Visions of the Moment.

Here are my current visions for the four cars currently in the 5.OCD garage. These tend to change, but here’s what’s in my mind at this particular moment in time…

Mustang
This one probably I see as one of the shorter paths to “completion,” if there is such a thing. Since it has recently gotten a new motor, that’s one big thing out of the way with this car. I’d like to get the cage installed, then get the few remaining parts I need to get a nitrous kit in it and wind up running a 100 to 125 shot through it. It needs a new hood to clear the intake (carbon fiber would be cool) and then I’d like to put on the clean trunk lid (luggage rack = ugly) that’s been in a box for years. 4.10s and maybe an axle & differential upgrade would be nice to keep the rear alive and add a little extra over the 3.73s that are in it. I also would really like some skinnies up front. I may consider a Megasquirt for it again, though the factory computer doesn’t do a bad job, so I’m not sure if it’s worth it… That’s really about it. Not too much relatively.

Sunbird 2 door
There’s a whole lot I’d like to do to my daily driven bird. My current plan is basically a new top end, sticking with the SOHC 8 valve head. I’d like to get a spare head, have it ported, and match up the extra stock intake to the head, add the throttle body I bored, the new cam, valvesprings, and forged followers, and have it all ready to bolt on. The Megasquirt and harness is ready for action, so that will be a must for tuning all the new hardware. The thing I worry about a bit is the trans. It functions fine now, but the shifts are pretty soft (always were) and I’m not sure it will hold up forever with more power, particularly when adding the nitrous. So a built up trans would be nice, but it wouldn’t come cheap. Since I’m dreaming, some forged flat top pistons for upped compression and fortifying the bottom end with some better hardware etc. would compliment the trans, and then it could easily handle a 75 shot or more and the redline could be moved up to the 7000+ range. I think that’s where I’d ultimately like to end up; adding some naturally aspirated horsepower and retaining most factory parts while keeping it tame enough for easy winter driving, and also maintaining reliability with a bottom end and trans that can handle the occasional nitrous beating.

Grand National*
Just finishing it would be nice. There’s quite a bit done, but also quite a ways to go. In a nutshell, I’d like to see 400hp out of the new engine. The vision is kinda hard to see from this far in the distance, so it’s still a little hazy. I think the bottom line is to get the engine put together, get it put back in and running, get everything hooked back up, exhaust, hoses, all the little stuff that’s missing and then see where I’m at. I am seeing it as becoming a comfortable, spacious fair-weather cruiser that will see a decent amount of street miles and maybe some sort of dual tune setup where it will run mild boost on the street and be able to turn it up for some dragway mayhem. Another twist in the plot is this isn’t going to be your typical stored-in-a-climate-controlled-garage, low-mile, super-shiny-perfect-paint GN like a lot of them out there are. Think more of a survival rat with dents, dings, and touch ups; putting the money that would have gone into (aka wasted on) looks into something that makes it function better or go faster.

Sunbird 4 door*
Most people I’m sure would not consider it one, but this is kind of our luxury car of the bunch. It has a full interior, comfortable seats, space to carry groceries and stuff, and isn’t super loud (although does have a nice sounding Borla.) I’d like to keep with that theme with a focus on handling and of course add some power, probably with more of a focus on torque. The long-standing idea has been an Eaton M62, but it would be somewhat complicated to set up due to the need for a custom intake to mount it on, which in turn would require some involved design and fabrication. It would be unique and interesting, and I have gotten a start on designing the intake, but it is quite a ways from reality. A previous hurdle was the engine management, but now that I know how to set up the Megasquirt for a bird it shouldn’t be an issue; however, I may lean towards an MS2 for more refinements like idle control for this car.

* These cars belong to my wife, so my vision is subject to her input. 🙂