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  1. #1
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Default Fitting some rear meats

    I found this article interesting.
    17x10" with 23.8mm offset 6.5" backspace. Run a 315/35ZR-17 Nitto. 46mm and 7.3" bs if using an SN95/Cobra/Tbird/SVO axle.

    http://www.mustangandfords.com/how-t...ustang-wheels/

    I've been meaning to take a serious look at how much rubber I can squeeeze under a foxbody out back without crazy cutting it up big - guess the article answers it.

    Back in the day Autokraft Lincoln would do some surgery on a fox that they called their "wide body" conversion. It was almost impossible to see with the naked eye but yielded massive amounts of additional room for rubber. A little time and a portapower and knowing where to cut and fill in more metal went a long ways. They made it look easy -- look. So easy you still don't see anyone else with the stones to do it- they minitub or body kit instead. AK were fitting a 10.5 wide rim under our foxes - back in the early 90's. Blew my mind then.

    Then there's the infamous 88GT choptop. Last time I saw it the car was sitting on 19x13's in back and 19x11 up front but to say the car had been massaged is the understatement of the century. The H bomb made a small bang too.

    Now the question is... how to modify things to actually retain a quad shock and fit that much rubber under a foxbody out back. Squeeze a 9" wheel up front with big contact patch and it might even turn too.

    Anyway - fun article

    I can hear the gears turning. There's nothing overly radical about their approach to fitting it. BFH....
    Last edited by erratic50; 09-18-2017 at 11:25 PM.

  2. #2
    FEP Super Member 84StangSVT's Avatar
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    One way to find out how the AutoKraft cars did it would be to call Doug up and ask him. He is a stand up guy and loves the Foxes. He is a member here also, but very seldom active.

    Here is a thread that he showed up in to comment about his blue beast.
    http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthre...=1#post1603602

    I have no further insight on any of this, but Doug can usually be caught at the shop out in Lincoln.
    Brock
    1984 Mustang LX Convertible 3.8L V-6/Auto (SOLD)
    1984 Mustang GT Hatchback 5.0 V-8/5 Speed

    I'm an FEP Supporter and proud of it. Are you?

  3. #3
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Yea. The thing I've noticed about Doug from a time when my car was in and out of his shop multiple times is he makes it sound and look easy. Way easier than it actuallly is!

    But a 315 without tubs -- how much more meat do you believe you need on your fox?

  4. #4
    FEP Super Member 84StangSVT's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by erratic50 View Post
    Yea. The thing I've noticed about Doug from a time when my car was in and out of his shop multiple times is he makes it sound and look easy. Way easier than it actuallly is!

    But a 315 without tubs -- how much more meat do you believe you need on your fox?
    It probably is easy to him. He is a talented body guy that does it all the time.

    My personal opinion is anything over about a 275 tire, you better have the horsepower to turn them effortlessly or else you're gonna look like a poser.
    Brock
    1984 Mustang LX Convertible 3.8L V-6/Auto (SOLD)
    1984 Mustang GT Hatchback 5.0 V-8/5 Speed

    I'm an FEP Supporter and proud of it. Are you?

  5. #5
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    No kidding talented! I was around to see the GT40 crate motor still in green with envy saw it being lowered into the choptop. I saw the choptop in black and I saw it right after it went grabber blue..... there's only the one unless another was built in a different time period.

    I saw the first short Tbird when it was for sale as just a shortened body in white roller (red). Could have bought it but it might as well have been a million dollars at the time.

    My 86 was parked next to the shortened supercoupe several times as we went out to check on the white 88 Fiero Doug's shop was putting back together for us after its frontend was literally ran over by an 83 Ford van. (T bone-- very lucky my brother saw that idiot and got slowed down enough to send it up/over the nose rather than into his door -- he walked away!)

    Oh -- And I saw the 1993 CobraR sitting in the office then was still in the wrapper too.

    A lot of the pictures I see out on the web of builds were shot right after interruptions... if you needed to talk to Doug you had to wait. And it always looked like his shop got its difficult work that needed his talents done late nobody was expected to be around.

    Yea - you better have horsepower and gears to rotate those meats. So why not.

  6. #6
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    If you want to fit a 315 or larger under your Fox, I see no reason to try and keep the quad shock. It causes too many issues with clearance.

    Besides if you want to truly be able to put the power down with that kind of rear meat, you will need to run a better than the quadra bind suspension. So you might as well ditch the quad shocks, go full Torque Arm with quality lower control arms, ditch the upper arms entirely, and install either a Panhard bar or Watts Link. Or at least that is my .02.
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

  7. #7
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Totally agree! Torque arms eliminate brake dive and vastly assist in weight transfer. Best of both worlds.

    And if you're fitting 315's it's just another line item on the bill. Lol

  8. #8
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by erratic50 View Post
    Totally agree! Torque arms eliminate brake dive and vastly assist in weight transfer. Best of both worlds.

    And if you're fitting 315's it's just another line item on the bill. Lol

    NO problem right! You are building a Saleen clone so you must be made of $$ right!
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

  9. #9
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Lol. I wish. That car is going to receive look and stance stuff but I have my doubts that under the hood will ever be even close to "right". As long as it runs/drives fine I currently don't care.

    If I wasn't captured by the cool factor the car has going for it to the point that I can see the result in my head... I'd sell all the Saleen stuff and use it to finance a quick/easy GT build.

    Unfortunately I know myself too well..... it's not a good enough type exercise. I'm looking for an 85 airdam at 2x the cost rather than doing an 86 front. And 85 spats rather than an 86 rear bumper.

    Honestly I have already started looking for a wolf wheel too.... and a KRC-6000.

    What angers me about the 6000 is that I owned one in the early 90's until some a-hole broke into my 86 and stole it. (My introduction to Doug at Autokraft was break-in repairs on my 86. And it got violated 3 times in less than 2 years including a dr door and full dash replacement so it's easy to imagine how much time I spent running out to check on my car.....).

    Doug also got the job of getting the 1 7/8" twist back out of the body on my 86 after I foolishly decided to run slicks and a 100 shot of NOS with no subframe connectors in a car with nearly 200K on it.

    The dude I knew with ladder bars on a built 70 Challenger (who was a real jerk and acted as if his car was so quick and fast it was completely unbeatable) was completely silenced but it came at a price - a hefty bill from the body shop for straightening and unibody arching and welded in HPM subframe connectors. I have to give Doug's shop credit - this releaving the sprung beercan on wheel style fix has held up for another 250K miles!
    Last edited by erratic50; 09-19-2017 at 11:23 AM.

  10. #10
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    I'm curious if anyone here is thinking about trying this. When I redo my 86GT I might go for it. Will have to get wider wheels for the back, but it's only money.

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