Mustang GT question

[10secondLX]

The best thing about a 5 lug swap is the HUGE variety of wheel options out there. Since I am a wheel whore, the bigger the variety the better. Since the 5 lug swap I have had Cobra R's, Bullit rims (silver), 2 different sets of Weld Prostars (15x3.5, 15x8 & 15x9) and my current Charcoal grey Bullits. Currently looking into a set of Billet specialties or ???

[roodyrocker]

I have a modified 93 LX coupe myself. I went with a 9" rear end but don't remember the wheel offset to help you with that even though I went with 5 lug. Up front I used the Motorsport M-1100-C 5 lug rotor kit. Its basically the rotors for the Lincoln Mark VII but I don't remember if these will fit the pre-87 Mustang spindles. For some reason I'm thinking they were different. These rotors can be bought at any local parts store back when I did mine, the Motorsport rotor kit was cheaper than buying the Lincoln rotors locally. Same exact parts though. As for the EFI thing, it has its pluses and minuses. After doing the supercharged EFI motor in mine there were many times when I wished I had simply gone with a carbed/nitrous combination. Anyway, the roller cam is no biggie in the later cars. I use an older Mexican 302 block in my 93 with a Crane retrofit hydraulic roller lifter set and off the shelf Crane hydraulic roller cam. If I had a carb instead of EFI with its touring upper intake over the passenger side valve cover, I would have gone with a solid roller cam as I don't mind lashing the vlaves periodically. Anyway, the weak point of the late model 302 is when they switched to 50 oz balance compared to the older 302's 28 oz balance. I ditched the power steering in mine along with power brakes, radio, A/C, etc... I use a Flaming Rivers manual rack and solid steering shaft. Really nice stuff! Also, the price was only a bit higher than a factory remanufactured manual rack. Which by the way, one of those remanufactured racks self-destructed on a friend of mine who tried to save a bit of money and ended up having to get a Flaming River rack anyway. The transmission in mine is a Tremec 5 speed and the rear gears are 4.11. That combo with the blown 302 makes for one fun ride
Fun cars indeed Hope you end up getting your Mustang.
Here is a pre-87 style Mustang kicking some butt on the drag strip for ya, its NMCA's Xtreme Street racer Bob Kurgan

[metalchurch79]

My brother has a complete 8.8 w/ 2.73's so its there if I need it.
I talked ot the owner again and he put 3.55 opens in it, but he still has the 3.08 traction locks.
Do you guys know if I can put a 3.55 ring gear on th 3.08 carrier? It would be nice to have the posi unit.
Pretty sure there's some 3.73's (7.5) in the garage as well.
More than likely I'll end up putting the 8.8 in it with my Toploader before it's all said and done.

Oh yeah, the 82 doesn't have the Quad shock, I asked him. Well atleast this car doesnt have it anyway...
He also got rid of the rims and put 85-86 10 hole wheels on it, so atleast they match and that will buy me some time to research this offset problem.

I forgot to ask if it has A/C or not, but it's getting ripped out as soon as I get it home.
The only rust is on the bottom of the doors and it's surface rust, and the rear bumper isnt damaged, it's only the cover.
Dash pad is cracked (typical) , and the seats are sun faded, but not ripped.

It's gonna be a fun car to mess around with for sure, and I cant wait until Saturday so I can drive it. Well that's weather permitting here in PA, aka little Alaska.

Here's another picture:

[metalchurch79]

I got another question for you guys.
Can I use the 3.55's on the 3.08 Traction Lock carrier, or would I need to use a carrier from a Ranger that had 3.73's?

I used to know all of this stuff but it's been atleast 10 years since I messed with these Foxes.
I did join a Mustang Forum cause I had more questions, and I posted this question as well, but no one answered me yet.

Thanks guys!
-Joe

[Aso]

If i remember right the 7.5 ring gear is a different size then the 8.8 ring gear so you won't be able interchange gears from a 7.5 to a 8.8 or vice versa.

[metalchurch79]

Yeah I know that.
The ring gear diameter in a 7.5 is 7-1/2"
The 8.8 gear diameter is 8.8"

The 82 has a 7.5 rear w/ 3.55's in it now.
I also get the original complete 7.5 rear w/ 3.08 traction locks.
I was wondering if i can use the 3.55's on the Traction lock carrier?


For some reason I am thinking that 2.73's to 3.27's use their own carrier, and the 3.45's to 3.73's use another size carrier...:think:
...I know that the old 8" and 9" rear ends are like this...
Thanks for the reply

[10secondLX]

I'm not certain on the 7.5, but on my 8.8 I went from the stock 2.73 to 3.73's with no issue at all. I'd just go ahead and install the 8.8 you have and call it a day. At least with the 8.8 you can open up a MM&FF or 5.0 issue and have many options for gears, axle's, diff covers etc....

