The Official Hot Rod Thread - Part 4: Burnouts for Distance

[jeffsqartan]

View attachment 203563
A guy I know is selling a 2001 cobra roller...

He removed the IRS?? Goodness. Drag racers, man.

 

[Mounty09]

He removed the IRS?? Goodness. Drag racers, man.

Pretty common. I considered adding IRS to my fox as it is pretty easy, but the drag racer side of me said no. I would love to build and IRS fox for autocross

 

[jeffsqartan]

Pretty common. I considered adding IRS to my fox as it is pretty easy, but the drag racer side of me said no. I would love to build and IRS fox for autocross

I had the opportunity to pick one up a year or so ago. It needed a lot of work, though. I already had some really good straight axle parts (MM panhard bar and torque arm) and was told that realistically, I'd get just as much performance out of those parts than I would the IRS parts. And I was gonna be money ahead based on what I'd spent on those used parts vs what I'd have to spend on the new IRS setup.

 

[thunderchicken]

Who said anything about urethane mounts?
Seriously - motor mounts are oem rubber style, both crossmember mounts (chassis and transmission sides) are oem rubber style. There's no urethane mounts in that system.
Only urethane mounts on the car are in the rear-lower control arms, and those were installed wayyyy after this started happening.
If you wanna come take a ride or even drive it, I'm more than happy to facilitate that. I have a hard time believing this is normal OK.

Also, the owner is hoping to not *need* to spend too much money... That being said, it is what it is at this point and I'm doing whatever is necessary to get it running *right*.
It should have at least 7 good pistons and rods. He's going to let me know if the 8th piston is still worth using. I have a link to the rod that needs to be purchased. New rings and bearings will need to be put in. It's possible that the crank will need to be replaced - he said he has some for $250 (hoping those are factory cast iron and not aftermarket cast steel). I did let him know the plan is mild boost now (5-10psi) and lots of boost later - when it gets swapped to the coupe for compound turbos and 600+ to the tire.

Hey man no offense but your saga is tough to keep track of what you have done at times. I never said it was normal or OK, I was just saying that any changes with firmer mounts can cause NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) issues pretty quick. I knew you had put new mounts in it but couldn't remember what kind. I still tend to believe that there is an internal engine problem causing it. It's no longer all stock so any number of things can be transferring harmonics causing the vibration.

I completely understand not wanting to go all in on the 351 and just start with a bare block and all new rotating assembly. Knowing your end goal is 600+ at the tire with the compound turbo set up, hopefully whatever crank, rods and pistons you have now will be up to the job. From memory and hell it's getting fuzzy at this point, 600 hp at the crank starts pushing the limits of stock rods & pistons. No idea what you have so it may be fine. I'm sure Danny will know what is needed. At least when it get slid between the frame rails it should be more reliable for handling boost and hopefully will make it as smooth as a Lincoln.

 

[thunderchicken]

Do you go deep in this or as needed replacement.

For a SBF, healthy internals are relatively cheap. Seeing as the end goal was stated to be 600+ at the tire, and there is apparently some concern with at least 1 rod/piston and the crank... I would have been pricing H beam rods, forged pistons and probably even a crank before I ever even dropped it off. Last time I was looking at assembling a sbf, a complete rotating assembly with billet crank, H beam rods, forged pistons, rings and bearings could be picked up for @ $2200-2500. It's not a small chunk of money, but it's good insurance for something that will be flogged like a borrowed mule (at least that's how I would drive it).

I/we have some history of breaking stuff in a manner that has gotten responses from manufacturers such as "we never seen that happen before". There's more than one or two bent, broke, melted engine parts laying around in our garage.
One thing that will 100% always be done on any fresh build I have done, is every cam and cam gear will have 2 dowel pins. That is a super cheap insurance policy.

