S197 BOSS 302 Race Car Build Thread Build Thread

[ArizonaBOSS]

I will use this thread to chronicle the build progress of my 2012 BOSS 302 into a wheel-to-wheel race car (without a license plate).
Feel free to ask questions etc. as I go along.

I apologize for the broken image links; I am hotlinking most of these pictures from my Facebook page and they keep changing the archive links on me. I'll be moving the files to IMGUR in the near future to ensure consistent file delivery for those of you that are actually interested in reading these updates or those of you starting from the beginning.

Beginning state (picture from February '13 BMO Track Weekend @ Chuckwalla):


Intended competition classes:
NASA ST3 / ProAutosports PS1 race classes (9.0:1 power to weight)


Over the next few months I will be tearing the car down, adding a 6-point roll cage, racing seat, cool shirt system, fire suppression system, electrical cut offs and a few other odds and ends.
Most of the installation/fabrication work is going to be done at a local race shop, but the teardown and some of the smaller items will occur in my garage.

The car will be ready to run October 1 2013, for a series of shakedown events preceding the 2014 race season here in AZ.

Before the teardown even really begins, the car already has the following mods:

• 
  FRPP 302S Oil Cooler System
  Roush/KW Coil Over Suspension
  Strano adjustable swaybars F/R
  McLeod RXT Clutch w/ Aluminum Flywheel
  CJ Pulse Ring
  YellowBoss 302S Breather System
  302S Splitter
  302S Grille
  LS Wing
  LS Trans Cooler Scoop
  Steeda Shifter
  Sparco steering wheel w/ NRG quick-disconnect
  TracKey
  Roush mufflers
  FRPP 302R LCAs (poly)
  FRPP LCA Relo Brackets
  Energy Suspension UCA bushing (diff side)
  Tiger Racing FG hood
  Clutch assist spring delete
  Maximum Motorsports Bumpsteer Kit
  FRPP 302R/S ABS Module

Here is a shot of the most recently-installed mod, the quick disconnect steering wheel setup:


This weekend I am planning to install a fresh set of spark plugs (Motorcraft SP-519), and install a Lethal Performance off-road X-Pipe along with an AED custom tune. Looks like Ford won't cover a TracKey warranty claim if the vehicle is being used in competition/timed, so it's time to go aftermarket. Stay tuned for more updates as I make progress on the car!

 

[VoodooBoss]

Subscribed for all the fun to come.

 

[Grant 302]

Subscribed for all the fun to come.

Me too. I'm hoping to do a similar, but less extensive build and not for competition.

 

[further]

Thanks for sharing.

 

[Jimmy Pribble]

I'm so excited about this! When I think of the Boss, I think of it as a race car first and a street car second. IMO, you are just taking the car back to its correct and pure state. I would love to do this with my car someday. OTOH, with four race car builds under my belt (three of them just LeMons/Chump cars), I have learned it always takes way more time and money than you might think and generally, it's cheaper and easier to just go buy one.

Heck, I'll ask - why don't you just go buy one? Do you have an estimated budget for the build? Back-of-the-napkin math says your car + $45K gets you a shiny brand new 302S. Call Mark Wilson and he might know where to find some gently used ones. I can see that your build will cost less than that, but once you factor-in stuff like your MT-82 assploding...

Anyway, can't wait to see the progress. If you were closer, I would pitch-in. I'm a pretty good tear-down man. Speaking of that, I'm guessing that Gary will be sending you a certifed scale to weigh every damn thing that comes of your car. You will need to factor-in the time to document that.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

I'm so excited about this! When I think of the Boss, I think of it as a race car first and a street car second. IMO, you are just taking the car back to its correct and pure state. I would love to do this with my car someday. OTOH, with four race car builds under my belt (three of them just LeMons/Chump cars), I have learned it always takes way more time and money than you might think and generally, it's cheaper and easier to just go buy one.

Heck, I'll ask - why don't you just go buy one? Do you have an estimated budget for the build? Back-of-the-napkin math says your car + $45K gets you a shiny brand new 302S. Call Mark Wilson and he might know where to find some gently used ones. I can see that your build will cost less than that, but once you factor-in stuff like your MT-82 assploding...