[metalchurch79]

Yeah that's very true, and I was looking at the 8.8 gears already.
I'd have more time than money involved there atleast.

Just trying to do this car on the cheap and utilize the parts that are available and try my best to keep this thing drivable as much as I can.
I dont have a garage where I'm at, and I have to drive 1-1/2 hours away to my brother's house to work on things, so thats gonna suck.

Can you see me swapping a rear end on the side of the street?

It currently has cast exhaust manifolds on it, but I have BBK Shorties and Hedman Long tubes as well as a complete Stainless Exhaust for it.
I think I have a double hump cross member already, so thats taken care of...

I need to check the PA State Inspection laws to see if I need to have a catalytic converter on the car.
The county I live in requires Emissions inspection, but where my brother lives, emissions aren't required yet, so he's lucky there.
Last I knew anything built prior to 1977 were exempt, hopefully it has been updated to include this '82.
The only thing they do for the emissions inspection is check the gas cap to make sure it holds a certain amount of pressure so gas fumes are emitted.

If all else I can knock the guts out of some cats and throw them on.

Everyone on the Mustang forum is saying to get rid of the 7.5, and I know it's not very strong, butif I were gonna do all that, I'd trash the SROD, and the low compression 302.
If I wanted a rolling chassis, I would have bought one, but I need to keep this drivable because I'm selling my car to buy this.
I'm getting the '82 for $1,800 and I might be able to get it cheaper if I try to talk him down.

For the price and the condition of the car I'm jumping on this one.
Thanks for the help brother, much appreciated!
-Joe

[metalchurch79]

Someone on the MF answered me and said that I can use the 3.55's on the 3.08 posi unit.
Same thing if I had an 8.8 as well, just like you said.
Thanks

[10secondLX]

Sounds like you have a pretty good plan for the car already. As far as the headers, I'd suggest just going with the shorty's because they should just drop in. Long tubes can be a bitch to install and you never know what kind of clearance issues you will run into.

[metalchurch79]

Thanks
I was thinking about the shorties for now as well.
But since I'm dropping the Y pipe and single exhaust anyway, I'll have to put a complete system in it.

My brother gave me a brand new Comp Cams 270 Magnum cam, but I dont know if it's for a 302 or a 351W firing order.
The 302 H.O. that's in the car now has the 351 Windsor (Marine cam) "137" firing order. I guess that I can compare the lobes from that with the Comp and see if it's the "137" or "154" firing order.

The 1970 302 heads that I have use the old rail style rockers, so I'll need to buy push rods if I'm using them.
I think I have a set of E7TE heads as well, and if so I'll just go with them because I can drop them right on.



Oh yeah, I have another question for ya.
Would a disc brake set-up from an 8.8 bolt up to a 7.5? I'd imagine that it would, but like I said it's been a long time since I messed with this stuff.

I'm into the old Fords from 1960-1973 mostly, and these Fox bodies are an entirly different animal

Thanks for all of your help bro!

[Cleveland Metal]

If i remember right the 7.5 ring gear is a different size then the 8.8 ring gear so you won't be able interchange gears from a 7.5 to a 8.8 or vice versa.

Exactly true. Two different animals. Go to the 8.8. 7.5's literally explode VERY well... I've left parts that "were" inside the thing laying on the ground.

[Cleveland Metal]

Anyway, the roller cam is no biggie in the later cars.

What????

The roller cam is the reason the 302 is amazing. Pre roller 302's made no power, even when they had decent compression. T

he ability to have such extremely aggressive lobe ramps and get the valves open FAST is the beauty there. Motor can idle nice, yet still breath well.

If you're building a MUCH less streetable unit, then that statement could be understandable.

Roller cams in those motors enable pretty outstanding fuel economy and driveability, yet outstanding power, and I've seen stock cam cars in the low 11's... Ford did their homework there.

[10secondLX]

It's a bit off subject, but did any of you guys catch Mike Murillo's twin turbo coupe on Passtime? I must have hit rewind about 10 times just to watch that thing leave from the line. I think it went 7.19 @ 173mph or something close to that, and it sounded like he shut it off early? That thing was friggin insane!!

[metalchurch79]

@ Cleveland Metal, very true there man. The rollers are an amazing design, but the EFI has alot to do with that equation as well.
Also the late models hook up alot better than the leaf spring cars as well.
Not knocking them at all, but there's more to it than the cam design.


I missed that episode of Track Time, but I believe every word you said man. Some of those Pro 5.0's are insanely fast.

Like Cleveland said, "you can only go as fast as you can afford to"

Love talking shop here guys, it's good stuff. We need mor eof these type of threads, cause talking music gear every day gets old and mundane...
Especially the tech section. Seems we answer the same questions on a daily, sometimes weekly basis.