Would JCFers buy a mustang withour airbags?

[roodyrocker]

The bellhousing in my 93 Mustang is actually a Lakewood that will accept a Toploader 4 speed. To run a Tremec 5 speed with it I use a spacer plate. If anything should happen to the Tremec and I wanted to go to a Toploader I'd simply have to remove that spacer plate. I was thinking ahead when I built the car, just in case I love Toploaders, about the best factory manual box after built!
I'm familiar with Cleveland motors as well. A friend of mine just put one in his Fox body Mustang and made up his own Fuel Injection setup for it, sort of. In fact he is using my old EPEC system to run it temporarily. Great flowing heads on those motors!
As for an independant rear suspension, I don't think you'd like that too much in a drag type car. Bolt in a nicely set up 9" Ford and be done with it
BTW, have you seen the drag radial cars that run in NMCA and NMRA? 8's on drag radials!

[CharvelRocker]

I agree Roody, fuck those slush boxes! I will never own another automatic even though they are the most consistent. 4 speeds are more fun to drive and I like to be in control of what my car is doing.
+1 on the Jerico 4 speed too!
I'm running a Wide Ratio Toploader with a Hurst V-Gate inline shifter, but if and when money permits I will be going the Jerico route.

I think you would change your mind if you drove a newer one. Our Mitsubishi's has a manual mode, which can use shifters behind the steering wheel or and the one on the floor w/o a clutch. Their newer twin clutch units in the Lancer Evos are ranked up there with the Porsche's. The Dodge Challengers now have 5 speed twin clutch Semi-Auto transmissions on every model IIRC, and Road and Track enjoyed it a fair amount.

Now, I would prefer a manual in a car I would compete, but for every day driving, there are times where it would get quite lame. Plus these semi-autos need a transmission cooler if you plan to compete with them, along with the fact they are hard to drift with since they lack a clutch pedal. Some people use their e-brake, but then you have issues if your competition does not allow mounts like that to the steering wheel.

Btw, anyone know what a fair price would be for a Nissan 240SX that the frame hasn't rotted out on? I'm cinsidering a couple, but was wondering if I should be wary of ones between $3000-$4000, which seem to have the most issues for the price range for the 1.5 generations. I want one as are a bit better performer than an AE86 for half the price, despite not quite having the rep. Also cheaper, with parts being more numerous.

[10secondLX]

I was going to say the same thing about the IRS. I have seen a lot of guys yank the IRS in favor of a good old 8.8 or 9" like you mention. I agree 8 second drag radial cars are very cool to watch run. I was at Firebird raceway in Phoenix a couple years ago visiting my buddy for the Fun ford weekend, and true street was my favorite thing to watch. There was a guy with a killer black coupe running mid 8's at almost 170 mph after going on an hour 30 mile cruise. Gave me instant wood....LOL. Same thing at Joliet's NMRA/NMCA race (minus the woodie) I think was Wild street? If you weren't running 8's might as well pack it up. One of the coolest IMO was a local guy out here with a Procharged Jeep runing 8's.

Man, you guys are getting me kinda re interested in messing with my car again. I haven't really done anything major to it in about 7 years. I have two small kids who take up a lot of my free time, and my main car buddy moved to Phoenix 5 years ago so my interest, time and $$ in the car has dropped big time. I had even debated selling it, but my wife keeps saying NO you will regret it. This is a fun thread for sure, except that we kinda hijacked it from the original post...Ha Ha! Maybe we should start a gear head BS thread?

[metalchurch79]

Yeah maybe a gear head thread would be cool. But it has to either be all Ford, or all "whatever everything else is"

[nhspike]

That's it.
I'm moving this thread to the Mustang-Airbag forum.

[10secondLX]

Can we keep the thread alive if we start to talk about a limited run custom shop "Mustang" guitar...LOL

[roodyrocker]

I think you would change your mind if you drove a newer one. Our Mitsubishi's has a manual mode, which can use shifters behind the steering wheel or and the one on the floor w/o a clutch. Their newer twin clutch units in the Lancer Evos are ranked up there with the Porsche's. The Dodge Challengers now have 5 speed twin clutch Semi-Auto transmissions on every model IIRC, and Road and Track enjoyed it a fair amount.

Now, I would prefer a manual in a car I would compete, but for every day driving, there are times where it would get quite lame. Plus these semi-autos need a transmission cooler if you plan to compete with them, along with the fact they are hard to drift with since they lack a clutch pedal. Some people use their e-brake, but then you have issues if your competition does not allow mounts like that to the steering wheel.

