David,

First of all, what class will you be running in, since this will be mainly a track car. There is not any current racing body that has a class for Coupes, as far as I know. You can't run with the Spec racers, as that is a class only for Spec racers, and no other cars. If you were to run in SCCA Solo Class I or II, that again would have a definite impact on how you powered you car, and of course, what type of brakes, fire suppression, fuel cell, roll cage, etc. you would have to use. Give us a little more information, so we can give you a better answer.


Hank

 

I don't plan to race the car, but rather a hot rod DE car to share (and build) with my dad. I have a 993 that I've been doing track events for a couple years now, and I race a 100cc kart. In the future, I plan to pca/pboc club race, or possibly do the roadster spec series. Mainly I want the car to be safe, fast, and capable of handling 2 drivers in a weekend. From what I've read, I think the 350HP crate motor would be a good motor for that. I'll probably do an integrated fire system as well.

Whatever transmission I get, I'll probably replace 5th gear, so I'll get a chance to look at synchros, etc. I imagine the steering rack on a 100k mi car will be worn, so I'll start out with the optional manual one. I also will rebush the lower front A-arms. Beyond that, I would think most of the donor parts wouldn't be too affected by higher mileage (electrical, EFI, brackets, etc). My question is whether or not thats true, and if the donor route would be more economical given the amount of new parts I'll be starting out with.

I also want it to be streetable, so I questioned FFR's recomendation to do all poly mounts. However, my 911 is set up as an RS, and I don't think its too stiff at all for my tastes.

 

I have heard it is cheaper just to buy new A-arms from FMS for $199 then to put new bushings in them, and I don't even think the ball joint is replaceble.
Nathan

 

I'm in the process of a non-donor build and I recommend that approach, although you COULD spend more money (mainly by following all the great advice you get on this forum). I bought a pedal set, upper steering shaft, and brake handle for a total of $60 from a junk yard. I got the fuel filler neck and inertia switch from Breeze (forum vendor). I bought FFR front LCAs (recommend you go with these or Mike forte's which are cheaper) and the Flaming River rack. I bought the FFR fuel cell, but sold it once I saw how the fuel draws from the top of the tank (not a good approach for fuel injection) and bought a black powder coated 15 gallon cell with a sump that bolted right in ($300 from Summit). I spent another $400 on fuel pump, filter and regulator.

For options, I went with the 3-link and powder coating as, IMHO, mandatory options (I would have gone for IRS, but I had to draw the line somewhere). I got some other options from FFR, but none were really required. At the end of the day, I spent about $1400 on parts and the important ones are all brand new.

That sounds great until you consider the drivetrain. This is where a donor build shines. Since you said you were buying a crate engine, you will still need to source bellhousing, clutch, tranny, driveshaft, rear end, brakes, and all sorts of bolts, cables, and clips. These can range from $1000 (part of donor and perhaps questionable) to over $4500 (my cost with new TKO600, new clutch and bellhousing, shorted drive shaft, Cobra R brakes, and FRPP rear). Then of course there are the wheels and tires...

It seems it's not as much the little stuff which are well covered by the forum vendors (new and used), but the big ticket important stuff that should drive your decision. Good luck and I hope to see you around these parts in the future!

 

In the future, I plan to pca/pboc club race, or possibly do the roadster spec series.

If this is your intent, I'd say that building a Coupe first might be counter productive. The Spec racer would give you the opportunity of a less expensive build, and still keep it a father son type involvement. The Spec racer can also be used on the street, so you have dual capabilities, with the added advantage of a dedicate race series to compete in. It also comes from the factory a little better thought out for what it's intended to do. You get the three link, fuel cell, full cage; you'll use a less expensive crate motor, fixed gear ratios in the Trans, etc. All these add up to a very economical racer, that has all the power you would need to beat the crap out of that 993 you've been driving (I can say that because I race an ITS Porsche). The Coupe is really a great car, I’m building one, and it’s not the easiest car to build, but it’ll pay off in the end. So look at where you want to be in about two years, and pick accordingly.


Hank

 

Mark,
Sounds like you've really looked into alternative parts-I've added them to my notes. Would you mind sharing the fuel cell/pump/filter/regulator part #'s? That's half of the fuel safe cost. In talking to FFR, I did find that they will soon be switching to a 22 gal unit, with built in fuel pump. That's great that it bolts right in. Were there any problems connecting the fuel cell to the filler location?
I'm in the minority, but I plan to paint the frame myself. My experience with powdercoating is that it still scratches, is harder to touch up and match paint. I chose IRS because I think it would be too much trouble to change later if I wanted to.

Is the main advantange between the tubular and FMS/stock lower A-arms just the weight?

Has anyone used poly bushings in the front and rear suspension arms?

Hank,
Good advice. At first we didn't know anything about the coupe, but when we started looking into it, we both fell for it pretty hard; one of those "gotta have it" kind of things. Actually, it will be 2 years before I'll be able to do any full size racing, so I have some time to figure out which direction I want to go. The spec series sounds really cool, and the 944 variants in pca E and F are great too (as would a 996 supercup if I win the lotto). Since you race a porsche, you know that each has its own unique lure. I plan to continue karting too, maybe moving to a 125cc shifter.

 

Has anyone used poly bushings in the front and rear suspension arms?

A couple of us have the spherical bearing mods to the rear knuckles, and I also have spherical front lowers. The poly bushings are also a good choice over the stock rubber.

Hank

 

My $0.02, go non-donor... most of the really good condition donor cars are too expensive to make it worthwhile. If you buy a POS to cut up, most of the parts are also going to be pretty beat. I bought an 89 for $1500 and ended up using the trans (which has a 2nd gear problem), the pedal box and a couple of other miscellaneous parts like the E-brake handle. I'd have been far better off buying a new T-5 and the rest of the parts than using the donor.

If you are going to do a straight donor build, that's the way to go. If you are going to deviate from a donor build by more than a small handfull of parts, you are better off just buying everything outright.

Finally, depending on your state's motor vehicle requirements, you might have a problem using a donor motor. In NJ, you have to meet the emissions for whatever year block you are using. If I had used the 89 motor, I would have also needed converters (nobody makes them for a coupe yet), smog pump, etc... I opted for a 71 302 out of a Torino instead - no emissions to worry about.

 

All of the above suggestions are good. We are doing a donor build and I found it very valuable and educational in the detail of how the cars systems go together and work. If you are a fairly skilled mechanic with Mustang experience, you could go either way. If not, the education that you get taking it apart is invaluable, and a lot of fun, also. We did end up buying things that were too beat to use and went with a rebuilt transmission. There are some pieces that would be nicer to have new. Now my donor looks like this.

I wouldnt have missed taking it apart and detailing all the pieces. If I do another one I could go non donor, how having had the experience.