*****update 4-22-12, scroll down for current pics*****


As always, this is a work in progress. I picked up a caged 86 GT roller last year and didn't know what the hell I was going to do with it- just bought it because the price was right. I still don't know what I want to do with it, but I am just kind of rolling with it at this point. Nothing on this build is big buck- 125k mile junkyard 351, I ported the stock heads and tossed an F cam in it, C4 with new soft parts and home brewed valvebody mods, nothing but the best Chinese ignition components, eBay GT-45 turbo, intercooler, wastegate and BOV lol, all piping done out of aluminized steel by me, home made alternator bracket, etc. I just could not bring myself to put a lot of money into this thing, I just wanted a fun toy to tinker around with. Heck, I even made my own crimping tool out of a pair of vice grips to dimple the ends of the piping since I don't have a bead roller here.

Actually, the fuel system is the only place any "quality" parts were used- A1000 pump, -10 line, etc.

First and only time to the track, 10 psi, went lean at the top of second and nuked a headgasket. I pushed through 3rd anyway since I knew it was my last chance to run it for the season and the car was actually slowing down by the finish line. Still managed a 10.8@120 like that! Got it back together and am slowly ironing the bugs out of my fueling. It is hard to tune on the street since 1st and 2nd just spin and I can't really open up 3rd too many places around here, so I can't get a good AFR reading. It's getting there though!

Anyway, here are the pics. I'm not the fabricator that many here are, but for a home brewed setup using nothing but a chopsaw, 12 year old crafstman 110v mig, weld grinder and modified vicegrips, I'm happy with the results. Hopefully I'll get a chance to paint it this winter!

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I think it looks great. Except for the Ford part! LOL

 

i dont see any mention of what carburetor or what mods you have done to the carb.....

 

Lol, I am actually more of a GM guy, it's just the price was right on this chassis. If i had unlimited funds, it would have a boosted LSX motor in it , but it does run very well regardless of the badge- I am honestly impressed with it . My last car was an 05 GTO with an APS twin turbo setup, built bottom end, alky injection, etc. that made 795hp/806tq at the wheels on pump gas . The turbo kit alone on that car cost more than I have total into this thing lol. I do have an 05 CTS-V also that I am kicking around the idea of boosting. A single 67 would be a fun little street turbo for that car.

edit- as for the carb, it is a 750dp with proform body, nitrophyl floats, drilled PCVR's and IFR's, .150 needles, balance tube between the bowls, etc., etc. I am going to get it converted to billet annular boosters next and then drill and tap the metering block to play with the emulsion holes, pcvr's, etc. It is sufficing for now though.

 

pretty cool. it's kind of fun throwing stuff together and see how it runs-i like that dimple tool, i usually just weld a bead (or 3 evenly placed ones) around the end of the tube, and some T bolt clamps, keeps the pipe together

 

I have typically done the welded bead myself, but wanted to try something different. I was going to buy a bead roller and do it "right", but since my last one disappeared a few years back, I just couldn't bring myself to buy another one and figured I'd give this a shot. It took some grinding of the "dies" to get it right, but it works pretty well. I figure at least this way, I'll always have it in the drawer ready to go, instead of having to wheel out the welder every time. I just do 8 dimples around the pipe and it really does not take long at all. I'll have to take a pic of how it comes out and post it.

Edit- just beaded/dimpled a piece of scrap pipe to show how it comes out. I ground the inside of the tool so all you do is bottom it out on the edge of the metal and crimp. This way, they're all the same distance from the edge of the pipe.

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Been a while since I had any updates. Anyway, I JUST got done painting it so I figured I'd post some pics. The car was pretty much rust free and no major body damage, but damn, there were a ton of little dents and dings all over it!! The roof was the worst due to them apparently just tossing the liftoff hood on it .. I still have some odds and ends to finish up on it but was excited to get some pics up ! I need to spray the rocker panels still as well, I should have done them when I did the jambs but didn't think about it and they were too low to spray them when I painted it. I'll get it up in stands and shoot them this week.

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Well, another update. The car hit the track Saturday night with a friend driving it (had a family even I could not miss ). With someone who has never driven the car before, straight off the trailer on pump gas and a way safe daily driven tune (15psi, 15* timing, ~10.9 afr.), it ran 10.5@136 on a 1.98 60', 10.1@137 with a 1.73 60' and 10.2@137 with a 1.78 60'. The stock 86 brakes would not hold the car back on the line, so he couldn't get a good launch with it and the car would trip the beams before he was ready. Overall, can't complain for it's first outing with a turbo that everyone says is "too small for a 351" . I'm in the middle of my 5 lug conversion now to get some better brakes under it and wire in my 2 step. I'm trying to avoid a trans brake, but may be a necessity, we'll see after it's next outing.

I have said from the start after getting this car together that I felt it had a 9.7~140 in it on pump gas and was told by many it wouldn't happen on this turbo. After it's first passes, I am fairly confident I'll get my 9.7@140 on pump with a better 60' and some tweaking, and who knows how much more with race fuel and more aggressive tuning. The main reason I went with this turbo vs. something bigger is because I figured it would be really nice on the street and hit hard, which it does . I know it is limiting me from growing beyond this, but I never wanted more than upper 9's out of the car, and it will do that with ease .

 

Sounds like some good progress. Some off the line/60' finesse and high 9's all day long. Good job.

 

That's the plan, the 60' is horrible. It could really use a trans brake, but don't want to go that route just yet. Hoping that some good brakes coupled with the two step will hold it back for a better launch. It hooks hard, just can't hold back on the line to spool it up without pushing through the brakes. I'm really hoping my 9.7@140 goal is achievable with a better 60' and some tuning time. I think it is, but time will tell . Thanks.
Joe

 

Nice job .

I vote for T-brake !

 

Thanks! It's tempting, but to me, having a full auto valve body is the one last thing keeping this a true "street" car to me. It is a personal preference, nothing more. To me, a "street" car is something that my wife, mom, dad, etc. can get in, put in gear and drive effortlessly. Even if I get past that, I just finished the trans and don't want to tear back into it to upgrade the forward clutch assembly and such for a T-brake and am concerned about hard part failures if I just put a t-brake in without making other changes.

Trust me, part of me wants it like yesterday, but I am trying to keep it as is for now. This thing would easily shave off a few tenths with a t-brake though! Maybe it will get one, we'll see..

 

For those still interested, I added some pics to my album today- https://www.theturboforums.com/album.php?albumid=48 getting there..... Might actually be done one of these days lol.