71 Mach1(Trans Am) 2" nose drop

[tony-muscle]

I just saw this:

https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/as19/auburn-spring/lots/r0071-1971-ford-mustang-trans-am/768105

Sold for $49,500

 

[tony-muscle]

Some cool pictures on that link from this Trans-Am 1973:

 

[71Rustang]

That car originally looked like this: I like it better the way it was.He originally ran it with 15x10 Minilites on all 4 corners.Still a cool car.

 

[71Rustang]

Me again.This modification I was debating about for a while. I have decided to move the inner wheel houses,flush with the frame.Doing it for a couple of reasons.First,it can't hurt. If I just do it,it's done,tire clearance will never be a problem.2nd,I haven't yet decided if I am going to run the traction bars the team cars used.They attach to the top of the rear and go through the body and attach to a mount on the top of the torque box. If I don't mini tub the car I will not have the clearance to run the bars,and yes the car does have staggered shocks.None of the KK cars had staggered shocks.Lastly Minilite emailed me to tell me my wheels where done and ready to be shipped.The rear wheels are 15x10 with a 5 inch backspace and I plan to run a 60'' wide rear,so doing this means I can just bolt the wheels on and not worry about anything hitting on the inside and just hammer out my flares.I just finished one side so far. The front is 5 inches wider and about 2 inches wider at the rear. What a pain in the ass.............................on to the other side

 

[turtle5353]

Nice!, I will be doing the same to my car in the future to fit some bigger meats in the back. 

 

[tony-muscle]

What size tires are you planing for the rear? What size tires and wheels for the front?

 

[71Rustang]

What size tires are you planing for the rear? What size tires and wheels for the front?

Like I said,the rears are 15x10 with a 5'' backspace and the fronts are 15x8 with a 4 1/4'' backspace.I wanted less backspacing in the front so I have more caliper and ball joint clearance and not deal with spacers,which was common.Allan Moffats car ran 8s and 10s in the 70s and I think the car is still set up that way. As for tires the correct Goodyears are still made. the fronts would have been a 6.00x15 and the rears 8.00x15.Hoosier makes nice tires as well. The problem with bias racing tires is they sorta have a short shelf life before dry rot and sidewall cracks.I have this problem with the wheelstander.So for now to build the car I am going with the equal size in radials.Front 600x15=265 50 15 and rear 800x15=295 50 15. Hankook makes a white letter tire in both those sizes.

 

[droptop73]

The mini tub looks great. I look forward to progress on this one all the time. I love Minilites, it's going to be a great look. Keep up the great work. 

 

[71Rustang]

Here's the other side number B.This one went a little easier,but still took the same amount of time.I'm not going to finish all of the welds flush. I was just going to run over them all with a 36 grit disc to knock off all the high and sharp spots,just to smooth out all the welds and see how I like it. The whole interior is going to be painted with Zolatone ,probably the black with grey and white spatter.

 

[71Rustang]

I have Minilites ,fronts are 15x8 and the rears are 15x10 both with a 5x4 1/2'' bolt pattern.I elected not to do the Lincoln hub and rotor with the 5x5 pattern.So I am going to use the stock 71 disc brake hubs which I had to go find in my local junkyard. For rotors I will be using 68 T-Bird rotors which are 12x1.25 the same size as the Lincoln rotors.I pulled a rusty set just for mock up.

 The rest is just more chassis welding,which will soon be coming to an end under the car.I also removed the front gas tank mount.That is where the Watts link crossmember is going and the car is getting a fuel cell anyway.Probably going to cut a big hole in the trunk pan and build a frame and drop the cell in from the top.

 

[droptop73]

I love those wheels! Man is that chassis going to be rigid. Can you tell much difference when you move the car around? 

That style rotor/hub is still available new. Will you be putting the T-bird rotors on the wheel side of the hub or the spindle side like it is in the photo? 

 

[tony-muscle]

I literally threw away my old rotors a couple weeks ago. They would have been free but with shipping may have not been any better. I also dig those wheels. Who makes them?

 

[71Rustang]

I love those wheels! Man is that chassis going to be rigid. Can you tell much difference when you move the car around? 

That style rotor/hub is still available new. Will you be putting the T-bird rotors on the wheel side of the hub or the spindle side like it is in the photo? 

Hi.Yes the chassis is super rigid. Yes you can tell that it is way stiffer than before.The doors even sound different when you close them.The car will also be getting a cage. I know you can get drum hubs new,but was not aware of any disc hubs being produced since most if not all of the disc kits are for drum brake cars,the spindles are easier to adapt brackets to.The rotors mount to the back of the hub just as normally,but I will be using 3 inch studs.

 

[71Rustang]

I literally threw away my old rotors a couple weeks ago. They would have been free but with shipping may have not been any better. I also dig those wheels. Who makes them?

That's why I had to go to the junk yard in the first place. The standard practice for doing brakes on the front of a 60s or 70s Ford is to replace the 2 piece with a 1 piece rotor,and chuck the factory stuff.I don't think I have ever owned a Ford with original disc brake hubs still on it.The hubs were only 12 bucks a piece.....................Minilite, makes Minilite wheels.They are made in England.I do think that they owned by a bigger company though.This is what they used back in 69,70,71......ect on the Boss TA cars,Cameros,Javelins ect...........

 

[droptop73]

Hi.Yes the chassis is super rigid. Yes you can tell that it is way stiffer than before.The doors even sound different when you close them.The car will also be getting a cage. I know you can get drum hubs new,but was not aware of any disc hubs being produced since most if not all of the disc kits are for drum brake cars,the spindles are easier to adapt brackets to.The rotors mount to the back of the hub just as normally,but I will be using 3 inch studs.

I am using the one piece rotors with longer studs but I fried a wheel bearing in east Tennessee and could only get the 2 piece for the repair.  I think it was an Advance or O'Reilly's. 

 

[71Rustang]

Finished welding all of the underbody seams with the exception of the drivers staggered shock mount.  I will weld that in or modify it as needed  when I build the watts link. I am not convinced that I won't have a clearance issue. Or maybe I will reverse the watts cross bar locations and it will be fine. I'll figure that out when I get there.

 

[droptop73]

I'll bet you're glad that job is done! 

 

[71Rustang]

Hello again. More chassis seam welding. I'm done welding seams solid. Now all of the rest of them get skip welded. I'm done all of the seams on the front of the car and the tub. The last bit I have to do on the inside will be the B pillers to the inner quarters and the wheel houses to the inner quarters

 

[tony-muscle]

Did you measure how many feet of mig wire did you use? :biggrin:

 

[71Rustang]

Did you measure how many feet of mig wire did you use? :biggrin:

Know idea, you just keep going till it's done. Probably not as much as you would think