Tom400CFI

Today, I brought my C-beam to work to make up some "beam plates". I don't want my rear to "move to the right", when I shift! In reality, I wanted better clamping and also the ease of not needing wrenches to take the beam bolts in and out. I used the beam ends as a pattern, fired up the plasma cutter and cut these out;




Then I assembled and tacked the nuts in place.







Then I started assembling the rear, with the diff, beam and drive shaft.







Here is a view of the bottom, looking up at my lower "beam plate".



That's about it for tonight...but here is a question: Can anyone tell my why the top of the C-beam is covered with a tin-foil, insulation looking product? The exhaust is below the c-beam...WTF were they trying to 'shield' the beam from? Or from the beam??


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Raidmagic

That's funny, I was going to ask you why you had that on there. I've taken apart at least 5 of these cars and never have seen that on a C beam.

VikingTrad3r

on the foil, the top of my c beam in the 86 has that foil/insulation/foil sandwich stuff.

my 85 and 87 dont have it. and dont have anybsign like the ever had it.

my 86 has the d44 and others were autos. does that have anything to do with it?

Silver85

You found my hat!

Bad joke.....sorry. Cool thread though! Very jealous of this project and your fab skills.

MatthewMiller

My ZF6-equipped 96 doesn't have that foil. I wonder if it was for vibration damping of some annoying sound that was only excited by certain combinations of engines and transmissions (like, L98-equipped manual-trans apps only)?

Tom400CFI

The plot thickens. My '92 LT1/ZF6 has the foil...and obviously this '89 L98/ZF6 has it.

Sometimes, I wonder if some of this stuff is the result of the build quality of these things. Like the raging arguments in the threads about "cold air" intake of the stock car; seems like some cars have a "gap" to let cold air in....others don't. Some cars have c-beam foil...others don't...even w/in the same sub-gen. The vibration damping theory makes more sense than heat reflection, since the foil is on the wrong side for heat...and who cares how hot the C-beam gets anyways?

OTOH, there is a little mass chunk bolted to the C-beam that must be for vibe damping, already.


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Raidmagic

All the cars I've taken apart have been autos, maybe the manual thing has something to do with it.

Tom400CFI

I finally had a day where I could make some headway with the car. My goal was to get it back on the ground and drivable. To do that, I had to:
*Install both rear "knee" assemblies (1/2 shafts, knuckle, trailing arms etc)
*"T" the front brake lines together now that the ABS valve block is gone
*Tq the C-beam bolts
*Align the rear
*Install new spring bolts and set the ride height.
*Install new seat belt bolts to affix the new belts (lap part only so far)

I think that's most of it. I wanted to have it drivable this weekend though, take some pics and vids, and have it be mobile. That goal was accomplished....for about 1/2 hour...then I started tearing it apart again!

Here's how things progressed. Right "knee" in, left ready to go in.





Below is most of the suspension installed and I'm starting to align. To do this, I left the spring out and jacked each side until the axle shaft was about level, then took my measurements with the suspension in that position -the position I want it to be in when sitting at rest. Additionally, I tightened all rear bushings while the suspension was in this position, so that the bushings wouldn't influence the ride hight or be "torqued" during normal operation. Anyway, I started by using a level to check how level the actual car is. It was pretty close but the bubble was a little to the right; the car was jack-standed very slightly lower on the left. Ideally, my camber measurement should be the same bubble reading, to end up with a tire that is straight up and down on the road. So that is what I tried to accomplish. In this pic, I've got the left side jacked to get the shaft level, and I'm checking the car.





I used the rotor as my "plane" to make my measurements.




Good enough...




Next I checked toe, using a long piece of strap steel. I snugged that up against the rotor, then looked at how it aligned with the rocker rail. In this over exposed, grainy pic, it's pretty straight.




After doing the same procedure to the other side, I installed the spring then made up some new "lowering bolts" out of grade 8, threaded rod. Then the brake "T" went in, tires went on, and finally, the car went back down on the ground! NOTE: These pics are showing the status of the car now....NOT a "done" product. It's not done...not even close. But here is what it's looking like today...

Tom400CFI

Well, since it's been on stands for so long, I had to take it for another rip on my extensive network of driveways. A car-guy bud of mine was visiting with his '16 Mustang 5.0 (more on the Mustang later!). He and I went to a relatively remote area of my property to do a little "testing". He had never tried the line-lock feature in his car so he wanted to fool around with his rig too. Anyway, here is the 'Kart next to the 'Stang as we chatted about what we were going to do...







I decided that I was going to try a little brake stand action, into a burn out. I wanted to make a little smoke...and I hoped that the burn out would last more than 50'...so I thought I'd try 2nd gear. Wasn't sure if the engine would PULL 2nd gear since it's a stock TPI and I'm at 7000'...but I tried it anyway. What do you guys think? Did 2nd gear work?



