BoilermakerfFan's '95 393 'Vert Build - Let the planning begin! Opinions needed

BoilermakerFan

New Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2014
Messages
39
Reaction score
0
Location
Evansville, IN
I have a '95 GT Convertible roller:

20140908_182229.jpg
[/URL]

It has the black and tan interior:
20140908_182326.jpg
[/URL]



I have a black steering column for it and I'm swapping in a black passenger airbag. The carpet will be switched to black with tan floormats. The seats will be redone to black and tan. I will probably dye the tan to a darker shade, closer to the new saddle brown.


The engine will be a forged internals 393W with ported and larger stock 351W heads for now, then switching over to Kaase P-38 heads. The intake will be a TF R-Series with a SCT chip and dyno tune.


I've always loved the look of the old Hurst GT350H:
hertz.jpg
[/URL]


And I love the look of bronze wheels...

So I've found the XXR 530s in bronze:
53088547N-2T.jpg
[/URL]

And by luck I found the perfect green metallic color when one of these past me on our local expressway:
jeep_liberty_65th_anniv_green_2006-1.jpg
[/URL]


The color is exactly the right shade and has a bronze undertone in the metallic. The cost for the paint is reasonable too. So I'm going to paint the car the Jeep Green Metallic. Not a Ford color, but it's perfect for what I wanted. I'm going to have the Maximum Motorsports convertible roll bar powdercoated a bronze to match the wheels.


Now here is where I need opinions... I have the Cobra front bumper and I love the look so it's staying. I'm probably going to get a functionally vented 3" Cobra R hood too since I need the clearance. I was going to debadge the car, but now I'm thinking of doing the Cobra badges in bronze since I'm basically building a larger displacement clone of the '95 Cobra R except in a convertible. My transmission is even the '95 Cobra R's TR3550. Do I build it as more of clone or debadge and just keep the style pieces I like? It's really not going to be a true clone, I'm converting the rear tails to vertical units. I've tried to grow in favor of the horizontals, but I just do not like them, not even the Saleen versions... The rear spoiler will also be deleted.

The front suspension will be an AFCO PerfectFit tubular K-member with their coil over suspension. It's aimed at drag racers, but it's completely adjustable and perfectly suitable for AX fun too. The rear axle is going to stay solid with the MM torsion/PHB setup. I'm seriously considering having the AFCO K-member, arms, and a selection of other components under the car powdercoated or painted bronze to tie the color scheme together...

Which leaves one last major piece to decide on a color... the top. The top is the black vinyl and it's done. I was going to get a '03 black Cobra top, but now I'm thinking the Saddle cloth top would actually look better. I know a lot of guys don't like the saddle, but I think with my dark green metallic and the bronze it would look much better. Thoughts?



Once I decide on a few other items, the work will begin.

- BMF
 

96blak54

Moderator
Staff
Joined
Feb 21, 2011
Messages
10,025
Reaction score
2,866
Location
In the shop
Wow you planned it out nice! Sounds like work and im sure you'll get stumped a time or two but the folks here at sn95 will have the answers to any question you might have. So post a bunch of pics and we'll promise to encourage!
 

Ferocious

Post Whore
SN95 Supporter
Joined
Jun 1, 2011
Messages
12,255
Reaction score
600
Location
San Diego
Sounds like an interesting build. The colors are both not very appealing alone but together I think they're really going to work. I would personally stay with a black top as I think saddle will be too much of an eye sore. And I think getting Cobra badges that are bronze to match the wheels sounds like a great idea. If you have the Cobra R drivetrain I wouldn't worry about it being a Fobra.
 

Gregor185

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2008
Messages
1,489
Reaction score
23
Location
New Tripoli, PA
Sounds like you have a great plan for it. Can't wait to see the turn out especially with that color combo
 

DavidBoren

Active Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2014
Messages
643
Reaction score
5
Location
Pacific Northwest.
I think that you should go with the functional "R" hood and no badges. Let the cobra bumper and cobra hood and the 393 do the "talking". I, personally, think that the tan top would really go well with your color scheme. Definitely do up the suspension bits in bronze, it will really be a nice and complete detail. I love the two tone interior. Keep the pictures coming.
 
OP
OP
B

BoilermakerFan

New Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2014
Messages
39
Reaction score
0
Location
Evansville, IN
Thanks for the input guys! Don't know if you noticed, but it already has the white Cobra faces on the gauges too.

The car is a family fun car, not a daily driver so 90% of the time the top will be down anyways, but I'm concerned the black will actually look out of place. I'm definitely going to darken the tan interior to be more of the current saddle color too. It's just too cheap looking in the light tan. I think in the end the final decision on the top will be made by SWMBO so it has her WAF.

I'll probably remove the badges, but I'll keep them. Won't be difficult to Cerokote them bronze and see how they look. I'm going with a smoothed rear bumper too, but the nice thing is both the Cobra and V6 shared the same rear bumper. Going to mess with people even more by running my headers into a Y and a single 3" pipe back with two 2-1/2" tips. Is it a V6? What is it? Muaahaaahaahaaa. The Kaase heads will put me well over 500HP to the wheels but the exhaust will be good up to 600HP. I know it sounds like heresy, but I just don't see the need for more than 500HP at the wheels and I'll run the car on a detuned program most of the time to keep it around 350HP at the wheels so my tires will last a little longer... at least that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I'm definitely going with functional vents in the R hood. It's only $20 for HO to add the vents. I'm hoping to go with a rear diffuser under the car like MadStang has since it will generate some down force I give up when I delete the rear spoiler. I thought about the S281 spoiler, but I don't like the way it looks on top with the points. I like the little lip spoilers on the '12-'14s, but haven't seen one to fit the SN95s.

Then I'll probably flatter TTCOS and copy a few of his ideas like his hidden trunk key and molded trim. Also love his molded in door handles, but I'm not sure I want to pay for them! He lives about ten minutes from me in the next town over so I'm hoping I can see some of his work in person if I have questions.


Progress will be slow over the next few months. We're going to put our house on the market and move to a different neighborhood in town. SWMBO has said no major time on the Mustang until we're moved and the major projects at the new house are done. But the planning and sorting of the build will continue!
 

DavidBoren

Active Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2014
Messages
643
Reaction score
5
Location
Pacific Northwest.
I love the V6 trickery! My family car is going to be a CTS-V and I am going to put the V6 bumpers on it to make it a "sleeper" (if you can consider any CTS, even the V6's, a sleeper at all).

You have a very solid game plan for this car. I can't wait to see the final product. Those Kaas heads are freaking sweet.
 

evilcw311

Most Evil Member!
SN95 Supporter
Joined
May 9, 2010
Messages
7,456
Reaction score
2,134
Location
Louisville, KY
Wait........you only live 10 minutes from Scott!?!? What town are you in?!?!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
OP
OP
B

BoilermakerFan

New Member
Joined
Sep 7, 2014
Messages
39
Reaction score
0
Location
Evansville, IN
The same one in my profile. :p Evansville, IN.

I grew up in Louisville. Moved to Newburgh, IN for high school then moved back to the area in Evansville in 2000. Been stuck here since. Now my daughter is in high school so we're not going anywhere for at least 3 more years.
 

ttocs

Post Whore
Joined
Oct 9, 2009
Messages
32,597
Reaction score
5,645
Location
Evansville Indiana
He just signed up logan. Logan was just in town working on a job and we got together for a night.
 

Latest posts

Forum statistics

Threads
77,487
Messages
1,503,568
Members
14,958
Latest member
Ccrider

Members online

Top