Build thread - 1985 Mustang Saleen (clone?)

[wraithracing]

I agree. Hit the underside with a pressure washer and see what it looks like. As for the inner fenders in the front, heres my .02. I would clean up or replace the inner fenders and put them back in as black. If youre not putting them in I think a good heavy coat of truck bed liner to protect inner fenders and underside of fenders from rocks flying up and making ugly dimples in fresh paint.
You should clean up those rusty sub frame connectors and paint them red to match the springs and K member brace. Tell everyone that its part of the Racecraft suspension package. Lol

That is essentially the plan at this point. Although I am not sure about the RED subframe connectors. Also they aren't really rusty, they just have some light surface rust on them right now. They are MM units that were installed a couple of months ago and were going to get painted, but we didn't want any overspray from the exterior on them. Still probably should have at least hit them with primer, but didn't expect them to be bare quite so long.

I will hit them with my Eastwood SCT and they will be nice clean shiny metal before any paint and primer.

[erratic50]

I had to LOL on the red connectors comment. There’s one I’ve never seen done.

I try to keep my cars a little more low key usually. Anyone who has ever seen my 86GT would have never in a 100 years expected it to do what it’s always done.....

But low key and a Four Eyed Fox Saleen (clone or otherwise) don’t exactly fit in the same sentence.

Its tough for me to think about this build in the proper way. The Saleen this car will clone is very much an in your face type of upgrade list for the time. Very much not subtle — all the cool body parts are over exaggerated, stripes in case you missed them, mesh wheels to stand out, every suspension spring or brace or shock/strut bright colors so they jump out and get noticed.

I feel like many of the non-Saleen additions like the panhard and control arms and subframe connectors and strut tower brace should stay subtle.

One addition that will really jump out is the HPM caster/camber plates. I selected the HPM Megabite plates on purpose. This car is a local to Omaha car and it has had a lot of Saleen Racecraft under it for a very long time.

My goal with the build was and is really a few things
- get help as needed to accelerate finishing what was started and what I took on — get to the enjoy it part
- participate in a dream car build - something I never thought I would get to do resulting in a unique car I never thought I would get to own
- take this mysterious local car and construct a proper tribute to the rare early Saleens we rarely see intact and all love
- make it stand out as a car built as the color the car came in originally, one that was never built
- recognizing the marvel Saleen and the Saleen Racing team built in the mid 80’s
- restore the car then closely follow the way it was done
- do it as a salute to the people who originally both built and raced them

Lots of parts to get ordered to keep the current tasks on track. I forgot about isolators and a few other things... it needs new because the originals are rock hard trash.

[dagenham]

Dont worry guys. I was only joking about the red sfc. I'm going to put them on 85-132 this winter(if I ever get a new bottle of gas for my welder). I will most likely put a coat of white on them to match the car.

[wraithracing]

Dont worry guys. I was only joking about the red sfc. I'm going to put them on 85-132 this winter(if I ever get a new bottle of gas for my welder). I will most likely put a coat of white on them to match the car.

I assumed you were joking, but then again . . .

So what's the hold up!? Go get some gas!

[erratic50]

Well.... another healthy dose of parts is on its way.

- New brake booster
- New M1858 1” bore master cyl
- New rack and inner tierods and boots
- MM bumpsteer kit to make sure we can get the combo with the SVO spindles and adapters and SN95 balljoints and offset rack bushings tweaked as needed and dialed in to work best. Not sure where we will end up. I suspect raised rack at the offset bushings and a short stack
- New pinion snubber and two more to repurpose
- new spring isolators from MM

The one thing that’s always guaranteed until a car is crushed .... they will always need another part.

Have had a run of deaths in my family lately - aunts and uncles are expiring like crazy. They will be missed. Live each day to the fullest!

had to cancel a fishing trip I’ve been planning for months with my dad due to another funeral. Life seems to escape all too quickly, I remember the many fishing trips with my uncle well. And also the last one which was no different except it was the last as it turns out.


crazy busy at home right now trying to get the old house sold, trying to be ready to move to the new one in a few weeks.

