mark21742

I've already done a lot of nodding and fabrication from behind the firewall back to the rear bumper with a full 4 link backhalf and Ford 9" solid axle, cut the whole floor out from the rear bumper upto the firewall and ran a full frame to just under the dash, NHRA legal 10 point roll cage, tubs, and new lighter stronger floor.

Here is my next thought......I've found most of the weight in our card is in the floor structureand bulk heads....its almost like they built the car to be a convertible...so since I want to lose more weight out of the car, and hope to improve handling at the same time I was thinking of going with a front tube chassis and 4x4 S-10 front control arms, spindles, hubs AND torsion bars... This will drop a lot of weight, keep a low profile chassis configuration, allow all cheaper aftermarket parts (like tubular a arms) and I can tie into the dash bulkhead and the 10 point cage to add strength to the whole chassis ( think dun buggy or race car tube chassis)

Any thoughts or ideas on this? I already have the S-10 chassis sitting outside the garsge ready to be cut up, measured and even though I could change it if I wanted to the wheel track is almost right already +-1/2" or so

DMONICGTO

iTrader: (17)

Why use the s-10 frame and such. If you have done from the firewall back why not just build a custom front tubular frame so you can pretty much do what ever you want? I have done the same to my car except my floor was cut right behind the front seats all the way to the rear bumper and backhalfed with a narrowed 9 inch and 25.2 cage. Now on the front we are leaving alone except we are making a custom tubular k-member and suspension. Hopefully we can start jigging all the front suspension up with in the next month or so. But man post some pics of the car and progress up

mark21742

Basically that's what I'm talking about doing.....I am going to fab up my own front chassis to tie into the rear section, but use the a arms and all the other suspension parts from the s10.....I've seen people use torsion bars on street rods, but not on much anything else...but I know Porsche and some others along with some all out race cars use some sort of torsion bar setups

CAMSTER

iTrader: (10)

I'm interested in getting an engine cradle to feet the otherwise stock suspension but will be interested in a tubular front suspension that will allow for wheel speed sensors and abs, that won't compromise the turning radius to much, keep in your thoughts, this is a very interesting area which has long been neglected in our cars, inherently hard to remove front weight from, while still keeping it street able thanks, David.

mark21742

I'm using 89 s10 4x4 spindles and I have NOT measured, but the s10 hubs appear to have the same bolt pattern as the GTO, not sure about the rear bearing carrier size, but that could easily be machines, so you could have everything you want...tubular front, upper and lower control arms, coilovers AND stock ABS and stock hubs

mark21742

Here is where I am at right now. Front suspension is done, and engine is moved back 10"s. I have my pattern cut out of poster board now and hope to transfer and cut out/ mount the new firewall and get the pedals mounted tonight

CAMSTER

iTrader: (10)

Cool man i am completely lost, but i guess i just need to get a Lil more involve to understand more, i know i can fab the tubular engine cradle, and my priority is for weight reduction, and ease of access to work around in the engine comparment area, I'm not sure i want to do a lot of cutting, sinse i want to retain the ac. It looks like you are on the way to make it removable front end, I'm thinking you got a lot of weight of it, lol

mark21742

I'm shooting for 2,5-2,700 lbs total eight. So just that should make a hell of a difference.

This weekend I got the new aluminum firewall in except for about a 2 foot section down under the pedals. I hope I can finish that spot this week, get the pedals bolted in, front motor plates made, bad shifter/ linkages shortened.

DMONICGTO

iTrader: (17)

looking good bro.

CAMSTER

iTrader: (10)

Will love to find out how much weight you can reduce, anywhere under 3K lbs is going to be a riot.

mark21742

Got the last peice of the firewall done tonight...hope to get the pedals, rack, steering Columbus and a few other parts in tomorrow night...

The factory GTO.R weights only 2,400 lbs, but has a lot less power than my car

CAMSTER

iTrader: (10)

Are you going N-A, and how much power are you making.

mark21742

Never had it on a dyno, so all I could do is guess..... 408 fully forged stroker, ported milled 57cc chamber 241s, 255/263 .624/.624 115 lsa cam, flat top with valve relief pistons, ported Edelbrock proflo xt intake, 60lb injectors, 12.49:1 compression/8.22:1 dcr, no A/C, manual rack (no power steering). So the only things I'm turning are the water pump and alt, and have fuel cut set at 8,000 rpms until I hit the dyno to see how far I can spin it and keep making power.... Machine shop said should be somewhere around 700+ at the crank, but we will see

I haven't had this setup to the track yet, but with a built 4l60 and 4,000 stall I ran and beat several different sportbikes around the area

This time I have a 3 speed manual going behind it and Ford 9" with 4.56 gears so it "should" be a lot quicker....I'm trying together it back together in time for mid spring, and hope to hit the track a few times later this year

CAMSTER

iTrader: (10)

I can see 9-flat in the 1/4 on the menu...

mark21742

Ok, got a few more pics for you!

Engine is all cleaned up and painted, firewall, front frame, front suspension is all painted and back together, all I need to do up front under the hood still as far as fab work goes is rad support and sway bar!
Engine is moved back exactly a foot, do we are getting closer to 50/50!

mark21742

Trunk floor is welded, painted and sealed with the gas tank box and battery box mounted!





I almost have the floor finished (did some more work tonight after I took these pics)

CAMSTER

iTrader: (10)

Are you using stainless for your floor, or carbon steel?
I see you are using the front of the engine as an integral front end and suspension support, that's a sure way to keep weight to a minimum....and is the tire robbing the new frame, i wonder about the turning radius, compare to factory, just for me, cause i know you have more track in mind, than street, even thou looks very strong... Good work, and you are definitely not holding back the knife lol...
Thanks for the pictures, i enjoy your progress...

As for me, i got my new light weight replacement race seats 13 lbs each, ordered, aluminum race mufflers, 4 of them to keep sound under control, and building a header back dual alum four muffler exhaust, will save 50 lbs there, and a set of custom 18" wheels, my son is working on, looking to save another 50 lbs there, and got a set of 3.90 diff gears to help with the extra
weight, getting some weight remove from the ring, off the gear set. Other than that will remove the fuel tank brace and the rear seat and back, saved 21 lbs with the light weight fiver glass hood, will post some pics of some of these parts for you soon..

My present goal is to, take 300 lbs off, and change diffs gears hopefully by the end of this month, and try to get in the nines NA, in street trim....

mark21742

Nice! Sounds like your well on your way with some good work going on in your garage too!

With the front end I should actually have a pretty good turning radius, hopefully better than stock with the s-10 spindles....right now with the wheel turned all the way to lock I have a good 3/4-1" of space between the tire and frame at the point where it is closest through the whole throw of the suspension, and that is actually what I based my front framerail spacing off of.....lol I hate doing things twice lol

RoidedSS

this is seriously an amazing build. kind of a question though, why did you paint everything on the motor black? I would have thought you would want to open the hood and have it shinning in the middle of all that black. regardless though, your fab work is rather impressive along with everything else you have going on with the car.

mark21742

I decided to all out with the murdered out inside and out....I'll only have a few silver bits inside too like the gauges (autometer ultralite) and some switches.....going for the clean and "too few parts to work" look

Before I even went as far as to cut and add a few inches of wire to each fuel injector plug just so I could run the wires hidden under the intake.....going with a purely simple and clean look (plus I've already polished the intake, fuel rails, valley cover, timing cover and valve covers, so I could easily strip and polish them again if I chose to ).