Answering these questions should also unveil your priorities. Remember those priorities when standing at the parts counter and temptation rises. Does this part put you closer to your goal?
If not, pass it by--if yes, get it even if you have to stretch a bit.
The 5.0 Mustang is an ideal...
The 5.0 Mustang is an ideal drag-car project, and that is what mostpeople build. If you want a street/strip car, keep it a street car thatwill survive at the strip, not the other way around. A drag car on thestreet soon becomes simply a drag.
Of questions one through six, all are self-explanatory and should jumpstart your thinking process--all but number four, that is. Is fuel economy important to you? Something of a trick question, it's there to stumble daydreamers who think they want a race car on the street. We've found that asking about fuel economy is a good way for a smart Id to take an overactive Ego by surprise. If you're really interested in racing, fuel economy is a laughable concept. That little bit you spend on fuel is nothing compared to campaigning a race car. And a "yes" answer to the fuel question absolutely means you have a street car and need to stick strictly with street-type modifications. Don't delude yourself, or you'll end up spending a ton of money on a car you really won't like--at least not after the first couple of weeks.
To speed our necessarily brief overview along, and to help you place your car in a handy, easy-to-recall category, allow us to introduce some common categories for project cars. They are:
* Drag car
* Open track/ slalom/road race
* Daily driver
* Street machine
If looking fine on the street...
If looking fine on the street or at the show is the goal, then beginwith the finest Mustang you can afford. Such projects soak up more timethan any other because there is so much to clean and detail. The furtheralong the paint and chrome trail you begin, the easier and cheaper comethe Best-in-Class trophies.
These are well-known themes in the Mustang world and should not require much explanation. Choose the one you like, as we'll use these terms in this article as a form of shorthand. For our purposes, the first two cars--drag and open track--are track-only vehicles. The other two are street cars.
Here's where you have to be brutally honest about yourself. If you've changed a set of valve-cover gaskets and needed two friends, a case of beer, and an entire Saturday to do so, then you best not count on building your own engine for your project. Know your skills and be realistic. You might have taken that welding class in high school 10 years ago, but do you really think you can make your own subframe connectors and rollbar?
Along with being honest about your skills, take a look at where you will be working. If you live in an apartment complex or other multifamily dwelling, plan on finding another place to work on your project. A buddy's garage or a rental storage unit will suffice, just be cognizant of how long the project might take. Rental fees can add up fast if your six-month project turns into a two-year epic [Talking from experience here!--Ed.]. In a best-case scenario, you'll have a workshop or a detached garage on your property where you can work on your project whenever you have the time. Spending an hour after dinner each night working on your car is a lot easier and more convenient than driving 45 minutes round trip just to get to where it's stored. And don't forget--besides storage of your project car, you will have parts to store as well.