The house is behind which really put me backwards on stuff at work as we wound things down a bit then back up based upon a move that never happen yet.

[wraithracing]

Booster showed up yesterday. Still trying to get the underside cleaned up on the lift. The cooler weather here last week and beginning of this week removed my desire to get soaking wet with the power washer under the car. Back into the 70's for a few days, so that should help.

[erratic50]

Was in the lower 20’s last night.... I think less and less of winter every year.

[dagenham]

Was in the lower 20’s last night.... I think less and less of winter every year.

When I was a kid I loved winter. Sledding, hunting, snowmobiling, it was great. Now I'm older (almost 50) and I dread winter. Having to drive back and forth to work in the snow, getting home from working all day and having to plow and shovel snow and bring in coal to keep the house warm. I keep threatening to leave PA and move to AZ.

[dagenham]

Was in the lower 20’s last night.... I think less and less of winter every year.

When I was a kid I loved winter. Sledding, hunting, snowmobiling, it was great. Now I'm older (almost 50) and I dread winter. Having to drive back and forth to work in the snow, getting home from working all day and having to plow and shovel snow and bring in coal to keep the house warm. I keep threatening to leave PA and move to AZ.

[cougman67]

Try living in Canada.

[wraithracing]

Try living in Canada.

NO THANKS! I spent a couple of winters in North Dakota and that was more than enough for me!

I live in Colorado, but on the Western Slope where we only have 8-12" of snow per year. I am perfectly fine with that. Gives the wife her 4 seasons of color, the occasional white Christmas and I don't spend my entire life shoving a driveway.

[erratic50]

Yea, snow and I are not friends. I shoveled way too much and all by hand as a kid. Dad didn’t need a snowblower when he had two boys. He was out there with us scooping too. Eventually he bought an 20 HP Gilson snow blower with tire chains, etc. much better, but then we shoveled out most of the town to pay for it. That damn old snowblower is still around and moving snow too.

the nice part is in south east nebraska we get about 20% of the snow vs what we always received in the northeastern part.

Norfolk has had over a foot in the past few days, we maybe have 3”

[cougman67]

My children moved out so I purchased a quad with a blade. We woke up to 6” of snow this morning. With the thefts we’ve been having lately I have to leave it in the garage unless I’m working.

The only good thing about winter is time to work on my car.

[wraithracing]

Finally getting caught up with everything, so here goes the rear axle overhaul.

The housing after being blasted and powder coated in satin black.





Here are the parts and pieces to overhaul the rear axle assembly and swap in a set of 3.55 gears and upgrade the differential to the carbon fiber clutch packs.



I removed the bearings from the differential and pulled out the clutch packs. Then I cleaned it up in the parts washer and dried it off. I need to soak the clutches before setting the clearances and then install. I also drove out the old races for the pinion and cleaned out the axle housing one last time before assembly. Thought I would have time today to get more work done, but just wasn't in the cards. More updates coming shortly.

[cougman67]

The differential looks good. Did you leave the bushings in during powder coating?

[wraithracing]

The differential looks good. Did you leave the bushings in during powder coating?

I did, but they are coming out and being replaced with new. I was going to remove them, but I didn't want the possibility of the holes being powder coated and having to remove that before installing the new bushings.

[erratic50]

Looking awesome! Hard to believe all the miles that 8.8 has endured. It has about 75K miles less on it than my 86GT has. Probably just over 380K miles. And not nice miles either. Most of the T5’s I’ve killed were in front of that 8.8 while it was in my 86GT.

It came out of a severely crashed 89GT originally. I got it out of a yard in 1996. Was freaky when I was cutting it out because it was pretty clear the wreck was fatal for anyone in that demolished car.

That 8.8 has served me a lot better than the original from my car which went out at 155K-160K miles. Fortunately right by a friends shop minutes away from a bone yard.

[GT Town]

It’s really cool seeing all the progress! It’s so cool to see this come together and to have a view into the decision making and amazing quality of work. Looking forward to more updates!

