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Detroit Muscle Builds

Parts Used In This Episode

Summit Racing
Detroit Speed Suspension Kit
Summit Racing
TMI Interior & Accessories
Matco Tools
MATCO Tools are the Official Tool Supplier to Detroit Muscle
The Industrial Depot
Tools, Hardware, Shop Supplies

Episode Transcript

(Tommy)>> You're watching Powernation!

(Tommy)>> American muscle, shiny red paint, and chrome wheels. What's on the docket for today? Well we're starting a new project. [ Music ] [ engines revving ] [ Music ]

(Tommy)>> Hey guys, welcome to Detroit Muscle. I'm out and about behind the wheel of an old school muscle car enjoying a beautiful day. This ride I'm in is gonna be our next build and it's gonna be one heck of a doozy. With our build we're not going down the path of a standard chalk mark style restoration, but this car is a perfect canvas for us with our creation. [ Music ] Someone's already been tinkering with this thing and has added some aftermarket air conditioning and been doing some work in the brake department. They've added power disc brakes, but we can do better. So as a conclusion this old car drives just like you would expect at 1970 car to drive like. Under the hood that 302's pretty peppy but doesn't have all that grunt that I like to have. And as far as handling, steering, braking, it's not the best. It's not the worst but still leaves a lot to be desired. And as for traction, well guess what? [ tire squealing ]

(Tommy)>> I can do a one-wheel peel like nobody's business. [ engine revving ]

(Tommy)>> But it's a lot cooler whenever we can leave two of them. So we've got a long road ahead of us but it's gonna be a sweet ride when we're done. [ Music ]

(Daniel)>> With our Mustang back in the shop it's time for us to figure out a plan of attack. Now we don't want to beat the car up because it's a really nice ride, but performance technology has come a long way since 1970.

(Tommy)>> With Mustangs there are numerous companies out there that offer components to take them to the next level, and with our blue oval we want this thing to be a complete package. So it's going to be getting some loving from top to bottom, inside and out.

(Daniel)>> Under here's exactly what you'd expect to find, a small block Ford with all of the old technology like the carburetor, V-belts, and so on. To bring this up to date we're going with a Coyote. With fuel injection and a supercharger it will have more than enough power along with the added benefits and conveniences of late model performance.

(Tommy)>> To compliment that power plant this thing's got to have a stick. This old slush box automatic and T-shifter has to go, and you know why. Ripping through the gears and adding that third pedal is where it's at. Now we're also gonna have to address the upholstery in this thing. The seat that I'm in feels kinda like a glorified part bench. Adding some bolsters here in the seats, that would go a long way, whether we decide to take this thing on the track or even stretch it out on the highway.

(Daniel)>> Another department in need of some major attention is the suspension. Now we aren't talking about just putting on bigger sway bars and stiffer bushings. This ole girl's getting some work done. I'm talking about alumi-frame front, quadra-link rear, and coil overs on every corner yeah buddy!

(Tommy)>> Now with the power that we're gonna be making up under the hood and that trick suspension, obvious we're gonna have to upgrade the brakes. So we're teaming up with EBC to complete the package on our resto mod. [ Music ] Earlier we mentioned to you guys about some trick parts that's gonna be going under our old ride, and by the looks of these goodies stretched out in the floor it's easy to see that our EBC Mustang is gonna be one heck of a ride.

(Daniel)>> To build a solid foundation we're gonna be using Detroit Speed suspension that we ordered from Summit Racing. Now this setup will drastically improve the ride and handling of our old school muscle. This kit includes a high strength cast aluminum cradle, tubular upper and control arms, rack and pinion steering, quadra-link rear suspension, and coil overs all the way around, making this thing drive like a dream.

(Tommy)>> Now let's talk about the transmission. From the beginning this thing had to have a stick in it. American Powertrain had the answer for us with the all new TKX from Tremec. This trans has everything you could ask for in a five speed. A strong design that is rated to handle 600 pound feet of torque, a streamlined and rounded case to fit in tight spaces so that you don't have to modify your trans tunnel for the install, multiple gear ratios, and three shifter locations are just naming a few of the benefits. [ Music ]

(Daniel)>> Up next, cutting for days.

(Tommy)>> And burning wire for hours on end.

(Daniel)>> A challenging task but it'll be worth it.

