As confessed tool junkies, it was hard for us to put a cap on the number of products we would include. While we acknowledge there are probably hundreds more worthy tools, this is a sampling of the products we think are among the coolest and most-useful pieces of equipment a racer can have at the track, at the shop, or even in the home garage.
"A cordless impact gun . . . best tool ever made!" Those are the sentiments of Hot Rod magazine's editor, Rob Kinnan, and we concur with his opinion. This gun (PN ET1550) by Snap-On Tools (www.snapon.com) features a half-inch square drive and delivers 240 lb-ft of lug-nut-busting/tightening torque (2,700 blows-per-minute). For racers who swap rear tires from side to side after a few passes, this tool helps make the job a lot quicker and easier on the back.
Mustang racers and race fans have probably either used or heard the term "pinion angle" at some point. This refers to the angle that the rear-end's pinion shaft forms in relation to the ground. Pinion angle is most effective when an imaginary line drawn between the rear axle and a tire's contact patch is at 90 degrees in relation to the pinion shaft. This measurement is best taken when a 'Stang is sitting on its wheels, and the essential tool for finding the right angle is this driveshaft angle gauge (PN POW351032) from Powerhouse Products [(800) 872-7223; www.powerhouseproducts.com]. Pinion angle is crucial to a drag-race Mustang's launch and 60-foot performance. The gauge measures the angle from 0 to 8 degrees positive or negative, and it includes a magnetic mounting base that facilitates attaching it to the rearend housing or driveshaft.
Mr. Gasket Company's [www.mrgasket.com; (888) MR-GASKET, ext. 999] new FluidZap absorbent pads were given rave reviews by racers and shop managers. Made from highly absorbent cellulose core, FluidZaps are available in two sizes: 17x23-inch (PN 3699/sheets) and 18x28-inch (PN 3700/perforated roll). Custom sizes are also available. They're a must for controlling and cleaning up fluid spills in the shop, at the track, or inside the trailer. Each pad can soak up half a quart of oil (at 210 degrees) or other fluid, and it has a polypropylene backing that prevents fluid from leaking through. In our opinion, the tried-and-true shop rag has met its match. FluidZaps are a lot more eco-friendly, as they're 100 percent trash-can disposable. They do a much better job of keeping potential HAZMAT disasters in check when you have an oily or leaky situation with your race car.
Even in the lower-profile classes, just about every hard-core race Mustang in any sanction is packing an extremely sensitive, ragged-edge engine that pumps out a ton of horsepower, with or without a power adder. Checking compression to diagnose the engine's internal health and make sure all eight holes are ready to go another round is often part of a race team's routine between rounds. Powerhouse Products [(800) 872-7223; www.powerhouseproducts.com] offers this long-reach compression tester to make checking the condition of an engine a bit easier. The 0- to 300-psi Big Face (211/42-inch diameter) compression tester features a 16-inch heavy-duty, long-reach flex hose, a side release valve for multiple readings, and 14mm (standard and long-tip lengths), and 18mm spark-plug adapters.
A set of OTC [(800) 533-6127; www.otctools.com] Stinger Easy Roller (PN 1580) wheel dollies gives a race operation an easy, efficient method of moving a disabled or spooled-rear race Mustang or chassis around a shop or the pits. Four Easy Rollers are ideal, but we recommend a minimum of two. Using them is as simple as placing one at each wheel of any vehicle weighing up to 6,000 pounds (four dollies are required for the maximum weight) with tires as wide as 12 inches, then using the foot pedal, as demonstrated in the photo, to activate the unit's hydraulic lift mechanisms. With these dollies, moving a car is easy enough for one person to handle. They're also great at tracks, as they help speed up the removal process for cars that break drivetrain parts and don't make it all the way through the quarter-mile.