MuscleTang mod project thread (1971 M-Mach 1)

tony-muscle said:

Where do I start? I just realized that I have not updated my build thread in almost a year. However, I have done a lot of stuff. I have posted here and there but today I decided that I needed to update this thread to have all the information in one place. So here are the major projects I have worked on this year:

• Power door locks:
  https://7173mustangs.com/forums/topic/34891-adding-power-locks/?tab=comments#comment-357792
  
  
• Alarm system with remote. Wired to actuate the power door locks.
  
  
• Adjustable PCV valve (M/E Wagner)
  
  
• Added oil pressure and water pressure warning lights:
  https://7173mustangs.com/forums/topic/35377-looking-for-indicator-light-bracket-or-panel-idea/?tab=comments#comment-362629
  
  
• Customized my own rear seat 3-point seat belt:
  https://7173mustangs.com/forums/topic/35703-added-a-3-point-seat-belt-to-my-fold-down-rear-seats/?tab=comments#comment-366600
  
  
• Added speakers to the front doors and added bellows. The speakers are KICKER CSC68 6 x 8.
  
  
• New greaseable door hinges from Mustang Steve's.
  
  
• Replace rear sway bar bushings.
  
  
• Added winding quarter windows.
  https://7173mustangs.com/forums/topic/35213-quarter-glass-moulding-help/?tab=comments#comment-361252
  
  
• Replace all the window/door weatherstrips.
  

For this winter my projects include:

• Add a new Classic Air A/C system.
  
  
• Upgrade my front suspension with a Meier MOD1.
  
  
• Customize a shock tower cross brace.
  

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Did you find any benefit from adding the adjustable PCV valve? Thanks, Chuck

c9zx said:

Did you find any benefit from adding the adjustable PCV valve? Thanks, Chuck

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Not really. That was long ago. It kept sucking oil so last year I removed it and went to an open system.

I just got a new exhaust system installed. It was a challenge to go through the Panhard bar but it worked out well. We had to go with 2 1/4" piping from the muffler back to help with clearance. I am running 2 1/2" from the collectors to the muffler. This shouldn't be a hinder to performance since by the time the gases are past the muffler their temperature has dropped significantly and so the gases are denser not needing that much pipe. In any case, it doesn't affect me that much since I have the exhaust coutouts that I can open at any time I want performance. I also added a 9" long 3" diameter collector extension to the headers that should help a bit with performance at low and mid range.
Edit: sorry the picture shows the car a bit dirty but I got caught in a rain storm a few days back

Dddddaaaammmmnnn! Just sayin’

tony-muscle said:

I just got a new exhaust system installed. It was a challenge to go through the Panhard bar but it worked out well. We had to go with 2 1/4" piping from the muffler back to help with clearance. I am running 2 1/2" from the collectors to the muffler. This shouldn't be a hinder to performance since by the time the gases are past the muffler their temperature has dropped significantly and so the gases are denser not needing that much pipe. In any case, it doesn't affect me that much since I have the exhaust coutouts that I can open at any time I want performance. I also added a 9" long 3" diameter collector extension to the headers that should help a bit with performance at low and mid range.
Edit: sorry the picture shows the car a bit dirty but I got caught in a rain storm a few days back

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Nicely done and wise choice on the pipe sizes. I'd be interested in your impression of Panhard bar and it's value on a street driven car (I know you also track yours).
As for the dirt...LoL! Mine still has all the thick factory undercoating on it! It was originally delivered to El Paso so I don't know what Ford was thinking. It does look pristine underneath the areas I've peeled off, though.

Looks great!.The exhaust shop guy seems very good. What shocks do you have on the car?
Chuck

c9zx said:

Looks great!.The exhaust shop guy seems very good. What shocks do you have on the car?
Chuck

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Bilstein for the rear and JRI coilovers for the front. I may eventually go with Viking adjustables for the rear.

Sheriff41 said:

Nicely done and wise choice on the pipe sizes. I'd be interested in your impression of Panhard bar and it's value on a street driven car (I know you also track yours).
As for the dirt...LoL! Mine still has all the thick factory undercoating on it! It was originally delivered to El Paso so I don't know what Ford was thinking. It does look pristine underneath the areas I've peeled off, though.

