1979 Fairmont Drag radial/x275 project - "The Cream Dream V2.0" by tirefryin_s10 & bmxarmy

By diyauto
( 3 )

16 minute(s) of a 183 minute read

12-5-2011

1979 Fairmont Drag radial/x275 project - "The Cream Dream V2.0" 


Compliments of tirefryin_s10 & bmxarmy @ yellowbullet.com


12-5-2011

Some of you guys may know my sleeper car some may not but here is a few pics of version 1 of the "Cream Dream" as it so affectionatley became known.

Ford Fairmont drag racing
Ford Fairmont LS swapped twin turbos

This car has served me well in the last two years running a best 1/4 ET of 8.47 a best 1/4 mph of 164.5 and a best 60 foot of 1.340 on the 275 radials. I drove the car a LOT putting roughly 3500-4000 kms on it this summer alone.It made over 1100 rwhp thanks to an FPS built 370" LS and twin Magnum 76mm turbos.

After this season ended and I had got the boot for only being legal to 8.50 I took a step back and realized I would not be happy slowing down so I decided I needed to either cut this car up to make it 7.50 legal or build another car...... I chose the latter


The basic plan for the car is as follows:

Car and Chassis

25.5 cert cage (done)
Mini tubs (done)
Full tube front frame rails forward of strut towers( done)
Complete custom tin work inside (done)
Custom dash insert with Holley 5.7" LCD touchscreen
Custom seat mounts for Kirkey race seats(done)
Strip entire body to bare metal,repair any rust etc (90%done)
Shave wiper cowl/gas door/antenna hole (70% done)



Powertrain

FPS Built 438" LSX
Twin turbos (havent decided which ones yet)
PT2400 Intercooler / water to air trans cooler
Reid 1.80 straight cut powerglide
PTC custom converter
Holley HP ecu/coils
Racepak sportsman logger
Aeromotive Belt drive fuel pump
35 spline 9" 3.50 gears narrowed housing
Dynatech alluminum driveshaft


Suspension/brakes

Aerospace drag brakes front and rear
Lightweight manual master cylinder
Manual steering rack
Lightweight solid steering shaft
Team Z offset double adjustable lower control arms
Team Z Double adjustable upper control arms
Team Z spherical housing bushings
Team Z tubular K member/ A Arms
Strange 10 way adjustable front struts w/coil overs
Strange Double adjustable rear coil overs


NONE OF THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER:

Leanne with all the support in the world for me to make my dreams a reality
My family - For always supporting my habit and making sure I am as happy as I can be while chasing them!
"Flyin Ryan Bell" - He lets me make all the power I can dream of and keep the oily bits on the inside!
James Hatfield and Jordan Brandon - For years of support/help with all my builds, help at the track... idea bouncing and general awesomeness!
Nolan Tews - The MASTER metal worker who has not only helped but completley taken on this project as one of his own and pain stakingly completed 90% of the fab work on the car.
The Horsepower Solutions crew- providing me a place to keep all my junk, financial and moral support on all my builds and help both on and off the track.
Dave@ Team Z - Always willign to give me great advice and point me in the right direction for parts and set up on chassis stuff.
Joe@ Hyperaktive - Answering my millions of questions then getting me set up with the electronics I need to get the job done.


OK, OK enough with the long winded post already.... Onto the build !!!


This is what we started with for version 2.0>

Ford Fairmont cage


I actually owned this car when it was stock, sold it to a friend of mine who did the 25.5 cage and mini tubs and then bought it back from him this fall when my plan to do version 2.0 was coming together.


The first thing we did with the car was strip the car down:

Ford Fairmont drag racing rear axle
Ford Fairmont cage
metal
Ford Fairmont rear axle
Ford Fairmont rear


Ford Fairmont
Ford Fairmont rear differential
Ford Fairmont body work
Ford Fairmont body work
Ford Fairmont body work
Ford Fairmont hood
Ford Fairmont body
Ford Fairmont body in metal
Ford Fairmont body in metal
Ford Fairmont roll cage


Next up came back bracing the diff housing, adding filler and drain plugs and some adjustable lower control arm mounts, we also had to move the anti roll bar tabs, shorten up the links as well as re-drill the arms to fit better and give a better angle :

Ford Fairmont differential
Ford Fairmont differential
Ford Fairmont differential
Ford Fairmont differential
Ford Fairmont differential
Ford Fairmont differential
Ford Fairmont differential
end links

Then we test fit it and rolled the car outside to clean up the shop a bit from our giant mess! Note- pic was before anti-rollbar was modified.


