Guys,

I know this has been hashed over before, but over the last several months I have aquired more than enough equipment etc to make this a reality. Not to mention having done it to my own car and seeing the great results have solidified that a project/product like this would be more than feasible.

I have been for the last month or so setting up to sell the rear suspension that my father car is running. I have a lot of interest in that and will be wrapping up that project to where its just a matter of producing them thru jigs/templets etc that we have built which doesn't take much effort other than time cutting and welding.

With that project/product well on its way I am looking outward at this solid rear project as something that is very feasible and could be of great interest. I am not going to go into details here of how it will be done, but I will be using my fathers 86 as a base to mock up a setup that will be used as the master templet the rest can be built from. Again having already done mine (different than the bolt in) has giving me a good handle on what needs to be done.

The setup will be completely bolt in, and will only requir a few holes being drilled - nothing that anyone would see anyways.

But the setup would be a 12bolt Moser rear end, 4link, wishbone, coil-over, and brake brackets. And naturally a transmision mount (again don't ask cause I am not telling till it becomes available.)

Anyways, there is the prelude into what I am going to be working on. What is the depth of interest in such a product.....I am guessing it will be offered at a price of ~3500-4500 with the above mentioned equipment.

Comparing to what the D44 are going for and the few that are still out there - that is only about 1500 more than a used D44 with unsaid more strength. The Moser aftermarket setup is brutally strong and that is with 33spline axles, gears, spool/posi (your choice) and big ford bearing ends for added safety and performance.

I would like all interested to chime in. Again I am guaging interest - so I would like to know who would be DEFINATELY interested, who would be sorta interested......I will try to set up a poll, but never did that before........

Thanks for your input,,its appreciated.

 

Sign me up.

 

Jes,
Is it possible to retain the stock brakes w/abs like the F-bodys do with the Moser rears? When you did yours you cut up the rear floor pretty good, will this kit be the same?

My auto conversion helped so far, I made 7 runs till I broke a 1/2 shaft, I bought stronger aftermarket ones but won't run the car till the next Challenge. I'm still having a hard time thinking of cutting the car up more than I already have. I can still put it bact to stock pretty much but where's the fun in that.

 

No you will loose the abs for all intense purposes, but it will be transparet in terms of the install. You can keep the brakes and all lines, but you will not have the ABS. Ask yourself how often you really use them. My car now I switched to manual brakes, due to low vacuum and they are not better than they were stock - wish I would have done that YEARS ago. Hated the brakes in these cars.

And NO, the floor will not be bothered. My rear the way its setup is about 3" away from the floor and ever touches. The reason I had to cut my floor was because I wanted to have the option of running MUCH wider tires down the road if I wanted to. So my 4 link bars and shocks were moved inward considerably.

And yes, you should be able to unbolt the proposed solid rear and put the car back to stock with only a few drilled holes (unseen from bystanders) remaining. If you did not know they were there, chances are you would not even notice them.

Rich, yes the autos will help a little, but as you have seen - things still have their limit. Eventually you will get the "big" boom. I narrowly escaped having that happen and cut my losses when I broke both rear spindle at the same time.

 

I know of someone right now who would be intersted provided he could order it. One other place not too far from you who sells something similar but insists on doing the in$tall.

 

I am interested in doing this to our C3 but cost is a consideration.

DG

 

Sign me up

 

I've got 3K tied up in my indy and it still breaks stuff all the time. I'd buy one.

 

I'd much rather spend the coin on solid than the D44 conversion.
Build the kits and I'm in.
John

 

Ok guys thanks so far for the feedback....seems there is sufficient interest in the project. Some might be worried about handling etc, but my car feels more solid now than ever before. I live in a very mountainous and curvy road area where there are not more than 100 ft sections of straight road. I have hammered on mine pretty good through the curves and the car feels awesome.

As for the crossmember, I will need some more input from you guys. Especially those with modified exhausts. I would like to see some photos from along side the car, taken parrallel to the floor of the car so I can see how far down below the bottom some of these exhaust are. Mine is probably a worst case scenerio - because of the duel 3" mandrel exhaust that sticks down about 2" below the bottom of the car. That is the challenge with the crossmember. I am seeking the help/assistance from a fabricating professional for this area.

Can some of you get me some photos of yours.....it would be greatly appreciated. I am sure there are many different scenerios - want to get a variety for reference. Unload the D44 for 2500 and save yourself that money before it goes BOOM and your out that money as well. That was my thoughts.

Thanks and keep the votes coming along with the feedback.

Just imagine the piece of mind putting any mod you want on your car without worries of the rear weak link! Nitrous, turbos, big azz motors, stick or auto will be transparent......simply priceless. And the beauty is you can always go back to stock if you want.

Regards...

 

There is a need for this mod

 

When do you think you would have to ready to go by? I would buy one today if I could. I just reread the first post and have a question for you. I know the rear shock mounts changed at some point in the early years. Will you have two versions of this kit, or how will that be addressed?

 

hhmmm let me guess
Yea I would do it yesterday, new motor will be significantly bigger.
My concerns would be:
to insure center to center wheel base, done with adj. heims or ?? drive shaft (yolks etc.)
Will height adjusting be possible from a coil over, pads on rear w/multiple settings as well as pinion angle? Four bar set up for additional comping or? Cross member, possibly another method aside from a cross moly tube running horizontally under the car.
what do you have in mind? price sounds resonable, does that include all parts coil overs etc. etc.?

 

How about a weld-in option ... one that would duplicate the moved-in location of the links for max tire clearance like you did on yours.

 

Keep the thoughts/votes coming! Thanks

 

I actually do not think that its needed after seeing how well my car hooks up and how consistent it is with the 10.5" tires.

Also i am able to now get a 30" tire under the car.

Most of the cars out there could afford a little more gear, but most guys like me held back on the gearing to try to save D44 parts. No more of that with the solid rear. I am going to be installing 4.56 gears shortly to get my RPM at the end of the track with the 30" tires to where it should be. 4.10s were what I would have needed with the 28 tires, but when I saw the 30s fit, I went with them.

Again keep the thoughts coming.

 

any chance you will sell specific items only like maybe the tranny mount ?

i will be doing my own 9'inch axle swap next year.

 

It's to bad Never Lift sold out.They don't make the 4 link for the c4 anymore and don't want to even talk to you about it.
I have the car creations carrier and the jeb spool and Denny's half shafts.It's been running 10's for 2 years but I still am careful about launching.Let me know how this comes together.

 

I thought Neverlift merged with another company and that they still do the conversions, no?

 

Leo (neverlift) and I spoke about using my car as a guine pig years ago- and they did do a few cars (in house). I just never felt comfortable being the guine pig for the project - and his costs were much higher than I am proposing. ~6500.

I am planning this out pretty heavily now and have plans to start very soon on Dads car with a bolt in setup. One of you more serious guys here will be on my list to get ahold of when the project comes to fruition as the one I mock up off Dads car will be useless to us (he just cruises in his and its stock motor) so we will be selling the one we mock up and I would like to have someone lined up - so shoot me an email if SERIOUSLY interested. We can go from there. I could most likely have something by mid october ready to go.....with his we can build the jigs required for future ones that will make more possible.

Again the serious interest in this project is what I need to know....sound good thus far.

Regards,

Jesse