Fireproof interior and weight reduction, plexi windows

[Burninrock24]

Fair enough, I would try that baking method with a smaller sample first before you go trying it on the door windows though.

As for the Matrix subframe connectors, that style is a good bracing style, and will give you the best stiffening for the lower subframe. You will still want to do the upper subframe which will end up looking like this. It stiffens more than the lower subframe connectors.

You could try some seam welding, and putting expanding foam into all of the hollow points. There was an SAE paper written by Chrysler engineers that said that using a rigid expanding foam in hollow points around the chassis like the A and B pillars stiffened the chassis some 20% - 30%. I tried it on my track car and I can't really speak for much because there aren't many truly hollow parts on it, but I know the Mustang has more parts that could benefit from this method.

 

[NCMystic]

ah, i see what you mean with the uppers. that looks custom but are there any kits out there? floor pan will remain expose so i would like to keep any visible modifications to the pan to be somewhat presentable.

that's interesting about the rigid expanding foam, i may have a go at that

also dumb question but is that all the wiring under the carpet? i am going to try to relocate it so it looks a bare pan with no exposed wiring. tips very welcome

 

[Burninrock24]

Well nothing bolt-in would add any meaningful rigidity really. I believe that picture is of the Griggs 'kit'. There' a special length and taper on the beam. I've never torn down my interior so I don't know where exactly you would be able to hide the wires. Somebody else will have to comment on that.

 

[PikesPeakPony]

Iv thought about doing the Plexiglas windows myself. I figured if I tinted it to look factory everything would be cool and I could save some weight. but after further research and some trial and error it was just too much. I may still do plexi quarter windows.

 

[Walking Tall]

What you are planning sounds like it would be total misery to drive. I get enough muscle car with my O/R H and full interior. It sounds like you still plan on driving on the street, so I guess I just don't get it. Good luck though.

 

[NCMystic]

ive googled a bit but the options seem endless so can someone help me figure out what clear film to use on the floor? i'd like to use something a few mm's thick and not a whole ton of adhesion so it doesnt pull the paint off the floor pans when i replace it. ill put a coat of high gloss clear over the floor pans so they stick a little better to the film

also i can just put the film over the wiring so it doesn't have to be relocated

and yes it will be the daily driver

 

[duh09]

I gutted the interior in my 95 for a few reasons. I was autocrossing it at the time and with the few mods my car had, it was placed in a really high level class and I had no other use for the car so bye-bye amps and radio and Cobra seats, hello Corbeaus. My door panels were crappy and falling apart, my carpet had seen better days, etc etc so I gutted it. Pulled the center console, rear seat, carpet, door panels, all the seat belts and hardware, trunk lining, and all of the trim from doors back. Accidentally busted out one of the rear windows after locking my keys in it and replaced both back glasses with Agent 47 NACA ducts. Do they look racecar, yes. Are they meant for a racecar, yes. Are they good for daily driving, noooopppeee. But they're an option if you want to ditch the rear glass, they're functional obviously is you run some lines but otherwise, you'll have to find a way to cap them off.

I did daily this car for a few months and honestly, I didn't mind it at all. Getting used to harnesses in a street car is weird and really limits being able to look around you. When I get around to getting the car running again, I'm planning on stripping the sound deadening off the floor, installing through-the-floor subframes, and bedlining the interior to keep it relatively "clean" for a gutted car. Also going to install one of those lame super JDM blink mirrors to help see behind me. I loved it but then again, I retained A/C, power windows, power locks, etc. Getting rid of the glass is incredibly overkill and not worth the trouble. Your car will def get toasty in the summer with no real insulation between you and the heat of your exhaust besides metal.

EDIT: Also the only real wiring you have running in the interior runs under the driver seat to the e-brake I think.

 

[NCMystic]

thanks Duh! killer response, and always a cool car

what do you think might be the best approach to removing the sound deadening without damaging the paint under it?

 

[chris91]

Dry Ice will help you get rid of the sound deadening.

Another company you might want to check into is www.buystifflers.com

 

[NCMystic]

Thanks for the tip chris, never heard of them. their subframes seem nice, whatever matrix i can find a deal on ill probably end up going with

clever trick with the dry ice too ill give that a shot

 

[Musturd]

Team z and wolf race craft make the through floor subframe connectors I highly recommend not doing upper and lowers subframes that's plain retarded ... You are cutting into the hollow subframe and sliding the tube in ... It's a lot more work for through floors but way better I've got the team z kit. The best part is you don't lose any ground Clarence

 

[NCMystic]

i know a guy who runs all team z and loves it, ill start a team z fund i guess haha

or griggs. . .
have you seen the gr40 hill climb?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzpDOFOvdek

 

[Musturd]

Yea that things ballin... You can't go wrong with team z

 

[cobraracer46]

i am going to keep my alpine cd player, road trips will need that although i know it doesn't fit the the theme i am going to replace the speakers with lightweight units and ditch the amps

If you are going to gut the hell out your Cobra, I would worry about a Alpine sound system because you wont be able to hear it through all the road noise!

For some insperation: A gutted a Mystic Cobra done right!

 

[cobraracer46]

Fair enough, I would try that baking method with a smaller sample first before you go trying it on the door windows though.

As for the Matrix subframe connectors, that style is a good bracing style, and will give you the best stiffening for the lower subframe. You will still want to do the upper subframe which will end up looking like this. It stiffens more than the lower subframe connectors.

You could try some seam welding, and putting expanding foam into all of the hollow points. There was an SAE paper written by Chrysler engineers that said that using a rigid expanding foam in hollow points around the chassis like the A and B pillars stiffened the chassis some 20% - 30%. I tried it on my track car and I can't really speak for much because there aren't many truly hollow parts on it, but I know the Mustang has more parts that could benefit from this method.

Thats a pic of the Griggs Racing Frame kit I installed myself on my 2001 Cobra convertible. It stiffend up the car quite a bit.

 

[NCMystic]

that mystic is tits, anyone know what door panels are in it??

 

[duh09]

I'm not sure about on the Mystic, but I know Scott Rod Fab makes some door panels for our cars. That's what I'm considering for my car.

http://scottrodfab.com/sn95mustang.html

 

[miss.mod.50]

EDIT: Also the only real wiring you have running in the interior runs under the driver seat to the e-brake I think.

doh, yeah. i forgot about the ebrake stuff, but as long as you have a seat in the car the seat will pretty much cover it.

I'm still a little concerned about not having any bracing for the plexi/lexan. Dont the early GT350's at least have the front 1/4 windows to help guide and support the strap syle window?....sn95s have nothing so I'm seeing a possibility of sealing/wind noise issues being a daily driver. I've done my fair share of testing out ideas that sound good in theory, and with that being said my advice is to keep everything you remove so if it doesn't work out you got the back-up.

 

[NCMystic]

for sure, everything i have done or am doing can easily be returned to stock with no irreparable modifications, all the stock parts removed will just sit in boxes

you're right, there not much to guide them there will be the same track and bracket system used from the factory just no motor

i'm going to use the closest thickness match lexan to the factory glass rather than the thinner racecar polycarbonate so hopefully the thickness with maintain a rigidity similar to the glass and it won't be fluttering around in the wind or leaking