Because it’s a race car that’s why

Why, why, why do some people build or buy a purpose built race car and then complain when they drive it to the local store? Why did this break ? Why doesn’t it run right when I drive it “normally”. And the best one is, why does it use so much fuel ? Because it is a race car !
A long time friend of mine purchased this fox-body stang for $6000.00. Just because it looked nice. He is not a mechanic so he doesn’t know what to look for when buying a car like this. It is possible to make a street car out of a race car but there are always major issues to overcome.
The first issues I saw were the lack of windshield wipers, full roll cage limiting access getting in and out, and a battery disconnect with jump posts where the license plate should be. After a very short drive ( about a quarter mile) I noticed the horn button was made to actuate the line locks on the brakes. Full formed race seat with 4 point harness made a long drive out of the question for an old wrench like me. I could go on and on but here is the full scoop based on my opinion.
It is a very nice Mustang that is worn out, period. It was raced a season or more and instead of doing a winter rebuild, the owner sold the car to finance a new build. The motor is flat at about half throttle and smells like raw fuel. Now, you may ask why ? Because it is made to run a quarter mile with your foot on the floor. Wide open throttle, running like it is shot out of a cannon. It runs rich while just putting around but is fine when launched and run hard. Oh there are many more issues to deal with as well. The T-5 trans is missing the speedometer drive and the rear end has a spool. A spool makes the car drive straight ahead even while turning the steering wheel. Both rear wheels turn at the same time with no slip. The slipping is what makes it easy to turn into a parking space at the mall. This car just wanted to go in a straight line.
So far about $2000.00 has been spent installing wipers, speedo drive, limited-slip posi rear, new c-clip eliminators on rear axles, wired up a horn, installed new seats, got all the lights working, and replaced the drag radial tires with DOT approved street/strip tires. The thermostat will be replaced with a 190 degree unit. It has a 160 in it now. We will also go 1 heat range hotter on the spark plugs. At some point, we will most likely end up rejetting the big Demon carburetor to try and eliminate the flat spot at half throttle.
My advice to all is; You can take a street machine and build it for the track any day. It is much more difficult to build a race car and then convert it for street use. Do not buy a race car thinking it won’t need work. If it was such an awesome machine, why is it being sold ? I invite comment on this issue so feel free to comment.

Written by,
Troy Lied

Diesel vs. gas, tips for deciding what’s right for you.

Most people think of pick-up trucks and 18 wheelers when you mention the words”diesel engine”. Cars come equipped with either gas or diesel and here are some differences.
A diesel engine is a work horse and a gasoline engine is more of a trail horse or thoroughbred if you account for race engines. That is to say a diesel engine is made primarily to do a lot of work as efficiently as possible. Hauling a trailer or taking the whole family on a vacation would be a good choice for your diesel. A person who travels long distances on the highway will see the benefits in mpg’s. City traffic with stop and go as a norm is not the best place to get the benefits of a diesel vehicle. They like to run at a more constant rpm to achieve their goal of efficiency. The ability to move a heavy load is an added benefit of the torque they generate. Think of torque as; the ability to pull a tree stump out of the ground. Diesels make gobs of torque.
A diesel engine does not have spark plugs ! No way, no how, it doesn’t work like that. With your everyday gasoline engine, you need a spark plug to ignite the fuel/air mix. It needs some fire or spark to get the mixture to explode and shove the piston down. The diesel engine does it with glow plugs ( generally only used for very cold starts) and shear compression force. Squeeze diesel fuel and air hard enough in the right mix and it will explode,again pushing the piston down and making the engine run. The glow plugs are just a probe that gets very hot for a short period of time. Diesel fuel gets thicker in colder temperatures so until the engine warms up; it may need a kick to get the fire going so to speak. Once it starts the glow plugs are no longer needed and turn off automatically.
The last point I will make here is; diesels have an odor. Some just out right stink, and the black smoke some diesel engines emit is just terrible ! Take care of your engine and stay on top of routine maintenance. Today’s modern vehicles do not smoke black smoke when running correctly. Yes there is an odor that takes getting used to. New emissions laws have helped as well to bring a cleaner running diesel engine. Don’t forget diesel fuel is more expensive per US gallon than gasoline. There are many more differences. These few differences I mentioned may help you chose which engine may be more economical for your needs. If you have a job to do the diesel is what you want. If going to the mall and running errands with the kids, then a gasoline powered vehicle may bring more convenience and benefit. Just my opinion and I always welcome comments and questions.

Thanks for reading and pass it along,
Troy Lied