1988 Mustang, Have Gun...Will Travel

[Lucy]

So after posting results form races and test and tune sessions in the Facebook group chat, i figured it was finally time to give everyone the details on the 1988 Mustang I've been drag racing.

First off a little history,


My dad graduated VMI, in 1982 and was soon net on his first deployment to work in a nuclear missile silo in Arkansas. He drove mustangs in high school so had some knowledge of cars but was never into high performance. However, once he started going to the drag strip with his friends, he soon wanted to get in on the action too. He bought an old falcon sprint and started searching for an engine. This is how he met my grandfather who built the car and engine in the picture above, a Ford Anglia with a big block Chrysler MaxWedge engine. This car was one of the fastest in it's day and was piloted by my uncle. Due the the big block power and small car, this thing was known for doing outrageous wheelies and taking my uncle for a wild ride every time it left the line. Through going to the drag strip, my dad soon decided my grandfather would be the man to build his engine, and after hanging around and going to the races with them, he met and married my mom. Dad had the falcon sprint with a hopped up 302 that would run 12.0's, which was fast for the day. After this, my dad built a Chevy II with a 383 stroker which he called the Virginian. This car was sold as well as my dad moved back to Virginia with my mom after he finished his deployment in the air force. Soon after he returned to my hometown Dinwiddie Va, Virginia motorsports park was built on the north end of our county and brought a 1/4 mile drag strip, so of course my dad started drag racing again. Since then, my dad and my uncle owned multiple cars including everything from a 12 second Ford Truck, to multiple fox bodies, and their last joint owned car, a full tube chassis Monte Carlo with a 706 cubic inch all aluminum big block with two kits of nitrous. that car when a best of 7.14 @199, with a 1.0 60 ft. However, the car was wrecked and sold when i was 10, and since then they have both built cars separately.

A few years went by with no racing and then my dad decided it would be fun to buy a fox body for me to get some seat time in.

The Foxbody on the right was purchased with no motor, transmission, hood, or interior. What it did have was an eight point cage that was added onto to make a 12 point roll cage that is good down to an 8.50 1/4 mile, as well as a ford 9 inch rear end, full k member, and weld racing wheels all the way around with slicks and front runners.
Pictures of the car in it's early stages.

The car is powered by a 408 Clevor, yes i said Clevor. It is a standard 2 bolt main windsor block bored out and checked, and outfitted with a forged crank, rods, and pistons. However, the motor is fitted with an Aluminum version of the cleveland style head from CHI that features the 2v cleveland intake runners and the 4v exhaust runners, this provides adequate velocity for torque while keeping the heads free flowing for top end horsepower as well. On top of the heads is a sheet metal intake from CHI as well with a 750 cfm Holley Carbeurator. Motor was originally designed for pump gas but our engine builder upped the compression to 12.5-13:1 so she runs on 110 Octane fuel. I forget the exact specs on the cam but it is a custom grind tom Bullet cams with over .700 live on the intake. On pump gas this motor is supposed to make 660 hp N/A, however we are running race gas so actual numbers are anyone's guess. Behind that motor is a BTE power glide transmission with line lock, trans brake, and two step. Car is equipped with the modifications to the electrical and fuel systems as well as cooling system to keep a high performance engine running. This includes, mad ignition and distributor, holley fuel pumps, all braided fuel lines, griffin radiator, and moroso fuel pump.

The dash panel, seat and belt mounts, as well as the steering column were all fabricated by a local metal worker. While there, the car also received a set of custom made headers as well as a fiberglass cowl hood attached with dzus fasteners.

She rides on a set of 27x10.5 street slicks out back and hoosier frontrunners up front.

After this the car received a coat of hot rod black paint and silver decals the really make it stand out.

Here are some action shots from my first time out in the car.
The car has been a best of 10.22 @133 leaving on the footbrake.

This is the most recent launch picture of the car. this is from the labor day weekend bracket race that Sam came down and stayed with me.
Car is leaving a lot harder using the trans brake and launching at 4200 RPM, it has picked up to a best of 10.13 @ 133 as well and has been a 6.43 in an eight mile which translates to a 10.00 in the Quarter.
I have been surprised by how well the car is performing and am looking for it to go into the 9's this fall when the weather cools down. Hopefully i will get to take more MM members to the races with me sometime!
Will be posting more race results in the thread and am willing to answer any questions about the car or racing.

[CaptainHenreh]

Neat! Why not throw on the dyno with race gas?

[HAULN-SS]

Pretty interesting. Any pics of the Monte Carlo?

[.RJ]

CARBAMAPHONE

[Goodspeed]

Beastly...I just watched Death Proof again recently so I highly approve.

Also, this gives me a chance to post my favorite Fox body related thing

[youtube]pf_tQkM3CME[/youtube]

[ScottyB]

respect.

i know next to nothing about drag racing but the engineering that goes into the powertrain for these things to withstand that kind of abuse is pretty cool. that's a nice looking fox, any reason your dad chose that over an F-body, or does it just come down to cost and ease of finding parts?

[Senor_Taylor]

Fox bodies are the A1 go to for drag racing. Small, light (relatively) and cheap.

Glad you finally made a thread for it, Lucy! Now let's get you taking on Scott.

[Schaidhammer]

Nice write up especially now that I've seen it in action!

[Lucy]

No real use in putting it on the dyno since were just bracket racing anyways. I will try to find some pictures of the Monte Carlo to add to the thread sometime. Mustangs are fairly common at the drag strip since the stock suspension can take you far with some simple bracing. Not to mention you can buy a kit to do anything to a mustang rather than have to stuff like roll bars and brackets custom built.

[EclipseTurbno93]

Lookin good! I'd love to get down to a drag race sometime, I've never been to one with actual drag cars :lol: