Autocross an E-body on a budget?

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no


doesn't a hotchkiss set up cost twice that?

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I'm thinking the answer is "no" but please correct me if I am wrong. I currently autocross a '95 SN 95 Mustang with Maximum Motorsports coil over conversion, camber caster plates, bilsteins all around and 17" cobra style wheels/new Nitto NT05 tires. I am not competitive but have tons of fun.

My '73 cuda is a 440/4spd with cragers, crappy BFG's. Manual brake conversion. I've replaced some front end parts with moog bits but all stock. Original sway bars, torsion bars, etc. Back still has ancient air shocks that I can't toss because the cragers have the wrong back space and won't fit if I lower the car. I like the look of the Cuda way more than the stang, but it sucks stopping and turning. I figure I could sell the stang for maybe $3500 but would that be enough to get the Cuda even close to the Stang handling? I can't fabricate worth a darn and don't have engineering skills.

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Shocks $400
Torsion Bars $400
Offset UCA bushings $60
Hellwig front and rear sway bars $350
factory leaf springs
Factory Strut rods- new bushings - $40 (or RMS for $199 if you need them)
new LCA bushing, new ball joints, new pitman and idler, new tie rod ends ($250-$300? rock auto)
upgraded brake pads for stock calipers (~$100?)

That's about $1600. Leaves you ~$1900 for wheels and tires.


The key with the DIY approach as outlined above is you need to match components. If you don't want to do the math and don't want to change parts to find the balance, then go TVS.

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If you want to get autocross competitive, you need near the 1.24" T-bars that Mitch uses. Front tire width will need to be at least 275 street sized.

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If you want to get autocross competitive, you need near the 1.24" T-bars that Mitch uses. Front tire width will need to be at least 275 street sized.

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I'm going to say no and no.

I dominated my local SCCA class last year on a 215 front tire and a rear 235 tire and we had much lower front spring rates. I won 5 of the 8 events I entered and was 2nd in 2 more. The one race I finished 4th was on Primewell tigers. Mitch's build while good at the time, is dated and uses "old school" methodology. I don't think it would fare as well against the cars being fielded now.

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wait for it...

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If you want to get autocross competitive, you need near the 1.24" T-bars that Mitch uses. Front tire width will need to be at least 275 street sized.

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I'm going to say no and no.

I dominated my local SCCA class last year on a 215 front tire and a rear 235 tire and we had much lower front spring rates. I won 5 of the 8 events I entered and was 2nd in 2 more. The one race I finished 4th was on Primewell tigers. Mitch's build while good at the time, is dated and uses "old school" methodology. I don't think it would fare as well against the cars being fielded now.

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If you want to get autocross competitive, you need near the 1.24" T-bars that Mitch uses. Front tire width will need to be at least 275 street sized.

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I'm going to say no and no.

I dominated my local SCCA class last year on a 215 front tire and a rear 235 tire and we had much lower front spring
rates. I won 5 of the 8 events I entered and was 2nd in 2 more. The one race I finished 4th was on Primewell tigers. Mitch's build while good at the time, is dated and uses "old school" methodology. I don't think it would fare as well
against the cars being fielded now.

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wait for it...

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LOL

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Dan, have you tested and dialed in a specific shock (custom?) for your softer spring setup? What size sway bars?

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The shocks on our cars are the exact same valving as the ones we sell. You've been on the track with us enough to know how we work. Everything on our cars are off the shelf items unless we are doing R&D.

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Dan this 215/235 tire combo was in an E body or what car?

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I cheated a little, it was with a 3090lbs Mustang. That said, I have a much lighter Mopar project in the works, that will use a small tire as well.

However, my wife's car is a 3250lbs B-Body and with 255 fronts and 275 rears, it is severely over-tired, but it makes it great for her be cause at her skill level and speed, the car just goes. I have to get really stupid with it to get it to come around. If it didn't look so stupid with smaller tires on it, I would run it with a smaller tire.

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