Topless terror build thread

[KingOfLaveen]

Ok so I'm the lucky (unlucky?) Owner of a 1996 cobra convertible which I decided to steal the name topless terror for from @Bill Pemberton.

Car came with full interior, top, and all. I purchased this car with the intention of it becoming a dedicated track car, my wife figured this was a couple year process, and well i think the car remained in its stock form for 5 months before demo started. I'll try to post pictures when I can but I'm having issues with both photobucket, and file size for the forum. I think I have a work around so we'll find out.

The purpose of the car is to go through NASA's High performance driving experience, and start running ST3. Upgrade parts along the way, learn, build friendships, have fun and become a better driver.

 

[KingOfLaveen]

The second to last picture is the weights of everything I pulled out, except maybe a few pounds of tape, nuts, dirt and cigarette butts. I'm lucky I can just borrow the scale from work which is accurate from half an ounce to 50 lbs. I couldn't get a weight for the top my best guess is around 100 lbs.

Last picture is how the engine bay sits right now. I'm about to start on the AC delete and replacing the radiator.
Speaking of radiators, the 96 cobra had huge issues with over heating, it sparked a massive recall and redesign on the cooling system in 97, larger radiator, and some changes to the AC system. This car apparently didn't receive the factory replacement parts under warranty and they are no longer available from what I understand, which is fine because it would have been replaced anyway.

Most people replace the radiator with a mishimoto unit, while I'm sure it's fine I wasn't impressed with it, or the other common replacement available from major "mustang" retailers" I ended up ordering a larger radiator from summit, considered a "universal". It's thicker than the mishimoto unit has more fins and row count, and was a way better price. Im hoping contruction is good and it holds up. Other than having to custom mount it, the hoses seem to nearly be an exact fit. Based on some very basic math, this unit provides 189% greater cooling area over the stock 96 unit and something like 80% over the 97+ mishimoto unit.

Car currently weights 3120 with 1/4 tank of fuel. I'm a little confused if classifying includes driver weight or without driver.... luckily I'm skinny... I think I can get it close to 3000 after the AC, sound deadening, doors are chopped, dash, radio and HVAC system are removed. But ill be adding weight back when I add the rest of the cage and subframe connectors.

 

[VoodooBoss]

This should be fun. Good luck!

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Wow 3120 is light!
NASA weight is with fuel and driver (and anything else) post-race.

 

[KingOfLaveen]

Damn.... I need to loose weight... The 3120 doesn't include me... which is like 300-310... So driver diet is happening.

Pads, rotors, and gates racing belt ordered. Need to order an over flow tank and tires still but I'll order the tires closer to the event.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

If you have not already found this, please take a look at the "HPDE Tech" document at this link: https://nasaproracing.com/forms

You will have to bring a portion filled out, and another that will be completed by the staff at the track.

 

[KingOfLaveen]

All right. Got off work, the weather was nice and I wasn't still dead tired from getting over a cold so i jumped in the garage a ripped everything else out but the compressor.

Looking like I'm going to have to move my trans tunnel side belt mounting spot. When I slapped it in there it was to just get it over to have the roll bar installed. My insurance provides towing but where being really dumb because i was trying to have the car delivered to a house, and it was outside of the free 25 miles they provide. So i drove it.

I really wanted to get a comparison between the crap ford put in this car anx what its being replaced with.

 

[KingOfLaveen]

Ok so progress has been.... basically zero. I have been fighting a bad cold for the last week. I'll feel better, do some work then be dead tired or worse. On Friday (1/5) I went to bed at 3pm and woke up Saturday at 6 am.

Getting that radiator to fit with the stock radiator support is nearly impossible. When taking measurements with the old radiator in the car I didn't account for the 2.5 inches of metal on the support to give it some structure. That's keeping the new radiator from just poping in there. So I'm going to end up cutting it out and replacing it. On the top of the radiator support I'm cutting 31 inches out and replacing it with 3x1 angle iron. On the bottom I'm going to cut it out and install a Team Z lower radiator support. The red shows what needs to be cut out and on the second picture the purple shows where the team Z support will have to sit. Hoping to have that finished this month.

 

[KingOfLaveen]

Well spent some time in the garage today. Tore out all of the front end pieces that are in the way of the cutting. I'm leaning towards not buying the team Z lower radiator support and just welding in angle iron with some flat plat on the sides and welding it to where I will cut the lower radiator out from. The lower portion has more damage to it than I first thought.

I'm also going to be cutting out the top of the radiator support and welding in angle iron so it's flat.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

Was the car involved in a collision or something? Also--not sure where the front swaybar bolts up on the SN95--but on the S197 it bolts to the radiator support for chassis leverage. Make sure you can still run a front bar when done

 

[KingOfLaveen]

I believe the car was hit in the rear possibly at a stop light. The trunk lid was not the stock unit. The front was definitely hit, but not hard enough to bend anything critical.

