Fairmont Suggestions

[EricTheCarGuy]

I have some plans of my own but they say that the more the merrier. I’m opening this thread to see what some of YOUR ideas are for the car. If nothing else it will be nice to see how you, the fans of the project, think.

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[Erin]

Well I will say – I am a bit jealous.
Not so much of the car (though a nostalgic machine in that shape would be nice) but of the fact that someone can feel “at home” so much in their car especially for a lower amount of cash.

Many will call it “old school” but I prefer “nostalgic”.
It is in good shape and with the low miles, you won’t have any worries.

[zero]

You could always try to find a 5.0L Mustang Donor for the engine and suspension, depending on what you can find. I don’t think it would be too hard to find something with a decent motor and suspension upgrades.

I totally agree with the bit of suspension drop. Just enough so nobody notices. Throw on some wide rubber and make people wonder if you’re just some guy who threw rims on a Fairmont or if there’s actually something under there.

[Michael Sackstein]

Hey Eric, saw your video on rebuilding the carburetor on your Fairmont and thought it was very well done. As you probably know these days most people end up just replacing the factory carbs with either an edlebrock or in the case of your Fairmont most people prefer a weber conversion kit. I was wondering if you had ever considered installing a weber conversion kit in the Fairmont at any point in the future. maybe when you get around to installing the aforementioned new engine?

[MBCBAB]

Eric. no disrespect intended but sell the Fairmont and get a real Mustang !!!!!!

[Gary]

[quote=”musiccity365″ post=124353]Hey Eric, saw your video on rebuilding the carburetor on your Fairmont and thought it was very well done. As you probably know these days most people end up just replacing the factory carbs with either an edlebrock or in the case of your Fairmont most people prefer a weber conversion kit. I was wondering if you had ever considered installing a weber conversion kit in the Fairmont at any point in the future. maybe when you get around to installing the aforementioned new engine?[/quote] Factory carbs are my preference. I could have got a edelbrock or holley but my 4 barrel quadrajet does just fine in the power department as well as fuel economy(which the truck needs all it can get). In any case, alot of people are scared of quadrajets because they don’t understand them so they call them “quadrabog” or “quadrajunk” which is sort of unfair considering these are the same people who just plop a holley or edelbrock on with factory settings and don’t tweak them nevermind rebuild them. A quadrajet can be black magic to some people…oh well. In Eric’s case, a dual carb setup would be advantageous due to the nature of an inline 6 engine. With a dual carb setup, the cylinders would be fed better. Of course, he’d need a new intake for such a setup. It’d be cool if he swapped in a 302 with a 4 barrel carb though I think.

[Michael Sackstein]

If you saw his intro video to the fair mint you’ll know that he’s not a big fan of mustangs. But a mustang would also be very cool.

[James O’Hara]

If you can swing it to get the parts for free.

Block – Chevy LSX 454 So many advantages to that block it is not even funny. Can be run as a carb or as EFI.
Air Ride Suspension – Cadillac CTS would probably be the best bet to rob the air ride out of.
Dual Turbo – Borg Warner with the first one having a waste gate to control pressure to the second larger one.
4 Wheel Disc Brakes – Something meant to stop a really heavy really fast car Cadillac CTS comes to mind again
Suspension – Double A-Arm in the front. It will help so much with control
Methane injection – Why because everyone uses nos. Most people have no clue about methane.
Clutch – double disc

You would need to upgrade trans, drive shaft, and rear diff obviously but, that I have no clue about atm.

[Brandon Driskill]

[quote=”Fast_Lane” post=103462]Frist Thing Before You Add Any Performance to that car is install some good Full Length Subframe Connectors!! Many mustangs have found this the hard way when the doors suddenly don’t open the same.

Find a 87-93 5.0 donor mustang (for some reason the convertibles seem to be the cheapest). The 5.0 Engine, Auto Trans. 8.8 rear & fuel injection can all be used.
For the suspension, 95-98 GT 4 wheel Disk Brakes, Hubs with the better wheel bearings (the 95-98 Cobra would be better, since they came standard with 13 inch Rotors, 4 piston calibers)
You can also use the 95-98 control arms and the updated steering rack with the longer tie rod ends, if you use the Maximum MotorSports Conversion Steering shaft. This alone makes a huge difference in the steering.
You can also go real big and go with the 03-04 Cobra Parts, these are the only mustangs that had the IRS with huge front Brembo Brakes. Other then the IRS and Front Brakes, the front suspension was regular SN95 Hardware.
If you do go with a tubular K member, I would go with Maximum MotorSports, I feel these guys make the best Supension parts of any of the others for the Fox Body, they have race tested parts that not only look pretty but work extremely well.[/quote]
Some good ideas there, especially the sub-frame connectors.

[Michael Sackstein]

Hey Eric, did you ever realize that your fairmont looks practically identical to the one featured in Beverly Hills Cop in which Eddie Murphy stuck the bananas in the tailpipe?

[Conor Bernoski]

ls7!! go go go

[Kathryn Kaufman]

Hi Eric,

Seeing that yellow Fairmont in your garage brings back memories. Had me a 1982 Ford Fairmont once. I got rear-ended by a wheelchair van while driving that car and that was the end of it. My 98 year-old Grandmother was in the car with me but fortunately neither of us were seriously hurt. The interesting part was filling in her birthdate on the accident report – March 16, 1897!

Kathryn

[jeremy m slimmer]

I would keep it looking as sock as you can.
what I would change
window tint
widest tire that will fit the stock rims
a nice stereo
I would look for a 351w and take it to the maximum safe bore size and stick the longest stroke crank in it that will fit with out causing problems aluminum 4bbl intake with an aftermarket 4bbl efi system headers and a free flowing exhaust that sounds nice but still says sleeper a wide rpm range cam with a small lope/chop would not hurt either

[Michael K]

Hi Eric,

I’m a newbie but watching 30-40 of your YouTube videos all in this week made me feel I already know you pretty well and I consider you my friend.

I know you said you’re putting a new a/c system in your Fairmont and I have a question for you. Can you install cabin air-filter in older cars like your Fairmont? Would it be a very difficult job to create a whole new cabin air-filter system (i.e. air tubes and the cradle for the filter) so that you can stick a filter under the dash? I am really curious about that.

[Lon Willis]

Please keep the ORIGINAL STEERING WHEEL COOL!

[James]

Hi Eric,

I noticed your mention of the exhaust manifolds not being flat on your Fairmont.

I own an Audi quattro turbo (the original rally winning one from the 80’s http://www.urquattro.info is my actual car/site), and these have an inherant weakness with the exhaust manifold. Original manifolds tend to crack over time, and reinforced aftermarket manifolds tend to warp when they go through their first heat cycles when new, requiring removal and machining flat again.
I don’t know if your engine in the Fairmont has aluminium or iron heads, but when this happens on the quattro (aluminium head), it can break manifold studs or pull them from the head.
Obviously studs pulled from the head is a royal PITA requiring drilling and helicoiling (and usually removal of the head to do it).

So just a heads-up really that it can happen, and hopefully now your manifolds are heat cycled and stress relieved, they’ve done all their warping and making them flat again will cure it.

[Author]

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