just checking out som donor candidates at the scrap yard the other day, took a good look at a thunderbird and Murcury cougar (same platform)

beside the front suspension being a little odd, these might make good doners for a locost, expecially with their nice IRS.

anyone seem this done before?

also took a look at a mid eighties Toyota toaster van, the uprights on it look like thet would work nicely on a locost, they ought to be plenty beefy

Deman motorsports has done exactly that and more. If you don't find anything by googling it, I'll dig up some contact details tomorrow for you. A bonus with this set up is the 8.8 IRS diff is avalible in aluminum and a whole lot of different gear ratios.
CJ

took a look at a rear that a friend pulled from his tbird, 8.8 posi rear end, Need to fabricate some lighter weight a-arms the cast units are way too heavy, but all the bits yo'd want are in aluminum and plenty beefy for the 7.
I may go that route, but I'm sidetracked on another project at the moment, however I may make use of what I've learned on it too.

[Edited on 24/8/05 by violentblue]

http://www.deman-motorsport.com/
They do a very nice car and use modified thunderbird spindles. Originally they were strut type spindles, but they have a slick solution that looks very good, nothing like the adapters used with sierras and the toyota strut front ends. There's a shot of them on the web site. They use the original length rear halfshafts and the front wheel track is the same as as the thunderbird.


[Edited on 24/8/05 by madman280]

they mention use of the tbird diff, but say they use toyota steering.
I donno

but there is one pic that looks like a tbird spindle, but the balljoint bo;ts in the underside of the upper mount.
Novel Idea

[Edited on 26/8/05 by violentblue]

see?

I was looking at one of deman's cars- beautifully done- The front spindle that I saw were definately 89-tbrid and up. The stock spindle has a very high upper balljoint -totally useless in sence- untill you cut it off just above the balljoint hole for the anti rollbar. bingo you just got a perfectly good spindle to use with more than enough factory brakes. Some of the rears are also lsd.
Dale

I wonder how the width of the rear and front for that matter compares to the 442 chassis? any narrowing needed?

I'm thinking this is the way I want to go, as I can use the complete drive train from the doner if I want, Imagine a 7 built with the drivetrain from a super coupe., that would be a whole lot of fun.

In talking with Dan he metioned the front and rear track is the same as the donor car. No shortening of the driveshafts is required. If you are interested in this route call Dan. He has it figured out and makes every part you'll need.

I was pretty sure he said that they shortend the rear axles. I cant remember exactly though so I may be incorect-
I am using the 88 tbird as my donor-and a mgb as well. I have the tbird live axle- with the standard mustang gt turbine wheels-8x15s on a +4 width chassis. Total width between the inside tire edge to inside tire edge with 225-60-15 is 50.5 inches giving me 2.25 inches between the chassis edge and the tire edge and 11 inches from the chassis edge to the outside edge of the tire.
Dale