I'm just about ready to start driving this thing, which is kinda good as you all know it should be a done project in the end.

Anyway, this was my son's first car. It was an 80 Mustang with a 4 banger. As soon as we got it home we pulled the engine, and started work on building a mild 302.

Well, Jr ran the engine red hot, then poured cold water into the rad, and you can guess the rest.

So I got the car back, and it sat in the front yard as a status symbol for years, until I saw a feature in Super Ford mag about a Mustang with a MPH {Mustang Power House## wide body kit.

Well, I sent off for the promo video, and was very impressed with what the cars looked like.

I know this body kit is a love it or hate it, with the hate its winning. But, I think its kinda cool.

Of the few Mustangs I have seen {I talked with the owner on MPH back in the day, and he said their were only around 12 kits ever sold## most were over done, as with cheap Autozone things hanging off them, as well as strange graphic paint jobs.

So, what I want to do is try to make mine look a bit more tasteful with the paint, and wheels.

Almost forgot, I sold this to a friend's son. Well my friend got the car back, and tried as best as the cheap bastard he is, to build it. Well, it turned out he was over his head so I traded, and got the car back in my yard.

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I did get my friend to go with a 351w, for which I built for him. But, I couldn't get him to buy any good parts like aluminum heads, intake, etc.

So the engine ended up with iron, smog heads, and a 2bbl intake, and carb.

Here is his engine setup.
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I took off the heads, intake, and shorty headers, and replaced them with Eldebrock Victor heads, and intake along with a hyd roller cam, and full length headers.

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Back when I had the car the first time I put SVO front spindles, and lower control arms with urethane bushings, K-member, and coilover shock kit.

 

Re: Project Devil Horse. 80 Mustang with MPH widebody kit, twin turbo 427 world block

What does rear end look like

 

Re: Project Devil Horse. 80 Mustang with MPH widebody kit, twin turbo 427 world block

Well, it looked kinda like a fat Anna Nicole, had the door slammed on her ass......lol.

There were MANY things about this kit, that just didn't work, and that was one of them. I have tried to fix what I perceived as short commings, or compromise of this kit, and the rear end was one of them.

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Also, I KNOW that this is kit affects people in different ways, as in either they love it, or hate it. So with that in mind, if anyone hates it, I don't hold it against them, but please just don't post it here.....lol, thanks.

 

Re: Project Devil Horse. 80 Mustang with MPH widebody kit, twin turbo 427 world block

One other thing about the rear of the kit. I know now WHY they made it like that as there was another wide body kit, and it to, was chopped off at the rear.

The reason was two fold. First was that they made it so that the side of the rear lights could still be seen. The second reason was that the hatch would still open.

Now, with what I have done, and I promise I will show it in pictures later as its already been done, is that I WELDED the hatch shut on my car, AND chopped the top [which was another perceived flaw with this kit in that the tall, square, Mustang factory top was made to accommodate people of all sizes, short as well as tall, but it was just too tall to look right with this kit].

 

Re: Project Devil Horse. 80 Mustang with MPH widebody kit, twin turbo 427 world block

Here is a link to the promo video that I received before I bought the kit. Its not as long as the whole VHS video that I have, but you can get an idea of what the car looks like.

IMO, it looks way better on the video, than pictures.

tITMv0UZbpQ[/media]]RED MPH WIDE BODY - YouTube

Here is another vid that was in the same VHS tape. This one is of a black notch back, which is going to be the color I paint my car.



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I refinished my interior this past summer, and it turned out pretty good.

I got two leather seats from an 88 Turbo coupe T-bird, and dyed them black. Then I bought new carpet, head liners, sun roof gasket, door panels from an 80 that I redone with some black tweed, and white face gauges. I had to mode the fuel level gauge with an gauge from an 80 Mustang as the two sending units read backwards, and different ohms.

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I plan to move the front wheels forward on this project for two reasons.

One is that the front end is out of proportions as in, it too long. The other reason is self evident, better weight distribution.

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After that I ended up going to a watts link. I thought seriously about building my own watts setup like i did on a truck project that I have, but there is just too much in the way on the rear of the Mustang.

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I know, I'm the king of bad pictures.......lol.

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I ended up getting luck with a MM torque arm. The owners, or rather the brokers thought it was a standard duty arm, turned out it was the heavy duty arm.

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Got it installed, and no problems with the duel exhaust.

 

Re: Project Devil Horse. 80 Mustang with MPH widebody kit, twin turbo 427 world block

The MPH kits look kinda cool as long as they don't add ugly spoilers or fog lights like the black car in that video. The graphics on that yellow one were hideous. The red one looked simple clean & menacing with the wide wheels on it.