Btw, anyone know what a fair price would be for a Nissan 240SX that the frame hasn't rotted out on? I'm cinsidering a couple, but was wondering if I should be wary of ones between $3000-$4000, which seem to have the most issues for the price range for the 1.5 generations. I want one as are a bit better performer than an AE86 for half the price, despite not quite having the rep. Also cheaper, with parts being more numerous.

Yeah, an all out drag race manual trans is a bear to live with on the street. However, if you were to order a Jerico 4 speed they have a no cost option of adding road race sliders so you can downshift it on the street
Problem with many newer transmissions is they are heavy and can only take so much power before they start spitting their plastic guts all over the street
I still think the Toploader 4 speed is probably about the best factory manual transmission from a strength stand point. No overdrive ruins it for some people but I'd give up OD for what it provides in strength.

[roodyrocker]

I was going to say the same thing about the IRS. I have seen a lot of guys yank the IRS in favor of a good old 8.8 or 9" like you mention. I agree 8 second drag radial cars are very cool to watch run. I was at Firebird raceway in Phoenix a couple years ago visiting my buddy for the Fun ford weekend, and true street was my favorite thing to watch. There was a guy with a killer black coupe running mid 8's at almost 170 mph after going on an hour 30 mile cruise. Gave me instant wood....LOL. Same thing at Joliet's NMRA/NMCA race (minus the woodie) I think was Wild street? If you weren't running 8's might as well pack it up. One of the coolest IMO was a local guy out here with a Procharged Jeep runing 8's.

Man, you guys are getting me kinda re interested in messing with my car again. I haven't really done anything major to it in about 7 years. I have two small kids who take up a lot of my free time, and my main car buddy moved to Phoenix 5 years ago so my interest, time and $$ in the car has dropped big time. I had even debated selling it, but my wife keeps saying NO you will regret it. This is a fun thread for sure, except that we kinda hijacked it from the original post...Ha Ha! Maybe we should start a gear head BS thread?

Hey 10second LX; I was at that Joliet race! I do the photography for NMCA's Fastest Street Car Magazine. In fact a couple years back I shot a feature on that True Street Jeep you're talking about. True Street/Wild Street is an awesome class! The times in that class as well as Drag Radial are unreal! I could never afford to compete in those clesses. My Mustang gets modded and street driven with an occassional drag strip night here and there.

[roodyrocker]

Can we keep the thread alive if we start to talk about a limited run custom shop "Mustang" guitar...LOL

I can do better than that, the first custom shop Jackson I ever ordered was a 24 fret front loaded Rhoads. I sent the touch up bottles of 96 Cobra Mystic paint to the custom shop after talking to Tim Wilson about doing it and the inlays are the coiled Cobra emblem from the car done in a combination of abalone and MOP. Is that Mustang related enough?

[Hellbat]

I can do better than that, the first custom shop Jackson I ever ordered was a 24 fret front loaded Rhoads. I sent the touch up bottles of 96 Cobra Mystic paint to the custom shop after talking to Tim Wilson about doing it and the inlays are the coiled Cobra emblem from the car done in a combination of abalone and MOP. Is that Mustang related enough?

With regards and I'm sure they can be found elsewhere....

[metalchurch79]

I still think the Toploader 4 speed is probably about the best factory manual transmission from a strength stand point. No overdrive ruins it for some people but I'd give up OD for what it provides in strength.

I agree 100% It is far superior to the Muncie, and the Dodge manual trans offered back then.
Same as Ford's 9 inch, ya can't beat it!

My car is a bastard to drive in traffic, because the clutch is really stiff, and it turns my clutch foot to mush after a while, and it cramps up. And I'm using that Hurst V-gate and I have to use 2 fingers extended downward realy far in order to pull up on a lever if I have to down shift, and it's a pain sometimes during heavy traffic.

[roodyrocker]

With regards and I'm sure they can be found elsewhere....

You are correct sir Here are some pix of it appearing green although it does shift to amber, purple, etc...

[roodyrocker]

Awesome! I love the Vertigate shifter

[10secondLX]

Wow, they did a great job on the Cobra inlays. Awesome guitar!!!

[metalchurch79]

Hell yeah brother! Now those are custom inlays! They look really cool against the Green too.