Build Thread Want To Blow 5 Years And $50k On A Foxbody? Step By Step Instructions Inside!

[RacEoHolic330]

Put on a skim coat of putty. Was able to get the passenger side sanded down.

Shot the strut tower with acrylic primer just to get an idea how smooth it all is. The primer is not a filler primer, and there seem to be very few imperfections. Paint was still drying, so it looks a little wierd.

Should look real good when 4 coats of filler primer are put down on it.

 

[bird_dog0347]

Last update almost a week ago...

 

[MikeH686]

This is gonna be one heavy car lol

 

[RacEoHolic330]

Been working on the engine bay for the past few days. Nothing picture worthy though. I've just been sanding and sanding and sanding. Trying to get it as smooth as possible before I shoot the urethane primer. The corners are the worst to get perfect, and I don't want to rely on the primer to fill in pits. Expect more updates on Sunday after the primer is shot.

 

[bird_dog0347]

Yeah, getting filler perfect with no pits, waves, etc can be a bitch. It is easier on a flat surface but you are right about the corners... Try doing it on motorcycle race fairings that have been down. THAT is a PITA.

 

[RacEoHolic330]

Yea, its rough. I'm not trying to get everything in the engine bay arrow straight, but I do want it to all be as smooth as possible. I probably have about 30 hours of body work into the bay right now. At least another 10 left. That doesn't count the 120+ hours spent on cutting, welding, and grinding prior to any filler work being done. Labor of love I guess!

 

[bird_dog0347]

At least your car will look as good as it will perform!

 

[RacEoHolic330]

I hope so!


Shot the whole bay in a light coat of primer just to get an idea of what imperfections are still lingering. Not many, but I do need to touch up some pits along the inner edges. I'll get that done tomorrow and then on Sunday I can spray the urethane primer.

 

[RacEoHolic330]

Shot the interior with some chassis paint today. Will be topcoating it with Raptor liner later in the week probably.

Car will juuuust about be ready for paint after I primer the front end tomorrow.

Marked up the dings and imperfections as I continued to find them. The body doesn't have anything major, but it does have a decent amount of small dings. My painter will be busy.

 

[gearheadboy]

After a nuclear war there will be three things left: Cockroaches, Twinkies, and your Mustang.

 

[RacEoHolic330]

I laughed out loud at the Twinkie comment. That's funny.

Shot 4 coats of urethane primer today. I have to sand it smooth and then assess how many imperfections are left. I can see a few right now, so I will probably a need to spot putty a couple trouble areas. Other than that, it looks real nice.

I was feeling ambitious after painting the bay, so I decided to shoot the Raptor liner in the interior as well. Came out pretty well. Still have to paint the rollbar and the mess of steel in the back seat and hatch.

There is a good chance I will be able to get the car to the painter either this weekend or next at the latest.

 

[gearheadboy]

It is bad azz but I think you'll regret all the extra metal.

 

[RacEoHolic330]

If you're referring to the weight of that metal, I did consider that but with the power the car will be making, I'm not too worried about the added weight. The IRS and turbo piping is already adding a good amount of weight to the car. This will definitely not be a lightweight. Just wait until I install the sound deadener!

 

[gearheadboy]

Sound deadener with all that bed liner? LOL. It will weigh a LOT!

 

[RacEoHolic330]

The bed liner only added about 10lbs. I could make up that difference on the toilet.

But yea, the sound deadender will be heavy. She will be a pig for sure, but she will be one hell of a fast pig.

 

[hoopty5.0]

That engine could make a bus fast. Weight, schmeight.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

The bed liner only added about 10lbs. I could make up that difference on the toilet.

But yea, the sound deadender will be heavy. She will be a pig for sure, but she will be one hell of a fast pig.

If there was a way to do an A/B comparison between the measures that you're taking to "A" quieten the car vs "B"leaving it alone, or going the traditional way of scraping all of the factory deadener out of it and leaving it out,.....you'll thank yourself every minute you ride in the A mobile. Coming from my "been there and did that" experience w/ my old car, the car actually was a much better riding car with the weight. Not to mention way quieter inside.

I don't have to tell you this however,...you already know it or you wouldn't be doing it. BUT............
You could scrape it all back off, leave it out. The 200-300 lbs all of the steel will make for the traditional 2-3 .10's at a drag strip.

BUT YOU"LL HAVE TO TALK REALLY LOUD ALL THE TIME WHILE YOU GO TO THE CHIROPRACTOR TO RE-ALIGN YOUR SPINE BECAUSE OF THE CONSTANT CHOPPY, WASHBOARD RIDE CHARACTERISTIC OF RIDING IN A FOX BODY MUSTANG.

 

[wht93gtEd]

Wait....a few years ago, actually quite a few years ago, are you the same guy who came to the small gathering we had @ the Wawa on Rt. 37 in TR?
Then we cruised over to Seaside for a while, and back to White Castle....with the then infamous BoostedStang "Joe".

 

[RacEoHolic330]

Yup. I was there. Joe was one hell of a character. That was probably like 5-6 years ago, wasn't it?

 

[RacEoHolic330]

If there was a way to do an A/B comparison between the measures that you're taking to "A" quieten the car vs "B"leaving it alone, or going the traditional way of scraping all of the factory deadener out of it and leaving it out,.....you'll thank yourself every minute you ride in the A mobile. Coming from my "been there and did that" experience w/ my old car, the car actually was a much better riding car with the weight. Not to mention way quieter inside.

I don't have to tell you this however,...you already know it or you wouldn't be doing it. BUT............
You could scrape it all back off, leave it out. The 200-300 lbs all of the steel will make for the traditional 2-3 .10's at a drag strip.

BUT YOU"LL HAVE TO TALK REALLY LOUD ALL THE TIME WHILE YOU GO TO THE CHIROPRACTOR TO RE-ALIGN YOUR SPINE BECAUSE OF THE CONSTANT CHOPPY, WASHBOARD RIDE CHARACTERISTIC OF RIDING IN A FOX BODY MUSTANG.

That's the truth Mike. I'm beyond the 'lightweight' drag car phase. There is always give and take when it comes to these cars. I want a car that handles nice and rides smooth (for a fox). The stupid power from the engine is just an added bonus. The turbo and magnaflows will keep the car sleeperish at cruising speeds and nobody will have any idea what kind of monster is under the hood. I like it that way.

I don't expect this car to ride as nice and be as quiet inside as an S197, and I honestly don't want it to be that refined. There is something about the rawness of a fox that is just awesome. All I'm doing is 'tuning' that rawness to my tastes. If it takes 100lbs of coatings and sound deadening vinyl mat, then so be it. All I know is that it will be a blast to drive around town and through the countryside.