My machinist ought to be done with the clutch pedal assembly tomorrow (Monday), in time for my birthday!

HAPPY B-DAY!

Good to see & read of some progress!

Ed

X2 happy bday crazy one you should have mentioned it last night

Maybe the machinest can gift wrap the assembly

I've got my clutch pedal assembly back from my machinist. I'm pretty impressed with what he'* come up with, I just have to figure out a way to mount it lol

Sorry for the crappy pic, but I pulled the dashboard tonight and did some more cutting. I'm trying to get the clutch pedal to go up farther off the floor and forward a bit more to match the brake pedal



Does this mean I can apply for resident gearhead status?

I have to disagree. There is no human alive that can manually shift a transmission in less than .2sec! The best full-race automatics can. Also, launching a manual transmission car is a far more difficult task than an auto car. You will either spin, bog, or slip the clutch. Either way, the automatic car next to you will be long gone. I know b/c I converted my car from auto to stick. I am contemplatig putitng the auto back in, but it is alot more fun to drive now! Just sucks at the drag strip.

I thought about doing a Getrag 284 in my Bonne, I have a ocmplete swap from a 91 W-body, but I decided staying with the auto and putting in the 4T80E instead.

Cudos to F14 for the Reatta swap! That thing should be fun as hell to drive!

Jeff I do also agree with you. I guess I am a little old school and wasn't exactly talking about racing it against a full race trans. I was more or less comparing stock or mildly built. I don't think F14 would find it fair to run his car with the 6 speed against an all out drag car with a full race 2 speed auto. Just clarifying what I meant.

A auto can shift quicker than a human can shift a manual without a doubt, but, say if I were to race another Reatta with an L67 and 4T65HD (same weight, crank hp, etc), and I shifted well, would there be an advantage due to (possibly) less power loss through the trans and having more ratios?

I'm thinking ratios won't really help though because the L67 has a really wide power range compared with other motors, say a Honda VTEC

Yesterday I finalized my clutch pedal assembly. I've had to do a bit of cutting to the firewall but I'm pretty satisfied with my brackets. I've got paint drying on it right now. My best idea to fill in the gaps between the firewall and the pedal assembly is to cut up some rubber (old tractor tube) and attach it to the firewall with some screws and washers.
For my next stage I can mount the shifter in the console, which won't need any real funding. The next big stages coming are:

-having the clutch/flywheel/pressure plate built

-rebuilding the front suspension, drilling out the broken cradle bolts

-figuring out the engine/tranny mounts (recall that one mount is good-for-sure, one looks like it will be good, the other I don't know yet, and then the radiator-support mount shouldn't be a problem, though for looks I want to add the second dogbone the L67 uses

-engine mods! head and */c housing porting, cam, rockers, intercooler (the exact parts I'll be using will be determined later by what'* right for me, then funding). Exhaust is included here too

-Some better tires. My Kumho Ecsta 225/45/17 (the '99-04 Mustang GT rims) have great tread and have been a good tire, but the new drivetrain will easily outspin them. I'm thinking BF Goodrich G-Force'*. I may put this off and have Ryan keep the speed limiter in for now

-CV shafts (this will come at the end)

-tuning by Sinister Performance, by-mail to get it running, then with a trip to his place

I want to make around 350 WHP . We'll be deep into the 13s

There'* some other odds and ends, like upgrading the fuel pump (again), a little bit of wiring, and stuff like that but that'* the major-major stuff

[qoute]-CV shafts (this will come at the end)
[/quote]

From everything I've read on The fireo forums. Axles are going to be the REAL issue.

I would figure that out before eveything else. (excluding engine/trans mounting)