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Flaircraft's budget build

43K views 149 replies 41 participants last post by  flaircraft 
#1 · (Edited)
I just got confirmation from FFR today that my kit completion date is April 4th so I figure I should start posting a build log. Since I live in WA state I am having Stewart ship the kit; I would love to see the factory but just don't have the time or gas money to do a 6k mile round trip.

Build plan: The car is going to be driven frequently by both myself and my wife, so it has to be something we'll both enjoy. For her this means quiet, comfortable, pretty, reliable, and easy to drive. For me this means best possible handling and braking, with decent acceleration. And it's all got to be done on a tight budget, we're shooting for 18k including donor. This rules out $10k paint jobs, crate motors, TKO trannies, etc. for this car. It'll have to be a pretty plain-Jane donor build which may not be the most exciting to read about especially considering the number of amazing builds on here.

Donor: I got a 95 Mustang. Ugly but mechanically sound. Advantages are lowest miles of any 5-liter mustang (last year they were made); 5 liter is cheap to get upgrades for, 4-wheel disc brakes, and 5-lug bolt pattern. I scored this for $1250 a few months ago and can hopefully sell stuff off it for a few hundred bucks. It also has the optional 17" rims on it so I can use those for a while until we can afford some nicer rims, I'd love the Halibrands but they put us way over budget :(

Upgrades beyond basic kit: 3-link, CNC dual master cylinder for best brake balance (recently purchased used via the forum); QA1 shocks; SAI mod, Summit heater+piping, Summit Stage 2 intake (Weiand action plus clone); Street Demon 625 carb (modern squarebore Thermoquad); GT40P heads with multi-angle valve job and light bowl work (per DIYporting.com), I paid a total of $-25 for the heads after parting out the Explorer they came from. We are planning on a street C*bra replica, so it will have bumpers, undercar exhaust, removable dual rollbar, no hood scoop. My wife likes the British Racing Green, so after some searching I found that the Summit brand paint has a jade metallic green that looks really nice. Ultimately we'd like it to look like jolsen42's first car.

We also have an MGB that we enjoy driving, the plan is to make the two cars match fairly well (same paint, similar rims, luggage rack etc.) so I am using the MG as a sketch pad for the FFR. I've linked a couple photos, one is the MG and the other is the donor car... the MG has the V6 and T5 out of a Camaro swapped into it so it's kind of a C*bra Junior. It'll be fun to have a "his and hers" pair.

2015-03-08 16.33.23 by flaircraft, on Flickr

2015-02-19 20.53.10 by flaircraft, on Flickr
 
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#2 ·
Looks like you hit "Submit Post" before complete. :confused1:

Aside from the quiet part, sounds like you'll be building something similar to mine. I have a wonderful wife and I want to keep her that way! :yes: I'm trying to limit my upgrades to only the real essentials ... but it's tough .. because "it's only a $50 more here or $100 there" adds up! Good Luck!
 
#3 ·
Looks like you hit "Submit Post" before complete. :confused1:
Yeah, oops LOL. I've edited and added the rest of what I was going to post. Your build is one of the ones I've been watching closely since we definitely seem to have similar goals, especially with keeping our wives happy :)
 
#4 ·
That sounds like a good plan and you seem to have a good donor. I know everyone here can help you along the way with about anything you need. Are you going to leave the MG stock or are there plans to do a few little MODs to it as well? I ask because a guy I work with has a couple of these and has information forever as it were.
Good luck with your build, and welcome to the madness.
J.D.
 
#5 ·
To meet the 'easy to drive' part for your wife, consider keeping the power steering and get with Jeff from Whitby to buy the inexpensive pieces you need to keep the power brakes.

Both make the car a lot easier to drive.
 
#6 ·
Flaircraft -

I built my Cobra for a daily driver using a '94 Mustang GT donor. As you know, the '94 & '95 models had some unique things about them which are generally not part of the build manual. You'll see some parts of the manual that cover donors up through '93 and '96 and up.

My Cobra is a blast to drive and I don't get exhausted on long cruises. I kept my donor power steering and cruise control. Did the brake pedal modification for manual brakes, but now regret not using power brakes. Also put in comfortable high back racing seats.
 
#7 ·
Congrats to you for your "Budget Build" plans. This concept is what FFR is all about and put them on the map back in the day. Most projects today are far from this original idea as the donor cars have become too old or too tired to use. I commend you for sticking to the plan!

I wish you the best of luck with your project and remember that this forum is very good at helping you spend your money....ask me how I know....

Scott
 
#8 ·
I shall follow this build closely. I am going to be building my roadster using a '94 GT donor which I picked up for $1800. I already upgraded the wheels though since I found some very nice wheels for $80 each. My build plan is pretty similar to yours.

It's very easy to use an '87-'93 bellhousing and input shaft to get a shorter transmission length like the Fox mustangs. It's also very easy to find an '87-'93 timing cover and water pump to fit the '87-'93 bracketry. Those are the major differences. The intake manifold kink really makes little to no difference in the end and the EGR mounts differently to the two but that is also pretty irrelevant.

