Once the mini-tubs were in,...
Once the mini-tubs were in, the car was taken from Robert's shop and propped up on jackstands in the garage for additional fabrication and finishing work, including sealing the firewall, making replacement front inner-fender panels, repairing the core support, and painting the rollcage.
Naturally, Project Boss 340 will also be equipped with the latest, hard-core racing hardware for '79-'93 drag 'Stangs, which we'll certainly discuss in great detail in our future reports on the build. For now, keep reading as we take you through an introductory chronology of photos and captions that show you what we're workin' with. Basically, we're going at this project with a really good "lump-of-clay" race chassis (with has a pretty interesting story of its own), and an earnest ambition to make the 'Stang worthy of carrying the legendary Boss name.
Stay tuned, 'Stang fans, this one is gonna be good!
NHRA rules require a racecar...
NHRA rules require a racecar to have a completely sealed firewall to prevent flames from entering the cockpit in the event of a fire. All of the holes in our project car's firewall were fully welded shut. Welding and grinding on a firewall is labor intensive, but it's hands-down the best way to close up this area of a racecar.
Check ListBeing organized and laying out a good gameplan is a critical strategy that helps ensure the success of a full-on race-car build. While some projects may require elaborate spreadsheets and graphs to keep things running smoothly, we made a simple bullet-point rundown of parts or tasks needed for Boss 340's completion. Here's a peek at some of the items on our extensive agenda:
*K-member and front suspension*Front brakes*Rack and pinion*Headlights, taillights, turn signals, and bezels*Motor plate/mid-plate*Master cylinder*Clutch linkage*Clutch*Cooling-system plumbing*Harwood Lexan windshield*Window net*Five-point harness*Parachute and mount*Fire-suppression system*Littelfuse wiring system*Switch panel*Gauges*Sunroof hardware*Complete weatherstrip kit*Rear suspension*Battery*Kill switch*Rear-hatch hardware*Rear wing*Fuel system*Nitrous fuel system*9-inch rearend (51 7/16-inch backside of flange to backside of flange)*Wheels and tires
We shot the rollcage, accessories frame, and mini-tubs with gloss black paint and clearcoat. A complete 8.8 rear was also added at this time.
Obtaining an NHRA chassis certification was a major moment in our 'Stang's pre-magazine-project history. Tech Inspector Eric Lowe affixes a Sportsman cert sticker to the main hoop of the rollcage.
A detailed look at the certification shows that at the time (early 2005), the chassis was deemed safe enough by NHRA for e.t.'s of 7.50 or slower. This was one of the last 7.50 certs that was issued in Southern California, as the SFI's new 25.5 chassis specs for 7.50, 3,600-pound door cars went 100 percent into effect not long after the inspection was done on our 'Stang. Unfortunately, KJ's PSCA Wild Street effort was forced to come to a screeching halt just after the car was certified only to be briefly revitalized in 2006 when Dave Rifkin and Ryan "Junior" Schotzel of DS Racing in Simi Valley, California, were commissioned to mock-fit a drivetrain in the 'Stang, which included modifying the floorpan, and installing a wide-ratio (2.78 first gear), Top Loader four-speed tranny, McLeod RXT twin-disc clutch, and Long vertigate shifter underneath the LX. Dave and Junior also installed Wolfe Racecraft's super-trick, Pro Stock-style clutch pedal.