MattKremers Posted January 23, 2013 Share Posted January 23, 2013 Hey guys. I have been building a fox Mustang (typical ongoing project that never ends), and recently decided to concentrate on competing in AI. It will be the northeast division. I have been racing since i was a kid in one form or another, and want so badly to get back into it. So my goal is to get my competition license this year through a few HPDEs. Ideally I would be able to compete for the season finale at Watkins Glen. Realistically I will try to work out the kinks this year and compete next season. As Im sure most of you have come across, getting the car together is easy. It is the detail of getting the car to be compliant with the rule book and getting the parts to work together that is the most difficult. Reading through the rule book i have stumbled on a couple "hairy boogers" that I will need to clear up. So I figured that I would ask the experts rather than reinventing the wheel. The biggest issue that I see for getting the car legal is the fuel cell. I basically have to start from scratch here. The current setup is a 22 gallon Summit Racing fuel cell (not bladder type) and electric pump kit sitting in the spare tire space. Clearly not compatible with the fuel cell regulations under NASA. So at first I was just going to buy a fuel safe and be done with it. But, I have a hatchback. There is nothing separating me from the cell. And even worse, right now the pump is inside (i figured that this was safer than behind the bumper in a rear collision). The rules state that it must be separate from the drivers compartment. So how do you hatchback guys do it? Should I slap a factory gas tank instead because it will be out of the drivers compartment? Or should make a partition to separate the tank from driver? How do i get that compliant with NASA? I am a visual person, so pictures would be a huge help here. Also, with regards to sheet metal and the unibody. Might seem like a stupid question. Do you guys just rivet and seal all of the unused openings in the firewall? I have quite a few of them.There is also sheet metal removed from the spare tire box to fit the fuel cell. I could just repair the openings, but is there anything i need to keep in mind to avoid issues with "modifying the factory unibody structure"? This clearly is not a performance modification. Last question (for this post at least) is about suspension setup. Is it pretty standard for everyone to have their own scales and caster/camber/toe calibration tools? If so, what products should I look at that are quality but at an affordable price? I need to budget for these items if it is something I will need to purchase, vs having some available for use at the track. Thank you for the help. I look forward to seeing you all at the track! Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Al F. Posted January 23, 2013 Members Share Posted January 23, 2013 All camaros are hatchbacks, this isnt as big a problem as you might think. A hinged lid that covers the top of the cell, can be secured with fasteners (even quick release style) and is made of metal is typical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T&A Racing Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 I will try to dig up some pics, but our hatch back fox just had sheet metal on an angle ranching from the floor to where the hatch came to, with a rubber type seal agains the glass. There was a small frame attached to the cage to hold it in place. Pretty simple set up really. We also have a fuel safe cell that matches the stock tank shape and uses an in tank pump. This is not really a cheap part but it is an easy install from a fabrication perspective. Just some ideas welcome to the AI club you will have a ton of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edhunter Posted January 24, 2013 Share Posted January 24, 2013 I just built a "doghouse" of sorts over my cell... Regarding all the tools, they sure are handy to have, if possible. If you're a tweaker like me, you're always changing something. Being able to scale and measure things as you go makes it more fun IMO. Welcome to the madness btw... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattKremers Posted January 24, 2013 Author Share Posted January 24, 2013 Ed- thank you for the picture. Does anyone else have a picture of their setup? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Watson Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 Matt, While I dont have a picture, in my 93 notch, I cut out the spare tire well, riveted in flat sheet metal with a trap door in the center, than installed 2 1x1" square tube between the frame rails in which I mounted the cell to. So the cell is just below the metal bulk head per the ccr. as for the firewall holes I cut out some sheetmetal and riveted over various holes and sealed. if your on a budget you dont need to buy scales or alignment tools. there are scales at the track you can use to fine tune the car. get some flat alum plate to use as tow plates to set toe. For camber and caster get a plum bob, tape measure and a calculator and you can set it up. Or long acre sells nice CC gauges and tow plates. AL. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBR Posted January 25, 2013 Share Posted January 25, 2013 You can find used scales on the web. That's where we got ours. You can use the ones at the track, but it takes a while to do corner weights and not all track scales are level or available. Any metal plate and 2 tape measures works for toe. If you have a smart phone, download a digital level app. We cut a piece of square metal stock that fits inside the edges of the wheel and we use our phone/level app to set camber. We also use the phone to set our rear wing angles. j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattKremers Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 Thank you all for the feedback. J- have you checked the accuracy of the app against another gauge? That is a great idea. I have heard of dB apps that are incredibly accurate with the iPhone. Sounds like a great idea. -Matt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UBR Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 J- have you checked the accuracy of the app against another gauge? We have. And as long as you zero the thing before you start, it is very accurate. Ours reads to the 0.1 degree. NOt sure about others, but if we can get camber to within a 1/2 degree we're good. j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marshallmosty Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 Guys, Remember that camber settings will vary between car setup, driver preference, track conditions, etc. You really need to be tracking tire temps to get your camber and pressures right.. Tire temps are key! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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