(Tommy)>> Now we're feeling a bit ambitious today and we have some big plans for our EBC Mustang that we're planning to give away to one of you guys, and like the old saying goes, sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better. That's the case on our old Stang here. It's time for us to disassemble this piece of Detroit Muscle. [ drill humming ] [ Music ]

(Tommy)>> That's one fancy homemade bracket. You know I think taking these headers off sucks.

(Daniel)>> Some of these parts we won't be reusing and will be inventoried for the scrap bin.

(Tommy)>> Now we're using a forklift just because we have one. A cherry picker will do the same thing, but it requires a lot more pumping.

(Daniel)>> It's pouring fluid. The trans made a mess, as they usually do. Other than that, it came out without a hitch.

(Tommy)>> Well we finally got the mess cleaned up and now it's time to snatch this front suspension out from under it. [ Music ] [ ratchet clicking ] [ drill humming ]

(Daniel)>> Okay guys, now that we've got the front suspension completely removed and the engine and transmission sitting in the floor we've got to do the same thing out back by removing all the rear suspension. [ Music ] [ ratchet clicking ] [ Music ]

(Tommy)>> Yes sir! Come on up with it. [ mechanical humming ]

(Tommy)>> Matt's a friend of ours, and the last time we were catching up he said, man if you need anything just holler. So we took him up on his offer. [ saw buzzing ]

(Tommy)>> On a big task like this it's nice to have an extra set of hands to help with the job.

(Daniel)>> And this is a big job. There are plenty of incisions that need to be carefully laid out with consideration with each step that follows. [ saw buzzing ]

(Daniel)>> Cut after cut Matt makes progress on prepping the rear end for the new tubs, and the frame rail is no exception. Those bump stops, they have to go. [ welder crackling ]

(Tommy)>> Well Matt's been making some really good progress doing the upgrade here on the tail end of our Mustang. Now doing this conversion has a whole lot going for it. One of them is it's obvious that you guys can tell that we're gonna be able to fit a significantly wider tire under the tail end of our Mustang, and with the power output that we're looking to make that's gonna help get all that power to the ground. The other one is we're converting from that old school leaf spring setup to now a coil over and four link. Now that along is gonna make this car ride and drive daylight and dark difference.

(Daniel)>> The good thing about having one side done is that you're halfway there. So Matt just repeated the process on the passenger side. [ welder crackling ] [ grinder buzzing ]

(Daniel)>> Tommy's had to do quite a bit of whittling and trimming to make room for that upgraded back end. We've had to burn a good bit of wire installing all the bracketry and reinforcements, making way for this superior suspension. [ welder crackling ]

(Tommy)>> We went ahead and sprayed the underside of our Mustang with some undercoating. This cuts down on road noise and prevents rust. The next thing we need to do is install our links and sway bar. This is pretty much straightforward and just nut and bolt action. With some grade eight hardware we can attach our upper and lower links. With a few more pieces we can cinch down the rear sway bar. [ Music ]

(Daniel)>> Voila!

(Tommy)>> Man look at that accomplishment.

(Daniel)>> I know, look good don't they?

(Tommy)>> With a couple more bolts we can hang our coil overs and cinch them down. [ drill humming ]

(Tommy)>> Then we'll slide in our housing, line everything up, and slide in a few more bolts. [ drill humming ]

(Tommy)>> A couple of these may take a little wrestling to get them in there, but nothing a tool of persuasion can't handle. [ drill humming ]

(Tommy)>> Up next, we're gonna need a big metric shoehorn to mount our supercharged Coyote into this EBC Mustang, and while we're at it this ground pounder's gonna get a gear grabbing five speed. Have mercy!

(Tommy)>> With our Mustang we have some big plans. So the engine, trans, all the worn and squeaky suspension, and the dated interior are getting upgrades. We want this thing to be a complete package. So it's getting the treatment. A four-link rear, modern front suspension, and coil overs all the way around. For a power plant a hopped-up Coyote is a must coupled with a five-speed manual gearbox to multiply the fun factor. Plus, we'll install bigger brakes to handle all that horsepower, and add some fresh snazzy interior to complete the package. We're planning on reusing this stuff. So it won't be hitting the trash pile. In fact, we're taking special care removing these parts. We have a good bit of work ahead of us and we don't want to pile on more. And hey, if you want to make your life easier there's nothing wrong with bagging and tagging your hardware. There's nothing worse that crawling around on your hands and knees looking for that one elusive bolt. Ripping through dozens of spot welds, a little pile driving, and throwing some shooting stars, these shock towers come out lickety split. [ grinder buzzing ] [ welder crackling ]

