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5.4 into a Fox Body for Australian X275 Drag and Street

Hi Guys, I stumbled across this site and am after some information and figured this site will be the place to get the answers I am after.

I have a 5.4 which is basically is a 2005 / 2006 Ford GT Engine, I purchased a new Ford GT dry sump engine block, a pair of new Ford GT cylinder heads which I have fitted the largest of the Comp Cams Blower cams with the appropriate Comp Cams Springs and Titanium Retainers. I purchased a MMR 1500 rotating assembly which included a Cobra Jet crank and Manley I beam rods however I upgraded the pistons to MMR Manley 2500R Pistons. I have a Aviaid Dry Sump System and a pair of Precision 6266 Turbos. the intake manifold is a Sullivan which I had to have modified to suit the different intake port placement on the GT heads.

At the moment I have the engine fitted into a Australian Ford FPV Pick Up and have a little Procharger F1A with a 100 hp shot of nitrous which netted me 808 hp at the rear on pump fuel. This car is way to heavy for the class I wish to race in and am considering purchasing a 84 or 85 Fox Body and fitting the engine into it for competition and week end street driving.

I am considering using a ATI 2 speed Turbo 400 Trans and of course a 9 inch rear end.

The class dictates that I will have to have a 6 point roll cage fitted with anti intrusion bars. Now this is where I require your expertise.

Now our Australian road laws are not as liberal as some of your American road laws when it comes to modifications that can be made to motor vehicles so tube chassis ect are out of the question.

What weight would you expect a 84 / 85 Fox Body will weigh in at with the Twin Turbo GT Engine, Turbo 400 Trans, 9 inch and roll cage as well as a pair of racing seats in the front and the standard rear seat in the rear ?

Will I have to put wheel tubs in the rear to fit a Mickey Thompson 275 / 60 - 15 tyre on the rear ?

I have chosen a Fox Body for the amount of off the shelf parts which are available in the USA as well there age as the state I live in has very restrictive laws regarding mods to later model cars and with a car which is approaching 30 years old it is cheaper for registration and also I will not have to have the Mustang converted to right hand drive which would save me around $25,000.00

Any help and advise you can give me will be very much appreciated.

Thanks.

Aussie Steve.
 

Bill

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Donator
Welcome to the site. I'm not familiar with that transmission, but I would expect the car to weigh in at between 3300 and 3800 pounds depending on suspension and body panels. There are huge number of things you can do to the Fox to lighten it up. You shouldn't need tubs for 275 tires. The 60 series are a bit tall, but I assume you are planning to drag race, not open track or autocross. A 9" rear end is heavy compared to an 8.8, so that might add a bit. With the 60s and 800+ hp, you might need to airbag that right rear spring to keep the elongated tire from rubbing on launch. Is the 9" being mounted with a factory style Fox four link? I'm looking forward to seeing the details of how you putting it together. A twin turbo GT motor is a big investment and will make an impressive build.
 

NightStalker

Well-Known Member
Depending how far you go with the removal process it will be under 3300 lbs, I have a iron block in my 85 and with an over drive trans vs your TH400 I will be heavier, and I will be around 3200. As stated above you do not need the 9" as it takes more power to turn and is also heavier, have the 8.8" tubes welded and then brace it and you will be just fine. I have 275/60/15 Mickey Thompson ET Street Pros on mine and they are close but do fit. A twin 6266 GT engine will be a very tight squeeze but will fit as well. Good luck in you endeavor and I know we would all like you to keep us informed on what is happening over there
 
Thanks guys, I need to find a nice fox body Mustang now, a car which has been in Arizona all it's life would be good because it looks like the vehicle weight will be what I am after.
 

Bill

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Donator
My vert came from Arizona. You might look in the El Paso, Texas area. there are always fox shells for sale here.
 

Memphis Modular

Active Member
86 and older are lighter than 87+ my 86 coupe with a C4 and 351w with out me was 28xx. I pulled all sound deadening stuff, trimmed the harness down to only what I needed, rear seat delete.

I had the same tire, just had to use a hammer to clear a few spots on the inner fender
 
I Have finally located a car in Australia, its a 86 GT and I am negotiating with the owner on a price, I was looking at around 10 Grand (Australian Dollars, includes purchase price shipping and duties) to buy one from the USA so I am hoping to strike a deal. Should know in the next week or so if its mine. Then the fun of purchasing all the front and rear end components will start.