 

Re: Project Devil Horse. 80 Mustang with MPH widebody kit, twin turbo 427 world block

I agree. I saw the yellow car at a Mustang show in N. Al. For some reason the owner had the doors open as well as the rear hatch making it look hideous. Also, someone must have hit something while driving as the front lower part of the nose was totally different.

 

Re: Project Devil Horse. 80 Mustang with MPH widebody kit, twin turbo 427 world block

Ok, today I finally got around to moving the front suspension forward about 3" inches.

The limiting factor here is the rack/pinion can only go as far as the front sump on the oil pan, which should be enough as sometimes too much isn't good.

Also, I had to address frame rot on the battery side. I'm using some 1/4 steel [which I will use on both sides to make things even] which is overkill, but its something I already had laying around, and its paid for.

I will also have to buy some more double D bar for the steering coupler as the old one is now too short.

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Re: Project Devil Horse. 80 Mustang with MPH widebody kit, twin turbo 427 world block

I kept on saying well, its fine the way it is, but IMO the "nose" on that body kit is out of proportion, as in too long.

So hopefully pulling the wheel forward just a bit will help the look as well as the handling.

I would, almost, try to move the rack in front of the oil pan front sump, as there is still room for the sway bar, and I think the caster/camber plates might keep the coilovers from hitting anything, but its just too risky for me.

Chopping the top looks like its going to be a challenge, but I think the payoff is worth it.

He

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Ok, got the K member out today, and moved everything up, as well as welding a new plate for the relocated motor mount........Not to mention painting the K with bright safety orange paint.....lol.

Man, was it HOT today.

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Re: Project Devil Horse. 80 Mustang with MPH widebody kit, twin turbo 427 world block

I just took this shot. Before, the rack was barely touching the front of the rear sump of the oil pan.

Now if you look its all the way up to the front sump. Also, I'm making a bracket for the bottom of the K member mount.

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Ok, I'm just about finished. Here is a shot of the lower K member bracket I made today.

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And, here is what is hopefully a good shot of what the whole front end looks like with the relocated front sway bar.
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Here is a better picture of the re done front end.

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And now with the front clip added you can clearly see how much difference it made. More that I would have thought. I'm really glad now that I went to all of the trouble.

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Here is what I've got done this week. I welded up both of the door gaps, and then cut some of the fiberglass from in front of the front wheels, then added a bit of glass in the rear of the fender.

I'm hoping this will help balance the car a bit more than it was. Thanks again guys for not bashing my project.

Door gap..
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Wheelwell, and I wish I could have gotten a shot from further away, but I've only done one side, and the garage keeps me from being able to move back.
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Re: Project Devil Horse. 80 Mustang with MPH widebody kit, twin turbo 427 world block

I think the kit on the car is growing on me. What's your plans for the color ?

 

Re: Project Devil Horse. 80 Mustang with MPH widebody kit, twin turbo 427 world block

I'm going to play it safe, and go with black. I know there are better colors, and color combo's, but solid black with grabber orange accents is what I'm planning for as soon as the pollen goes away.

Red would also look nice, but it would be a marked car for the local cops. Black will make it hard to tell exactly what the make is.

 

Re: Project Devil Horse. 80 Mustang with MPH widebody kit, twin turbo 427 world block

Here is another one of my perceived short commings of this kit, and that is where the rear fender flare kinda gets chopped off, and leaves the bumper hanging.

There were a couple of kits like this one the JBA Dominator kit comes to mind, and it to chops off the rear flare at the bumper. I know now the reason for this, it was so that the kit would still be DOT compliant as you would be able to see the side light indicator. The other reason is so that you could still be able to lift the hatch.

I welded my hatch down so the latter isn't a problem for me.

Here is a cardboard mock up.

before:

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After:

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Sorry its been so long without updates, but I finally finished the paint job a few years ago, but here is the backstory.

The Fox Mustang didn't really fit with the look of the body kit in that the top of the Mustang was just too high, and boxy, plus the front windshield didn't have enough of a "rake" to it. So, I ended up chopping the top approx 3" in the front, and 4" in the rear. This was quite a challenge.

Chopping the top created many geometrical challenges, such as the side door window frames, and the rear side windows. I also welded the hatch to the body to help make the overall body more ridged.

Here is a couple of shots of where the car is at now.

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That’s a lot of work!
Would it not have been easier to just use vert doors?
Good to see that you are still building it though.