We had one let go once... Bent all 16 valves, shafts in a few rockers, rocker stands, crushed ring lands on a couple slugs, made the butterflies on the dominator look like taco shells, shot boosters out of the carb. That was a fairly quiet 4hr drive home and an expensive visit to the engine shop a few days later.

Edit- when that cam dowel broke.. The dad had just staged the car and got on the trans brake. As soon as the button released, the spray came on and everything was thrown out of time and had a big backfire through the carb. The flash of fire left the windshield kinda crackled at the bottom where the hood scoop sits. Oh and that was even with a burst panel on the intake itself and a carb spacer with 6 burst panel discs of course all those let go too.

 

[thunderchicken]

He removed the IRS?? Goodness. Drag racers, man.

What are you trying to say? Lol

 

[churchmouse]

I think the LS swap is overdone!

It seems like everyone is putting them in everything.
I vote for a junkyard 4 valve out of a Lincoln !

As far as supercharger’s the Super Stock’s cost about 40 HP to spin GT 500 30 HP.

But you get instant boost in return.

Too big. Just insanely huge. My daughters Navigator had one and it was huge under that hood. Could not imaging it in a fox body and not to disagree () but aftermarket support...???
That and size are my choices.
You have to admit the SB Chevy has found a home in more hotrods over time than about anything else out there. Yes they get over done but with good reasons. Plus they run. Not saying nothing else runs because that's just silly. Just looking at the path of least resistance. One of the main reasons I twice stepped away from the Mopar badge in my time.
I realize the game has changed.

 

[thunderchicken]

Too big. Just insanely huge. My daughters Navigator had one and it was huge under that hood. Could not imaging it in a fox body and not to disagree () but aftermarket support...???
That and size are my choices.
You have to admit the SB Chevy has found a home in more hotrods over time than about anything else out there. Yes they get over done but with good reasons. Plus they run. Not saying nothing else runs because that's just silly. Just looking at the path of least resistance. One of the main reasons I twice stepped away from the Mopar badge in my time.
I realize the game has changed.

There's plenty of aftermarket support for the mod motor stuff. But yes it's bulky.
Cost comparison between Coyote and LS from my understanding the LS is significantly lower cost.
Personally, I'm not into cross dressers so I shake my head at every Mustang with a GM engine in it. But the reality is for many years the GM stuff was cheaper to build and special order parts have always been easier to get.

 

[femurphy77]

View attachment 203563
A guy I know is selling a 2001 cobra roller...

That extra 351 (393 stroker) would sure look good between those fenders!

 

[femurphy77]

Pretty common. I considered adding IRS to my fox as it is pretty easy, but the drag racer side of me said no. I would love to build and IRS fox for autocross

IRS into Fox is VERY easy. Very atypical for Ford, somehow when they changed everything they managed to screw up and leave the swap relatively simple.

 

[femurphy77]

For a SBF, healthy internals are relatively cheap. Seeing as the end goal was stated to be 600+ at the tire, and there is apparently some concern with at least 1 rod/piston and the crank... I would have been pricing H beam rods, forged pistons and probably even a crank before I ever even dropped it off. Last time I was looking at assembling a sbf, a complete rotating assembly with billet crank, H beam rods, forged pistons, rings and bearings could be picked up for @ $2200-2500. It's not a small chunk of money, but it's good insurance for something that will be flogged like a borrowed mule (at least that's how I would drive it).

I/we have some history of breaking stuff in a manner that has gotten responses from manufacturers such as "we never seen that happen before". There's more than one or two bent, broke, melted engine parts laying around in our garage.
One thing that will 100% always be done on any fresh build I have done, is every cam and cam gear will have 2 dowel pins. That is a super cheap insurance policy.

We had one let go once... Bent all 16 valves, shafts in a few rockers, rocker stands, crushed ring lands on a couple slugs, made the butterflies on the dominator look like taco shells, shot boosters out of the carb. That was a fairly quiet 4hr drive home and an expensive visit to the engine shop a few days later.

