Need Some Advice.

I've never had good luck selling cars either. I am very particular, and while my car may indeed be that one car out of a hundred (maintainance/appearance, etc.) It's always hard to convince the buyer of that.

While 3 is probably the best way to go, and the cheapest, 1 may very well be the easiest. I guess part of the question would also have to be, do you want to win, or just compete.

It all depends on if you are serious about drag racing. Option #3 would save you some time & some money, since most rollers are complete except for the motor and tranny. (read gauges, electronics, everything is there) If you want to get an idea as to what rollers go for, check out

and click on the link for race cars. NHRA's website has a classifieds section as well. One thing to remember, if you go with option #1, you will not be able to put a full spool in the rear, like will usually come in a full blown race car. If you are serious about going with option #3, look for a car that has a 4 link setup with a wishbone track locator and a 9" rear. The way those setups launch, will either put a huge smile on your face, or a brown streak in your shorts. :-) Another option is to locate another car and build it yourself, but I guarantee you, it will end up costing you more money than to buy a roller.

Why don't you give yourself 2 months and see if you can sell your Mustang for a fair price. If you can, go with option 3; if you can't there's always option 1.

Michel

The nice thing about bracket racing is that you don't have to be the fastest to win, just the most consistant. So with that in mind, imagine the prefect car: small block, EFI, electronic everything, auto trans, solid axle. If your current GT fits that bill, then go racing and have a good time. If not, it's probably cheaper to sell yours and buy one that does. Spend some time at the track before you do anything. See what the winners are running, and notice how/why they win. The KISS principle plays a huge role here. Not only do you not have to dump a bunch of money into it, it's preferable that you don't. The more radical it is, the more difficult it is to tune and drive for consistancy. You can win with your grandma's Buick Regal. Of course, you end up with a 45 minute dial in ;)

I'll check it out. I have been looking and have found a few so far that would be what I'm after for around $4000-$5000 less motor and trans.

MadDAWG

Well in 2 months we will be talking about snow. :( I won't be doing anything probably till spring.

MadDAWG

I did that for a few years. Its not bad, but I really want to get away from the EFI too completly honest. I'm tired of the cost of EFI. Its a lot easier to find a used Victor Jr. than a Victor 5.0, and even if you do the carbed version is about half the price. Not to mention the hassale if you need to take a valve cover off.

All of that is very true. I'm looking for a good mid 11 high 10 second range setup. I figure a solid lifter cam and a set of AFR 205/TFS high ports on top of my 342 short block should have plenty of power to get that done. Backed up by a 4000 converter in a C4 and a set of 4.56 gears. Another thing is my 95 is a tank compaired to say an 86 LX coupe.

MadDAWG

Like you I have bad luck selling modified cars for a decent price. What I did last time is bring the car back to stock and sell the parts used separate from the car. I recuperated more $$$ this way...

A rolling chassy is a steal compared to the price of building one. I agree with 3, I would not build one, not that I would not like that, just the cost...man it's getting expensive...Another option is to sell yours, get an earlier mustang (fox), stripp it down and put your engine/tranny in it. It is light and easy to get to hook up compared to the sn-95 and build from there. You don't have to do it all in the same year...

Fun project...

Good luck

Serge

Actually a Fox trunk would be the ideal drag car. either that or something older like a Maverick or Pinto. Something to keep the weight down. I have a

342 short block sitting in the garage now. I could put some of the stock parts back on like intake and exhaust but there are a few thins I no long have to put back on. Still not a bad idea.

MadDAWG

"MadDAWG" wrote in a message:

older like a Maverick or Pinto. Something to >keep the weight down. I have a

342 short block sitting in the garage now. I could put some of the stock parts back on like

Still not a bad idea.

Word of advice. What ever you decide to use to build a race car, make sure it is something that you will have no regrets when you have to start cutting it up. If you get to the point to where you want to put wider slicks on, you'll have to cut the bottom of the car out from behind the driver seat, back to the back of the trunk, and weld in a narrowed frame to accomodate those wider slicks. There will be other things you will end up cutting out, just to get rid of every ounce of weight you can. Also, think about where you want to end up with the car, and build it accordingly, expecially if you want to run it on alcohol. When buying parts, expecially for the fuel system, if you plan on running alcohol, make sure those parts are alcohol compatable, or you will be replacing them later. I also recommend going to a track and look at cars simular to what you want to build, and ask questions. They will answer any question you may have. If you were to ask any of my friends about a 4 link setup, they would have you down under the car with them, and would show you everything about the 4 link setup, and explain how to set it up. I chose the Pinto for mine for the size, and the stock weight. After cutting some of the stuff out, we extimate it weighs somewhere around

2000 - 2300 pounds ready to race. Next time we take it to the track, we are going to have the track weigh it so we know the exact weight. Another thing you need to do, once you start taking it to the track, is to keep accurate records as to what changes you make, and only change one thig at a time. If you start making multiple changes and the car slows down, you won't know what change caused it. I keep track of everything done to the car, and can compare time slips with each change. If you have any further questions, feel free to email me direct.