Ford Fairmont rear end fitting
Ford Fairmont
Ford Fairmont

The next project was mostly a suprise to me, while I was off in california helping Flyin Ryan at the PSCA race Nolan was back at home busting his ass on my junk. The last pic shows how we mounted them all using small 10/32 pan head allen screws.



Ford Fairmont metal door cards
Ford Fairmont metal door cards
Ford Fairmont metal door cards
Ford Fairmont metal door cards
Ford Fairmont metal door cards
Ford Fairmont metal door cards
Ford Fairmont metal rear pad
Ford Fairmont metal rear pad
Ford Fairmont metal floor
Ford Fairmont metal rear seat
Ford Fairmont metal rear quarter panel
Ford Fairmont metal rear quarter panel
Ford Fairmont firewall
Ford Fairmont metal door card


Then came some more shiny bits using a tool me and Nolan both LOVE the dimple dies lol. Filler for where the subframe connectors go through the floor, and custom raised seat mount boxes:


Ford Fairmont custom seat mounts
Ford Fairmont custom seat mounts
Ford Fairmont custom seat mounts

Next, after a little hesitation on my part and a lot of commiting on Nolan and the plasma's part the front end came off , Then came the fun part of adding in some tube to tie it all into the cage and make it cleaner/lighter and stronger!:


Ford Fairmont front end
Ford Fairmont front end
Ford Fairmont tube front end
Ford Fairmont tube front end
Ford Fairmont tube front end
Ford Fairmont tube front end

We had to come up with a way to make the top bar removable for easy engine R/R and I was having lots of fun playing with the new JD2 notcher so we came up with this, the sleeves slide over and the center comes out, these will not be the bolts that stay in it but you get the idea:


tube
Ford Fairmont tube front end
Ford Fairmont tube front end
Ford Fairmont tube front end

Next up was adding some stock bits back in... This stuff isnt 100% done yet but here is some in progress pics:

Ford Fairmont tube front end
Ford Fairmont hood latch
Ford Fairmont tube front end

Also got the chute mount done this weekend:


Ford Fairmont tube front end
Ford Fairmont parachute
Ford Fairmont parachute

Seats all mounted up in thier final position, the little dimple die box deal got welded into the floor with weld nuts welded in and now the seats just easily bolt in and out with 4 grade 8 3/8 bolts and 2 in the back of the drivers seat going to the cage:


racing seat Kirkey
racing seat
racing seat
Ford Fairmont racing seats

bracket


Test fitting the 315 drag radials:


315 drag radials
315 drag radials


Parachute handle all mounted up:


parachute handle
parachute latch


Front end fit back on after the tube work:


Ford Fairmont


Diff Housing back from powdercoating the coating is called "Silver vein" and I am VERY happy how it came out:


Ford Fairmont differential housing
Ford Fairmont differential housing
Ford Fairmont differential housing

438" shortblock.


438 shortblock

Gas door all welded up:

Ford Fairmont gas door
Ford Fairmont gas door

Holley 5.7" LCD touchscreen dash:


LCD dash

Also got all my interior alluminum panels back from coating... Pictures dont do them justice at all they look BAD ASS, almost look like ABS plastic which is good and should give the interior a more stock type feel:


Ford Fairmont interior door panels
Ford Fairmont door panels
door panel


Glad everyone is enjoying the build as much as I am!!!! This build could not be possible without killer friends like nolan for sure!!! I will post pics of the new HUGE intercooler asap.


Nolan chimming in here. Neils car is in my garage right now for the majority of the fab work and some paint prep. I thought I would save us all from some of the shit phone pics Neil posted. I also did a little work on the front fender tonight. I will try to update the build as it goes along.....Neil works late every night and usually doesn't get over to work on it till the weekends, so i will post the weekday updates. With all that enjoy the progress and the build!

Off with the old on with the new.


Ford Fairmont front subframe

Tonight's progress, knocked the dents out of the passenger fender and filled the old antenna hole.

Ford Fairmont antenna hole

body work

Ford Fairmont body work

Ford Fairmont body work

And a parting shot of Neil thrashing away.

cutting car body

the rest of the week may be slow im out of town a couple days and i know neil is busy at work......later. nolan



Comments

This is great!

Posted by Diggymart on 11/3/20 @ 5:48:21 PM