Joined: Sat Mar 04 2006, 08:01PM
Location: Tucson AZ
Posts: 171
Looked into the Crown Vic front ends. They are nearly perfect for what I want. Lightweight, large discs brakes, r&p steering, and even has the right bolt pattern to begin with. However, the one negative is the fact that you can't run anything under a 16" wheel which is a deal breaker for me. Trying to find out if a smaller rotor/caliper can be adapted to the setup so I don't have to give up my Centerline Auto Drags.
Joined: Thu Mar 01 2007, 09:30PM
Location: Houston
Posts: 1735
Why do you think Magnum Force stuff is necessarily better than stock? 'Cause it's fancier and tubular?
Most aftermarket suspension that uses tubular components...they do it because they can't afford to make stuff out of pressed and formed steel. Tubes are cheap to buy and weld.
The stock subframe in a C has hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of R&D, engineering, and testing in it by the best engineers our country had to offer. The average tubular k-frame has about 10 hours of engineering in it by God-knows-who. But man it sure is shiny and sexy looking.
A second Gen Dakota front end? A truck suspension is hardly going to be a good place to start for a car. Plus the second gen Daks had their share of problems with bump steer and premature control arm bushing failures.
I remember years back those donkeys at Popular Hot Rodding were bragging on a Magnum Force k-frame setup for a Duster. They said how it greatly improved handling and shave over 200lbs off the front end.
I posted on their website that it was the most incredible thing I'd ever read since their article noted they never actually drove or tested the car. Plus, I sent them a photo of a stock k-frame with control arms weighing 211lbs. and asked how the Magnum pieces could only weigh 10lbs.
Joined: Sat Mar 04 2006, 08:01PM
Location: Tucson AZ
Posts: 171
dacuda wrote ...
So you want to uprade everything but your wheels.? I would think better wheels would be on the top of the list besides being the easiest to do.
What is "better"? Depends on the intended purpose of the car. 17" and 18" rims just aren't going to work for me when I'm trying to build more towards a drag car. I checked with Weld Wheels and they will build what I need, with the proper offset, so that I can actually have rims that match (17') front and (15') rear. Not cheap but at least an option. Looking in to adapting a smaller rotor/caliper to the Crown Vic front end so I can runs 15's which would allow me to run a lot of off the shelf rims.
moparmnk wrote ...
03-04 dakota would require the same size "16 wheel
Yes, but I wouldn't have to use those years. The '01-'02 could possibly work. However, I have already ruled out the Dakota suspension.
gregcon wrote ...
Why do you think Magnum Force stuff is necessarily better than stock? 'Cause it's fancier and tubular?
Never said it was but their r&p steering is better than anything a C-body ever came with. More disc brakes options are another. That said, I'm not a fan of their stuff. I have read of and seen too many failures of their setup. Might be ok for a drag only setup but I wouldn't run their stuff on the street or for auto-x.
gregcon wrote ... The stock subframe in a C has hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of R&D, engineering, and testing in it by the best engineers our country had to offer. The average tubular k-frame has about 10 hours of engineering in it by God-knows-who. But man it sure is shiny and sexy looking.
Hence, why I have been looking in to a front end setup from a factory car, the r&d in them is just better. I don't care how it looks. I just want the benefits of 30+ years of more modern r&d and for it to do what I want it to.
gregcon wrote ... A second Gen Dakota front end? A truck suspension is hardly going to be a good place to start for a car. Plus the second gen Daks had their share of problems with bump steer and premature control arm bushing failures.
The 2wd front end is quite similar to a lot of older cars so it was as good as any place to start looking. As I said above, it is already ruled out. The Crown Vic front end looks real promising right now.
Joined: Mon Oct 10 2005, 10:24AM
Location: The Netherlands
Posts: 160
What exactly do you want to achieve on the 1/4? I'm thinking you'll be spending months of work and (dream)time on a still (?) 12sec car?
I would just focus on upgrading the engine-torque and drivetrain if you haven't done that already. Build a supercharger/turbo'd 400ci based 500" stroker and you'll have a way more fun car to drive.
Although I agree that (good) headers are a nightmare in a '65 C-body.
I've been fighting for over a month trying to fit headers in my '65 Chrysler 300 along with a Indy headed 440based 500" stroker. Kept running into space problems with the steeringbox, shaft, booster and shift linkage on the firewall.
Joined: Sat Mar 04 2006, 08:01PM
Location: Tucson AZ
Posts: 171
My car should easily be in the low 10's/high 9's. It should be making 600hp on the motor and another 200-250hp with nitrous. Eh, I might just go with a traditional Mustang II setup. Even lighter and it is already scienced out.