This is the rear seat area....
This is the rear seat area. The two large, plastic circles are access covers for the fuel pumps. The fuel tank is mounted under the rear seat area and straddles the driveshaft. That is why the mufflers are after the rear axle. The large bolt in the center rib is for the upper three-link mount.
We turned to fellow Real Street racer Bruce Hemminger to locate a suitable Red V-6 Mustang to use as a donor car. We took delivery of the car from Bruce in December two days before the PRI Show. We then commenced with dismantling the car. I must say that it's an uneasy feeling taking apart a brand-new $20,000 car. My wife could not understand why it was necessary to destroy such a nice car.
Prior to removing the drivetrain, I worked out a deal with Mustang Parts Specialties in Winder, Georgia, a nationally recognized outlet for used Mustang parts, to purchase the pieces that we removed from the car. It saved us the time required to list and ship the parts individually. The engine and transmission came out as a unit. It was a change from working on a car with rusty, old bolts. With barely 500 miles on this car's odometer, even its exhaust was easily removed. After the interior was removed, it was off to Racecraft in LaSalle, Illinois, for the rollcage, K-member, and Strange/Motive 9-inch rear axle assembly
By this time, my wife wasn't...
By this time, my wife wasn't speaking to me. I was sure glad when Christmas came and she was nice again. Trust me, it wasn't easy taking apart a perfectly good, brand-new car. I had to keep thinking I can put it back to stock if the money doesn't come. The height of the trans tunnel is noticeable here. I would guess that Ford did this for rigidity. It's not as if the car sits low and needs to drop over the driveline. It's becoming clear where the extra weight is in the new 'Stang.
This intimate disassembly emphasized that several things are radically different in the new Mustang. One is the location of the fuel tank under the rear seat area. Another is the three-link rear suspension compared to the previous four-link design. But it's the total package that really stands out. My hat is off to the engineers who designed the new Mustang. Taking the car apart was a breeze. It seems they used common sense and considered future modifications in their efforts. The framerails are spread wider apart, the rear overhang is longer while the front is less. The weight bias is the best we have ever seen in a Mustang, something we hoped would be an advantage in our class.
The changes throughout the chassis seemed to have prioritized rigidity while saving weight where possible. The hood is aluminum and weighs about 25 pounds-some aftermarket hoods aren't that light. The K-member is a welded-stamped-steel design and is lighter than the previous stamped-steel units. Our efforts to take weight out of the car were diminished by Ford's focus on saving weight. Before you say the cars are heavy, remember they put the weight where it would do the most good-in the structure.
Next month, we will talk about the unique parts that Racecraft developed to put the '05 Mustang on the racetrack.
This is the rear axle and...
This is the rear axle and gas tank. The driveshaft has been removed as well as the exhaust system. Unlike the GT, the V-6 uses a one-piece driveshaft that has an accordion-style slip coupler in the middle of the shaft. We will install a one-piece driveshaft from Strange Engineering.
Once the car was gutted, and...
Once the car was gutted, and the windshield had been removed, we shoved the car into the trailer a few days after Christmas. The neighbors were looking out the window wondering if I was running a chop shop. We loosened most of the suspension so removal at Racecraft would be a breeze. As you can see, the most important modification has been performed-the installation of the 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords license plate.
New Year's Day 2005-the car...
New Year's Day 2005-the car arrived at Racecraft's new facility in LaSalle, Illinois. Once inside with the aid of an impact wrench, I had the suspension out in about 20 minutes. We were ready for Racecraft to start developing the suspension components, as well as install our 10-point rollcage.
This is an area in front of...
This is an area in front of the firewall. There is a plastic cover that closes off the area between the windshield and hood. Later, it will prove effective in hiding a multitude of sins. It is great for routing wires and brake lines out of sight.
I told Bruce to get used to...
I told Bruce to get used to looking at the back of my new Mustang. His response was, "I want to look at it now, because I won't be seeing much of it this season." Bruce is as pumped as I am with the '05 Mustang in Real Street. 5.0