k's89rs

My brother in law tells me that my car cannot take alot of power because the body will twist. I want to put around a 450 horse motor in it. i know that subframe connectors are a must. i need some back up that says that thirdgens can take a certain amount of power. My car was up north and it has its fair share of rust but im going to take care of that.

TexasLT1

if you're worried about the frame, put a cage in. subframe connectors will be fine for anything but an all out drag or road race car

AlkyIROC

With a rusty body it's hard to say how much power it could take. The body is the frame so if too much metal is now rust, there's not a lot left to provide stiffness.

The first thing I did when I bought my car back in 1999 to become a race car was install SFC. It wasn't until I was knocking on the door of an 11 second pass that I installed a roll bar (now a full cage).

When I had the roll bar, all I had for rear suspension was adjustable tubular torque arm, LCA and panhard bar. I fabricated some LCA relocation brackets and had the rear mounts of the LCA lower than the front. I don't have any interior at all so seeing sheetmetal problems is easy. After a season of racing like that, the floor behind where the passenger front seat would be was all wrinkled including the side of the driveshaft tunnel. All my hard launches were forcing the RH LCA forward enough to start wrinkling the floor. Shortly after that I switched to ladder bars which are attached to a crossmember welded to the SFC and I've never had sheetmetal problems again. I now have violent launches enough to yank the front wheels off the ground and even with a T-top car, there's no cracks anywhere in the roof line. Of course my car is nowhere near stock or street legal but it's still a production car converted to a race car not a tube chassis car.

SFC can go a long way to stiffening up the body. A simple 6 point roll bar will do the rest. Even a 14 second car could use a 6 point bar to stiffen it up. You can use swing out door bars to make getting in and out a lot easier.

Z28ricer

iTrader: (2)

If you want a really nice setup and are that worried about hurting the body, provided it isnt really really rusted out, you *can* install both Spohn and Alston subframe connectors.

Im starting my new build soon, and have a unmolested 89' RS, rust free, the first things going in will be both sets of subframe connectors, I already have the Alstons and will be ordering the Spohns shortly, after both sets are installed i'll be getting some additional tubing and then tying both sets together, I HIGHLY doubt one would be able to twist up a thirdgen that this has been done to, cause it will pretty much be like a tube frame under the car.

MrDude_1

theres 2 questions there.

how much power can a thirdgen take without permant damage?

how much power twists a thirdgen?



the answer to #1 is: it'lll twist like hell on a launch, but a 450 flywheel hp motor wont hurt it.. you could make that at the rear wheels without a problem.
obviously it'll flex and become a "loose" car.. wont ever brake, but the doors will shake going down a rough street.... but if you're making that power anyway, toss a rollbar in it, and it'll stay stiff.


the answer to #2 is:
a stock 170 flywheel HP L03 can twist it hard if you put slicks on it.

k's89rs

i also should have clarified....its not going to be a strip car. Im setting it up for a good handeling street car, with occasional trips to the race track. From what i gather the body wont twist unless it hooks up, right? Also i was thinking about a roll cage, but im going to do that when i do my interior. but subframe connectors should work for now on a car that rarely sees the strip.

MrDude_1

if its a handling street car, you'll want SFCs, a wonderbar, and a strut tower brace..

the car flexes when cornering hard too... most people wont notice it, but if you're trying to autocross or toss around some tight twistys, its very apparent.

MrDude_1

also, the more abusive you are, the looser it becomes.


the car is like a paperclip... bend it once, its hard.. bend it again, its a little easier, and a little easier, and a little easier, and a little easier......

Cam91z

iTrader: (1)

Alstons and spohn sfc? How? Diff mounting points?

Z28ricer

iTrader: (2)

Yes the spohns run right along the ground effect area from the front right to where your rear control arm bolts up, the alstons go from just behind where the trans bolts up to the other boxed spot just inboard of the control arm mount. You can install both and neither set will interfere with the other.

k's89rs

unfortunatly i wont be able to run either of those right now. i routed my exhaust differently. the muffler is located where the cat should be. My brother in law is going to make me subframe connectors. is there any way i can laterally brace the frame? one thing i was thinking of is the stabalizer bar above the panhard rod, making a nice steel tube piece. also i have a fully adjustable panhard bar, tube LCA's, wonder bar. i need a tubular torque arm.....

Dr G

You don't even need any additional tubing, the cross bracing towards the transmission tunnel that comes with the Spohns can connect nicely to the cup of the Alstons.

I've already done it and will try to post pics soon.

Z28ricer

iTrader: (2)

.

Yeah but I want to add a tube in the middle and possibly one at the rear also

sixpackmtrspts

s&w race cars makes a tube cradel sorta thing that bolts on as well.

Wolfpack

Pics would be awsome. How did you Run your Exhaust?

92droptop

not sure who's car this is, but it seems to be a pretty good picture of what everyone's talking about. Hope this helps.
not sure if those "new pieces" are spohns, but its another point you could use yo stiffen the chassis