I'd be concerned pressurizing any of the 5.0 series engines, I've seen too many of them split right down the middle at the 450-500 hp range WITHOUT a hair dryer on top of it.

 

[thunderchicken]

I'd be concerned pressurizing any of the 5.0 series engines, I've seen too many of them split right down the middle at the 450-500 hp range WITHOUT a hair dryer on top of it.

Thank you for saying that.

I kinda get that I may come across at times as the guy who just says spend spend spend but that's not really my intent. I understand trying to stay in budget and keeping things realistic.

Regardless of the type of car, (when it serves as a dual purpose vehicle) at some point you have to be realistic and decide if it's going to be a street car or a race car. If the answer is race car then you have to realize the costs are going to increase and everything will be pushed to either the weak link breaking point or you pay more to build things to handle more than you plan to give it and that usually kills the budget. That leads to being in way deeper than you ever thought. As CM likes to say, "ask me how I know".
I have started telling people that I'm like the guy in the Farmers insurance commercials, I know a thing or two because I've seen a thing or two.

 

[thunderchicken]

That extra 351 (393 stroker) would sure look good between those fenders!

Alright you instigator, now I'm going to be a smartass. I see a pot that needs stirred, I might as well do it.
Jeff could always stuff the 351 he is having built in that along with the trans and probably never have to deal with that vibration issue again lol.

 

[churchmouse]

I have own a few Fords and 2 kick ass MoPars. Both were just seriously difficult when it came to being a mad scientist.
One thing about the Pentastar is you can get some serious meat under the back. Ride Hight is easy in the front. Torsion bars are available factory for adjustment.
Gear boxes are near bulletproof as are the rear ends. The unibody’s were well made. After that it’s on you to figure it out on any realistic budget.
Fords. Wow. Mid year changes and WTAF.
I can put a small block into about any GM platform that I would own. Drops right into the hole. Even a big block. Heck we put BB’s into a few Ponchos with very little fab work.
That said we all have to agree that Chevy tends to be easier on the budget. You can get any one of 20 different aluminum bad ass heads for an old school SB Chevy and even a BB.
Cams are all over the map for them.

All that said I have done zero research towards the new fords. But I know they are spendy as I have some solid friends that live and die by the “FE” Ford. They had some bad ass 460” plus strokers.
What gets your man blood up faster than a 67 fairlane with a 427 dual 4’s and 3 peddles. Or a SC BB Cobra. Wow.

 

[churchmouse]

Dang, I killed it.....

 

[jeffsqartan]

Alright you instigator, now I'm going to be a smartass. I see a pot that needs stirred, I might as well do it.
Jeff could always stuff the 351 he is having built in that along with the trans and probably never have to deal with that vibration issue again lol.

Hey, are you forgetting I have an 85 coupe in fantastic, unmolested shape sitting in my driveway?

 

[jeffsqartan]

Another project I wrapped up in a couple of hours (small child antics soak up too much time).
Wicked Wheel 2 compressor wheel for an HE351cw turbo. It seems to have helped a little, but I made waste gate settings at the same time so I'm not entirely sure yet. Feels like it has more low end.

 

[churchmouse]

Another project I wrapped up in a couple of hours (small child antics soak up too much time).
Wicked Wheel 2 compressor wheel for an HE351cw turbo. It seems to have helped a little, but I made waste gate settings at the same time so I'm not entirely sure yet. Feels like it has more low end.

Your truck..??

 

[jeffsqartan]

Your truck..??

Yup. Looks like the turbo had been munching on some air filter particles over the last few years. My mileage decreased severely and the truck didn't feel like it had a ton of low end. If this doesn't fix it, then my injectors will need to be rebuilt. Thankfully, they're mechanical and the parts and tools aren't too terribly expensive.

 

[jeffsqartan]

A fine example of a supercharged mod-motor stuffed into a Fox. Guy calls it the "termifox." love it.