Increase your size by 2 inches: Guaranteed!
My firewall is in the right place, the driveshaft meets the transmission correctly, but the wheelbase is 106" instead of the required 108". What to do. What to do. Should I relocate the suspension? Nah. The strut towers would be too far back introducing significant caster (oddly, the geometry required I move the K member 4 inches to get the wheel centerlines to move 2 inches. Drat that Pythagarus!) and bump steer. Forget about it? No way. This car has to look right and steer right.
So I sectioned my car again.
Note: Captions are on top of photo renditions
Ta-Daaaaa! Snip snip with the plasma cutter!
I got a little ahead of myself there. First I had to remove the front suspension. Pretty easy. 8 bolts, and it came right out. If you're thinking about a cheap way to upgrade a Mustang, try these McPherson struts from a Supra. Simple, easy, and it's the law.
Then I had to weld in a bit of one-by thinwall tubing so I could better keep track of the alignment, and so I didn't introduce a twist when I relieved the stress on the stamped steel panels.
Now I can snip snip. My god. What have I done. What have I done.
Buah-hah-hah-hah! Er... cool picture, eh?
Okay, I've had my fun. Line it up, and weld it together. Inside the frame rails goes two-by thinwall square. Fits perfectly, in spite of/because of the all metric design? Later, I'll overlay the tubing with 16 guage sheet for added strength and rugged good looks.
Now use some 16 guage to rebuild the top rail, and 22 guage to repair the open slot I left. I tack welded it from the undercoated side of the wheelhouse, and then I stiched it carefully from the engine compartment side of the wheel house to maintain some pleasing Frankenstein appeal.
It's finished here. Orientation is a little odd. Pretend you are under the car on a creeper, looking straingt up where the strut used to be.
Here's a view of that same wheelhouse from on top
There. It looks like it auto' (get it? Funny? Oh I see. Well...).
I almost forgot to tell you about my trunk! Okay, pretend you're on a creeper again...
Here's a better view. You may be saying: "but Sean, there's a big hole in your trunk". That is so I can drop the Mustang tank in there, my dear. Because the Mustang used the gas tank as the trunk floor, rear end collisions frequently resulted in spilling (and igniting) fuel all over the passengers. Fun. I hope I can find a nice used fuel cell instead and use the bottom of the stock tank as a cradle.
Check out the cool sculpting work. It's more dramatic if you see the before pics on the previous web pages, but no matter. It looks like a trunk.
Non sequiter engine picture. I cleaned up the transmission. I just thought this looked cool. Of course, I later opted for the mighty 289 V8.
