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CP66's 66 CP Solo II Notchback or "Racing, the Disease"

63K views 506 replies 54 participants last post by  CP66 
#1 ·
I was inspired by this thread: http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/track/1081554-autocross-primer.html to become active with this forum since I've been a member since I believe '09 and have a grand total of 6 posts to my name!

Long time lurker 6th or 7th time poster. It was recommended in another thread after posting the following photo that I start a build thread. I'm hesitant to do so as it would show the world how little I've gotten accomplished on a project started over 15 years ago.


Just a little background; I started autocrossing in '77 with a nice 66 coupe that was primarily a street car. As things go it slowly became a gutted out race only project that by then was being regularly raced in Texas Region events along with several trips to Nationals in Salina and Topeka until I decided to build a new tub with a proper cage into which I would transfer the suspension/driveline into once the body and cage were completed.

As often happens with a slowly evolving project scope creep set in and I decided to go to a coilover 3 link style rear suspension and ultimately hoped to find someone to help me build a front suspension more conducive to dicing the cones than the factory front suspension on the car. Although I had lowered the A-arms and tried various springs, swaybars, etc. the truth was that the factory based suspension just wasn't going to take me to the next level. Since I am not an engineer and could not find someone able to design, build and install the "ultimate" front suspension for me, the project languished for several years.

During this time I moved to the Indianapolis area and thought “Hey cool! The racing capital of the world should allow me to find someone to get my project back on track!” I found that to be a not quite accurate statement but before I could start moving forward again life kicked in and back burner’d the project yet again. Fast forward to about 6 years ago and I had just discovered Ride Tech and after talking to them decided that they had exactly what I was looking for.

So for the past several years UPS and Fedex have been making fairly regular deliveries and the pile of boxes eventually hid the “racecar”out of sight out of mind neatly at the back of the shop. Recently when another project stalled due to lack of fundage and the “honey do” list had been largely vacated I felt it time to inventory and sort the boxes of parts, dust off the racecar and make it a point to have it operational at least to the point it could move under its own power by January 1 2017.

So here it will come to pass; I will attempt to stay the course with planned work sessions on the car and photographic updates of my “progress” as it happens. I’ll warn you right now though that I am no fabricating genius and some of my “skills”are rusty at best. If you happen to see something you don’t agree with or have a better idea during the course of the next several months by all means speak up!
 
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#34 ·
A quick shot of self etching primer before some rattle can semi gloss black prior to the finished color for corrosion protection. Look at all of those spot welds that had to be drilled/cut out to remove the brackets from the donor clip!


 
#35 ·
Here's a pretty decent shot of the jig I fabbed; they are unique to each side. The cut off bolt fits in the tiedown point in the bottom of the frame rail and the short piece of flat stock press' against the inside of the frame. The intent of the jig is to place the bracket in the correct location and at the correct angle. The fore aft location is determined where the strut bracket interfaces the sway bar bracket with approximately a 3/16" gap between the two. When I get to that point I'll add another photo highlighting this area.


 
#44 ·
Brake components going on the front now. I used a Kore 3 big brake kit, it utilizes C5 calipers and rotors. I don't have the rotors yet but am trying to decide if I want a one piece or two piece hat set up.





This is with a C5 rear wheel/tire combo on it for clearance checks. These wheels have ~ 7" of backspacing and I believe I can get away with around 5-6. I ordered some cheap spacers to use to confirm this and will then order the wheels once I'm sure of the back spacing and wheel to caliper clearances.

 
#46 ·
Primarily bump steer AND it's easier to utilize the heim jointed, straight tie rods vs the factory set up. The steering arms on the Ride Tech parts are considerably shorter than the factory components. I don't know if it's obvious but the heavy flat stock center link has the factory center link bolted to the backside. I don't have my idler arm yet but it will install to the factory center link on the other side once installed.
 
#48 ·
This shot is looking forward from the drivers door sans fender. I'm guessing that the top of the tire would be interfering with the fender lip at the top. I have drastically flared fenders to put on it which when dummied up to the car are cartoonishly large for this tire/wheel combo BUT the race wheels and tires will be ~3" wider to the outside.


 
#51 ·
Looks good! I was hoping to post the same this morning but I ran out of time and resources last night. Trying to run from one end of the rotisserie to the other, one side of the car to the other working by yourself takes a lot of time AND I ran out of wood blocks and jack stands to support it while unbolting it. By the time I quit last night it was literally 2 inches too high to bring off the rotisserie!
 
#50 ·
Another shot looking from the front:





When it's done those front tires will be 3" wider. I'm hoping I can bring an inch inside as I'm trying to keep the car as narrow as possible but with 13" of tread on the ground on each side "narrow" is relative.
 
