The Official "4-Mod-Fox" progress thread

[SVT32VDOHC]

though if your concerned about weight...the sn dashes are alot heavier...

I could care less how much the car weighs. Everybody on the street tells me my Terminator is heavy. Then I smoke their light weight race car and leave them scratching their heads.

Yeah. I was getting pretty worried. Glad I'm finally rid of it.

The 89 desperately needs a new motor and I've had to wait and put up with the oil consumption for that long. Hopefully I can get back to wrenching in the next few months.

You've still got some winter left to get going on it. Good luck with getting it the way you want it....progress thread coming???

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

I am assembling the front suspension now on the project car. For all who always wonder about the difference between 94-95 and 96-04 front spindles I thought I would take a picture for you. The pic is of a straight edge on top of the 96-04 spindle and the gap you see is the straight edge above the 94-95 spindles. This gap is roughly 8mm. Most know that the 96-04 spindles widen the track width 8mm more than a 94-95 spindle.

I am not sure which spindles I am using. I'm leaning toward the the 96-04 spindles like I did on Hack Job. They will give me more room for wider wheels up front and they will not let the tire rub on the K-frame. The only reasons I thought of running the 94-95's is to keep a 17X9 wheel tucked under the fender as much as possible.

 

[Phatt_daddy]

So what all needs to be done to the sn dash in order for it to fit? Ift looks sweet... And why did you have to weld the panel in that held the steering shaft bearing?

 

[MAC'n89Blckstng]

Because otherwise the sn steering column wont work. There are two u joints in a sn column as apposed to one in a fox so the bearing supports the shaft in the middle of the column.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

Because otherwise the sn steering column wont work. There are two u joints in a sn column as apposed to one in a fox so the bearing supports the shaft in the middle of the column.

He's right. He is doing the same dash swap. Without the bearing plate the shaft would flop around and would have no steering.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

I feel like I've been in slow motion and I don't like that. The truth is, this was a busy weekend with lots of events and the car wasn't one of them. This is what I have accomplished with going in early and staying after work. I wish I had another day to get 6-8 hours in.

ABS with lines installed.

Hydroboost lines hooked up.

Half a coil cut from each spring. I used fox body V8 springs. I hope it's enough because they were still a PITA to install with that PITA internal spring compressor. Lowering springs drop in with NO spring compressor, should forked out the extra $230 bucks.

LH suspension. 96-04 spindles, new Monroe Sensitrac struts, fox body V8 spring with 12 a coil cut.

RH suspension. 96-04 spindles, new Monroe Sensitrac struts, fox body V8 spring with 1/2 a coil cut.

Spring compressor internal use only. This would scratch the crap outta your newly painted stock springs. Of course getting the parts of the tool out of the springs was fun. A big pry bar and a couple large screw drivers helped. Of course the once pretty LCA's are now nicked and scratched up. LOL. But, this isn't a show car. This will be driven around a lot!

Next up, I want to get the hubs cleaned up, get the rotors installed, paint the calipers and install them, then wire this thing up and start it.

 

[fivespeedsteed]

woah i would never want to use that internal compressor. how do you get it out of the spring once its in? dear god that looks like a nightmare.

suspension looks good. keep it up

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

woah i would never want to use that internal compressor. how do you get it out of the spring once its in? dear god that looks like a nightmare.

suspension looks good. keep it up

I know. I don't even want to admit how long it took to get those two hooks out of there. A LONG pry bar one or two LONG Craftsman screwdrivers to pry the coil apart enough to snake them outta there. The bottom one was easier than the top one because it is in the opposite position.

Anybody use a different type of compressor for stock springs. Like I said before, the Steeda Sport Springs on Hack Job, didn't need a compressor. I simply slapped them in and jacked up the LCA.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

Not too sure what to think about the springs. I got the car on the ground with the 17X9 04 Cobra wheels and tires. Front springs are 91 Mustang GT springs with 1/2 coil cut. I can get my whole hand in there sideways with another inch to spare. Same with the rear. The rear is 2003 Mustang V6 springs for now.

Idk why the front and rear is up so high. The motor and trans are in. I know I need to add more weight to the car such as the hood, bumper, cooling, fluids, battery, etc....but I don't think that stuff will weigh all that much. I am 200lbs and when I stood on the front bumper bar it didn't do down to where I want it either. The LCA bolts are NOT tight either, so I know it's not a binding issue.

