Getting Started

With the car stripped, then blasted, we set to work at the foundation – beginning with subframe connectors. Pieces from Competition Engineering came in, and the first bouts of plasma therapy began. With the connectors in and tacked up, we rounded up a Ford 9″ housing and all the rear suspension parts.

While the truck arm nightmare was being sorted out, things started getting the needed clearancing, lightening, and general massaging that a race car needs, until time to start on the roll cage.

Mini Tubs

Despite the desperate lengths the rear suspension had ventured into, keeping the factory rear framerails remained a high priority. The truck arms and coilovers meant that we had room to stuff tire all the way to the outside edge of the framerail, except that the stock wheel tubs knocked at least 2″ out of that plan. So the plasma cutter came back out.

After a few of the different minitub kits on the market were ruled out, scrap sheet metal was obtained (this time in the form of a sign which used to be on the front of the shop – how’s that for heritage?), and work began.

The starting point was a filler panel which was anchored at the floor and trunk divider, which formed the curve for a second filler panel. Cardboard templates were then made, and 1/2″ extra added to the outside to form a crude flange which would get seam sealer and rivets. Lots, and lots, of rivets.

TIP: Air rivet guns are not THAT expensive – but you can’t beat the Popeye forearms you’ll have after using a manual one for a task like this.

Roll Cage

To be continued..