Explain how these frame rails have been “compromised”This car is dangerous.
It has nothing to do with it having a Mustang II front suspension, in fact, I'm a huge fan of the MII IFS, I've had three of them, including the one in my current Mustang II in my driveway.
What's dangerous about this car is all of the ways those front frame rails have been compromised.
This car has been destroyed.
To start with, they were engineered to rest on top of the front k-member, which would itself bear the weight of the engine directly. This has been undone.Explain how these frame rails have been “compromised”
Well said, with tact, and not a hint of insult. Who knew that was possible?To start with, they were engineered to rest on top of the front k-member, which would itself bear the weight of the engine directly. This has been undone.
They were also never designed to have the bulk of the weight of the car directly on them, as that load was originally spread through the entire front end of the car via the strut towers. Having the MII IFS welded to them, with the load not spread out nearly far enough, has changed that.
Then there's the plates of steel welded to the insides of the frame rail in an attempt to address the above, all that this has done is make the frame rails, designed to crumple in a frontal collision, very rigid, and while it's probably made them stronger, the heat cycling from the welding combined with the stiffness of the plate has resulted in it being more "glass hard" than anything. It's like the difference between impact sockets and chrome sockets; a chrome socket is much harder, but will break when used on an impact wrench repeatedly. You want a frame that's more like the impact socket and will absorb the blow in the case of a crash.
Then there's the notches for the control arms. Those are incorrectly done and have left the frame weakened in a vital, and now load-bearing area. A good bump is going to start causing that area to want to flex, but again, due to the rigidity of the material used and the heat exposure to the original material, it won't, it'll likely just crack. Also, due to the location and depth of those notches, you should be even more worried about the possibility of a frontal collison, because if that area does give quickly, the engine will now go up and back instead of straight back into the firewall.
Then there's that rectangular hole where the frame meets the floorboard, that's a horrible spot to have a weakness like that.
There are further concerns I'd have if I saw more, but I can't see enough from the pictures to go into detail about them, they'd be conjecture.
Another, non-stuctural concern is how the car will drive with it's center of gravity so fundamentally altered. The beauty of the factory MacPherson strut system is that it put the car's center of gravity unbelieveably low for a car the size of a Mustang. By putting the engine entirely above the front suspension, you've hurt that dramatically.
Also, how are your tie rod ends going to have room for travel without cutting more frame?
I'm not trying to hurt your feelings, I just repair cars for a living and I'm seeing all of the red flags that your rose-colored glasses are rendering invisible.
unless there is some reason that car should stay in your life, your fathers friend has doomed it to JY status. If you arent a consummate welder, the whole deal will be best left to die in some field behind some shed.
Taking a donor car, and going through the process of cutting off that snout, then replacing it on the future dead car would have me wondering why?
A 460 would’ve fit the engine bay in its stock configuration w/o needing anything other than mounts and headers. ( And those are already made by somebody else) let alone a 351w which would’ve literally dropped right into the stock mounts.
The work in those pics just screams “ I don’t know what I’m doing” ..any competent chassis guy would’ve advised your father he didn’t need to do any of that. And... even if he was putting in some obscenely huge mis-matched combo ( like 426 hemi) and needed the additional room that the factory strut towers interfered with, a competent chassis guy would’ve jut notched the strut towers to clear.
In its present state, there is no place for any of the sheetemetal to mount back to. There is already ride height issues, and it’s just one big pain in the ass waiting to get bigger. Who knows what kind of bump steer issues you have, and looking at the whole fab would have me terrified to drive it past a slow roll.
I wouldn’t bother buying a donor car. I’d buy another car, and donate the one you have to the shredder.
And to think..I was the sole early nay-sayer here, labeled as a negative grouch because I was telling him that the car was a mess.Well said, with tact, and not a hint of insult. Who knew that was possible?
Never questioned your expertise nor that of others who have echoed your advice. Quite the contrary. The key word in my original post being "insult".And to think..I was the sole early nay-sayer here, labeled as a negative grouch because I was telling him that the car was a mess.
( I mean, what do I know,.. I've only built 7 drag cars in the last 20 years, two of which were certified to 25-2 back then)
Maybe now that there are 4 people telling him to throw away the bad design, and put back what was cut away he'll listen, and change the title to something different other than "Nyah-Nyah, I'm doin it anyway"
It's your delivery Mike, it's a little, well, ruff.
More stuff like this is what id truly like to see! Looks awesome, everybody can tell me what im doing wrong fellas. Can anyone in this thread other then 5 of 6 people help out. Heavens the amount of “ ur doing this wrong “ i blah blah blah this and man your some 20 year old kid just throw it away. Is that helping me get it moving on its own? I think not. But a post like this shared by this fine gentlemen surely help shed a glimpse of hope that hey this option isnt impossible either. When i had brought up the front clip option the only replies i had were “endless project” “youll never finish it “ “money pit” “ive seen it before just throw it away “ anyway again help or dont reply i appreciate all the people sharing information im able to use to drive the car again.Been reading this and since 02 281 GT mentioned it, here's a couple pictures of a front clip replacement I did on my '84.
Found a '91 with a good front end and cut it off right next to the firewall
Here's the '84 pretty much ready for the new clip
Welded up and epoxy primed
Truthfully, it really wasn't too bad. IF you ever decide to go this route, it will be harder to do as I kept the first extension from the firewall and yours is gone. Basically measure, measure again, test fit the front fenders and such, then weld it up. Everything lined up just like from factory.
Oh, this is what I started with...much much worse than you can see in the picture. It was actually a fun project and I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.
Mike you were apart of the two or three telling me to ditch the car not swap the front clips........And to think..I was the sole early nay-sayer here, labeled as a negative grouch because I was telling him that the car was a mess.
( I mean, what do I know,.. I've only built 7 drag cars in the last 20 years, two of which were certified to 25-2 back then)
Maybe now that there are 4 people telling him to throw away the bad design, and put back what was cut away he'll listen, and change the title to something different other than "Nyah-Nyah, I'm doin it anyway"
More stuff like this is what id truly like to see! Looks awesome, everybody can tell me what im doing wrong fellas. Can anyone in this thread other then 5 of 6 people help out. Heavens the amount of “ ur doing this wrong “ i blah blah blah this and man your some 20 year old kid just throw it away. Is that helping me get it moving on its own? I think not. But a post like this shared by this fine gentlemen surely help shed a glimpse of hope that hey this option isnt impossible either. When i had brought up the front clip option the only replies i had were “endless project” “youll never finish it “ “money pit” “ive seen it before just throw it away “ anyway again help or dont reply i appreciate all the people sharing information im able to use to drive the car again.
You think that I think that I’m being cordial, and you have to tell me I sound like a prick?It's your delivery Mike, it's a little, well, ruff.