Build a Race Car Out of a 1990 Mustang
The Ford Mustang is one of the most popular American street cars ever conceived and has been in production since 1964. While the Mustang can make a great street driven muscle car, it is also makes a great race car. This model has seen a variety of competition uses, from road racing to drag racing. Building a Mustang race car, though, can take a significant outlay of money and time if done properly.
Instructions
1. Stiffen the suspension. One of the most important components of a Mustang built for racing is a stiffer suspension that will help it handle better and reduce body roll. Last Call Racing is a great source for a Mustang performance suspension. You can choose from an assortment of lowering springs, stiffer performance shocks and full suspension kits that will provide everything you need to get your Mustang handling at its best.
2. Replace the wheels and tire with lighter racing wheels and race tires. The Tire Rack is a great place to find lighter, high-performance racing wheels as well as a very wide selection of racing tires, from those used on the street and the track or full-blown competition tires. Race tires are made from softer compound rubber that heats up more quickly, while lighter wheels will reduce your Mustang's unsprung weight.
3. Upgrade the brakes. Your Mustang's ability to stop quickly and effectively during repeated aggressive braking in another extremely important aspect of racing. My Hot Mustang offers a very impressive big brake kit from AP Racing, one of the foremost makers of competition spec brakes in the world. This kit includes larger calipers, larger rotors, better brake pads and braided steel brake lines.
4. Modify the engine. Start by installing a more free flow exhaust and tubular headers, which will help your motor run more efficiently and produce more power and torque. Follow up these modifications with a fully built race engine, which can include over bore pistons for an increase in displacement, a more aggressive camshaft, a lighter flywheel and other power bumping additions. Don't neglect the cooling system. A larger radiator, an oil cooler and larger electric fans all ensure that your Mustang stays cool under pressure.
5. Strip the interior. Remove the carpeting, door panels, front and back seats and anything else not needed for racing. Scrape the sound deadening from the floor boards. Once you have the interior stripped, you can paint the interior surfaces white for a clean look or paint the interior to match the exterior. Install a racing seat from a company like Recaro. For full-blown race use, you will also need a full roll cage installed by a roll cage maker and safety components like five-point racing harnesses, a fire suppression system and a kill switch so that the engine's fuel system can be shut off in case of an accident.
