racer_dave

So, I'm thinking about building a new street stock. Almost the whole class is mid 80's monte carlos, but recently some of them are mounting older body styles on the metric chassis, and they look pretty cool.

So if I do build a new car I think I want to body it as a classic mustang. My plan is to use a crown vic/police chassis from 2002. It'll have a 4 link rear, disk brakes all the way around, and decent front geometry. Granted, the wheelbase is long, but I'll be able to shorten it up. If I use a 71-73 fastback I think it would be pretty bad a$$.
something like this...




Figure a stroked smallblock, 408. This might be too much because the rules say 2 1/2" exhaust. I'll have to get a custom ground cam (I think)

Plus sides-rear geometry is better on the ford than the chevy, and the front geometry is better too. Another plus is the frame is stiffer.

Down side, frame is heavier, and there won't be another one at the track to borrow parts from. Less aftermarket parts available as well, body panels will cost more.

Sooo.. If I decide to do this am I welcome to post the thread here? Technically it's a classic... opinions???

fastbackford351

That's a great looking car. Pity that after a few races there won't be a straight panel on it and by the end of the season it'll look like rolling scrap.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy going to the local tracks, (Barberville & New Smyrna) on occasion but every time a cool old car is turned in to a stock car racer, Jesus cries.

racer_dave

Believe me, not planning on gutting anything worth saving, but I can find fenders and hulls on craigslist or at the junkyard that are way past saving for a street car that I can use for this.

Even if the floors and all the frame rails are shot, I just need a skin.

fastbackford351

Good. Glad to hear that. Rock on.

Maybe I'm a little more sensitive to that than I should be having seen so many good, restorable cars destined to die on the short track.

One of my worst memories of that was when I was in high school I had a good friend whose parents got divorced and his mothers new *******, I mean boyfriend, talked her out of her SWEET '77 red Trans Am 400 4speed because he needed a car to run on the dirt track car and the car was only a few years old at the time.

I damn near cried when I saw how he welded a crap-*** roof over the t-top cutouts and the beautiful red interior laying in a heap in the driveway along with the factory ac and all the other under the hood dead weight.