What to do? Finish the car, get it to full weight and see what happens? I really don't want to pull the springs back out and start cutting til the car is full weight. Is 1/2 a coil not enough? It's way off. I think I'm worrying too much right now. Hack Job had Steeda's and the front was never high, not even close to this. The rear was up high, but came down with weight. The front kinds stayed the same.

Look....

This is what I cut off.

 

[foxmustangman]

That is really weird. Stock springs sit lower than that, but with 1/2 coil cut makes them taller? odd. How light is that engine anyways? haha

 

[1991notchbackLX]

Holy crap Matt! That thing is sitting like Gravedigger right now. I was under the impression that stock 4 cylinder springs sit much lower than v8 springs, there must be a ton of those laying around the yard, right?

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

That is really weird. Stock springs sit lower than that, but with 1/2 coil cut makes them taller? odd. How light is that engine anyways? haha

I know. I think I'm going to just finish the damn thing and see where it ends up. I let it sit on the ground over night to see if it settles any, but I doubt that is gonna work. I will prolly end up buying B springs. Steeds made Hack Job sit nice, but they rode rough.

Holy crap Matt! That thing is sitting like Gravedigger right now. I was under the impression that stock 4 cylinder springs sit much lower than v8 springs, there must be a ton of those laying around the yard, right?

I know, I'm thinking of putting some mud bogger tires on it for the winter. LOL. I do have 4 cyl springs, but the cars are old and they are rusty as can be. Not just surface rust, but rust to the point where I'm afraid they'll snap. I'm kinda pist because I don't want to mess with those things again, but it looks like I'll either have to cut more later on, or fork over 200-250 for springs.

But as I said, lots of weight is missing, the entire exhaust, the cooling, 100% of the interior needs to be added, the windshield, both bumpers ground effects, hood, wiring, tank, gasoline, all other fluids, spare/jack. I'm sure that will weight something. lol

 

[1990Coupe]

I think it will come down some more when you put all the missing stuff on - but for starters isn't the cobra engine a smidge lighter then an iron 5.0? I thought a full coil should have been cut.

04sleeper (i know completely different car) cut a full coil off his cobra and it sits amazing

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

I think it will come down some more when you put all the missing stuff on - but for starters isn't the cobra engine a smidge lighter then an iron 5.0? I thought a full coil should have been cut.

04sleeper (i know completely different car) cut a full coil off his cobra and it sits amazing

I think so too, but it needs to be like 3 inches lower. I've been bouncing around on the front and rear. The front travels up and down nicely, the back is still stiff. I think I'm gonna start assembling stuff, meanwhile wait for some new springs to come in. What was I thinking in the early pages when I was talking about a budget? The word budget has no spot in a sentance when the word Mustang is used. Right guys?

 

[Hawaiian5.0GT]

I agree the words budget and project never go together! Not for me anyway!

 

[fivespeedsteed]

thats really wierd. get it all assembled then try cutting more if its still that high. it will probably really mess your rates up though. that or keep lurking on fleabay for cheap c or b springs

 

[25thmustang]

I can't see it coming down how much it should... Interesting that its both front and rear that sit like that.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

I can't see it coming down how much it should... Interesting that its both front and rear that sit like that.

Me either, however last night working on it, I simply sat on the rocker panel with some of my weight and it came down a lot more than I expected. I think once the interior and exhaust and d/s go on along with wiring, ground effects it will come down some, but not the 2 or 3 inches I'd like it to.

With Steeda Sport Springs, Hack Job sat up the same 29-1/2 inches in the back at first with the and it came down to about 25 after it was finished. I ended up raising the bolt in the upper bolt hole in the Mega Bites to raise it about 3/4". I think I'm gonna get this thing mostly finished and see wear it ends up. AM can ships stuff here in 2 days, so no worries.

UPDATE: I got the dash out this morning so next is to wire up the dash, get it back in, wire the body, the engine, fire it up and go from there. That's next. Stay tuned for more pics and a video of it running within the next month.

 

[fivespeedsteed]

 

[5.0Droptop]

I tried the spring compressor before with no luck..

I took them to work and used heavy metal banding and ratched them down and put the metal clamps on to keep it locked. Then installed them and cut the bands.

If you work around shipping docks you know what a bander is and how it works.