[Warhorse Racing]

It’s time to build THE NEXT WARHORSE!

I’ve been autocrossing my 1992 GT, 2000 GT, and 2004 V6 for years, and I’ve been sharing my experience on my Warhorse Racing YouTube channel. I’ve made it my mission to prove that any 79-04 Mustang can be built into a capable and competitive autocross car.

I’ve been fortunate to win several local championships in my V8 and V6 cars. When it came time to decide on a new long-term project, I wanted a challenge. So, I thought outside the box when choosing this Fox Body.

The tips and tech in this series will help anyone building a 79-04 Mustang for autocross. If you have any questions, please ask here or in the comments on YouTube. I’m always happy to help.

 

[petmotel]

It’s time to build THE NEXT WARHORSE!

Can you say Coyote swap? I thought you could, LOL! At least the weight bias will be favorable with the 4 popper. There are modern DOHC turbo 4 cylinder engines that make prodigious power for their displacement, there are certainly interesting possibilities here!

Jay

 

[petmotel]

I'm very interested in seeing how you're going to get decent power out of this engine N/A. Hazard a guess at a torque arm, and panhard rear end, best way I'm aware of getting good articulation, and positively locating the stick axle, but you've been known to do things differently in the past so who knows?

My questions would be how you decide which car to take to an event, and where do you corral your ever growing herd of ponies?

Jay

 

[Warhorse Racing]

I'm very interested in seeing how you're going to get decent power out of this engine N/A. Hazard a guess at a torque arm, and panhard rear end, best way I'm aware of getting good articulation, and positively locating the stick axle, but you've been known to do things differently in the past so who knows?

My questions would be how you decide which car to take to an event, and where do you corral your ever growing herd of ponies?

Jay

The 2.3L engine does have a history of being used in performance applications. There are a few companies that make performance parts. I'm doing a lot of research on the 2.3L, so I can get familiar with how much power they can make/take. My plan for rear end grip is still evolving at this point.

My ideal choice is to run each car 3 times in each club (they both do 9 events). That didn't work this season: My 1992 GT had some mechanical issues (that I'm still fixing). I took my V6 apart before I had all the parts, and supply chain issues kept it sidelined.

When the 2.3L is done, it won't be allowed to run in the same class/category as my other cars, so I will probably have to run it full-time in one of my clubs (or run some events with a 3rd club).

 

[90lxwhite]

When the 2.3L is done, it won't be allowed to run in the same class/category as my other cars, so I will probably have to run it full-time in one of my clubs (or run some events with a 3rd club).

This what kind of irks me about class racing rules. Say a guy starts with a 90 horsepower motor and then throws on a turbo so now he’s making a whopping 200 horsepower. But since he has a turbo now he has to race against other “modified” cars but they are making like 600 horsepower because they didn’t start with a 90 horsepower 4 cylinder.

 

[Warhorse Racing]

This what kind of irks me about class racing rules. Say a guy starts with a 90 horsepower motor and then throws on a turbo so now he’s making a whopping 200 horsepower. But since he has a turbo now he has to race against other “modified” cars but they are making like 600 horsepower because they didn’t start with a 90 horsepower 4 cylinder.

The rules can be tricky, but you can use them to your advantage. My 2004 V6 runs in CAM-T. It only has about 220 horsepower. But, because it's light and has better weight distribution, it can compete with/beat more powerful cars.

I haven't chosen a Category/class for my 2.3L, yet. That decision will be based on how much weight I can get out of the car. The lighter I can get the car, the less power I need. It's not about how much power you have, it's about how much you can use. My plan is to make sure this car can use every last bit of power I put into it.

 

[Warhorse Racing]

Before I start tearing into my 1993 2.3L Mustang autocross project, I want to go over what I’m starting with. This video shows all the good and bad aspects of my new pony.

 

[Top Heavy]

In to see this one……

 

[Warhorse Racing]

In to see this one……

Thanks! It's going to be a fun project!

 

[Warhorse Racing]

It’s time to start taking weight out of my 1993 2.3L Mustang autocross car. There’s a lot of weight hiding in the interior of Fox Body Mustangs that’s free or inexpensive to remove. In this video, I strip out the interior pieces that won’t be going back into the car and weigh the OEM interior parts that can be swapped for lighter alternatives.

 

[Warhorse Racing]

In my quest to get 500 lbs. out of my 1993 2.3L Mustang autocross car, I have to make mods I’ve never made before. In 30 years of working on Mustangs, I’ve never removed the sound deadening. But, because Apocalypso has to be much lighter than my other autocross Mustangs, the sound deadening has to go. This video covers the tools I used, how well they worked, and how much weight I lost.

 

[Warhorse Racing]

I’ve already taken 147.8 lbs. out of my 1993 2.3L Mustang autocross car. Weight reduction is important, but so is weight distribution. I need to get some mass off of the front end. In this video, I delete the A/C, remove some unnecessary items & swap in a Ranger header.

 

[Top Heavy]

These are really great videos @Warhorse Racing it inspires me to 4 corner weigh my fox to see how things shake out with what was removed, added, lightened and relocated!!!

keep ‘em comin!!!!

 

[Warhorse Racing]

These are really great videos @Warhorse Racing it inspires me to 4 corner weigh my fox to see how things shake out with what was removed, added, lightened and relocated!!!

keep ‘em comin!!!!

Thanks! I've been very happy with the weight reduction so far. I've got many more projects in store for this car and more videos coming soon!

 

[Warhorse Racing]

So far, my 1993 2.3L Mustang autocross car has lost 198.6 lbs. But I’m still 300 lbs. away from my goal. Lightweight bumper supports are an inexpensive way to pull pounds out of your autocross pony. In this video, I install MAF Racing front & rear bumper supports.

 

[Warhorse Racing]

Apocalypso has already lost 250.4 lbs. In order to reach my goal of 500 lbs., I need to make mods I’ve never made before. So, it’s time to install my first lightweight K-member. This video covers what I had to do to get the OEM K-member out, the UPR K-member bolted in, and the engine mounted to the new K-member.

 

[zd302gt]

Selling that sunroof bag?

 

[Warhorse Racing]

Selling that sunroof bag?

Sorry, I need to keep the sunroof bag. Have you tried MPS Auto Salvage in GA or Quarter Horse Performance in SC? They might have one.

 

[Top Heavy]

Always love these video updates @Warhorse Racing !!!!! Looking forward to the next update and seeing how the UPR pieces hold up on some auto-x duties

 

[fasterthangas]

So far, my 1993 2.3L Mustang autocross car has lost 198.6 lbs. But I’m still 300 lbs. away from my goal. Lightweight bumper supports are an inexpensive way to pull pounds out of your autocross pony. In this video, I install MAF Racing front & rear bumper supports.

How light do you want to go? I'm using this:
Tig Vision 90-98 and 99-04 Mustang ''GT'' Aluminum Ulta Light Weight Front Bumper Support