Porsche 944: Actually there is a substitute

[1Bad 37]

Great work! Sounds like a fun build!

Shorter struts should just be some homework to figure out what works...

Does a mustang have the shock inside a tube, with the tube having the bracket for the spindle? Or is the does the shock itself have the spindle bracket welded on it?

If it is the first case you could do like people in the E30 ( the 80s BMW 3 series like mine) and "stanceworks" world do to lower a car further than the bump stops... Just shorten the tube and stick in a shorter shock... LIke here...http://www.stanceworks.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=22708 Or here...http://www.stanceworks.com/forums/sh...ad.php?t=20850
http://www.r3vlimited.com/board/showthread.php?t=233644 These are bag installs mostly but a coil would fit similarly in a bag's place...


Is there something in the spindle preventing you from just cutting the spindle bracket off the shock and rewelding it higher?


Food for thought, probably useless for your uses but there is always a solution to the problem.

[sparkydog]

Wow 1Bad that is a nice pickup! The first thing I ever tried to work on was a '36 Dodge PU when I was 18 or so.

The Mustang struts have a lower bracket that attaches to the spindle. The bracket can be cut loose (I think) and the tube slid lower. It looks like that would give me about 2 of the 3.3 inches I am looking for. And I hope that with a little more effort on my part I can find a supplier of a shock cartridge series but shorter so that I can put together a combination of 1-2" shorter shock plus slid lower in the bracket.

I have some coil-overs off the front of something that def have a shorter shock but their lower bracket is not the same as the Mustang. So another possibility is to harvest their shocks, ditch the coils and swap over the Mustang upper and lower mount hardware.

Someone also suggested I think about just using the shocks off the Porsche struts but adapted to the Mustang spindle. This would also work. Ultimately I am keeping my eye on what will the replacement cost for new shocks be when the time comes that whatever I use wears out. I'm trying to avoid paying for "exotic" (real or imagined) Porsche spare parts prices.

[Jonboy]

Would struts for a lowered Mustang be of any benefit? I don't know if they are different, but it seems like the Cobras may have had a shorter strut. There are tons of lowering springs for a mustang, so it may stand to reason there would be struts as well?

Also, I think Koni can build a strut to your specs as well. It might not be cheap the first time, but they offer a rebuilding service as well. Since you are starting with an existing strut, the cost might not be too terrible.

[1Bad 37]

Originally Posted by Jonboy

Would struts for a lowered Mustang be of any benefit? I don't know if they are different, but it seems like the Cobras may have had a shorter strut. There are tons of lowering springs for a mustang, so it may stand to reason there would be struts as well?

Also, I think Koni can build a strut to your specs as well. It might not be cheap the first time, but they offer a rebuilding service as well. Since you are starting with an existing strut, the cost might not be too terrible.

That's a good idea...

I doubt that mustang people lower their cars enough to run out of travel to the bump stop like the BMW people do... My e30 is about 3/4 inch from the stops on flat ground, and its not even low...
IMG_5175mm by Der E30, on Flickr
I never hit the stops though as I'm running coils with springs ~3x stiffer than stock at 500lbs/inch. Rides nice though. Bags shoud fix the lack of low later though

[sparkydog]

There it is ladies and gentlemen! The world's only Strut Tower Chop Welding Jig Thingy. It took many many hours to create it but it only took about 1 hour today to make it obsolete. I have both of the new strut tower tops tack welded into place and the original tops are... well.. topless!

[sparkydog]

Miscellaneous pics of the process.

[sparkydog]

Thanks very much "Strut Tower Chop Welding Jig Thingy" - you were an important step in my path to recover from Hellboy strut towers.

Next time I graft an entire engine bay from one car into another I'll have to remember to think about the strut tower height in addition to the other measurements I was taking!

[Zoomin]

Very clever, and nice fabrication. Necessity makes it a mother to invent, or something like that.

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by Zoomin

Very clever, and nice fabrication. Necessity makes it a mother to invent, or something like that.

No, no, no... It's "necessity is the mother of invention"..... I almost like your version better..

LockDoc

[sparkydog]

I managed to put a couple more hours on the build today. I did a preliminary trim on the strut tower tops and was able to set the hood back on!

Now it's time to figure out how to tie the Mustang tower into the remains of the 944's upper fender.

[Frizzle Fry]

You gotta love a good challenge. Nicely done!

[sparkydog]

Holy geometry nightmare Batman!

It took me awhile to figure out how to tie all this stuff together but the strut towers are done and I'm burned out on them.

[sparkydog]

I figure this whole strut tower top deal cost me 2 calendar months and about 20 man hours of work to put to bed. Wasn't in the plan.

I need to try and avoid any more of these on this build. OK on to the next task which is constructing a new firewall that creates more room in the engine bay.

[Effeckt]

Not in the plans maybe but came out awesome. Nicely done! Looking forward to the next part of the process.

[sparkydog]

Oopsy

[Zoomin]

Wtf ?!?

[hopped up]

Originally Posted by sparkydog

Oopsy

Need a new windshield? And some wiring too

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by Zoomin

Wtf ?!?

Yeah for about 30 seconds there I was busier than Bambi's dad in a forest fire!

Originally Posted by hopped up

Need a new windshield? And some wiring too

Windshield was coming out anyway due to cracks. The thing that actually burned was the plastic drain tube for the sunroof.

[sparkydog]

I figured out what caused the fire to start. It was either a fire imp or a fire nymph. I can never keep the two straight.

[67ChevyRedneck]

This is slack for you! Figured it would be doing donuts by now?

[sparkydog]

Originally Posted by 67ChevyRedneck

This is slack for you! Figured it would be doing donuts by now?

I know, I know! I gotta suck it up.

Here's a couple of pics of where I'm at with the firewall renno. Passenger side is well along. On the drivers side I'm wrestling with the trade-off between a deep footwell for clutch/brake pedal travel and a shallower footwell to create as much room out in the engine bay as possible.

And I have to remember to find a place to weld the VIN stamp back in sometime soon.

[sparkydog]

OK I sucked it up today. I've got a firewall now and I cut out the metal tubing that has been inside the cab for several months. It probably still looks like a train wreck to most of you guys but there's a lot of detailed progress buried within.

Edit: and a shot of the interior tube bracing I put in before starting all of the cutting. (Mid October of last year.)

[sparkydog]

Some random pics of the details.

[hgs_notes]

Doing a hell of a job. Really looks good.

[NONHOG]

Originally Posted by sparkydog

It probably still looks like a train wreck to most of you guys

Looks pretty cool to me. I love watching the details of this build!