I'm fairly sure the sway bar attaches on the frame rail in front of the shock, I had to take the two bolts out of the passengers side sway bar to make room to squeeze my ratchet in there to take the a.c. compressor off. From there it just goes to the sway bar endlinks and across the bottom of the engine to the other side just in front of the steering rack. I'll double check before the cutting starts but I should be fine. Thanks for making me think about the sway bar though I probably should order new swaybar bushings.

 

[KingOfLaveen]

Just a quick update, front end stuff is basically back together as far as brakes, struts, sway bar bushing i just need to slap in the sway bar end links and bleed the brakes. I'm waiting on a fully torqued racing front crash bar with a tow hook... their website said in stock and ships in 1-2 days... well that was a lie. I'm waiting on that to start slicing and dicing the core support, I just want a little extra support for it.

On another note I started a diet and I'm down 10lbs, only 70 more to go. However I may be selected to go to a national convention this summer which will cost me several thousand dollars. Combined with my wife changing jobs twice in the past 60 days I'm not sure the funds will be there to do the convention and the races. We'll have to see how that pans out.

Also I went and did a work sheet on the NASA website for classifying, granted I don't know my actual HP I just did an over estimation at 280 (factory says 305 which means it's more realisitcally in the 260 range) and guessing a 3370 weight, 265 DOT tires and BTM aero I came up with a 13.44 adjusted wt/hp calculation. But I'm hearing the tire thing is changing, even thought the calculator I used was from the national NASA website.

 

[302BOB]

A work in progress is a work toward your goal..Best of luck with your end result!! Good luck with your weight loss..That's a tough nut to crack. Earlier you mentioned you were "skinny" and 300lbs..you must be 12 ft tall..

 

[KingOfLaveen]

Lol I'm not skinny. I'm 5'10 300 right now. It's a common joke I make in crowded areas like an elevator or squeezing into seats at a sports stadium I'll say "it's a good thing I'm skinny"

 

[302BOB]

I'm 6ft and 218Lbs. I've been trying to get under 200 for years! but between summer cook outs and the Thanksgiving, Christmas, New years marathons it's a uphill battle which i"m not winning. Hey, I seem to be going off topic here......Looking forward to your next project update............

 

[KingOfLaveen]

Ok so, cars on all 4 again. The crash bar from Fully torqued racing get canceled, their website indicated 1-2 days to ship and 3-4 days for shipping, they've been unresponsive to email and phone calls. Then their website says they won't be available until 4/18. I ain't playing that.

Cars on hold as is racing for the time being. I've got a lot on my plate and something has to give. I have picked up two jobs, in addition to the two I already had (one as a production supervisor and another as a caretaker). I am heavily involved in politics here in AZ, I serve as treasurer for the County and State Party, and the two jobs I recently picked up are as Treasurer for high profile campaigns will millions of dollars to manage. One is the pending Phoenix Mayoral race, and second is the Arizona Gobernatorial race. My wife may kill me honestly.

Just wanted to update you guys, the project is on hold, not dead, and the two additional jobs will provide money for the project and allow me to continue my education.

 

[Grant 302]

First things first...no need to kill yourself for a project car! Looking forward to updates when you're ready.

 

[KingOfLaveen]

Jeez... I guess time just gets away from ya.

So the cars running, stripped quite a bit out of it doing the radiator swap/ modifications and deleting the A/C.

Have a ton on the list of things to do EGR delete, smog delete, pulling out the blower motor and cleaning up ton of wiring, particularly in the engine bay and behind the dash. I think I could get the car to under 3000lbs honestly.

Problem right now is rear end traction sucks. There is no weight back there. Considering relocating the battery to help and I can install an emergency shut off switch at the same time.

(Trying to add photos but I keep getting a message that files are to large)

 

[steeda5]

I have the Ford Racing AC compressor delete kit if still needed. Also local to you. In North Mesa. Also have plenty of other sn 95 goodies available.
Brian

 

[Ludachris]

Jeez... I guess time just gets away from ya.

So the cars running, stripped quite a bit out of it doing the radiator swap/ modifications and deleting the A/C.

Have a ton on the list of things to do EGR delete, smog delete, pulling out the blower motor and cleaning up ton of wiring, particularly in the engine bay and behind the dash. I think I could get the car to under 3000lbs honestly.

Problem right now is rear end traction sucks. There is no weight back there. Considering relocating the battery to help and I can install an emergency shut off switch at the same time.

(Trying to add photos but I keep getting a message that files are to large)

How big are the files? The system has a 2MB cut off.