BBR's 83GT - 552 BBF version 3.0 (at least)

[BBR]

The ride height in the front finally drove me to the edge. I could not stand it any longer so Saturday afternoon I set out to fix it.

I'm getting really good at r&ring fox body front springs. Do not pass go and go directly to mashing the spring with the hydraulic press and wiring them down. Makes installing them soooooooo much easier.


I lopped 1 coil off the passenger spring and 1.25 off the driver's side. This dropped the front end 1.5" and really improved the looks in my opinion. For some reason, if the front springs are the same length, the ride height will be higher on the driver's front. This ends up preloading the opposite corner (pass rear), which is not really what you want. I do know the car has been hit before so maybe the car is tweaked a bit. The ride heights are all even now left to right so at least it looks normal when parked! I rolled it back and forth and bounced on the front end, but have not driven it yet, so it may settle a little more.

[Russell]

so does that mean you need to replot the rear

[BBR]

It might if I had any way to change the upper control arm mounting points!

[Russell]

I was thinking pinion angle / control arm length?

[BBR]

Gotcha. I'm going to leave it as is right now and how it works.

[DanStokes]

First of all, it looks a TON better with the nose down.

Second - a thought on the air cleaner deal. The early Chryslers (like '55/'56, maybe some others) used a hat on the carb sorta like a blower hat and then remoted the filter element. I don't know how to size that hat but I'll wager that would let you run all the filter element you want. Worth what you paid for it........

Dan

[BBR]

Thanks Dan!

The K&N should be here tomorrow, so hopefully it will clear everything and all this air filter stuff will be a done deal.

I drove it back to work after lunch yesterday then on a few errands around town. It sure is nice that the driveshaft no longer bangs on the loop when accelerating over bumps! I love driving this car. It sounds pretty docile when motoring along. Then you mash the pedal and it grows hair and fangs and absolutely howls..... especially when driving through an underpass. lol

[BBR]

It fits!

Before: 14" x 2.5" paper filter 35 square inches


After: 16" x 3.5" K&N filter 56 square inches


It clears the distributor by about 1/4". Notice the air cleaner stud. In the first pic the nut is tight and the stud just has a nub showing. In the second pic there is about 1/2" if the stud showing and the filter wasn't completely seated on the base. I seated it and turned the nut another couple of turns.

Now I just need to trim the hood a little more in the back so it will clear the larger filter. Not today though, it's too dang windy and cold outside!

[Scott Liggett]

I dont see why you are not running a K&N filter lid under that scoop.

[BBR]

Because I have a limited budget and was not 100% sure a 16" filter would clear everything.

[squirrel]

The 14" filter you were using is a really lousy filter element, you can tell by how widely spaced the pleats are...shopping around would get you one with twice the filtering area, in the same size.

But it looks like you found a sort of better setup, just don't let Scott (dieselgeek) see it

[BBR]

Well I cut and hammered on the hood so it would clear the new filter. Looks good and unlike the 14" filter, it completely clears the hood scoop! Very pleased with it so far. Missed taking it to the track this weekend due to baseball games. Sucks because the track was really hooking on Saturday.

[BBR]

Oops. Pic is upsidedown.

[TheSilverBuick]

I thought something was up...

[DanStokes]

I was hoping the car wasn't upside down!

Dan