The Pacecar Racecar Project- 79 Mustang Indy Pace car

[horsewidower]

Re: The Pacecar Racecar Project has started!!!!

I use a Pro5.0 shifter with my stock SVO handle. I substituted nylon bushings for the rubber. Drilled out to take the stock bolts. Works like a charm.

I can't stand having to lean forward to shift into 3rd or 5th, so those shorty handles don't work for me.

Bob

[mustang13]

Re: The Pacecar Racecar Project has started!!!!

I managed to get the car out of my storage trailer and across the swappy backyard to dry land this week. I've kicked the wife's car out of the garage till this November, and started prep for the up coming work.

T5 and clutch replacement first, re-clutching the diff, then a few odds and ends to get ready for Apr.17 Test & Tune at LVD.

I also got the peices to make front brake cooler ducts. The spindle end I'm going to fab up out of sheetmetal.

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: The Pacecar Racecar Project has started!!!!

Now that is cool!

[mustang13]

Re: The Pacecar Racecar Project has started!!!!

28 days till LVD test & tune, so got my ass in gear and made some progress today, got the SVO engine on the stand so I could use it to mock up a new crossover pipe between the Ranger header and the turbo. Having an extra factory turbo set-up will come in handy for this. When done, I'm going to send them to Swain Inds. for ceramic coating to help keep the thermo energy up to the turbo, which helps build boost.

Other goals for the week, SROD 4spd out, and flywheel sent out for resurface, and maybe install the new clutches in the 8.8 posi diff as well.




Mocked up the strut tower brace I'm making. The 2.3L engines are a little high, making it tough to get a straight shot across. I'll get a longer length of tubing this week. I also came up with an idea on how to use sperical rod ends between the front A arms and swaybar. More on that later, I need to look into some hardware this week to pull it off right.

[mustang13]

Re: The Pacecar Racecar Project has started!!!!

Two weeks to have the car loaded for LVD test & tune, with Cam's help I got the SROD 4 gear and old clutch etc. all out, and loaded up to go to work Monday for a lunchhour cleaning, and drop of the flywheel for resurfacing. I ordered Energy Suspensions poly trans. and crossmember mounts, so I need to press the old x-member bushings out too.

[mustang13]

Re: The Pacecar Racecar Project- 79 Mustang Indy Pace car

Two days and a few hours till the car has to be loaded on the trailer to go to LVD, got the T5 and new clutch all in, found that the driveshaft I was using with the SROD is a tad long with the T5 so I've got to grab the spare shaft I took from the SVO parts car, and see how it fits.

Also found some trouble with the 79 floorpan brackets and trans. x-member, since T5's are alittle longer, and weren't used till 83-84 I think, early cars aren't a true easy swap. I'm going to have to fab up something quick for the weekend, which is my task after I post this.



Thank You George Hurst, for making such a bitchin' shift handle!





This is the blow-by breather can I made from a Jegs coolant overflow can, and some 1.5 exhaust pipe, glued together with JB Weld, and will be piped to the valve cover, and mounted on the firewall. I've learned that on a boosted engine, at 15psi, oil likes to leave out the valve cover breather making a mess. I hope this cures that issue.

[horsewidower]

Re: The Pacecar Racecar Project- 79 Mustang Indy Pace car

There should be a crankcase breather underneath the intake manifold, pipe it to the breather can also.

Any brace that isn't located in such away to deal with the strut towers is a waste. Don't spend the time. All the deflection that you care about is through the strut towers. I'm not certain that I buy into the "TCP" style triangulation style strut braces, as I see too much ability to dissipate the deflection in the heim joints and cross brace without doing any meaningful bracing of the strut towers.

[1trickpony]

Re: The Pacecar Racecar Project- 79 Mustang Indy Pace car

Looks like you have been busy.
Make sure you let us know how it does this weekend.

Turbo 4... on my wish list thanks to you and horsewidower ;D

[mustang13]

Re: The Pacecar Racecar Project- 79 Mustang Indy Pace car

Thanks Jeff, and I agree on the strut tower bracing Bob. I have came up with a simple bar with plates on each side much like what was used on 65-70 Mustangs, more on that after his weekends work is over.

Well since this afternoon, luck as played into my hand. My homemade trans. x member came together perfect (for now anyways, I would like to build a mount that ties into frame connectors after I install them.)

Also got the Ranger header mocked on the engine and the new crossover pipe to the turbo test fitted and ready for finish welding.





Here is the difference between longer driveshaft that works with the SROD (Borg Warner single rail over drive 4 spd., some called them T4's, the precurser to the T5 that came later, which is 2" longer at the mount and over all), and the stock shaft from the donor SVO that is shorter. I need to pick up a new joint for the front, and I'm switching the front yorks, the harmonic balancer on the SVO shaft weighs a ton!

[milner351]

Re: The Pacecar Racecar Project- 79 Mustang Indy Pace car

Jeremy - as always - great work - and fast!

[horsewidower]

Re: The Pacecar Racecar Project- 79 Mustang Indy Pace car

I don't run that harmonic balancer on any of my cars. And I bet, given their age, that they don't actually work any more. I just knocked it off, and then cleaned up the remainder.

Of course maybe that's why my drivetrain is a bit buzzy. LOL.

[mustang13]

Re: The Pacecar Racecar Project- 79 Mustang Indy Pace car

All loaded up to go to LVD in the morning. Late last night, after getting everything buttoned up and running, I found an issue the the exhaust header leaking. Seems the 79 head has EGR thermactor ports just below the exhaust ports that I guess I ignored, and the Ranger header won't cover them.



I mixed up some JB Weld and filled the holes, covered them with duct tape, and went to bed. Put it all back together, and put alot of heat in the engine, seems to be good, for now. I'm not sure where the melting point is going to be lol.



I also whipped up this driveshaft loop from the factory 79 trans. harmonic balancer.

[mustang13]

Re: The Pacecar Racecar Project- 79 Mustang Indy Pace car

Just got back from LVD test & tune, all in all it went good. Ran a best of 16 flat @85mph with a horrible 2.50 60ft time. This trip has made me decide to step up to more gear in the rear, the 3.27's just don't cut it with the 4 banger. I had hoped the T5, with a lower 1st gear and better ratio splits would help more but, I think 4.30's will be on there way here from Jeg's in the morning. Other than that the car worked great, clutch, 5spd etc. all took my 5grand clutch dumps and foot to floorboard shifts.

[mustang13]

Leaving for the first SCCA auto-x in my region as soon as I type this. Got a few things finished in the last week, bought two more BFG R1 tires to make for a whole set. Now all are 245/45/16 so I can rotate them around the car.

I cleaned up the two from last seaon , set them in the sun to warm, then gave them a good drink of VP Bite. I've had good luck with this stuff, and is a little cheaper than most of the other tire treatments.


I made a strut tower brace from some coilover shock mounts and extra rod ends I had.




I cut and modified the homemade trans crossmember so the exhaust pipe had somewhere to go. I now have the pipe and muffler hanging on the passenger side, helping with the L to R balance.


My friend Jack Connelly made these magnet number sheets for me

[Darren N.]

Wow, this car's pretty damn sharp.

Those tires look like a lot of fun. With the traction compound, how hard do they bite compared to street tires? Like, can you turn in like a madman and roll the body while still being planted?