZ)
Last edited by yellowoctupus; 01-03-2013 at 11:30 AM.
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1995 GT convertible - Laser Red
1995 GT convertible - Black (Son's ride)
1966 GT Fastback under restoration- Code T Red
with White LeMans stripes.
I see that you pulled the rack from a 92 Grans Am. Are you planning to use it for the Mustang? If so, how? I don't believe the Grand Am is a J-body car. Just curious if you already have plans or if you are still in the initial design phase.
Chuck
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Check out Popular Hot Rodding, Aug 2009, Pg 35, upper right corner!
My budget makes a shoe-string budget look like Warren Buffett's personal checking account.
While I don't know the letter codes of the GM's too well, I am planning on using it on this car. (6.125" travel, 25.5" inner tie rod, whole bunch of turns lock to lock...) Still in the 'design stages' though. It will probably be one of the next things I have to look at. Hopefully I'll have an idea of where to mount it this week. I have a spreadsheet that I did all of my bumpsteer calculations with, hopefully they'll be close. I'm going to have to re-do some of my numbers however, as this sounds like a good time to do the 1" drop on the upper control arms. (even found this mod in my 1st Edition 1980 "Mustang" magazine my Dad gave me he had back when he played with ponies...)
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1965 Coupe, 351w + T5 -------- 1978 280z, 4.6 SOHC + T45 Build Post (Here on VMF) ---- Build Post (On HybridZ)
While I don't know the letter codes of the GM's too well, I am planning on using it on this car. (6.125" travel, 25.5" inner tie rod, whole bunch of turns lock to lock...) Still in the 'design stages' though. It will probably be one of the next things I have to look at. Hopefully I'll have an idea of where to mount it this week. I have a spreadsheet that I did all of my bumpsteer calculations with, hopefully they'll be close. I'm going to have to re-do some of my numbers however, as this sounds like a good time to do the 1" drop on the upper control arms. (even found this mod in my 1st Edition 1980 "Mustang" magazine my Dad gave me he had back when he played with ponies...)
Do you know if the rack is front steer (rack sits in front of the spindles) or rear steer? The classic Mustang is a rear steer vehicle, which severely limits what racks you can use. The 82-94 GM J-body vehicles had a unique rear steer rack (which sat on the firewall). It is used by a lot of aftermarket companies to install RnP into classic vehicles and seems the easiest way to go. That's my plan anyway (I have one from a 94 Pontiac Sunbird that I haven't begun the design and measurement phase, yet).
I am also curious about your bump steer spreadsheet. I would love to get a copy of that so I can do the calculations for my RnP idea.
Keep up the progress!
Chuck
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Check out Popular Hot Rodding, Aug 2009, Pg 35, upper right corner!
My budget makes a shoe-string budget look like Warren Buffett's personal checking account.
Tranny-- yes the 3.8 T5 bolts right up. Even used my original flywheel/clutch from the Bronco and it all slid right together. Although, the 3.8 clutch appears identical functionally to the SROD clutch I used, WITH THE EXCEPTION of the fact that the 3.8 pressure plate slides onto alignment pins on the flywheel face. I hear various things about the 3.8 T5 being rated for 300/265ft/lbs, it's just in second gear that you're limited, etc. This is a driver, not a racer so it should hold together just fine. I want to take hills fast, not smoke through the first three gears at every stop light, y'know?
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Do you know if the rack is front steer (rack sits in front of the spindles) or rear steer?
It is rear steer. I went through the junkyard for about four hours one day measuring inner tie rod to inner tie rod and rack total travel only on rear steer applications. I didn't pay any attention to lock to lock rotation (1080° or whatever) which I probably should have, but I'll see what it's like with this one first. I also nabbed the universal joint shaft and associated hardware right up to the steering wheel. (Basically all the innards to a steering column.) The weirdest thing however is the universals aren't clocked in phase with one another! Maybe it's not as big of a deal here because it's not like a driveshaft where you'll set up harmonics from the different front and rear u-joint velocities, however it still seems odd. Why wouldn't they be?
Anyhow, PM me your email for the spreadsheet. I'll see if I can add some notes to the abbreviations and whatnot that I left in the sheet too, otherwise it might not be too user friendly. Right now, I probably shouldn't call it a bump steer sheet but an Inner Tie rod placement sheet, as all it does is tell you your vertical dimension of where to put your rack based on your suspension geometry and rack width t/r to t/r based on instantaneous center.
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1965 Coupe, 351w + T5 -------- 1978 280z, 4.6 SOHC + T45 Build Post (Here on VMF) ---- Build Post (On HybridZ)
Last edited by yellowoctupus; 01-07-2013 at 09:31 AM.
Awesome thread so far.
I didn't limit myself to $1000 but my 70 is cheap for what has been done so far.
I am probably going to ride you coat tails on some of the stuff you are doing.
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1970 Mustang coupe.
347 with world products heads, roller cam, roller rockers, Cal custom finned valve covers, performer RPM intake and a holley carb.
Hooker headers, jegs 2.5 exhaust.
C4 trans with a shift kit and PAW converter http://s4.photobucket.com/albums/y12.../70%20mustang/
Has jegs drag star knock offs now..... More to come when i get home!
I just pulled up the rack (for a 92 Pontiac Grand Am) on NAPA's website. I found two different racks. One (#1) looks similar to standard racks. The other (#2) is a J-body rack identical to the one I pulled. If your's is like #2, there is a lot of information available on installing it.
Chuck
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Check out Popular Hot Rodding, Aug 2009, Pg 35, upper right corner!
My budget makes a shoe-string budget look like Warren Buffett's personal checking account.
Mine is like Rack #1. I didn't want to have to buy another draglink and or tie rods, etc (can't use my old I6 parts, as they're different) and that second rack looks like a kind of goofy way of doing it. Might work great, but it just looks like a hackneyed solution.
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1965 Coupe, 351w + T5 -------- 1978 280z, 4.6 SOHC + T45 Build Post (Here on VMF) ---- Build Post (On HybridZ)
Last edited by yellowoctupus; 01-07-2013 at 10:39 PM.
Mine is like Rack #1. I didn't want to have to buy another draglink and or tie rods, etc (can't use my old I6 parts, as they're different) and that second rack looks like a kind of goofy way of doing it. Might work great, but it just looks like a hackneyed solution.
Now I am more intrigued. When you get to it, take lots of pictures and post a thread on its install.
With the second rack, you would create something akin to the drag link (which bolts to the center of the rack). You should be able to reuse the tie rods (I am planning to).
Chuck
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Check out Popular Hot Rodding, Aug 2009, Pg 35, upper right corner!
My budget makes a shoe-string budget look like Warren Buffett's personal checking account.
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