[erratic50]

Here’s a before picture on the 8.8 from when I was dropping it out of my 86GT

It was WAY crusty and turned out looking great

[erratic50]

Quick update on the housing situation. Got approved for conventional mortgages on BOTH houses which means I could close on the new one without getting the old one sold first. Set for December 14th.

Accepted an offer on the old house, it will close 1/7 if things go as the paperwork has planned.

Tons of crap to figure out this week. Utility switchover from the builder to me, getting an internet connection and TV service, etc.

Endless projects to get done from blinds to cable terminations for my network to camera installs, etc. I have found a recorder that can sync it’s video over internet with LTE backup that I’m excited about. Let’s me put a backup drive offsite so I’ll have footage regardless of what happens.

Tons of stuff to do, then I’ll be able to finally buy my lift. As soon as the 85 is up and running I can try to start tinkering on the 86GT a lot more

I’ve said it many times, once the 86 is done the 85 gets a new home. I had better get a ton of enjoyment out of the 85 though because the money has gotten stupid and there’s no way to recoupe it unless the prices on these old cars skyrockets. To bad as it will be very close to new condition when it rolls out.

A new 85 Saleen hasn’t left a shop in a very long time. That might make this tribute build appeal to a base of people who may be willing to spend more to own it, but it likely won’t come close to what it took to build it.

Not to mention the parts in this car are impossible to find. I had an army of people who also thought the idea was cool helping me and it still took over a year to accumulate the important parts.

A little new vs old

[wraithracing]

New House looks Good! Congrats!

The Battle Boxes are installed both upper and lower. What a PITA!



New OEM style upper control arms and Maximum Motorsport lower control arms have been bolted in awaiting the rear axle assembly.





The differential is overhauled with the new Ford Racing carbon fiber clutch kit. The upper control arm bushings have been removed. The new ones are sitting in the freezer awaiting install tomorrow. New races for the pinion are installed in the case and new carrier bearings will be installed tomorrow. Then I will begin the Ring & Pinion install.

The underside of the body has been painted and coated with rubberized undercoating to clean and seal everything up. New fuel tank is waiting to be installed Should have more pictures and updates tomorrow.

[erratic50]

Looking great! Exciting to see it progress through the build.

[83gt351w]

One thing is for certain, Trey needs a fridge, and a cot out there. He always has exciting builds. No reason he can’t work 18/20 hr days, and keep us updated every 2 hours. Lol

I never installed my battle boxes, as I installed my diff according to Trey’s and MM’s recommendation. But future plans are a torque arm anyway. And dang it, I need a freaking hoist!

[wraithracing]

One thing is for certain, Trey needs a fridge, and a cot out there. He always has exciting builds. No reason he can’t work 18/20 hr days, and keep us updated every 2 hours. Lol

DONE!



The shop out here was originally built as a hobby shop for my Dad, myself, and a pair of high school buddies. Well sure enough that didn't work out as planned and it became just my Dad and I. Anyway, we have a small office that has a full fridge, microwave, a small love seat covered in parts and a headliner right now. The door you see leads to a bath with a shower to be able to clean up after the day. There were plans to do a couple other things too, but never happened. I have internet access and phone out here too. So Yes I could live here if needed, although it wouldn't be plush accommodations by any means, but heck no worse than some places I stayed out in the oil fields a few years ago.

This was my one and done set of Battle Boxes! I have never seen the need for them as I have never torn either the uppers or lowers out of car before. Then again I don't really drag race, nor do I run poly bushes in the rear suspension except for the Maximum Motorsports setup. So . . . . . Any way I have to get to work, customers are always wanting updates and progress on their projects.

[erratic50]

Yea, battle boxes may have been overkill unless I step up about 15 tire sizes and go slicks out back. When I bought them I figured they were cheap insurance against future problems.

If I had the decision to make again I would look a little more closely at it for sure.

Torque arm is probably what I should have done honestly. Brake dive and made of unobtanium front spoilers don’t exactly mix!