Fox Body Drag Racing Suspension - The Suspension Is Killing Me

The new UPR control arms were put into place and bolted in with the factory hardware.

This side-exit exhaust not only sounded like rubbish, it looked like a total throwback to the '70s. Even worse, they would not work with the subframe connectors we were about to install. But, hey, if you must have them to match your mullet, then you can work around them.

The next part of our upgrade paid attention to the chassis. Using HPM's excellent weld-in subframe connectors and driveshaft safety loop, we stiffened up our ride and made it NHRA legal, to boot. Looking for an affordable yet quality exhaust with a rich tone, we looked to Bassani for its BX series after-cat exhaust. We've seen how good it fits and how long it lasts under 10-second street cars. Besides, Wetzler swears by them, so if it's good enough for him, it's certainly good enough for us.

After the subframes were mocked up, Wetzler prepped the surfaces in the car by removing the paint with an abrasive sanding disc. Note that he is using proper eye and hearing protection. He has injured both of those sensory organs enough and has learned from his mistakes. Now only if we learned from ours.

Wetzler breaks out his trusty MIG welder to permanently fasten the HPM subframe connectors into our notchback.

Instead of bolting in the HPM driveshaft safety loop, Wetzler likes to weld it to the subframes. This way, it becomes a structural member of the car, stiffening it in the process. A little angle iron and a couple of beads later, it's all tied together. With the subframe connectors painted and the Bassani BX exhaust system in place, we were all set to go.

Once back in the burnout box, we noticed an immediate difference with the car. It no longer had wheelhop during the burnout and felt infinitely tighter.

Now, this little coupe is working. Notice how the rear just squats and the car takes off. With no changes to the car and on a warmer, more humid day, we dropped from a 14.305 to a 14.164. Speed went up from 94.56 to 94.97 mph. Yeah, we know it's slow, but at least it now has a strong foundation and we won't have to worry about the suspension for quite some time.

Here's the other side of the shiny coin. The car lost a total of 56.9 pounds and now checks in at just 2,940 pounds with everything else still in place-spare tire, jack, radio, bumpers, seats, rugs, you name it. Slap on some aluminum heads, do some intelligent weight savings, and you're looking at a 2,800-pound 5.0.