Mob's project thread

[mob]

Ms. Frankie if you would please.

After 4 years my car is not gonna be my daily driver anymore. So I am parting out everything minus drivetrain and body so I can go all out in building a drag car. Not going to sacrifice anything for comfort. If you are looking for a part please send me a pm dont wanna get the thread closed. It is not gonna be quick, itll probably take a year or two but I would like to keep all my progress in this thread. I am not in a hurry to tear it down but I have started so here are a couple pics. And a few pics of the interior how it sits now.

Plans for the future are an older 351 block converted to roller using lifter links. I'll be going carb so all the efi stuff is gonna come out. I will have to decide if I want to go 408 later but it is going to be an option, it will be tore down and taken to a machine shop to be cleaned up at the very least. Big heads, Big intake, and Big carb are going to be a must. It will come out very clean though, I've already started collecting a couple parts, I will post some pics of those later. Thanks for looking!

 

[5.0Droptop]

nice sticker.

 

[NotQuik]

best of luck with everything, how much would you be looking to get for the main harness and a9l?

 

[FrankenStang]

This thread added to http://forums.stangnet.com/761371-official-progress-threads-thread.html

 

[85_SS_302_Coupe]

AWESOME! I love carb project cars.


I'd stick with the flat tappet cam though....with a retrofit you're limited on lift and cam patterns, and if you're going for a stroker with big heads/intake/carb, you'll want a big cam to go with it. Go balls out and get a solid roller!!

 

[mob]

I was considering staying flat tappet to save some cash there. Can you a explain the difference between a hydr. roller and a solid roller? You dont have to get too technical but i wont understand much of it but is a solid roller usable for the flat tappet block? I'll be going custom on the cam, no reason to skimp out on that.

I thought with the lifter links you can go as big as you wanted?

 

[MAC'n89Blckstng]

Hydraulic lifters use oil pressure to keep them pumped up and lifting the valves up, solid is well, solid. No oil pumping them up. With a solid, you can rev much much higher than a hydraulic set up. Why are you going with a carb set up? I don't see the point. I'm just biased to keep the original injected cars injected and the original carbed cars carbed.

 

[mob]

It just makes sense....It's simple, easy to put together, and I dont have to worry about sensors, wires, computer, etc. I've already torn down my engine and rebuilt it and all its ever been is a pain in the ass. I wont be spending days running through the cranks but no starts checklist replacing a ton of parts, or wondering why my car is surging. I'll be able to turn her over and drive it straight down the track not wondering if I am leaving something behind. You may think fuel injected cars should stay fuel injected but in my situation carb is going to be the better easier route. This car is gonna be made strictly for drag racing and like I said I am not going to compromise for comfort. Plus a carb car sounds sooooo much better.

About the cam, does a solid roller work in a flat tappet block? I am kind of confused because 85_ss said to stick with the flat tappet but then said to go solid roller. Am I still going to have to convert the block to use the solid roller? I can still go with a big flat tappet cam as long as I go custom correct?

 

[Cobra912]

I'd go carb too. After spending a billion dollars on keeping my car fuel injected I would say screw it, build me a nasty carbed 408 and call it a day.

 

[mob]

Small little update. Nothing major. I am taking my time cause I am trying to clean all the parts as they come off. Cleaning oil off everything is the biggest pain in the ass. What have you guys had the best luck with for cleaning oil not just dirt and grime, actual oil off parts? I am using degresser but it is still real messy and takes a lot of towels and rubbing. I want something thatll just lift the oil when you spray it and you can just wipe it off.

I probably wont have time tomorrow but hopefully tuesday the heads will come off. Maybe later if I dont finish cleaning everything.

 

[88mouse]

Small little update. Nothing major. I am taking my time cause I am trying to clean all the parts as they come off. Cleaning oil off everything is the biggest pain in the ass. What have you guys had the best luck with for cleaning oil not just dirt and grime, actual oil off parts? I am using degresser but it is still real messy and takes a lot of towels and rubbing. I want something thatll just lift the oil when you spray it and you can just wipe it off.

On aluminum I have found that oven cleaner works best.

 

[mob]

Well I got one of the heads off and started cleaning up more stuff. I already talked to my buddy and hes gonna paint my car for real cheap at his school shop. I already know what color it is but I will s how you guys when I get the paint. Heres just a few updated pics. Oh I also decided I am not going with a 351, I am going to stick with my block, and heads, still going carb, I am planning something crazy though I'll give more details as it comes together, but i will be pushing the block to its limits.

Can someone tell me what this box is in my pass side kick panel? Does it just unplug? I want to pull my harness out to sell it but I cant seem to take this plug out. And isnt the computer under the passenger seat? What other wires do I need to get when selling the harness and computer.

 

[Coast2CoaStang]

What he said >

 

[Darkwriter77]

Unless it was different on some later LATER model Foxes, I was under the impression all of 'em from at least '87 to '90 with premium sound had a pre-amp behind the radio - nothing under the passenger-side seat except maybe an electrical connector for seats with the inflatable lumbar support. FWIW, Frankenstang's interior is out of a '90 and that's where the pre-amp on that car used to be, and ditto for my '89 notch.

That "box" you see in the kickpanel area is, indeed, the computer (ECM).

 

[mob]

So the computer is in the kick panel? So what is the thing that is under my passenger seat? I will get a picture of it tomorrow. Weird. Its a box that looks bigger than the computer in the kick panel, with two decent size plugs going into it.

 

[Foxfan88]

there is a bolt in the ECM plug that you need to loosen before the plug will come out.

 

[Darkwriter77]

So the computer is in the kick panel? So what is the thing that is under my passenger seat? I will get a picture of it tomorrow. Weird. Its a box that looks bigger than the computer in the kick panel, with two decent size plugs going into it.

Yup, that's the computer in the kick panel - same location for pretty much all fuel-injected Foxes (even my '84 has it there).

The box under the seat ... dunno. Pics might help, but I'm 99% sure the premium sound package only had the amp behind the radio ... unless there was a SUPER premium sound package with a second amp in the system...?

 

[90lxcoupe]

unless your planning on working on the car all the time i would stay away from the carb and solid cam.

solid cams are great and make big power, but require more maintnence than a hydraulic cam. As for carbs, good luck if your planing on running pump gas. The quality of pump gas is terrible, so expect to be going through the carb and rebuilding it about once a season.

i was thinking about switching to a carb for the simplicity, but they require alot of work to run smooth consistently. EFI is great, get in the car fire it up and go. My buddy has a malibu, and the car runs great... sometimes. He is always having some kind of issues with the carb

 

[S&B]

are you keeping the interior?

let me know.

It is an amp under your pass seat

 

[mob]

Not gonna let anyone talk me out of a carb.

S&B I am selling my rear seats, they are in good condition wrapped in vinyl let me know if you want them I have pics.