Fox Body Autocross Project

[Warhorse Racing]

I’m new to this forum and I wanted to introduce myself and my Fox Body…

I’ve been autocrossing Mustangs for years. I’ve been fortunate enough to win local CAM Class championships, and to be an instructor and Novice Coordinator.

I’ve made it my mission to inspire as many Mustang owners as possible to give autocross a try. And to prove that our ponies can be awesome autocross cars.

I was looking for a project during the offseason, so I decided it was time to get my 1992 GT back out on an autocross course.

It’s a 1-owner, 65k mile car that I’ve had since I was 16. This Mustang means a lot to me. I want to make it a competitive autocross car, but I don’t want to cut up a classic. That means making mods that can be easily undone.

Project ThoroughbRED is all about showing love to a Solid Rear Axle Mustang, making targeted improvements to see what it can do against cars with coil overs, IRS-swaps and massive tires, and helping other people who are looking to autocross their ponies without leaving permanent scars.

I’m including links to the first two videos in the series.

The INTRODUCTION provides the history of the car and my plan for the project…

Part 1: PAST to PRESENT MODS, covers all the upgrades I made to my Fox through the years…

I’ll post more videos in this thread over the next few days.

Thanks for checking out the project. If you have any questions, please ask here or in the comments.

 

[broncojunkie]

Welcome! Just watched both videos. I'm not really even a road-course type guy, but I'm already looking forward to the next one!

Edit: spoke too soon. Watching part 2 now lol

 

[Warhorse Racing]

Thanks for checking out the videos! The best part about autocross is that it's much more accessible (and less expensive) than road-course and track events. Pretty much any car, with any level of mods, can attend an autocross. If you've never done it, I highly recommend giving autocross a try.

 

[Warhorse Racing]

My 1992 Mustang GT weighs 3,218 lbs. The minimum weight for a CAM-T autocross car is 3,000 lbs. Getting as close as I can to the minimum weight will give my Fox Body a better chance of beating my competition. But, I don’t want to cut up a classic car to shed those pounds.

This video showcases inexpensive lightweight parts and “deletes” that can help slim your stallion down. It discusses how to divide your car into weight loss Zones, and highlights the benefits of taking weight out of each Zone.

It provides accurate weight loss numbers for each mod. And, it covers some free ways to pull pounds out of your car.

Best of all, every one of the mods in this video can be undone without leaving permanent scars!

Part 2: WEIGHT REDUCTION, details the parts I used to shed 143 lbs.

Part 2A covers my INITIAL THOUGHTS & INSTALL TIPS for mods I made in Part 2.

 

[Warhorse Racing]

My 1992 Mustang GT needs to be more nimble to battle CAM-T competition. The suspension under this car performed well on autocross courses in 2016, but there was definitely room for improvement.

I’m especially concerned about corner entry and composure during rapid changes of direction.

I’m making budget-friendly suspension mods designed to help me get all I can out of the performance parts I’ve already installed on the car. These relatively simple upgrades will address the weak links limiting my car’s capability.

Sometimes it only takes small parts to make a big difference in how hard you can push your pony on course.

Part 3: SUSPENSION UPGRADES, details the suspension mods...

PART 3A covers my INITIAL THOUGHTS & INSTALL TIPS for the improvements I made in Part 3…

If anyone has any questions about the mods or installs, I’m happy to answer them here or in the comments on YouTube.

Thanks for watching!

 

[Warhorse Racing]

Being able to adjust your suspension for autocross allows you to take control of the handling characteristics of your Mustang that might make you lose control on course. My 1992 GT needs to get all the benefits of the suspension mods I’ve made if it’s going to compete in CAM-T. I meet a lot of people with similar mods that aren’t sure how to adjust their suspension. As a result, they aren’t getting the most out of their cars.

Part 4: HOW TO ADJUST YOUR AUTOCROSS SUSPENSION, details my process for using Tokico Illumina 5-way Adjustable Struts & Shocks and the Steeda Adjustable Rear Sway Bar to maximize rear grip and minimize understeer. It also discusses the impact the non-adjustable parts I installed have on understeer and oversteer. And I’ll touch on camber and caster settings, and why tire pressure is really important on an autocross car.