Now THAT's a burn out! Oh heck yeah! 250 hp (probably about 190 at my elevation) isn't terrible when you shed ~1000 lbs of weight from a car! Guys....I LOVE IT! The thing is so freakin' AWESOME!

VikingTrad3r

booyah Tom. Looking great.

The lowering bolts, did you cinch two nuts togeter on the top? use a nylon locknut? re-use the bushing?

use a nylock nut on the bottom?


im asking as im about to do mine and up north of you in alberta i was quoted $110 EACH for two bolts so ill be going the threaded rod route.

cheers. VT

Tom400CFI

Same here. I thought I could get some cheap (cheaper than Eklers etc) from my consumables guy at work...but he gave me the same quote; about $100 each.

I haven't finished the bolts b/c I'm still roughing in the ride height, but I'll weld a nut at the top, then double nut it at the bottom. I'm sure a nylock would work fine down below, too. I also feel that plain threaded rod would be strong enough...I got grade 8 b/c I could and it was free.

Tom400CFI

Car-guy etiquette says I should keep this to myself...but Mustang vs. 'Vettes says I need to post this!

My car-guy bud has this 2016 'Stang that he's hopped up a little; Massive CAI, 90mm TB, exhaust, and a tune. IDK what that adds up to; I say not much...he's claimed 500 hp. Whatever the modded number is, it's over 400 horse. Here was his burn out effort....




I don't know...maybe something wasn't "set" right? Maybe something wasn't turned all the way off? Or all the way on? But man...this is why I hate modern cars. You want to do a burn out? Do this f'n PROCEDURE to "Prepare for burn out!" By the time you get the damn car properly prepped to hoon, maybe ya just don't want to anymore? The moment has passed. OR....maybe you do all that prep work and your 3800 lb car w/400+hp just won't do it. It was pretty disappointing nevertheless and it reminded me of similar results that I got from my C6 when I first bought it. Lame.

VikingTrad3r

LOL!!!!!

poor Ken!

thats a beauty red C4 in your garage btw.

thnx for info on bolts.

Tom400CFI

After our Hoonage, we went back to the garage, and I knew that my priority list had already changed. I was supposed to get the headlights/tail lights on next, but when I set the rear where I want it, the front is WAY too high. The car looks like a boat on 1/2 plane. So I had to get that fixed pronto. So back up on jack stands with the front of the car and I started pulling the front spring, so I can "fix" that. I guess most would use a coil-over conversion to get the ride height they want. I'm not "into" the coil over philosophy, nor do I want to spend the money. I'm going to try something different...









This next pic shows where I'm headed; I want to put the A-arm on top of the spring, and connect it with a bolt...similar to how the rear is done. It's virtually free, and I'll have my adjustability.




Anyway...all of the above is my day, today. Pretty rad, I think. I'm totally pumped about this project, at this point!

Tom400CFI

Anytime! The red one is my DD in the summer and while it looks sharp, it isn't a garage queen...but it's been an awesome car, totally exceeding my expectations since the very first time I drove it.

car addict

Mad skills. And a large chunk of initiative.

Patsgarage

Awesome work ! I could live there.

Raidmagic

First off, damn, I can't believe you put that on You Tube. "Ken's Mustang Burn Out" actually made me laugh out loud. Second I'm intrigued by the spring under the control arm idea. How are you going to drill the spring to keep it from cracking?

Tom400CFI

1/2 of me thinks it was some setting in the car that wasn't right. You know...it's a video game now days.

The other 1/2 thinks; 5.0L, heavy car, high elevation, tight converter...can't do a burn out. IDK. He tried several times...and some of the times, the engine sounded like it might go ...but then it would sag and bog.

Like I said, I had a similar experience w/my C6 when I first bought it. A really good car-guy bud of mine kept bugging me to do a burn out...I finally relented. I put the car into "competition mode", which was the most "wild and crazy" mode that I was aware of, and in front of his house on flat ground, I brought it up to about 3k, came off the clutch and hammered the throttle. The tires "Cha-cha-cha-cha'ed" for about 2 seconds, and maybe 30 feet? Then the off the car went with no drama (and no excitement, either). I was crushed...and I knew I was "in for it", from my friend. I didn't have to wait long. In about 15 seconds, my cell rang. I answered it and got, "DUDE......What...the ***....was THAT?" It was pathetic, is what it was. A 400 hp 'Vette and that was what it could do? Like I said, I was pretty deflated. Later, I learned about the "hold for 10 second/everything all OFF" mode...and then of course the car could do a real burn out (or wheel hop itself to death).




I'm not sure on the spring. I think a hole saw is the best way to go about it, then coat the ID of the hole and the edges w/epoxy resin.



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pologreen1

A stock fox body was 5 times the fun. Sloppy, slippery, and scary at top speed. A modded fox is the perfect street beater. Feel pretty much everything and hear everything.

I'm sold on never buying a newer sports car. If I ever buy another or sell this one, ac cobras or gen 1 -2 vipers is it.