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Post by 454bug on Mar 31, 2008 0:18:40 GMT -5
Here are the rear brakes I just installed. They have the emergency brake built on the inside of the rotors. They are 12.19" diameter.
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Post by 454bug on Mar 31, 2008 0:24:08 GMT -5
The Art Morrison IFS weld-in kit has an aluminum rack-and-pinion with Mustang II spindles. The cross member fit my frame rails just perfect! The 2"x4" rectangle tube had a dimension of 28" "outside-to-outside".
The front track ended up being 3" wider than my previous front end. I have the 3" wider-than-stock fiberglass rear fenders already on the car. I was using the factory steel front fenders. I will need to purchase Car Creative's 2-1/2" wider-than-stock fiberglass front fenders to cover the new setup.
I think it will look fine with the already wider rear fenders.
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Post by 454bug on Mar 31, 2008 0:26:03 GMT -5
Actually, the wider stance of the new front end will have a much more "balanced" look as well as probably handle better with the front tires positioned 1-1/2" wider on each side. The front tire will now have the same "centerline" as the rear tire.
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Post by 454bug on Mar 31, 2008 0:30:31 GMT -5
I really like the "Pro-Touring" look that is so popular right now. Therefore, I am going to go away from the "steam roller" rear tires with the "skinny mini's" up front...
I will measure everything and actually put the widest wheel/tire combination on the front as I can. I know that my "roll resistance" will go up a little bit but this is a "STREET" car with 840hp... It needs to have as much rubber on the road as possible to handle that kind of power... especially going around corners!!
I think I will have enough power to overcome the extra tire resistance. I am not trying to get every tenth out of the car anyway. If the car runs low 9's or high 8's in the quarter mile (in street trim) it won't really matter...
From my rough calculations, I should be able to fit a 7" or 8" wide wheel under the wider front fenders with a front tire having a section width of 9-10" and a tread width of 7"-8.5"...
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Post by 454bug on Mar 31, 2008 0:32:01 GMT -5
I have a friend of mine that works with me that builds race cars. He has the car at his house fabbing up the front and rear suspensions. He is taking some pictures and as soon as I have them I will pass them on...
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Post by 454bug on Mar 31, 2008 0:38:47 GMT -5
As I am adding roughly 200 more horsepower with the engine swap (from a 468 cubic inch to a 582 cubic inch) I am also shaving a LOT of weight off the car at the same time. The Wilwood 4-wheel disc brakes instead of the heavy drums, the aluminum rack-and-pinion instead of the heavy 1957 Chevy steering gearbox, the Art Morrison IFS front end instead of the heavy multi-leaf springs and SOLID dropped axle, the CNC-ported AFR aluminum heads instead of the factory square-port cast iron heads, double-pass 2-core Ron Davis Racing aluminum radiator instead of the HEAVY 5-core brass radiator, and the lightweight 4-link rear suspension setup instead of the HEAVY "superstock" leaf spring/control bar setup.
All these updates should shave off 250-300 pounds off the weight of the car...
200 more horsepower and 250 pounds less weight...
Yeehaaa!!!
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Post by 454bug on Mar 31, 2008 0:39:30 GMT -5
Here is a picture of the radiator I have purchased...
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Post by 454bug on Mar 31, 2008 0:42:06 GMT -5
Someone was asking for a picture of the inside of the car... I want to give you some perspective of what it looked like when I bought the car and what it looks like now... First the "before" pictures...
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Post by 454bug on Mar 31, 2008 0:45:48 GMT -5
and the "after" pictures... A little cleaner, isn't it??? As you can see, I built the dash extension and the console out of aluminum. The face of the dash is a fiberglass piece sold on the internet... This picture was taken while we were putting it together. The top aluminum area is now covered in the simulated leather also.
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Post by 454bug on Mar 31, 2008 0:48:12 GMT -5
while the car is torn down and we are installing the front suspension I am installing a "Flaming River" tilt steering column to clean up the look as well as make it easier to get in and out of the car.
I am sure any of you that have one of these cars realize how difficult it is to get in and out of the car because you are somewhat sitting in the back seat area because of the engine and firewall placement...
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Post by 454bug on Mar 31, 2008 0:51:46 GMT -5
while the fabrication work is going on we are taking the time to add a couple of roll bars to the setup. You can run whatever you want at our local drag strip but if I wanted to bring my car to a nicer track in Baton Rouge or Houston I need to have a roll cage that can pass the NHRA inspection. I am missing the angled bars that run down each side by the doors.
For easier access because of the driving position we are going to make the door bars with hinges to ease getting in and out of the car. Also, the new tilt-steering should help this situation as well.
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Post by 454bug on Mar 31, 2008 0:54:47 GMT -5
This is the exhaust I have on the car... It looks AWESOME seeing 3-1/2" pipes coming out the back where you normally see the little pencil-sized exhaust pipes on the normal bug... I have 2" primary tubes on my headers, 3-1/2" collectors, and a complete 3-1/2" exhaust system all the way to the back with Hooker "Aero-chamber" mufflers.
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Post by 454bug on Mar 31, 2008 0:55:37 GMT -5
not a very good picture from the rear but you get the idea...
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Post by 454bug on Mar 31, 2008 0:56:32 GMT -5
one more from the rear... before we put the exhaust on...
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Post by 454bug on Mar 31, 2008 0:59:17 GMT -5
since everything else was new on the brake system I decided to buy all new master cylinders (one for the front and one for the rear) and a new pedal assembly as well. It was the exact system that was already on the car but about 20 years newer...
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