I'm actually going to EEC tuning school this weekend as I plan to tune my own engine. I should be able to make a canned tune for your car eliminating the smog pump, EGR, etc. for cheap afterwards.

I am going to swap to bigger Cobra sized brakes all around keep the P/S, keep the power brakes and try to get A/C installed as well. All of these are for my old self and wife as well.
 
#9 ·
Flaircraft,

Looks like a great build. I am planning something very similar and will be watching your build. Street, undercar exhaust, no scoop. Looking to go with wire wheels. British Racing Green is a top choice. Also looking at BMW Midnight Blue. My wife cannot drive stick so it will be an automatic.

Good Luck!

Rob
 
#10 ·
You might like my build...

Have P/S, P/B, Automatic - see signature.
 
#11 ·
Nice to see someone doing a budget build. Enjoy the project and the final result.

I replaced too many of the donor parts and did too many upgrades and the car is not even completed yet.
 
#12 ·
Been There, Done That...

I did what you are planning, except I made several changes to the chassis, aluminum panels, roll bars, body and upholstery as I went along.

My donor (an '88 GT 5.0 HO) had been upgraded with Lincoln MK VII brakes so I have five lugs and 4 wheel discs. I have manual brakes and don't see any reason to go to power assist there. I did cut the relief spring on the P/S relief valve, so I have a little better "wheel feel". I also used the donor tilt column, then added cruise control, a really nice feature out on the road (I've got 2500 miles so far).

I went with an under car exhaust. I'm running cats (with the stock air pump) and mufflers. I started out with block hugger headers and Thrush mufflers from Summit and made the rest myself. I made cuts in the bottom of the rear cross member and oval transitions in the pipe there, then straight under the differential (with the limiting straps there is no interference). It is easy to remove when necessary (I took the system off, from the headers back, in about an hour yesterday as I'm doing the repairs on my trans and clutch).

To save additional money I did my own upholstery. I also installed an AM/FM/XM/CD player but, as several have stated already, it is difficult to hear at highway speed. I'm not giving up just yet and plan on a couple front speakers on the top of the dash, like my Wife's Boxster.

To save even more (at least for now) I did a "spray can paint job" and have had several "car guys" tell me to leave it as is. They say it makes my car look like a "survivor".

So far my only needed replacement parts are the synchros (which I knew about when I bought the donor) the clutch and radiator. I feel that after 25K shake down miles I've found the major problems from the donor, mine had a Saleen gage pod so I don't know how many miles it had.

Good luck with the build.

Regards, Rick.
 
#13 ·
I started with a budget-build in mind (at least that's the build plan I sold my wife on), but hasn't ended up that way. Just too many temptations.
I did stay with a donor motor, trans and IRS, but the motor has had numerous upgrades and shiney stuff added. The trans received a mid-shift mod and MGW Short Shifter (highly recommend it!), and the IRS was completely rebuilt (very smooth!)

A couple recommendations, especially if you want a daily-driver that is a pleasure for your wife too.
DEFINATELY go with the Power Steering and Brakes! (also cheaper because you already have them!) Even better, I believe the '95 is the hydro-boost unit. (If I re-did mine, I would use the hydro-boost vs the vaccu-boost (like I did). Get yourself some new Hawk HPS brake pads and have the rotors turned and they will work better than the GT brakes! Be careful of some of the donor parts, they are 20 years old! Radiator, MC, Fuel tank and pump are good items to replace.

Also, since you are running 302, you will have sufficient room for FB expansions. The PS will cost you the aluminum panels and a few hours of work and will SIGNIFICANTLY increase the PS footbox. The DS is just labor and buys you about 1.5", which does make a difference!
Larger MKIV pass. footbox!

MK4 DS FB expansion

Also, don't forget to pickup a Russ Thompson Gas Pedal assembly. Best money spent on the car build, significant throttle pedal improvement!

Good luck with your build, check-out my "Garage" in my sig, and shoot me a PM if you have any questions or if you'd like a copy of my Build Plan, send my your email.
:001_tongue:
 
#15 ·
DEFINATELY go with the Power Steering and Brakes! (also cheaper because you already have them!) Even better, I believe the '95 is the hydro-boost unit.
I won't disagree with Mark's PS/PB recommendation however you'll need to use a Fox body booster in place of your SN95 one. 1994/1995 are vacuum assist rather than hydro but the booster is a larger diameter and will interfere with the steering shaft. Easy swap; the Fox version will mate with your pedal box and master cylinder with no mods.

I love seeing a well done donor style build; so simple and pure! Whenever we talk about staying true to the donor concept or budget builds I always think of this car built by "radarearth"


CobraProject

I've met the owner and seen the car in person. It is one of my favorite Factory Fives because it demonstrates that an outstanding car can be built using the donor concept and craftsmanship rather than sacks full of money! Hey, it's even sort of the right color for you also!

Keep us posted on your progress and good luck!

