I have been on here a while and decided I should make a build thread, so here goes.
Back in March I get a call from a friend, he wants me to go help him pick up a project car to set up for local autocrosses and NASA. That sunday we picked up an 88 GTU for him. His car still sits on jackstands in the same condition we brought it home that night because his time is being taken by his lm7/4l80 transplant in his 98 BMW 528i.
After research later that night, I found this site and unfortunately got the bug. Needless to say I found a base model 2 hours away for $300 as a roller with most of the interior gone or destroyed, but it has a clean title. This is how she looked when I picked her up:
I am the 4th owner, last time the car was running was 07 when it lost the fuel pump. So I did a bunch of research and started stripping every little thing off the car that was not necessary.
Luckily my dad has worked in the auto industry for most of his life, and currently works in a shop that specializes in aftermarket suspension conversions and components for quite a few different cars. So I ordered my rollcage metal through them $2.92/ft for 1.75x.095 DOM
Then I started ordering little random components and started putting the cage together, and stitch welding the body. Dont worry about the driver door bar, later on I completely rework it.
Petal comparison, wilwood with 2 masters weighed the same as stock with no masters.
With a seat mounted, I am a little short at 5'9, I decided to make the steering column a few inches longer to put me closer to the wheel
Petals and column in the car for the first time
Then I fab up a dash support and dash panel with easy access to the masters and easily removable switch panel. The foam was added after my head met with the steering column support.
Ordered a 15 gal fuelsafe fuel cell, almost the exact same dimensions as the stock tank, and fits in the stock location perfectly.
And mounted!!
Went about finishing the cage and driver side door bar
Added a crash bar to protect the fuel cell
Got lucky and found an ECU at a local u-pull for $55, and a t5 out of a mustang for $100
Made a spring loaded window net mount for the top out of scrap metal laying around
My dad bought a plastic mock up block for his model A project, I stole it for the FC and made motor and tranny mounts lol
While waiting for parts and debating on painting the car or not, I decided to compound one corner just to see how it looks, and I decided the car is not getting paint
Before
After
I also painted the surrounds on the rear tail lights
Dropped the rear subframe and cleaned it up, I got a s4 t2 diff from Bowtie7 Thanks again!!!
Since then I have purchased a griffin rad, and its mounted. I also found a z28 air intake at a u-pull, but I have no pictures of that.
I picked up a set of gt wheels, and traded some stuff for another set, and this is how they look on the corner
I bought mustang headers off jegs, $141 shipped, had to rework 1 pipe on each side and they fit pretty good, with no beating in the firewall.
Rear end is pretty much now, just waiting for coilovers to get here so I can finalize the mounting, strut bar is done.
I will post pics of the front end when I finish the coilover mounts, I am attempting to make it a double A arm setup and get rid of the strut.
I am hoping to have the car finished and running in the next few months, I just need a 5.7 short block or 5.3 long block and I will have almost everything I need to get it up and running.
Thats all for now, I will post more pics of progress as I knock it out.
