Re: Best handling mopar from 1977 to 1988 V8 only
[Re: Supercuda]
#1555298
12/29/13 11:09 PM
12/29/13 11:09 PM
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 12,375 SoCal
MuuMuu101
I got lucky at Woodward!
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I got lucky at Woodward!
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 12,375
SoCal
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Quote:
Quote:
I'd say an Aspen or Volare.
I wouldn't.
If you have to run a transverse Tbar car use the newest M body you can find. The early versions has durability issues, especially in police service. I'd imagine you'd want one with all the durability upgrades, which would not be any F body.
You could very well be right. I will admit I don't know much about this era mopar. However, I will agree with someone above is I have heard about a couple Diplomats that handle pretty well.
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Re: Best handling mopar from 1977 to 1988 V8 only
[Re: MuuMuu101]
#1555299
12/30/13 12:55 AM
12/30/13 12:55 AM
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889 up yours
Supercuda
About to go away
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About to go away
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 14,889
up yours
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I used to have an 87 Diplomat. It handled fine for street duty, never raced it.
They say there are no such thing as a stupid question. They say there is always the exception that proves the rule. Don't be the exception.
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Re: Best handling mopar from 1977 to 1988 V8 only
[Re: beeson44]
#1555300
12/30/13 02:14 PM
12/30/13 02:14 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,406 Pikes Peak Country
TC@HP2
master
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master
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 5,406
Pikes Peak Country
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Really depends on the track and the rule set.
High banked asphalt and you are sunk. You can't put enough spring rate under a mopar, bent bar or otherwise, for this.
Flat tracks, the traditional mopar suspension may work well with bigger sway bars, but the layout of a bent bar set up is not optimal for this either.
Dirt track you can make the FJM cars work because the toe on bump can be used to an advantage and soft suspension set ups are the norm for body separation and side bite.
The big wild card with the rule set is if you could put an earlier style suspension under the 77-88 skin. This was the premise of the kit car, early suspension, late model body. This does open up some options for torsion bars, but is a lot of effort for only a few additional t-bar rates. Firm Feel does offer two steps up in bent bar rates, but they are not cheap by a long shot.
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Re: Best handling mopar from 1977 to 1988 V8 only
[Re: feets]
#1555302
12/30/13 10:47 PM
12/30/13 10:47 PM
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Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 163 Speedway In.
IndyDave
member
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member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 163
Speedway In.
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I spent a lot of time helping guys turn this era Mopar into street stockers. The best chassis by far is the late B-body cars (Cordoba /Charger /Magnum). While they were a little heavy they had excellent geometry and some parts availability. There have been some 43.5" bars available, earlier B-Body leaf springs bolt right in, and factory sway bars big enough to work. The big help is ridding the car of all the isolating rubber in the leaf spring shock plates, k-frame, and t-bar cross member. 41" T-bars can be used if you weld the sockets into the transmission cross member.
All the bent bar cars suffer from crap geometry and lack of parts as well as crap quality of the k-member. For a unit that was supposed to anchor the entire front suspension system it did a really BAD job. K-member failures are frequent and trying to find a good replacement is about impossible.
Dave Dusterberg 1979 Aspen R/T (soon to be #19 CAM/T) 2002 Ram 1500 SLT 2005 Magnum R/T 2005 Mustang GT SCCA CAM/C #19
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Re: Best handling mopar from 1977 to 1988 V8 only
[Re: beeson44]
#1555304
12/30/13 11:39 PM
12/30/13 11:39 PM
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Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,456 Fly Over States
PHJ426
master
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master
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,456
Fly Over States
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Quote:
I thought about the Late B bodies but thought they may be to heavy I need to get it as close to 3000lbs as I can with it striped down and the cage installed.
This should get you to the weight you need: http://chem-strip.com/
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Re: Best handling mopar from 1977 to 1988 V8 only
[Re: feets]
#1555305
12/31/13 01:37 PM
12/31/13 01:37 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,443 NW Chicago suburban area
Mopar Mitch
pro stock
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pro stock
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,443
NW Chicago suburban area
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I've always liked the Daytona fastback body styles.. too bad they never put a factory V8 into them. Also, I've always liked the SuperCoupe/Voplares with the 360 package and 8" wide rims, as well as the Magnum GT with the 8" rims... heck, even the areodynamic Chrysler Imperial of its day and the smaller Magnum body, too.
The IROC series was very cooolll with the Dodge Daytonas running on the road courses and big tracks.
Mopar Mitch
"Road racers and autocrossers go in deeper and come out harder!"... and rain never stops us from having fun with our cars... in fact, it makes us better drivers!
Check out MOPAR ACTION MAGAZINE, August 2006 issue for feature article and specs on my autocross T/A!
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Re: Best handling mopar from 1977 to 1988 V8 only
[Re: Mopar Mitch]
#1555310
01/01/14 12:07 PM
01/01/14 12:07 PM
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,552 Michigan
MarkZ
Worthy
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Worthy
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 4,552
Michigan
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I can't speak from a competition standpoint, but there is a lot of parts available for these cars that certainly look stock. FF just released 300# rate t-bars a couple years ago; I run them in my 5A. The only way to tell them from stock bars is the FFI stamping on the hex end, and that isn't visible when the bar is installed.
1987 Fifth Avenue - 512/518/D60
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Re: Best handling mopar from 1977 to 1988 V8 only
[Re: TC@HP2]
#1555311
01/01/14 09:18 PM
01/01/14 09:18 PM
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Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 813 Ontario,Canada
brads70
super stock
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super stock
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 813
Ontario,Canada
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Quote:
Really depends on the track and the rule set.
High banked asphalt and you are sunk. You can't put enough spring rate under a mopar, bent bar or otherwise, for this.
Flat tracks, the traditional mopar suspension may work well with bigger sway bars, but the layout of a bent bar set up is not optimal for this either.
Dirt track you can make the FJM cars work because the toe on bump can be used to an advantage and soft suspension set ups are the norm for body separation and side bite.
The big wild card with the rule set is if you could put an earlier style suspension under the 77-88 skin. This was the premise of the kit car, early suspension, late model body. This does open up some options for torsion bars, but is a lot of effort for only a few additional t-bar rates. Firm Feel does offer two steps up in bent bar rates, but they are not cheap by a long shot.
It's going to be tough to compete on a paved track with a bent bar car. So much is available to the GM crowd.
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