I am lucky that Marvin and Joey Bridge of Bridge Racing have moved back to Australia so I have a wealth of information I can fall back on for car set up.
 
Got the 86 GT Hatch sitting in my shed after a 1200 mile round trip to pick it up from Sydney in Australia. I ended up paying 6 Grand for it so I have had a win in that respect, I will have to wait till July 2016 to be able to have it on the road as that is when it turns 30 years old that way I can leave it left hand drive but I can have it painted and change the brakes to 4 wheel disc and upgrade to 5 stud all round, I was thinking of going with Aerospace brakes (your input would be welcome on the Aerospace equipment) and I can build the diff to lessen the time for final completion of the car. I can fit the 5.4 however with the state laws I have to comply with for rego I would be limited to a 4.2 litre engine if the turbo's were fitted so I may leave the little Windsor in it to get it registered and then perform the engine and trans swap and have the roll cage fitted once it's got rego on it.
 

Bill

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Donator
If you have to stay under 4.2 liters, you might consider one of the newer 4.0 SOHC V6 units out of a newer Mustang. They can easily do better than 300 Kw (400hp) with a small turbo and bolt in the same as the modular V8. As for your brake choice, if the car will be mostly drag racing, Aerospace is as good as any. They are light weight and easy to work with. If you plan to do most of your driving on the street or doing anything other than going fast in a straight line, I would recommend you reconsider your choice. They won't hold up under heavy continuous use like a road rally, open track or autocross. If you live your life 1/4 mile at a time, they will be perfect. If the car will be mostly a show car, the do look amazing.
 
Thanks for the heads up Bill, I am however committed to the 5.4 GT engine as I want the Mustang to have at least 1300 flywheel HP as the class I am going to compete in requires me to too be able to run a 8.50 ET as it is heads up racing. The Mustang will see some street duty but mostly on the strip so what you are saying about the Aerospace Brakes should make them suitable for my intended use. Have you or do you know someone who has had experience with UPR products? I am considering there rear end Upper and Lower arms and the Anti Roll Bar as well as the Chrome Molly K Member with a Flaming River manual steering rack, also I am looking at Wolfe Race Craft to supply me with a Chrome Molly 8 point cage so if you know what there product is like it would be good to know if the fitment is good of if the quality tends to be lacking with the fitment side of things.

Steve
 

Bill

Well-Known Member
Staff member
Donator
It sounds like the Aerospace brakes will be perfect for you. I'm not a fan of the UPR stuff. I used to own Atlantic Coast Mustang. We were a UPR dealer for a while, but dropped them for deceptive advertising and poor quality. If you are going to make 1300 flywheel HP, you need something much better than UPR. You need something more like Maximum Motorsports. AJE is a site sponsor here. They also make a good quality drag racing setup. 8.50 is fast for a doorslammer, even with a certified cage. Mustangs have a hinging effect at the firewall that causes your front end geometry to change when the weight shifts to the rear of the chassis under big torque. I would recommend you call Brian Figg at Innovative Performance http://buystifflers.com/contact-us.aspx. I know it is an international call, but you are getting ready to spend big bucks on a car with the power to self-destruct. He can help you with the hinge and twist effects, which will make/help your car go straight under full throttle. The Flaming River rack is really nice. You will like it.
 
Can anyone tell me what the rim offset I should use to fit the Mickey Thompson 275 60 Pro Radial under the back of the 86 Hatch Back I have, when I measured it there is 7 inches from the axel flange to the inner wheel well and 4 inches from the flange to the lip on the outer guard, with that a 6 1/2 inch backspace rim should be central in the wheel well, the car is almost ready to have the paint applied and I am just putting it out there to be sure as I don't want to damage the paint by pushing out the guards after its been painted.
 
Cool, NightStalker, did you have to make any mods to the inners of the rear wheel compartment?, just want to make sure. I have sent a email to AJE Racing asking there recommendation for a complete front and rear suspension setup, however I will be going with Afco Shocks. I plan on coming over to the USA for the Hot Rod Drag Week this year and the plan was to pick up everything I needed for the build. What's a good quality Radiator to suit the Fox Body?
 

NightStalker

Well-Known Member
I rolled the fender lips and clearanced the inner fenders in a few small spots with a BIG hammer, I run full UPR suspension on 3 of my cars. Fluidyne is a really good radiator.
 
Thanks for the heads up NightStalker, with any luck now it should be painted in 4 weeks, I will throw up some pictures when its done.
 
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