Researching Budget Build

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jimbaeumel

New member
I have been looking around for a V8 RWD to run in the $2017 Challenge. I noticed that you can get running Mark 8s fairly cheap with bad air ride, so I started doing some research and this is a great site. First car I drove after getting my learner's permit was my mom's '95 mark 8, so I have always been a fan. So, Im just stalking around the site and figured Id post something here. Trying to figure out if I can accomplish what I want to on budget.
 
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jimbaeumel

New member
I'm not expecting anything mind blowing just put something together on budget that I can have fun with. If it will run in the 14s Through the 1/4 I'd be happy. You also have run an auto cross.

Budget is $2017. But tires don't count against you and you can sell parts to recoup up to half the purchase price of the vehicle. If I did nothing else but convert it over to coil overs and a put in 4.10 or 4.56 gears. It would be fine with me. I haven't decided if I would strip it or not. Really depends on the car. If it's fairly nice I'll keep it complete and sell it once I'm done with it. If not I'll strip it and try to recoup some money while saving weight.

I hope to have enough room in the budget to do a small shot of nitrous. Which at that point maybe I could sneak in to the 13s??? Maybe?
 
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J

Jamesvinar

New member
Why not keep the car after you race it? A 75 shot of nitrous should get you somewhere in the 13s and 14s so long as everything works right, I prefer natural power though and would just go the way of a cobra intake, Higher stall torque converter and a tune, the Jmod should be done either way to help the tranny. Handling I would recommend a some sway bars and having the car a little lower, The front bars quite a bit harder to install.
I've got a little bit of estimations here
Car $1000
Cobra intake $450
Torque converter $200
Tune $300
NOS $400
Springs $350
Sway bar $150 each

So in all honesty for what you're looking for I think the NOS, springs, and sway bar would be the best bet
 
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chris2523

New member
weight reduction, lots of gear, j mod, and maybe a converter.
super coupe rear sway (little bigger and not hollow)
spring swap, can also be from a super coupe.
good brake pads, good tires.
you'll probably want a tune because otherwise the top speed is less than 100 with 4.10s. even lower with 4.56s.
 
J

jimbaeumel

New member
So I read back through the rules.. They seem to be tweaked every year. Brakes components can be replaced with a stock replacement and not count against budget. So tires and brakes are a given.

I appreciate the estimations I had no clue what a tune on these would cost. I agree that a tune would be a good idea. Any cost difference in tuning a gen1 vs gen2?

Spring/shocks, Gear, NoS, Tune would have to be priority. Then go from there.

I don't guess a donor mustang with a 5 speed would be an easy swap in to the mark. I could probably scavange what i need sell it and come out even on the mustang.... I digress. I should just think small.
 
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Jamesvinar

New member
Tunes are about 150, marty from mos speed shop is imo the best for us right now, lonnies kinda fallen off. Make sure you let him know youd be using nos too the advance in timing is known to mess with the nos
 
KStromberg

KStromberg

Vortech kicked in yo
The big question. Can you do all of the work yourself? That will make an ASTRONOMICAL difference on whether you can meet your goals on an assigned budget.
 
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jimbaeumel

New member
Yeah I can do everything I need to do myself. After I finish the T56 swap in my Skylark I will focus more time on this. Would have liked to have found it a couple months from now, but It was just too good of a deal to pass up at $400.

Motor runs good and the trans shifts well. Front bags will pump up but leak down in a couple of minutes. Interior is all there but dirty. Car is filthy.

I am going to convert it over to coils and get it reliable. Then start figuring out what needs to be done and prioritize.

I've decided not to strip it down. I'll just make it as fast and as nice as I can within the budget. Then possible improve it further after the competition.
 
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KStromberg

KStromberg

Vortech kicked in yo
You won't need nitrous for 13s. Go straight for the bang for your buck mods.

4.56 gears
4000 stall
Modified cobra longtubes(you CAN do this fab work right?)
Tune
Tire

I'd almost bet that puts you straight into the 13s immediately.
 
J

jimbaeumel

New member
KStromberg said:
You won't need nitrous for 13s. Go straight for the bang for your buck mods.

4.56 gears
4000 stall
Modified cobra longtubes(you CAN do this fab work right?)
Tune
Tire

I'd almost bet that puts you straight into the 13s immediately.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input.

I didn't realize the long tubes made that big of a difference in these cars. I'm not a great welder but have done enough recently I could get by. Need to look in to it and see exactly what it requires and what it would cost not only for the headers but to finish out the exhaust system. May be cheaper to leave the exhaust alone and spray a small shot. Everything else is definitely a must have though.
 
KStromberg

KStromberg

Vortech kicked in yo
jimbaeumel said:
Thanks for the input.

I didn't realize the long tubes made that big of a difference in these cars. I'm not a great welder but have done enough recently I could get by. Need to look in to it and see exactly what it requires and what it would cost not only for the headers but to finish out the exhaust system. May be cheaper to leave the exhaust alone and spray a small shot. Everything else is definitely a must have though.
Click to expand...
Try searching "BBK Install bets" to see if you can come up with rightonthemark's thread. That thread walks through it. I copied his logic in my Mark8. I do recall that he did before and after testing at the track with the LTs as the only change and I remember he dropped a surprising amount of ET. I'm a believer and I think they help substantially. One thing to remember is not many Mark8 guys have gone LTs due to the complexity of modifying a set to fit so no one has actually disproven that they work. Frank pretty much proved they do work, and they work well.
 
J

jimbaeumel

New member
Got the coil over kit in. Waiting on the end links to get here though. Forgot to swap the wheels. To-Do list is growing. I've got to do something with the brakes asap. They are terrible. Luckily that won't count against my budget. Need to track down a small oil leak as well. Thanks to this board I have good idea of where to start.

 
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