The "Rustang", 78 Mustang King Cobra Options

[dualdj1]

Project: 1978 Ford Mustang King Cobra road racer.

Started with a fairly rough, mostly stock 78 Mustang - 5.0 4bbl automatic, and a wrecked 89 Mustang GT - 5.0HO EFI 5 speed. Used a qt of oil on the 60 mile drive home with the 78 due to bad rear main seal. Pulled the engine to change rear main. While it was out, I decided to junk the 89, so pulled engine/trans, wiring harnesses, etc, and the 78 conversion began.

The body is very rough, patched the floor but that's about it. was bondo'd pretty much everywhere, doors are shot, quarters are rusting out, but base chassis is solid. mostly just surface repair needed. Plus body work doesn't make it go faster

Mods to fit engine:
-- 6-8 hours to pull down 89 wiring harness and find correct power/ground/sensor leads, fit to 78 harness, strip out unneeded wiring and clean everything up with normal plugs for disconnection.
-- Change Auto brake pedal with Manual brake pedal/clutch pedal
-- Trans mount had to be moved back 2" to fit the T5 (saws all works every time); stock 4speed for 78 was shorter.
-- Driveshaft shortened 2" and balanced
-- Clutch cable shimmed and tweaked - plan on eventually replacing with hydraulic
-- Modified factory Y-pipe with O2 sensor bungs. Later replaced factory manifolds with long tube headers and dual 3" racing glasspacks. Had to completely rebend the lead tube on the drivers side due to 89 bellhousing (78 had different positioning on clutch arm and starter). Also there's only about 2 sets of headers available for that body style.
-- Holley High flow fuel pump, Accel fine grade fuel filter, all AN8 line and fittings from fuel cell to fuel rail.

Car Mods:
-- Custom accessory brackets for alternator and PS pump, using 89 waterpump with serpentine belt setup.
-- Stripped interior to install roll cage. Dynamat and interior will be mostly reinstalled after (no dash).
-- Custom Gauge panel with new mounts, shortened to fit with the cage
-- Cleaned engine bay and trunk mounted battery
-- RCI 15 gallon fuel cell with sender; dual AN8 sump outlets, AN8 return, and AN8 rollover vent ports
-- Removed spare tire well to install fuel cell; Accel filter, Holley pump, and racing aluminum housing filter installed under fuel cell plate.
-- Ford 9" full floater rear axle with large studs and Curri Trac Loc Posi unit and 373 gears
-- 15x8 standard dirt racing wheels with 215/60 firestone tires (can't beat free tires)

Engine Upgrades, supercharger ready:
-- Ported stock heads, gasket matched intake ports and plugged EGR/Smog passages
-- Ford F303 Cam
-- Chromoly 5/16" pushrods
-- 1.7:1 Crane Cames Roller Rockers
-- Higher lift/stronger valve springs/retainers
-- TrickFlow Track Heat black powder coated intake
-- 42lb/hr Ford Racing fuel injectors
-- 75mm throttle body
-- 80mm Mass air
-- Anodized aluminum fuel rails and AN8 lines and fittings to connect
-- Aftermarket high end pressure regulator and guage
-- Ford Racing tall aluminum valve covers (black with red highlights)
-- Stock 4 bolt main bottom end
-- AEM Wideband O2 sensor
-- TwEECer RT chip (plugs onto ford ECU, USB port for real time monitoring/datalogging/tuning, dash mount switch for selecting between 4 different tunes)

Goals over the next year:
-- Install Poly motor mounts
-- Install 5 lug drilled/slotted front rotors
-- Aluminum Radiator
-- Eventually (maybe not next year) ATI Procharger P-1SC or D-1SC intercooled blower type supercharger

Car remains and will remain totally street legal. Goal is to be able to drive out to the track if I so choose and run it. Or can be trailered and hauled if needed. I'm trying to build a versatile car for as wide of variety of tracks as possible; I love road racing, but would also like to drag it, take it on the dirt track, or whatever comes along. Was considering going to and IRS setup, but decided to stay with a 9" on leaf springs for easiest setup/maintenance.

Last Update 3/17/09