Jeff
 
#16 ·
My plan for the steering is to use the de-powered donor rack at first, but keep the PS parts in case we decide that PS is needed. I'm hoping that with the SAI mod, stock Mustang size tires (245-45-17) and 5-6 degrees caster we can get by with manual steering. The MGB is manual steering with 205 width tires and 8 degrees caster (factory, non adjustable) and we have no problems driving it. I've also got my eye on the MR2 electric conversion but it's out of budget for now.

As for the power brakes, are they needed for the dual CNC master cylinders? I plan on modding the brake pedal per the build manual for manual brakes...

I do also have access to an 88 GT that will be donating the steering rack, and is available for any other parts that I find out work better off the Fox body. Unfortunately it's an automatic car so I'll still be using the longer bellhousing etc. that came with the 95.

I am also planning on doing a mid-shifter mod to the transmission by cutting off the shifter box and relocating it (similar to this page BritishV8 Forum: T5 shifter relocation. ). I have been looking for an S10 tailshaft housing but have had no luck; in addition, I can't use the nice aftermarket shifter that came with my donor on an S10 tranny, and the speedometer setups are totally different which causes problems too. It looks like relocating the shifter box will actually be the quickest, cheapest solution, since even doing the remote-linkage type of shifter relocation would take similar amount of time and I'd have to source the linkage parts too.

Seeing the build log by radarearth a couple months ago was definitely an inspiration in my build, definite proof that it is possible to make a budget donor build that is also a nice car.

We'd love to have wire rims but they make the Halibrands look cheap. If anybody has a used set of 17" wire rims please let me know :)

I'm definitely doing the DS footbox mod and will be relocating the brake and clutch pedals to the left too. I'm considering the PS footbox mod too but haven't looked into it enough yet to make a firm decision.

For the gas pedal, would the RT pedal be necessary if I toss the cable and use a mechanical linkage setup? Since I'm converting to carburetion I can't use the donor throttle cable so will have to use something else anyway.

Thumper, originally we were going to do a lot of mods to the MGB but after seeing the amount of custom work I'd have to do (custom fab V6 intake manifold, fender flares, major suspension and brake upgrades, etc.) I realized that it wouldn't be that much more man-hours to just put an FFR together, as long as I stuck to the manual. And the C*bra is a much better looking car in my opinion too. For now we'll just be sticking with the V6/trans swap and the 15" tires/rims. The V6 is easier/cheaper to get parts for and makes more power than a full-race MG 4-banger, weighs the same as the stock engine, and doesn't use Lucas electronics; dang car died on me twice in the first 200 miles thanks to the Prince of Darkness, and I don't want my wife to have to deal with that when she's driving it.
 
#17 ·
I strongly recommend you go w/ PS at the beginning. It can be added later, I've done it three times, but why. I guarantee you and your wife will be happier w/ PS. It also allows more caster which makes the car more stable.
 
#20 ·
Just got a call from the Stewart driver last night, he has my kit and is in HB for the show this weekend. After the show he will be heading north to WA and should be able to deliver the kit roughly Friday the 1st. Good thing I spent the last 3 weekends feverishly organizing my garage!
 
#22 · (Edited)
In preparation for the kit arriving, I put together an overhead winch assembly for the body so I can store it near the ceiling (we have 12' ceilings in the garage). I used a Harbor Freight AC winch that I had left over from another project and mounted it to one of the ceiling trusses.

2015-04-28 17.19.11 by flaircraft, on Flickr



Also I went to Harbor Freight a couple days ago and purchased one of their dual air horns for $15, it sounds exactly like I hoped it would. I had thought about a Wolo BadBoy or the Stebel Nautilus as well, but for the price I couldn't say no...

2015-04-28 17.20.07 by flaircraft, on Flickr


And this morning one of the important parts of the build showed up:

2015-04-30 11.30.15 by flaircraft, on Flickr



2015-04-30 11.54.58 by flaircraft, on Flickr
 
#24 ·
If u went to the trouble of installing an elect winch for raising the body once, maybe twice, this is gonna be a great build!! Enjoy the ride and keep us informed
 
#27 ·
I thought about it, but wasn't sure how to safely get in and what is safe to sit on :confused: The last thing I want to do is ruin a panel or something before I even start working on the car. Suggestions on how to get in and sit down are welcome!
 
#30 ·
You want to have at least 4 jack stands ready when the truck gets there. I have a steep driveway so I used my pickup to tow the Stewart dolly up the hill.



You can just see the dolly in the grass by the trailers rear bumper

Also used the truck to drive the boxes, about 30+ for a full kit, to the garage.



The driver & you can set the frame on the jack stands but more people is a big help.
 
#32 · (Edited)
On Sunday I pulled the aluminum off the frame, and got the frame degreased, etched and painted.

2015-05-03 17.22.34 by flaircraft, on Flickr

Oh and the frame is #8581.

Next step: donor disassembly. This will be tricky, since our neighborhood HOA forbids me to do any work on cars outside and also forbids me to store a non-running vehicle outside. This means that technically neither the FFR or the donor can be outside, ever, during the build process, but I sure don't have enough room in the garage to store one while working on the other. I think the only reason that I didn't get busted for cleaning and painting the frame in the driveway is that it doesn't even look like a car yet so no neighbors were wise enough to take offense...
 
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