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I have just driven around a little to notice much with the Panhard bar. I just drove around with my new Bridgestone RE-71RS 200tw tires and the car handles incredible. These tires are mainly for track use and get the car about an inch lower. It seemed like glued to the ground. I still have the Michelin Pilot 4s for the street so the plan is to change tires before/after each event. I read in some places people saying that it made the car stiffer but I have not notice that yet. I think I will know more after my first track day at Road America in a week. Based on what theoretically the Panhard bar is for, I don't see much of an advantage for street driving. I don't expect the Panhard to even make too much of an effect for AutoX. I expect the big difference with high speed cornering at the track where the G's are constant for a longer period of time.

Here is a teaser on the new tires. The tires are Bridgestone RE-71RS 295/35R18 and 255/35R18. These are 200tw tires to be used mainly for track. I will swap between these and my street tires before/after each event. The wheels are American Muscle18x10 (6.44BS) for the rear and Rev 100s 18x9 (5BS) for the front - I use 1/4" spacers at front and rear.. They are close in looks with the main difference being the center caps. It was not possible to find the backspacing and size I wanted in one model for a decent price. And I had no choice in colors. So far these tires glue to the ground but I will have a better feedback after a few competition events.
With these wheels I had to use ET lug nuts so I can get enough thread engagement.

Finally got to track my car for the first time this year. It was a very cold day at Road America with temperatures in the high 30s. I went out for 4 different sessions for a total of about 150 miles and 30+ laps of track adrenaline. Here is the video of my fastest recorded lap. I only videoed one session because my phone died. This was the 7th lap of the 3rd session. The temps were about 37 at that time. I wanted to be sub 3 minutes and I can say I achieved it. As you see in the video I let go the gas a bit before the end of the lap because I saw the checkered flag, but technically I didn't need to slow down until after it. I was 0.4 seconds above 3 minutes. I also was slowed down a bit by a Corvertte and a M3, but it was cool to pass them. Looking at the video I definitely see areas of improvements where I need to reduce coasting. However, it is easy to see in the video, but not the same when you are in track going that fast. I need to be a bit more confident on the car and my abilities. I was also experiencing some front end vibration as I approached 125 mph that kept me in check. I added some underfloor covers attached to the front spoiler that I am almost sure was causing vibrations at high speed. I could see the fender vibrating, which is where one of the corners is attached to. I owe a post on my aero modifications!

Enjoy the video. Note: the speed is GPS based and it is a bit erratic and lagging!

View attachment RA 2023-04-23-lap7.mp4

Awesome sights and sounds! Looks like a blast!

OMG, that is super cool! Thanks for the ride-a-long!

Great video. Car sounds excellent revving out of the turns. Thanks for sharing.

Tony shows da muscles!! Eat that vette!
Awesome, played it twice with speakers at max! Exhaust sounds great when you pass what feels like 3.5/4k rpms!

Fabrice said:

Tony shows da muscles!! Eat that vette!
Awesome, played it twice with speakers at max! Exhaust sounds great when you pass what feels like 3.5/4k rpms!

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There is also a sound boost when driving next to the wall going uphill on the straight.
BTW, on that lap I was driving with the exhaust cutouts about a third open.
I had some issues with the AFR during the day. You can hear some times the car hesitating when going to full throttle. And, when going into 5th gear it will run very rich so if you look careful when I do my last shift at high speed the speedometer stops climbing quickly because it is running rich. That said, I have work to do to fine tune the EFI.

YUM! Good stuff mate, sounds great!

Very nice and exciting. Have you notice much difference in the handling since you added the panhard bar?

Kilgon said:

Very nice and exciting. Have you notice much difference in the handling since you added the panhard bar?

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The car is very stable at speed and during turns and the rear may feel more reliable and not lagging. I say "may" because yesterday I wasn't able to push the car due to the tires being cold. Once I have the chance to autocross I am hoping to notice the difference. It is easier to push the car to the limit in autocross than on track.

Looks like a blast, would be great to see other drivers videos of you passing them!

tony-muscle said:

The car is very stable at speed and during turns and the rear may feel more reliable and not lagging. I say "may" because yesterday I wasn't able to push the car due to the tires being cold. Once I have the chance to autocross I am hoping to notice the difference. It is easier to push the car to the limit in autocross than on track.

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Those tires and 37F is a recipe for off-roading. You did good. Driving on a road course is the most fun you can have in a car, including the other thing. Chuck