New build thread; time to build one from scratch!

[falconvan]

I think Im going to order the Ford electrical repair manual for the Taurus so I can have all the wiring diagrams. Sold the front clip and a door today so it looks like the body parts are in demand.

What Im thinking is to cut off the top, cut the car in half behind the front seats and put some big casters under it so I can roll the front half around. That way I can rig up the fuel tank and still have everything operating while i plan the chassis. If I'm thinking right, the dimensions on the back of the new chassis will be a mirror image of the front. It should help me figure out how the engine cradle is going to mount and how the front suspesion is going to become the rear. It'll also give me a chance to work my way through the wiring and eliminate all the unnessasary stuff. This thing was fully optioned out so a lot of that will be going away.

[40FordDeluxe]

Great project! Couldn't you use the taurus front suspension and just make stabilizers attatched to torque arms to eliminate the steering function of it? I like the ideas you have for the body too!

[falconvan]

It's probably going to be something along those lines. I'm not crazy about the front struts in the rear. Im wondering about going to a coilover but I'm not sure if that means I would need some type of upper contol arm.

[rspears]

It's probably going to be something along those lines. I'm not crazy about the front struts in the rear. Im wondering about going to a coilover but I'm not sure if that means I would need some type of upper contol arm.

Isn't the front strut just a coilover by another name, with a modified top mount and the ability to remove the coil spring easily on the coilover?

[34_40]

Maybe create a rear steer?? Not really original but certainly different!

[randyr]

Maybe create a rear steer??

Rear steer........Is that like flying by the seat of your pants????

[34_40]

Rear steer........Is that like flying by the seat of your pants????

Depends if you had a mexican dinner last night!

[randyr]

Depends if you had a mexican dinner last night!

Gassed up and ready to go.....now how do I turn this thing???

Sorry for the extra "bull" on your Taurus thread, Falcon!!! Let's steer this back on topic.....

[rspears]

So 23 less 4 gets us back to the burning question in post #19

[falconvan]

Depends if you had a mexican dinner last night!

I made some home made refried beans out of those big dark red kidney beans the other night. That hit me and the wife worse than any mexican I ever ate!

Seriously, I dont think Id like the look of the front strut mounts in the rear. I'd rather have something a little more out of sight. We'll see how it works out; Im a long way from that point.

[406Rich]

I`m watching this thread, its an interesting build, I remember when everyone was using the olds toranado front wheel drives build some differant rear wheel drive rods.

[falconvan]

I'm going to call this thing the SHO-ROD (Lame, I know). I started figuring up what my measurements might look like so I compared the specs of four cars; the Taurus, an 85 Jag XJ6 (probable front suspension donor), and two rear engined two seaters; an 86 Fiero GT and a 2000 Porshe Boxster. I was suprised by how similar a lot of these measurements are. This should give me some kind of decent starting point to work with.




SHO-ROD
Car Length TBD
Wheelbase 95"
Front Track Width 59.1"
Rear Track Width 61.6"
Body Height TBD
Body Width 69"
Front Leg Room 43"
Ground clearance 5"

[techinspector1]

I know it's different strokes for different folks, but I would leave the front struts in place. Simpler is better, why re-invent the wheel?

[falconvan]

If I can make them look right I probably will. I just don't want it to look like a hack job and I'm not sure what the factory front struts in the rear will look like. I did find some aftermarket adjustable struts that I think would look pretty good so that's an option.

[Fauxre]

Sounds like a great project. Can't wait to see pics of the design and build.