If you need to dial-in your Mustang before and during an autocross event, this video will help cut through the complexity involved in getting your pony to stick to the ground like glue.

Tires and brake pads are two of the most important and personal choices autocrossers make when building their cars. There are lots of options out there to get our ponies to grip the pavement and stop on a dime.

Because I’m not cutting, rolling or flaring my fenders to fit massive tires, I need to make sure I choose my autocross tires wisely. Having to compromise on width means I can’t compromise on performance.

Every millisecond you’re on the brakes costs you time out on course. I need brake pads that allow me to reduce my duration of braking by providing great initial bite.

Part 5 covers why the TIRES and BRAKE PADS I chose are the best options for my build, and why they might be right for yours.

Thanks for checking out my videos!

 

[Warhorse Racing]

My 1992 Mustang GT is finally ready to get back out on an autocross course! I took 143 lbs. out of the car, improved the suspension with upgraded bushings, wrapped the rims with top tier autocross tires, and added bite to the brakes with new brake pads.

Every decision I made was guided by the fact that I didn’t want to cut up my beloved Mustang. So, every mod I’ve showcased in this series can be undone without leaving permanent scars.

But, did the upgrades make my Mustang a horse to be reckoned with?

PART 6 shows how ThoroughbRED turned out, and how it did against CAM-T competition in the first event of the 2020 season.

Thank you for following this build. I hope it has inspired you to get your Mustang out on an autocross course!

 

[Flowerztrolls]

Well now, that's pretty neat! Never heard of autocross honestly and never seen it either. Up here ive been exposed to drift, drag and course basically. This is some pretty cool stuff! I love that you can build a Fox and not leave permanent scars if you change your mind!

The course looks fun and appealing! So much easier on the car than Drag it seems like! Would be something I would consider if i had a teacher and if that existed up here in Alberta! Never saw or heard of it.. Ill have to look around and see but I doubt I will be that lucky!

I really enjoyed the videos! I watched what I could since I am at work and will watch the others when I get home! Very informative and fun actually!

Thanks for sharing

 

[Warhorse Racing]

Thanks! I wanted to show people how capable these cars can be, even with some relatively simple mods.

Check out the Alberta Solo Association. They have Solo 2 events (which is autocross).

Autocross is generally easy on cars. But, it can be tough on tires and brakes. It's safe, inexpensive, and most clubs have Instructors there to help Novices. Many have Novice Schools during the season. It's a very friendly sport and people are always willing to help. I hope you're able to find a local event and give it a shot.

And thanks for checking out my videos! I have a few "Mustang Autocross Tips" videos on my channel. They cover all the things I tell Novices when I instruct them at events and Novice Schools.

 

[Redtwilight]

@Warhorse Racing you just got a mention by Matt (aka Gearhead704) on one of his videos.

Are you also in NC? Maybe I'll see you around sometime. I'm not far from VIR if you ever go there.

 

[Warhorse Racing]

Matt is an awesome ambassador for Fox Body Mustangs. I'm excited to be teaming up with him for his autocross project. People will be amazed at how good these cars can be at carving corners around cones.

My focus is primarily autocross, so I end up running mostly in parking lots and on old airport runways. There are a couple of clubs that hold autocross events in your area: BRR-SCCA and VMSC. If you're interested in autocross, check them out. A couple of NC clubs used Danville Regional Airport, but sadly, that site is going away. If you're willing to drive a bit, NCCAR in Garysburg, NC holds autocross events.

 

[Warhorse Racing]

Getting my 1992 GT to, and through, its first autocross event of the 2021 season proved to be more of a challenge than I expected. This video covers the MECHANICAL & DRIVING FAILURES I dealt with. It includes footage of my AUTOCROSS RUNS, and highlights the adjustments I made as I tried to overcome the problems and make it to the top of the podium in CAM-T.