Need Advice on Fox Body FE Project

[hbstang]

in regards to the fox body mustang or fairmont,would the max tire 11.5 tread require a mini tub done to fit?

[jayb]

I think for sure it would, but the class rules allow for frame notching and mini tubs as long as the wheelwell opening is not modified.

[AlanCasida]

I would suggest an '03-'04 Mach 1. Their chassis is kind of a refined version of the Fox platform plus they have a shaker hood  . Having said that I think Fairmonts make excellent looking racecars.

[AlanCasida]

When I put a 460 in a 89 Mustang I ran into a clearance problem with the C6 and the stock floor. It made the motor set real nose high. To resolve this I made some 1 1/4” spacers to space the k member away from the body. This allowed me to get the motor set level…or stock 4 deg angle.

[mbrunson427]

Jay, not sure how much money you're planning to spend.....

Here's the guys I would call for the rear end housing. Given 8.50 hopeful ET's I'd assume you're after something this serious with this level of adjustability. 
https://tinsoldierracecars.com/collections/rear-end-housings/products/mustang-mild-steel-fab-9-housing

Front struts I believe any fox body strut will fit with minor modification if your car doesn't have the proper spindles on it. There's a bunch of forum posts about this.

[cjshaker]

Jay, not sure how much money you're planning to spend.....

Here's the guys I would call for the rear end housing. Given 8.50 hopeful ET's I'd assume you're after something this serious with this level of adjustability. 
https://tinsoldierracecars.com/collections/rear-end-housings/products/mustang-mild-steel-fab-9-housing

Front struts I believe any fox body strut will fit with minor modification if your car doesn't have the proper spindles on it. There's a bunch of forum posts about this.

Stock type front and rear suspensions must be used, so no 4-links, ladder bars etc.

Alan, the transmission tunnel can be cut or trimmed to allow whatever transmission is used to fit.

Jay, the rules state "Widened or fabricated wheel tubs are allowed". I don't know what constitutes the difference between a "mini-tub" or a full tub, but no mention of size is stated. I'm just assuming here, that a mini-tub has to fit between the stock frame rails and the outer quarter panel, but no mention of height. You should be able to run as tall a tire as you want, provided you can still get the tire out without dropping the suspension, which would probably be more work than anyone would want.

Only one guy has run in the 8's, and that was 8.90's, in this class to date. So far this year, nobody has even hit the 8's. It's all going to come down to traction and your 60' time.

[frnkeore]

You should be able to run as tall a tire as you want, provided you can still get the tire out without dropping the suspension, which would probably be more work than anyone would want.

When it comes to winning or setting records, most people will do anything!

[jayb]

Doug, on the inboard side I'm limited by the stock frame rail location.  The rules say you can notch it, but it doesn't look like it can be moved.  What I think that means is that a wide tire is going to extend outside the body at the bottom, and thus be limited by the factory wheel opening in the body, which is not allowed to be modified.  That's why I'm thinking I can't run as tall a tire as I'd like.  Maybe when I get a car here it will appear differently; I haven't seen one up close to determine what is possible and what isn't.

The good thing about the Fox body rear suspension is that it actually acts as a four link setup.  You can buy adjustable top and bottom control arms, and set the suspension up the same way that you would a 4 link.  That's one reason Fox bodies make such good race cars...

[hbstang]

cheap fairmont with cage and mini tubs.

https://www.racingjunk.com/no-time-small-tire/184364083/1978-ford-futura-roller.html?search=sbf&order=time-new-old&quickSearch=1&np_offset=29&from=search

[mbrunson427]

Here's another rear end housing. TRZ is a good company to look at too for fox body parts. 
https://www.trzmotorsports.com/product/fabricated-rearend-housing/

Reading the rules, I don't think a fabbed housing like this would be a problem at all. It maintains the stock "pickup points" on the car. I think they are trying to keep people from 4-linking cars in the street race class.

Would be a pretty simple build I think, Jay. Not cheap, but at least you can buy the components to bolt on to the car. Not so much custom stuff.

[mbrunson427]

https://www.racingjunk.com/ford/184368835/1983-ford-fairmont.html?category_id=&search=fairmont&quickSearch=1&np_offset=0&from=search

This could be the winner. Looks like a creampuff

[djburton]

We recently did a 79 Monty,the other big block.Used a lot of Team Z stuff such as....K member-nice piece,used 2 inch spacers to keep most of the motor under the hood,glass 4 inch cowl hood,can't recall vendor.Maximum Motorsports bump steer,camber caster plates.Ford racing BBF 460 swap motor mounts use FE rubber insulators if that helps.through floor sub frame connectors-super sturdy,apparently Z makes em for Fairmont as I actually had to trim some off.A little cumbersome under foot for street. Battle Boxes for rear torque boxes.Quick Performance custom rear housing,narrow as possible.We got 28 by 10.5 drag radials under it with no tubs at all but barely get them on without dropping suspension.Team Z adjustable anti roll setup really helps 60 ft,remove 1 bolt for street.The list is long.

[Temp]

Jay, last time I looked Minnesota  facebook  marketplace  has a fairmount  futura  for sale. I think the guy was asking $6000.
It looks like a nice car. I bought a 1978 futura  last fall with the in line 3.3 I6. Mine has some rust in the left shock tower.
An FE should fit in the engine with out to much trouble.  I put a 460 in a 1984 thunderbird with out doing anything  to the shock towers.

[JamesonRacing]

This one isn't too far away from you.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1030554457565683/

[AlanCasida]

I see that Drag Week has added an "all motor" class for small and big block cars. It is more lenient than the street race BB N/A class as far as suspension. That might be a possibility unless you are dead set on SR BB N/A. On a side note a BBF Fox Mustang won that class this year averaging 8.70 with a 600" 385 series motor.