Foxbody Mustang - notch versus hatch

Is it worth me chasing down and paying extra for a notchback over the hatch?

I've been stalled out on my foxbody project because I just can't find a 5.0/5-speed notchback that I can actually afford. In the meantime, I've passed over many hatchbacks, as I'm under the impression they're about 80 lbs heavier, and have less chassis rigidity. I also MUCH prefer the looks of the sedan over the hatch, though the GT hatch looks alright to me.

For a spirited street driving/autocross/HPDE car, is it worth the wait/extra money for the notch?

YES! The hatch has the structural rigidity of an al dente noodle stock! The coupe is much stiffer, though it still has issues, especially in the cowl.

Don't be afraid of 4/6 Cyl coupes. V8 swaps are easy.

are you looking to eek out the last .0x of a second? if the answer is no i would just go for the hatch.

in fact alot of racers use the hatch, so it must not be that large of a deal.

in fact look at this hatch racer http://www.nasaforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=16942&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a (found it looking for a hatch racer image, looks to be a decent deal when you look at what it would cost to build)

I've had an SVO and a Saleen....if I were looking for another Fox body, it would be a notch. There was a green '93 down the street that just sat for a year or so, I saw a man working in the house and asked him about it. Turns out, it was his Aunt's, had 53K on it and he was buying it for 1500.00 for his 16 year old daughter.

Damn cryin' shame.

I thought all foxs were floppy.

P71 wrote: YES! The hatch has the structural rigidity of an al dente noodle stock! The coupe is *much* stiffer, though it still has issues, especially in the cowl. Don't be afraid of 4/6 Cyl coupes. V8 swaps are easy.

Heh... easy for you. I got in WAY over my head trying to swap a 2.3L/auto over to 5.0/5-speed... it's why I have TWO parts cars and am looking for a clean chassis, hahaha.

For what it's worth, I already have a set of full-length subframe connectors, a strut-tower brace, k-member brace, and a 4-point rollbar that will be going in shortly after I find the right car.

The extra weight can help because it is over the rear wheels, so I assume it would improve traction. But I could be wrong.

My $.02

neon4891 wrote: The extra weight can help because it is over the rear wheels, so I assume it would improve traction. But I could be wrong. My $.02

I've had this thought, too. Not only improved traction, but better overall weight balance. I think there's a disadvantage that that weight is so high up, though as it's almost all due to the hatch glass.

All fox chassis are floppy. The coupe is just less floppy than the hatch.

The upgrades you listed will go a long way to reducing the floppiness. Sorry the swap isn't going so well, but it really is easy if you have the right parts. I stuffed a carb'd 289 into a 4-cyl 86 hatch for some reason.

P71 wrote: All fox chassis *are* floppy. The coupe is just less floppy than the hatch. The upgrades you listed will go a *long* way to reducing the floppiness. Sorry the swap isn't going so well, but it really is easy if you have the right parts. I stuffed a carb'd 289 into a 4-cyl 86 hatch for some reason.

Well, I have a whole car to do the swap from, so I have EVERYTHING I need partswise.

Where I got messed up was in having the cars 6 hours away from where I was living, and tearing everything apart without labeling or taking pictures. I would go up once a month at the most, do maybe 6 hours worth of work, and go back home, so memory wasn't sufficient for putting everything back together.

I know, EPIC FAIL on my part.

I've since moved, and now the cars are only 5 hours away :eyeroll:. Soon as I clear some space (anyone want to buy a Camry AllTrac with a blown motor? Anyone?), and get a car trailer, I'll be trucking everything down.

I know how I am, though, and buying a nice pretty new-to-me car will do much for my morale on this project.