Fox Mustang Drag Suspension - UPR Management

Given its sorry condition, Mase's Cobra gave us quite a few reservations-more along the lines of all-out skepticism-about its authenticity. A check of the VIN and this SVT certificate verifies the Cobra's pedigree and was enough to convince us that Mase is going to go drag racing with a real-deal '93 Snake. Sorry, Melvins. Another one bites the track.

Here's a look at the engine that will motivate Mase's Cobra when the project is done. This fresh 377 stroked Windsor, a transmission, and crates full of miscellaneous parts were acquired for the murder-deal price of $3,000. Everything on the Windsor is new and has never been fired. This type of score is major for a budget-intensive project. "I'm not going to buy new parts if they're not necessary," Mase says. "Sure, this engine score was luck, but this type of project can be accomplished through making good trades, watching the Internet for deals, and selling parts you don't need to fund the purchase of pieces you do need."

The Cobra's undercarriage shows signs that the car was cobbled together, possibly after being recovered from a theft and stripping. In this photo, Mase points out the absence of a rear upper control arm. It's one of many chassis maladies we encountered at the rear of the car.

Here's a look at the UPR Pro-Series Rear Suspen-sion kit for '79-'04 'Stangs (PN 1999-K; $599.99). The system features adjustable chrome-moly lower arms and double-adjustable upper arms, an antiroll bar, and T-7075 billet spherical housing bushings. Be prepared to install a turndown or custom exhaust of some sort; the antiroll bar on this setup won't work with factory tailpipes.

In an effort to keep the Windsor's torque from further separating his Cobra's torque boxes, Mase is adding UPR's Extreme Torque Box kit (PN 2016-U/L; $158.99). Fox Mustangs are notoriously flimsy; these steel plates bolt in place and will provide extra reinforcement for Mase's 'Stang's upper and lower torque boxes, which are already in so-so condition.

Someone apparently tried to weld this torque box in the past. The main intent of this effort is to make things right with the chassis before adding a powerful engine and drivetrain. The UPR suspension and chassis upgrades will alleviate these problems.

Installing the upper and lower torque box kits requires cutting and drilling on the bottom of the 'Stang.

Boring through the upper torque boxes requires effort as the steel is three layers thick where a bolt passes through.

Since Mase's Cobra is a gutted shell, scraping the rear floor area is handled quickly. This ensures the plate for the lower torque box reinforcement mounts solidly against the floor.

Mase called on a buddy to help tighten the hardware for each torque box support (one person inside/one person below).

There are no specific torque specs for the bolts, but making sure they're tightly secured is critical to ensuring the plates take flex out of the chassis.

The antiroll bar is positioned and tack welded in place against the rear framerails.