S550 #95 mustang Build Thread Profile - S550 Mustangs

[Nbjeeptj]

This is the Build Thread for #95 mustang. Reply below.

 

[Nbjeeptj]

Well I have decided to move forward with the removal of the interior and install a full cage. I ordered one from Trackspec. I currently have a Watson 4 point roll bar and kept full interior to meet SCCA street car restrictions, but the past few years I have been doing TT events with NASA. To max out the TT3 class with the tires I have been using I can drop nearly 200lbs and stay in TT3. My plan is to build the car to meet NASA ST3, then if the itch is too great to go wheel to wheel racing I will be one step ahead of the game. The other reason on the full cage is general safety. As lap times have been coming down it is only a matter of time till one of the little spins I have had so far is a much worse problem.

I usually start into a project and forget to slow down and take pictures along the way but I will try to document as much of this as I can, so hopefully it will help someone down the road.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

TT is fun, W2W is an intense riot! I miss the mental challenge and tactics of W2W, but the old bod means it is difficult for me to do some little work between daily races, so TT it is for now. It is still a good time doing Time Trials but once you start galloping your Pony past a bunch of asses ( dual meaning ) you will be hot to trot every weekend you can race. Keep us posted on the build and congrats.

 

[Nbjeeptj]

Not much accomplished this past week end. I have discovered that there is a lot more wiring and electronic gizmos in this, than the older stuff I have worked on in the past.



I need to come up with a plan to locate the door release handles into the bare door somehow and figure out what to do with the electric mirrors. My thought was to just leave a plug inside the door I can plug that module into if and when i need to adjust the mirrors. I cant think of a time I have needed to move them since I set my seat in the car but hate to not have that option going forward. If anyone has pictures of what they did for door release handles I would love to see it.

 

[Ewheels]

Updated pictures please!

 

[Nbjeeptj]

I had paused this project and did a few more TT events to try to get to our 3 month ish summer break with NASA. So I now have my old Watson cage out and the rest of the interior panels out so next up is removing the curtain air bags and cleaning up the areas for the plinth blocks.

 

[Nbjeeptj]

Glass is scheduled to be removed this Wednesday.

 

[Nbjeeptj]

Side air bags gone, some tabs that held headliner in gone and test fit main hoop this evening.

 

[Nbjeeptj]

Well glass guy only a few days late, glass out just in time for it to be 100deg for the rest of the week.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Are you putting in Optic Armor lightweight polycarbonate windows in the Stang? I got the thinnest and lightest weight for my front window and it was great with a required brace, but I never was at a track that was over 130mph on a straight. If you run at tracks where you can hit over 150 I had some guys recommend the slighter thicker front windshield - just a thought.

 

[Nbjeeptj]

Don’t know about the polycarbonate glass yet but probably on the rear and quarter glass at a minimum.

 

[Nbjeeptj]

Made a little progress before the heat just about took me out. I got the plinth blocks in the back welded in and the main hoop and kicker bars to the rear fitted up and tacked in place. The instructions are vague on this but it seams they don’t want you to weld that stuff solid because it will have to come back apart after the front is tacked in place. But it sets the placement and angle of the main hoop so I guess it makes sense.

 

[Bill Pemberton]

Check out Optic Armor , super light and strong, and such an easy way to take some weight out. They make windshields to fit Mustangs so though they are not cheap they do make prefect fitments for the Stang!

 

[Nbjeeptj]

I have this ready for the next big step of knocking out the plinth blocks and lowering the cage to weld all the high stuff solid.

 

[Nbjeeptj]

I got all the high stuff welded solid. I learned thru this that even though I thought I could weld pretty good, it is next level challenging to get in the positions needed to weld were you can’t really even see that good, no way to brace your torch hand. The welds will be strong but they look terrible, anywhere it’s not easy to get to.
Got the main cage back on plinth blocks and all that welded solid then started tacking the rest of it in place. Only one bar not in position and that is part of the x in the back, but I can’t put it in till I get the rest of the stuff in the back welded solid as that is where I can get in there and sit down to reach it all.

 

[Nbjeeptj]

Well I got the cage fully welded and paint has been applied.

 

[Nbjeeptj]

I have the car ready for the glass to go back in. After that just a few things to tidy up and I will be back to a NASA TT to test it out. As for now holding off on the few other required items to make it ST3 wheel to wheel ready, but mainly due to time the NASA Summer break is about over so if I’m going to finish the season points race in TT I have to get it back on the track, and won’t have time till winter break to get the rest of it done.

 

[Nbjeeptj]

Got the glass reinstalled today, so I should be ready for the TT event in 2 weeks with no problem. I did weigh the car and I am around 60lbs lighter even with all the weight in the cage. I guess the interior just weighs a lot more than you would think.

 

[Nbjeeptj]

I decided to jump on one last change before we start back with NASA, and put in a quick release steering wheel. I quickly pulled the old one out pulled the clock ring to make way for the new unit, then got the wheel installed. I was super happy with it until I went to drive the car and realized I did not have control of the dash menu. I am working thru making the buttons work by relocating them to the dash somewhere. I will report back over the weekend if it works but so far I have harvested the connector that goes into the board with the turn signal. Then the connector that was at the bottom of the clock ring. I have all this plugged in and it works without the need to pull wiring pins on connectors or cut and splice any wire. Just have to route the ribbon cables through the column into the dash and mount the button pad.

 

[Nbjeeptj]

Probably not going to win a car show with it but it is functional.