Trying to figure out which class for my Mustang...

[craigb]

Bought another Mustang (a 1992 LX 5.0 car) and it has a few things done. They are as follows:
Headers, X-Pipe w/o cats & Flowmaster Exhaust
Rear mounted battery (no shutoff switch)
Sub-frame connectors
Strut tower brace (three point)
Drop-In K&N filter
Adjustable fuel pressure regulator
245/50 tires on stock 16" wheels

Other than that I believe it to be stock.

From what I'm reading in the 2009 rule book these modifications would put me in the Street Prepared class. Am I right on this or is there a lower class I'd fit in?

[Ironhead]

Sounds like ESP (E Street Prepared) to me.

[craigb]

Thanks, I'll look into what else I can do to the car...

[Ironhead]

Besides the allowable mods outlined specifically in the rulebook, it might be useful for you to know that you can update / backdate component assemblies (not individual components) between the '79 to '93 cars.

[craigb]

I'm not sure I quite follow the meaning of component assembly. Can you give me an example?

[Ironhead]

You have a '92.

Let's say the '88 model had a hotter cam. You can't legally swap the cam but you could swap the entire '88 engine.

Let's say the '93 came with better gears in some sort of different axle or trans. You couldn't legally swap the gears but you could swap the entire trans or axle.

My car came with pitiful brakes which were upgraded by GM for the '98 model year. I couldn't modify my spindles to take the newer brakes but I could (and did) swap over the entire '98 - '02 upright, caliper and bracket assembly.

Get the idea?

Be careful with this though as the car / model you swap from has to be on the same line in the rulebook. In your case I believe that is Mustang - 1979-1993 - SVO, Cobra, Cobra R, Capri, V6, V8 & Turbo 4.

[craigb]

OK, I understand now. I'll take a closer look and see what I can come up with.

[budweeks]

Hey craigb,

Glad to have you and your Mustang in our midst. I autocrossed an '89 in F Stock for a couple of years, and while I've never tried to set one up for E Street Prepared, I know something about what others have done in Mustangs in the class. The guys that are successful set their cars up with a whole lot of stiffness in the front and keep the rear relatively soft so that the rear tires will hook up. They also avoid going too low because that upsets the front suspension geometry. Of course put the biggest tire and wheel combination that you can on the car and keep the fronts the same size as the rear. The Mustang also needs a tight limited slip to work well---I don't know if there is some other year axle that is better or not. In F Stock, I just kept it tight by freshening the shims in the clutchpack from time to time by putting in the tightest shims that would possibly fit. It makes a difference.

I'm sure there's a lot more that I don't know. Two guys who you may want to call sometime, who I think would be willing to give some pointers, are Mark Jourgenson in Nebraska, and Dave Whitworth in St. Louis. Both have been successful in Mustangs in ESP.

Good luck.

Bud

[craigb]

Thanks for the tips Bud. I hate to say this is more of a daily driver than an all-out Auto-Xer. I probably won't go too crazy with it (plus I'm still learning to drive). The traction-loc in this car is in need of a rebuild for sure. I plan to do that once it warms up (no heat in the shop). If next year goes well I hope to have the SVO back up and running, but this new car will suffice until then.