What does it take to build a '90 LX drag car??

[scheister]

Hey guys, I haven't been over on this board in awhile, so I thought you would know this answer the best.
What does it take modification-wise to build a drag-only car with a '90-ish LX?
Any suggestions as to what you would do with it, and and suggestions from people who have done it would aslo be great.
Just looking for suggestions and ideas before I dive into the project.

Thanks

 

[QUICK91LX]

build a nasty motor w/strong drivetrain, stiffen up the chassis and put a good drag oriented suspension under it and voila! a bad ass mustang drag car. very easy to find all the parts, just whip open any of the stang catalogs out there...most of the places have the stuff you need.

however i will say suspension and chassis is the key. you can run deep into the 13's with a stock 5.0 with the right suspension and tires.

 

[scheister]

What type of supercharger works best with these cars to get it into the 10's. Of course, along with the chassis and suspension, etc.

 

[davs5.0]

Strip everything out of the car that doesn't make it run. Seats, carpet, sound deadener, headliner, etc. If it doesn't make power or make the car go, turn or stop give it the heave ho. Lots of free hp there.

 

[25thmustang]

I would suggest looking into the NMRA at some of their classes. This is a great way to limit how much money you spend, by building to a specific set of rules. It also gives you a chance to compare what you are running to what others run and see if you are going as fast as possible.

If you just want to build an off the shelf race car, you can buy any parts you want, and who knows how fast it can or should go. if you build with a set of rules in front of you wou know what it should run, and have others to compare with.

 

[scheister]

Maybe I didn't specify what I was wanting to do. I really didn't want to get too serious right at first. I just want to have a toy car that I can get into the 10's with stuff like built block, power adder, built rear end, race tranny, suspension, chassis stiffening, sticky tires, and weight reduction(LOTS). Did I cover about everything? I don't want to use this car for anything else but at the drag strip. What do you guys think? What kind of bottom line price would I maybe be looking at--considering I would do most of the work myself.

Thanks
-Scheister-

 

[25thmustang]

The price will be high. In order to have a reliable 10 second car you will definately need all the things you listed and more. Might save some money buying used parts, but then again, they are used!

I say A4, or R block, stroker of your choice, good set of AFR 185s (ported, milled, whatever you like, and works with the rest of the combo), TFS intake, Custom FTI cam, and a Vortech YS trim. Bolt that onto a nice Hanlon Tremec and you have a nice drag car.

 

[89MustangGX]

I would suggest looking into the NMRA at some of their classes. This is a great way to limit how much money you spend, by building to a specific set of rules. It also gives you a chance to compare what you are running to what others run and see if you are going as fast as possible.

If you just want to build an off the shelf race car, you can buy any parts you want, and who knows how fast it can or should go. if you build with a set of rules in front of you wou know what it should run, and have others to compare with.

I agree 100% having done it this way and the other way. I say to pick a class like Real Street and go after it. Even if you never show up at an NMRA event, you can compare with other people, limit your spending to what's needed and what's allowed, and actually have a goal to shoot for. It's alot more challenging than just opening up a catalog and picking the coolest looking parts.

 

[89Notch]

for a 10 second car all you will need is a nice set of heads, stroker or 351, intake, custom cam, and a supercharger and everything that will support it

 

[scheister]

that's all, huh? hehe

I am very unfamiliar with the way that these older stangs work and what they like. So any informational threads pertaining to my project or links to websites would also be helpful.

Thanks for the advise so far.

 

[89Notch]

Any more information? Well we answered your question so I don't know what you want. But heres an example of a 10 second car...

331/347/351/etc AFR 185/205 (depending) heads, some sort of intake, custom cam, 8.5:1 CR, D1/YS/whatever SC or turbo, built automatic, 31 spline axles, gutted car, don't need to gut everything but the basics like A/C, P/S, this and that, 8point roll cage, seat with 5pt harness, driveshaft loop, maybe some sort of "drag race" suspension kit from MM and whalla, there ya go buddy... oh and a set of slicks

 

[strtracer442]

Built rear axle, rear suspension work, rollbar, frame connecters, Gut it, gid rid of everthing that your not gonna use, move battery to trunk, build fire wall .
up grade fuel system to sustain motor output, pick a motor/ trans combo(my choice Bigblock Ford 460/514 and an automatic for consistancy and longevity.)But there's a million combos that will work,blowers,nitrous,turbo, big cubes.

 

[cenok is family]

S-trim w/8# pully,eagle steel crank,h-beam rods,probe main support,custom grind schnider roller cam 600+ lift,108to112 lobe seperation,j&e flat top racing pistons w/floating wrist pins,fly cut. TFS twisted wedge stage1 port.Manley stainless valves,manley nextek springs,manley chrome moly pushrods w/steel retainers and locks,billet 1.6 rockers. Motorsport timing chain,FMS oil pump,canton oil pan,RPM Preformer upper&lower race ported& port matched to the heads. 38# injectors,msd 6al,stock distributor,aeromotive 1000hp fuel system,stock water pump,FMS heavy duty clutch,bbk 1"3/4 long tubes,tremec 3550,3" exhaust w/ 3 chamber flowmasters,FMS 3.73 gears,moser axle's 28 spline,drag launch spring kit front and back, comp.eng. 3 way adjustible in the rear 90/10's on the front,billet pro 5.0 shifter,FMS aluminum drive shaft. Stock CPU,taylor 10.4mm pro race wires,white face dash,all gauages(oil,fuel,boost,tach)are auto meter. compression is 10.5 to 1. Before the blower the car dynoed 375rwhp/[email protected] blower 565rwhp/530rwt@6250 w/10#s of boost.

10.6@132 w/175dry shot Nos. 11.0@125 w/blower. And 11.7 all motor @116 the car weights 3585lb w/ driver 3765lb

there's a 10 sec car. and it doesnt even have a cage, DFI, K-member, a-arms, or upper&lowers on the rear

 

[blown5.0]

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ cold hard cash $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

 

[davs5.0]

My buddy got his 4-eye going 9.9's with a stout 351, holley 750 carb, c-4, slicks, cage, gutted, 3500 stall, gears(not sure which ratio) and about 350 hp NOS kit.

 

[rd]

My buddy got his 4-eye going 9.9's with a stout 351, holley 750 carb, c-4, slicks, cage, gutted, 3500 stall, gears(not sure which ratio) and about 350 hp NOS kit.

Sorta depends on what you want, a car that can run 10's a couple times, or one that can go 10's for several rounds in a 50 car bracket field once a week for a season, in any weather.

You can build a 10 second hand grenade from a stripped Gt with just some weight reduction, a power adder and tires. However, doing it regularly will take some money in the chassis and axle, trans, clutch, etc. Plus at that level, you need a cage, belts, scatter shield, other safety gear, etc.

The cost and complexity of going faster has made me very happy with a high 13 sec car that I don't have to open the hood on at the track.

 

[davs5.0]

Sorta depends on what you want, a car that can run 10's a couple times, or one that can go 10's for several rounds in a 50 car bracket field once a week for a season, in any weather.

You can build a 10 second hand grenade from a stripped Gt with just some weight reduction, a power adder and tires. However, doing it regularly will take some money in the chassis and axle, trans, clutch, etc. Plus at that level, you need a cage, belts, scatter shield, other safety gear, etc.

The cost and complexity of going faster has made me very happy with a high 13 sec car that I don't have to open the hood on at the track.

I agree, I went through a 135 car field to finsih 3rd and my best pass of the day was a 14.04. Never lifted the hood.

I just gave the 9 second car as an example. It definately is heading towards the hand grenade department.