Fast and reliable Fox Mustang on track - what to do?

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

What does it take to make a Fox body (let's say early 90's, 90-93) V8 Mustang quick and reliable on track? Cheap tricks? Must do's?

Anyone out there with experience tracking a Fox body?

(yes, we're considering one for Cumpcar)

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Sep 19, 2013 10:23 am

MikeWhitney wrote:

Anyone out there with experience tracking a Fox body?

Mark Barnes plenty of experience tracking his damn fast '93 LX, but it's far from a $500 car. I think he has every bolt-on suspension piece for Griggs/Maximum Motorsports for his.

Richard Casto · **Posted:** Thu Sep 19, 2013 11:21 am

MikeWhitney wrote:

(yes, we're considering one for Cumpcar)

Assuming this car gets a new name. My suggestion is to to keep with the toy theme, but this time...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6V-tuOf3dE

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Thu Sep 19, 2013 12:28 pm

Mike,

I did some Car Guys and Track Time open track events as an instructor in my stock except for Koni shocks 88 5.0 Mustang Hatchback. Don Forester still owns it according to Chip Stabler. This was in the 1989 - 1991 time frame so the car was still very new obviously.

There is a lot of tech info in the Ford Racing Catalog http://www.emagcloud.com/FordRacingCata ... x.html#/1/ There is a pdf download link at the bottom of the page.

I always fried the brakes (long before Carbotech, etc.) and had no brake ducts. Tires/wheels were oem Gatorbacks. It NEVER ever had any problems except brakes, even when towing my FF in 92/93. I drove very tentatively back from Mid-Ohio and from Watkins Glen thanks to very tired brake rotors (integral hubs) even though I swapped pads if they were gone.

The closest mechanical "call" I had was when removing a block drain plug during a coolant change the plug was barely in the block and could have fallen out at any time in the previous 50K or so miles.

My car had the 15X7 four lug wheels and the shorter (3.08 I think) rear gears plus Traction-lok lsd. I replaced the lsd clutches once and did use Redline NS diff gear oil.

Speaking of the rear end, banking and maybe other long left turns is likely to spew gear oil out the axle breather. There are a couple of approaches to this problem that I've heard of but don't have the details. One involves simply using a fitting to allow a hose to a higher level and/or catch can. Another did some sort of baffle (?) vent, maybe from another Ford vehicle.

Your biggest problem may be finding one that won't be beat to $#!! so that you can stay within whatever the chumpcar rules are. Obviously there are a Zillion times 10 parts out there even now.

Edit to add: I never had any overheating problem with the stock radiator. I didn't keep the car long enough to have any issues with the ignition module (up front I think) and don't recall doing a preemptive replacement. I don't know if the newer versions used the same ignition stuff. I do know the EFI system was changed soon after my 88.

Dick

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Sep 19, 2013 1:25 pm

DickRasmussen wrote:

Speaking of the rear end, banking and maybe other long left turns is likely to spew gear oil out the axle breather. There are a couple of approaches to this problem that I've heard of but don't have the details. One involves simply using a fitting to allow a hose to a higher level and/or catch can.

I ran into at our most recent THSCC HPDE at VIR on my S197. The fix is to use a catch can for the "KR" track car, but for $130, no way! I mean c'mon, it's a small metal canister, with a rubber hose for pete's sake.

BTW, Dick you should bring your new 5.0 GT out to one of our HPDE events. We have lots of seniors these days. :mrgreen:

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Thu Sep 19, 2013 1:35 pm

Vincent Keene wrote:

BTW, Dick you should bring your new 5.0 GT out to one of our HPDE events. We have lots of seniors these days. :mrgreen:

Its an automatic with the standard GT brakes and oem all season tires. Automatics typically are not durable for track events where the driver intends to drive pretty close to the limits of the tires/brakes. I ran my 2001 GT manual trans at VIR south in early 2001. Cost me one set of tires, one set of Carbotech pads, and one set of rotors . . . and I "babied" the car (by my standards :lol:

). Who knows what would happen to the automatic even if it would cooperate on which gear/when since heat is the issue. That is a LOT of $$$ that I would rather spend on something else like Geritol. :lol:

Senior status doesn't mean I want to go slow . . . :wink:

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Sep 19, 2013 1:44 pm

DickRasmussen wrote:

Senior status doesn't mean I want to go slow . . . :wink:

That begs the question as to why you bought an autotragic in the first place.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Thu Sep 19, 2013 1:55 pm

Vincent Keene wrote:

DickRasmussen wrote:

Senior status doesn't mean I want to go slow . . . :wink:

That begs the question as to why you bought an autotragic in the first place.

To help reduce the odds of being tempted to autocross or open track it. :lol:

With 400HP a manual transmission is too much hassle for too little fun on the street. The automatic is actually more enjoyable and quicker off the line in traffic when opportunities happen.

MarcusMcRae · **Posted:** Thu Sep 19, 2013 2:43 pm

Didn't that old guy Art used to race a fox body?

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Thu Sep 19, 2013 5:41 pm

Back on topic: :lol:

Mike - FYI "my" version of the 5.0 was advertised as having "low tension oil control rings" or similar wording. I don't know if Ford continued that with the later years. As a result oil consumption on the street was maybe 1 Qt per 1K miles as I vaguely recall. On track it was noticeably higher. Not a problem since it certainly didn't foul the cats or the plugs but you WILL have to pay attention to oil level during races and be prepared to add oil.

Don't know what your allowed budget will be but there were lots of upgrade kits/parts available from Ford that may be available used including conversion kits from Ford for rear disc and bigger front but they were 5 lug and require 17 inch wheels. A lot of information was in the Ford Racing catalogs at the time but isn't in the current versions. There was also some ECU stuff for I think the later mass air systems (or maybe for the earlier speed density like my 88 but I don't remember). Art may still have this stuff but I threw mine away.

Dick

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

Shut up Marcus.

Please don't butcher a Fox body Mustang for Chump Car. Go find an 87-92 Camaro or Firebird. Please.

BretLuter · **Posted:** Fri Sep 20, 2013 11:31 pm

Arthur McDonald wrote:

Shut up Marcus.

Please don't butcher a Fox body Mustang for Chump Car. Go find an 87-92 Camaro or Firebird. Please.

Yeah, I'm sure there are no POS projects out there that will/should never see the street again that would be perfect for chump....

:stick:

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Thanks for the input everyone (except Art). Fuel tank capacity may be a deal killer for a Fox stang -- 15 gal. Little to no chance of getting 2 hours out of that with a thirsty v8. Still debating.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Sat Sep 21, 2013 9:00 am

MikeWhitney wrote:

Thanks for the input everyone (except Art). Fuel tank capacity may be a deal killer for a Fox stang -- 15 gal. Little to no chance of getting 2 hours out of that with a thirsty v8. Still debating.

Understood. I assume adding capacity (fuel cell, supplementary tank, etc.) is not permitted.

FYI regarding brakes some very credible guys on RRAX (Andy Hollis for one) highly recommend Centric 120 brake rotors and Raybestos ST -43a pads. Look for the Raybestos ST-43a thread. Note that the "downside" is that seals, etc. will take it tough since these pads will go to much higher temp before they fade.

JamesMilko · **Posted:** Sat Sep 21, 2013 12:38 pm

Don't forget you can go up to 17gal if you put in a fuel cell. Gives you an extra gallon per hour.

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