Build Thread 1978 Fairmont. I bet somebody back home’s thinkin’…I wonder why he don’t write..?

[02 281 GT]

The learning curve for the car now, and the insane application of power at the wrong time almost cost me dearly.

I took the car to work today. It needed gas first, so I took it down the street, filled it, and left out for work. I’m thinking as I start out..

“ I wonder if I’m short shifting this thing, let’s see what happens if I flat foot it to 7 grand and then shift”

Before I tell you what happens when you do that, let’s all just collectively try to guess how fast a car like this might be going at the top of first gear at 7000 rpm...

What do ya think,..40, 50, maybe 60 mph?

Whatever speed that is, at 7000 this thing becomes an animal, the tires literally scream, and the car violently gets out of shape..
I lift...it snaps back the other way,...It’s sliding towards the median, but for having had experience in trying to control a skidding car this whole story would be over now, with the nose of the monster buried into the median of the 4 lane divided highway I tried this out on..Obviously, I didn’t wreck.

But I got the sht scared out of me nonetheless.

This is a weird thing for me, the car is not that fast up to the point where it hits 15 psi, but once it does,...
it’s INSANE!

It was partially my fault..I pulled that stunt in a slight curve in the highway...in other words,...not quite straight.

Because I’m not the type to let a car scare me, I’m also not the type to do something stupid like that twice...The next time I try it, I’m absolutely straight.
My rear tires spin at 60 miles per hour...at 15 psi..( This seems like a recipe for disaster)

The lag is the deceptive part..as the engine comes into power, it goes from “ Ok...this is fun” , to “ OHHH SHHTTT!” In about the time it takes to go one, two, three. If there was the same kinda torque down low like the 250 had, then I might be better able to anticipate it, but this comes outta nowhere. And the 250 mighta made 400 whp maybe...and by the time it was at 6000 rpm, it was done making that power..
I cannot even imagine this car at 20 psi...

but,....

I’m gonna find out.

For those of you that think that a Fairmont is a big car...

Just about any car from that era is tiny compared to the monstrosities of today.

 

[a91what]

Mike I implore you to stop beating on the car, new cams and its finally making power on a tune that by my standards we barely roughed in. I am glad it's making power but I would hate for damage to be done.

I agree its suspension and tire related, I have guys making quadruple digit power on 31 spline axles and as fast as I'm sure it feels it's not making that kind of steam.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

NT555rs for the rear i hope ? Slightly better but take some decent heat to Hook . Way more manageable though and last longer then Mickey Thompson’s

I had to cancel. The tire i ordered was a the nt 555 rsII. Listed as a drag radial, but is actually a road course designed tire.

 

[revhead347]

Not to sound like a d*** so don’t take it that way but I know what the car feels like at his power level . My car has made 580 to the tire or above since 2016. The better tire no matter what will help tremendously no matter what . Sure his alignment is probably driving the car all over on him under power . The 8 year old sumitomos are a hazard at that level .

I've been at 500/680 tire since 2002......so. I've had a bunch of different tires, and run slicks, etc. Running old tires on a car with that much power is not a good idea. If you want to get the most out of the power, there is tires, and other ways to get the power down.

Kurt

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Mike I implore you to stop beating on the car, new cams and its finally making power on a tune that by my standards we barely roughed in. I am glad it's making power but I would hate for damage to be done.

I agree its suspension and tire related, I have guys making quadruple digit power on 31 spline axles and as fast as I'm sure it feels it's not making that kind of steam.

Are you kidding? ...After the near disaster yesterday, after I left from work, the car got driven home and parked.

If it isn’t raining tomorrow, it goes to the alignment shop, then driven back home ( notice the usage of the word “ driven”).

 

[Essn95]

What about Toyo r888r?

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

I've been at 500/680 tire since 2002......so. I've had a bunch of different tires, and run slicks, etc. Running old tires on a car with that much power is not a good idea. If you want to get the most out of the power, there is tires, and other ways to get the power down.

Kurt

What you had done to the rear was done in the last drag car that I built where I anticipated big power. The 86 Mustang had the 95mm turbo, and made over 1000whp.
Since i’ve done all of the floor reinforcement already, and I have decent CA’s, The only “external” difference between the rear you have, and mine is the bracing. everything else inside yours guarantees nothing will break, but shouldn’t make one single bit of difference when it comes to the loss of traction i’m talking about. If anything, A stock T loc would probably give up the ghost, and allow more power to vector to the right tire, and stop spinning the left. the resulting open diff should just allow one tire to blaze then.

