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Restart on my build thread, realized the title was not going to be good to search as time goes by so starting over here. Picked up my engine this morning and the car this afternoon. Found this 1999 with all PA Racing front end and PA racing lowers, Strange 10 ways all around, Powder coated 8.8 with Strange C-clip elim kit, 35 spline spool and axles and 4.30 gears. Has a black interior out of a real low mile 2004 crash car swapped into it. Miles on body unknown but from looking under it, they are very low and maybe summer only. I haven't worked with efi for almost 10 years but have used most of the aftermarket systems in the past except for MS, I'm anxious to play with efi again as it has come a long way in the last decade. Going to LSFest before I decide for sure which system. I have just come up to speed on HPTuners and like the stock ecm tuning pretty well for the price but already seeing the Holley Dominator as the tech leader but whoa it's expensive. It will start out pretty stockish by detailing everything and likely a cam swap and some new gaskets but the supporting systems will be built around the idea of 1000 hp. A lot of fast cars in the area so can't stay slow for long. Will absolutely remain a street car and will be trying to keep it fairly low buck but still nice. I burnt out on sweating my nads off at tracks and not going back there with this. Occasional evening test and tune nights will always be fun but the car will get too fast for tech quickly and I don't want to cage this one. Here is a pic as I picked it up in the PO's garage and arriving home on the trailer. I will throw a couple other pics of previous project outlaw Camaro. That Camaro was an all aluminum Dart 615 that made 1029hp NA on 8.5" slicks so it was a hand full. I got time and a well equipped shop with 30 years of tools and experience doin this **** gathered up here so if I don't get some results, it is only me to blame. Now that everything is here I am gonna start on a several day long shop cleaning and prep and then tear into it all. Think I will clean and inspect the motor, probably add a cam first and when it is buttoned up I am going to build a th400 for the first time and then on to fitting it into the chassis and build out of the rest of the car. Fun starts here.
P.S. I have been wanting to do a you tube video series about my one of my projects so I will be posting short 2-5 minute video updates when I get a chance and something worthwhile is happening
I done a little reading today and ya, that might be an option. I am wondering if this body style could of managed the 17x6x28 fronts instead of the 26's.. I am gonna have a lot of questions I will be asking here as well as showing my progress.
#1: Last time I built a fox body I had a real light weight coupe but still hated the 15:1 manual rack for the stiff feel at slow speed. I really hate the clutter and to add the weight up front to run power steering. Wondering if the 20:1 might be a good compromise. Any thoughts ?? Be great to hear back from some one that had drove both !!
#2: Considering staging dual walbro's as a good street fuel system since they are fuel cooled for long drives and cheap. I saw this on line and it looked like a good tidy package to work with but the 2 pumps going into a small looking "Y" has me wondering it is is a bad idea.
Pulled a few Unnecessary wires and modules out that I won’t be needing today. I left pigtails to get a hold of for some of the factory switches like headlights turn signals brake lights and such. Last time I wished for some airflow so I think I’ll leave the ducting under the dash and put a lightweight blower in there somewhere, Obviously the dash skin and seat and console will go back in. Gonna give the stock seats a chance for now to save money but the weight of them drives me nuts... I did find the right wires to make the dr power seat features work again.
Well, back on the car today, I got it shelled out the rest of the way on the inside. I will still pull the front bumper cover and fenders off. I am pulling every nut and bolt and only going back with what is necessary for the mission. I dismantled the rear harness from the dr. seat back and picked out the wires that I would re-use and separated the rest and pulled them out of the harness. I always hate this job but that part is done. Going to use these wires for the tail light harness and install my relays and flashers under the Dr. Seat. I think I salvaged enough good quality wire out of the rest of the harness that I can build out the rest of the race car style wiring set up.
Since my car did not come with one and I have to buy a fuel tank, would you guys consider putting a cell in the trunk instead of buying the stock stuff. My plan was to run dual 450 walbros in the tank but wondering if there is a opportunity to do something else now that I am to that phase. Still trying to keep it low buck as I can for now.
Figured out the fuel system. Cutting out the spare tire well and flat flooring the trunk. Gonna set aluminum cell in the trunk, optionally will drop it half thru a fitted hole if i can find a good reason why to lower it down. It is not like I am going to be throwing my golf clubs in the trunk of this car.... although why not ?? Looking at adding dual walbro 450lph pumps with the holley 16-111 hydromat scavenging pre-filters on them. Seems like the best setup. Those HYDROMAT pre-filters by Holley are awesome, check out the video demo they done at pri show. The one referenced here is like a 3"x15" sock that can draw fuel cleanly even if only one corner of it is exposed to the fuel and they clip onto the Walbro Filters. I am going to check them out at Lsfest before ordering.
Little update, Got all the wiring switches realys and falshers along with a cool small 6 switch gang panel coming in the next day or two. Busy tomorrow and heading to LS Fest Friday so no more progress until the weekend.
Damn man. Car is looking great and glad you finally have a thread going.
i have no info on the 20:1, I have the standard ratio flaming river rack. Right now mine steers like **** at all speeds bc I need a bump steer kit so bad.
Damn man. Car is looking great and glad you finally have a thread going.
i have no info on the 20:1, I have the standard ratio flaming river rack. Right now mine steers like **** at all speeds bc I need a bump steer kit so bad.
what size rear tire are those 265/50’s?
Thanks, I have made the decision to keep my power steering and brakes. I built a similar theme 89 coupe years ago and while it was a fast hard hooking nitrous car and was fun, it always drove like ****. I want more comfort in this one. I can overcome the 40 lbs somewhere and If i cannot then who cares if I enjoy driving it more.
When you leaving to go to LS Fest ??? There is 2 corvettes an f body and a mustang from here in town going, a couple others too. I just finished milling the back off a pully for a friend doing some last minute tweaks.
I completely understand the power steering ordeal. I regret going manual rack but I do have the room to go back with power steering when I finally have had enough. We’ll see what a bumpsteer kit does for me, my tie rod end angles are horrible right now.
we are heading down tomorrow morning. There’s a group meeting at a rest stop on 75 at 10am and I think we may stop there and convoy down with them lol.
I completely understand the power steering ordeal. I regret going manual rack but I do have the room to go back with power steering when I finally have had enough. We’ll see what a bumpsteer kit does for me, my tie rod end angles are horrible right now.
we are heading down tomorrow morning. There’s a group meeting at a rest stop on 75 at 10am and I think we may stop there and convoy down with them lol.
Is that the rest stop just before Louisville 275 bypass ??
No personal experience on my motor a friend had a 427 in his s10 and had there black and machined 4150 style throttle body and it felt like a heavy well machined piece but he was at the end of his rope with issues and we eventually pulled it for the Holley system. Now the Holley system had us chasing grounds for days and a few other things but did work in the end so it doesn't mean fitech wasn't at fault but can't prove it was
No personal experience on my motor a friend had a 427 in his s10 and had there black and machined 4150 style throttle body and it felt like a heavy well machined piece but he was at the end of his rope with issues and we eventually pulled it for the Holley system. Now the Holley system had us chasing grounds for days and a few other things but did work in the end so it doesn't mean fitech wasn't at fault but can't prove it was
Fair enough, I was hoping for the ls specific setup but any product from thier lineup could serve as a usable data point. Grounds could be a big deal with this much electrical going one, please share the ground oops's you found along the way on the holley ??
09-01-2018, 01:14 AM
Silver 99 Mustang LS 5.3L th400 swap 