Anyway, can't wait to see the progress. If you were closer, I would pitch-in. I'm a pretty good tear-down man. Speaking of that, I'm guessing that Gary will be sending you a certifed scale to weigh every damn thing that comes of your car. You will need to factor-in the time to document that.

We're building a LeMons car at the same time, as well

As far as pricing, I won't be in a space to plop down 90K+ cash for a car anytime in the near future, I ordered this car with the plan of going down this road. It's going to take roughly another $10K (including a $675 HANS for myself) to make her truly race-ready, but that doesn't include items I can recoup cost on like seats etc. Then another $3K later this year for a G-Stream wing and 302S front LCAs. All in about $15K, plus the car at around $47K OTD, puts the total build around $62K over the course of the last two years.

I have funds I can pull if I have a catastrophic failure like a tranny or (god forbid) engine grenading; I'd prefer not to go that route but I can if I need to. I'm hoping the MT82 will last through 2014 and then I'll put a Magnum XL in the car, but if it lets go I can take care of it soon enough.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Done with the Driver's side bank of plugs:

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Here are the passenger bank's plugs:





Touched the battery with my wrench and made a little spark when getting the #8 plug out...now my EPAS is not working. Time to hunt fuses...

EDIT: Roasted the 100A mega-fuse right at the battery + terminal. Time to go to the dealer! EDIT Again: Just kidding, nobody stocks them, just ordered two from Tousley. Looks like I am done for the day.

On the plus side, the car runs nice and smooth with the new plugs!

 

[captdistraction]

In for the seats, I mean, err upgrades, err, updates. And teardown, wrenching, beer-based-management, etc.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

The dual-breaker fuses shipped two-day air from Tousley this morning, I might be able to get the car moved and on jack stands before I need to take off for the weekend. If not, I'm going to work on it incrementally over the course of next week. X-Pipe, AED tune, and 10 gallons of 100 octane are the first items on the hit list.

 

[VoodooBoss]

Drew from your photos all of the plugs look consistent. Are they?

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Yeah all of the electrodes and straps look great, which is nice. No signs of detonation or anything that would fry a cylinder.
Cyls #1 and 4 seem to have more blackened threads than some of the other cylinders but I don't know if that means anything, might just be how the individual plug threads mate up to the threads in the cyl head.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Here is the Lethal Performance off-road X-pipe. It is two pieces for ease of assembly. We'll see if that's true or not.

 

[Roadhouse]

Looking forward to following your build

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

My "helper" is watching me apply some decals. Easy stuff to handle while waiting for parts.

 

[Fat Boss]

I've been waiting for this thread from you Drew. Good to see you're doing it.

I've been following my friend's SGT SPEC build. Maybe it'll give you an idea or two.

http://www.teamshelby.com/forums/index.php/topic/79652-so-you-want-to-go-racing/

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

I've been waiting for this thread from you Drew. Good to see you're doing it.

I've been following my friend's SGT SPEC build. Maybe it'll give you an idea or two.

http://www.teamshelby.com/forums/index.php/topic/79652-so-you-want-to-go-racing/

Andy:

Thanks! You will see some similar pictures soon. I'm not particularly looking forward to scraping off the sound deadening material. Gonna be a lot of time with a heated blade and a torch.

 

[Jimmy Pribble]

I'm not particularly looking forward to scraping off the sound deadening material. Gonna be a lot of time with a heated blade and a torch.

Or, not. As a bonus, this is from one of our LeMons/Chump builds, so legit, first-hand information. I did two cars with torch and gasket scraper. And then...SCIENCE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uTtwg-f5YRc

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Or, not. As a bonus, this is from one of our LeMons/Chump builds, so legit, first-hand information. I did two cars with torch and gasket scraper. And then...SCIENCE!

[youtube]

Yes, I have heard that the dry ice works great on some cars, especially BMWs. Dean at Rehagen said for the S197s to just heat the material with a torch while scraping with a good flat blade. It will take time but not particularly difficult.


Edit: That almost looks like fun

 

[captdistraction]

Whoa, an Audi 4000? I wonder if one of the cars I've raced against in the audi coupe gt.

Brave and committed souls to chump/lemons race anything Audi made from 82-95.

I like this dry ice method, never seen it captured in video.