I need tires. I’ve always needed tires. I need the dicey front end alignment corrected. Then those tires will stress the Moser 28 spline stuff I have, and I’ll have to upgrade.When I upgrade, ill go to 31 spline stuff, and something from Detroit ( either a Locker, or Trutrac)

Since it’s a 99% street car, and will rarely see a properly prepped traction surface I shouldn’t need more. the braces for me are overkill.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

What about Toyo r888r?

Not in stock

 

[RaggedGT]

Summitomos always made my very anemic Mustang look like a badass with the John force style burnouts it could do from an off idle stab lol
I’ve heard good things about the Michelin Pilot Sport(?) tires, a lot of my corvette buddy’s run em

 

[7991LXnSHO]

Speaking of the stock limited slip diff, I have liked the idea of the Detroit True Trac’s durability. I wonder how much more it would cost than the Eaton style clutch pack ford and GM use if it was a production part. Right now, they are still very proud of the product.

Eaton Truetrac Differential Fits 8.8 Ford With 31 Spline Axles - Strange Engineering

Eaton Truetrac Differential Fits 8.8 Ford With 31 Spline Axles - Strange Engineering

www.strangeengineering.net

I am not seeing instructions on if you need C clip eliminators with 31 spline axles. Now it is running more like the plan, are you likely to be fast/quick enough to need C clip eliminators by track safety rules?

Now the silly thought, did you have Depends on for the first wild ride, or did the leather seat get conditioned? The first ride I took in a car that scraped the rear bumper while lifting the front wheels still had the factory vinyl bench.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Im fixing the alignment problem now

I ended up getting a set of MT drag radials. Whether they'll be here by the weekend, is unlikely.

But..they're coming.

 

[elarm1]

What a beautiful car!

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Here's hoping

Caster was way off. The whole freaking CC plate was loose enough to allow it to move around on its own, Toe was way off..maybe it'll drive nice next time.

 

[90sickfox]

My car was deadly fast at going into boost before tuning from Steve to make it managable. I'm sure the alignment will help a bunch.

Our hunter Hawk Eye will show an image of how the tires are sitting from above with measurements of the track width and wheel base. There are a bunch of cars that are tweaked a little from the factory causing the k members to have to be centered....or rear shifted to bring the numbers in spec. Probably not an issue on the Monster but its cool to see.

 

[95BlueStallion]

I forgot how good the car looks Mike. That side shot prior to alignment just reminded me. Awesome work ol’ buddy. It truly makes me happy to see it driving and hear your excitement for it. It also motivates me to somehow get back to working on mine.

 

[CarMichael Angelo]

Its done, and back home.

Next thing is get that freakin heater bypass configured.

 

[lemosley1973]

I've heard Drag Radials on wet surfaces are no fun. I have no experience, but if you're going to drive long distances to car shows, you're bound to get caught in the rain.

Maybe two sets of wheels - one for road trips, one for your destination. Then you can build a trailer to tow behind

 

[revhead347]

everything else inside yours guarantees nothing will break, but shouldn’t make one single bit of difference when it comes to the loss of traction i’m talking about. If anything, A stock T loc would probably give up the ghost, and allow more power to vector to the right tire, and stop spinning the left. the resulting open diff should just allow one tire to blaze then.

No, I had stock T-loc. Did you have a truetrac in your axle? The difference in traction and how planted the car is with the truetrac is night and day.

Kurt

 

[revhead347]

Speaking of the stock limited slip diff, I have liked the idea of the Detroit True Trac’s durability. I wonder how much more it would cost than the Eaton style clutch pack ford and GM use if it was a production part. Right now, they are still very proud of the product.

Eaton Truetrac Differential Fits 8.8 Ford With 31 Spline Axles - Strange Engineering

Eaton Truetrac Differential Fits 8.8 Ford With 31 Spline Axles - Strange Engineering

www.strangeengineering.net

I am not seeing instructions on if you need C clip eliminators with 31 spline axles. Now it is running more like the plan, are you likely to be fast/quick enough to need C clip eliminators by track safety rules?

Now the silly thought, did you have Depends on for the first wild ride, or did the leather seat get conditioned? The first ride I took in a car that scraped the rear bumper while lifting the front wheels still had the factory vinyl bench.

That's what I have now, but for 33 spline axles. You can't use C-clips, so you need an eliminator kit, or a bolt on housing end. As I was telling Mike, the traction difference between this and the stock clutch pack design is night and day.

Kurt

 

[droopie85gt]

Im fixing the alignment problem now

I ended up getting a set of MT drag radials. Whether they'll be here by the weekend, is unlikely.

But..they're coming.

Well, it's no Falcon....but that's damn nice looking Mike. You've had it in the Lair so long with just pictures of stuff in and under the car, I forgot what it looks like.

Since you're getting new ground grippers, it's time for video of sacrificing the Sumo's to the tire recycling bin.