#54 ·
I noticed you are notching the shock towers but keeping the upper control arm...I am considering this but worried that there isn’t that much room gained....can you post some pics of that area please showing how much room you gained from that


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#55 ·
I don't have any with an engine sitting in it but I'll get some more pics for you. I had originally planned on using a cleveland so I was making room for it. Once I got the block and heads back on the engine stand I got to notice how much heavier it was than a windsor motor I decided to stick with a windsor. It should definitely make engine access easier.
 
#56 ·
Well the next saga in "Next problem please". I purchased one of Zray's awesome crossmembers to install in my car and discovered a couple of problems. The first one is the Ridetech centerlink that bolts to the factory centerlink doesn't seem to pull up snug against the factory centerlink.

Idler arm end:



Pitman arm end:



Then the interference with the crossmember:



The bolt that is interfering with the crossmember is actually the stud that the inner tie rod end mounts on so this could be problematic. I've contacted Ridetech to see what their solution is but I'm a little concerned as the interference problem also exists with the factory crossmember. If I have to re-engineer the crossmember it'll have to wait until I can get the engine and trans setting in it to make sure I don't create interference problems in other areas.

On the plus side I had some time to finish cutting out the inner fender on the right rear to clear the 27/14/16 slicks I'm using to dummy up the rear clearances. The tires I'll be using are actually a little narrower in section width so I am assured plenty of clearance.
 
#59 ·
Just received my roller idler arm from Opentracker, great people to deal with by the way! Got it bolted into place and dummied up the center link with the Ridetech components and all looks good there and it's nice to see both front tires turn when you turn the steering wheel. Working with Zray and Ridetech on the cross member interference and it occurs with the factory cross member as well as Zray's. According to Ridetech I'm the first person to report this problem although I may be the first person that it bothered. It's hard to believe that a system as well engineered as this requires removing a cross member designed to reduce chassis flex! I'll have to work that out once I can drop an engine in it.


Next concern is the turn radius with the Ridetech components. I can't really take the car out and drive it in circles yet to measure it myself but the steering travel seems to be a lot less than with the factory components. Not much angle on the front tires at full lock but I'll just have to wait for a response from them or take it out and drag it around in circles and measure it myself.


As it sits the steering input is somewhat akin to a formula car, just over one turn full lock to lock! Although to be fair I'm using the Borgeson conversion for power steering and have a 1.5 to 1 steering reducer installed.
 
#62 · (Edited)
Sorry, I'm just a cynical type :) I honestly haven't researched their kit, and agree struts are a step back. But well-made and even high quality parts don't make a kit well engineered. Further, I'm not sure how you can say easy to install when you're running into these problems ( well, compared to lot's of cutting & welding I guess) No, I don't believe the old "we've never heard of that problem before" defense. I've heard that BS from so many vendors and work and at home :( All you can do is work through the issues as they arise. I would customize the cross member as needed for clearance, I would not delete it.
 
#63 ·
No sweat man I'm with you. You don't know how many times I hear "We haven't run into this problem before" everyday in my professional life. Production tolerances account for some of the issues I've had with the installation and to an extent they've made provisions for some. The issue with my factory centerlink may be the centerlink itself. I bought it as "new" at a swap meet but there's no way to prove it although I was skeptical when I bought it. It may be "new" but doubt it's US produced. The only thing I can figure on the cross member is that their mule didn't have one maybe.


No biggie just annoying, I'll either mod the original or build a new one to fit. No way I'm running without it and as far as the problems go have you ever seen anything advertised as "plug and play" and it actually was?? Neither have I.


And to be clear I'm not a fanboy making excuses for them but I've mellowed as I've gotten older/wiser. None of the problems I've run into are insurmountable, it just ain't plug and play! Hell if it was easy this board would be full of snowflakes!:lol:
 
#65 ·
Well Ridetech has confirmed that their kit removes the under engine cross member as it interferes with their improved geometry. I found it a little odd that they chose to give up the rigidity (although minimal) that the cross member provides without designing a replacement piece.

Once I get to a point that I can drop the engine in to check clearances I'll fab up something along the lines of Zray's although it won't be nearly as nice. In the meantime it's time to determine master cylinder bore sizes and order the wilwood pedal and master cylinders so I can get the mount fabbed up.
 
#66 ·
A while back I had an opportunity to purchase the ridetech kit for my 69 for half price. A shop ordered it, installed it and then the owner didn’t like it. At the time though the money wasn’t there. But knowing that they are removing the crossmember is pretty alarming. You would think they would put that as a notice in their product description. I would think even some type of bar across the bottom of the car would be better than nothing
 
#67 ·
A disclaimer would have been nice, in my case I'd have probably used them anyway but knowing up front would have been helpful. I can fab something no problem but again it's about disclosure. I also found out their stuff doesn't work with aftermarket strut brackets so hopefully they'll update their instructions.
 
#69 ·
Pick up the car in the morning, they got the additional tubes in place and fabbed up the tubs but didn't install them. I went down and looked at it yesterday and there's some clean up I want to do in that area before the tubs go in. Pics when I get it unloaded tomorrow.
 
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