(Tommy)>> Yeah, I know this may look like a lot of work, and it is, but great things usually take some effort. [ welder crackling ]

(Tommy)>> Well we're finally done whittling and welding on the nose end of our Mustang, and it's time for us to start bolting in some of our hard parts. We're gonna start off by sliding in our lower control arm and bump stop. You can tell how well this is engineered by how quickly and easily everything slides into place. [ Music ] If you guys have been following along with our build you know that we haven't been holding anything back, and EBC Brakes is helping us continue down that path. These brakes are ultra high end components that have been developed for EBC's racing line. Their products have been engineered from extensive r&d utilizing high performance alloys and aerospace materials. With their all new six piston caliper complimented with their yellow stuff brake pads you could say with this kit EBC has just set the bar for high performance brakes. [ Music ] So you may be asking, what's the big deal with the Coyote? What makes them so good? For one thing, other than reliability, is they make good power straight out of the box, from about 350 up to the mid 400's in stock form, and all of this is done running pump gas. Whenever you try to make that kind of power with an old school engine, normally they're a bit more temperamental. It requires higher octane fuel, and the drivability normally goes down. Another thing that is great about one of these engines is the ease of making big power. If you bolt on a power adder like a supercharger it can fetch some serious numbers, and I'm talking about hundreds of more. To have an engine with a power output in the 700 range doesn't take much work at all. Okay so if you like those numbers and you're into modern technology here's where things can get a bit troublesome. First off this isn't a bolt in swap. The engine mounts are completely different and stock suspension doesn't play well with that new engine. Also with that Coyote being so wide the factory shock towers have be reduced in size or completely removed just for it to drop into the hole. And this has been a long time coming. [ Music ] [ drill humming ]

(Tommy)>> A whole lot of motor! Easy, easy here! We don't want to bounce this thing off the crossmember. [ Music ] Well it's finally in there and I have to say that went a whole lot smoother than I was anticipating. We've still got quite a bit to do. The next thing we're gonna jump on is gonna be the transmission, and I bet you we need to get started on those headers relatively quickly as well. [ mechanical humming ]

(Tommy)>> This isn't too big of a deal. Just a whack or two. Next is a mid plate, followed by the flywheel. With that torqued down the clutch and pressure plate can be installed using a few nuts from ARP. Before we get too carried away, we're gonna slide in the hose and our hydraulic release bearing. With the transmission married to the bell we can cinch it down with the hardware. Now we're ready to move on and mount our crossmember. I'm gonna leave our mount here a little loose. I've got a little bit of some adjustment. Now with our crossmember what's really nice about it is it goes in using the factory locations. Also it's got a notch here on both sides to help accommodate running exhaust. This is just one of the many parts that American Powertrain offers. These guys are all about standard shift conversions. [ ratchet clicking ]

(Tommy)>> So if you have an automatic or an old school stick and you're looking to upgrade to a five or six speed manual you may want to check them out. [ ratchet clicking ]

(Tommy)>> Coming up, we load up our EBC Mustang and haul it out for one of the largest automotive events on the planet.

(Tommy)>> Hey guys, welcome back to the shop. We're steadily checking off the things on our to-do list with our EBC Mustang that we're gonna be giving away to one of you all. The next task at hand is the interior. Old school muscle has style in a silhouette that's unmistakable. We wanted to compliment that with some aggressive yet tasteful interior. [ spray gun hissing ]

(Tommy)>> TMI provided us with some top notch interior styling to make sure the inside was just as impressive as the outside. [ spray gun hissing ]

(Tommy)>> Sometimes people think of upgrades as just something mechanical, but we wanted to include trick stitching, bolstered seats, and a new look from head to toe for our Mustang to be complete. Compared to what we started with this interior has made quite the transformation. Now with its updated style and aggressive good looks our new interior compliments all of our hard work. Man, I can't wait to be sitting behind the wheel with some seat time out on the highway. This thing's a lot more than just some shiny paint and fancy stickers.

(Josh)>> With our supercharged Coyote whoever wins this car they can daily drive it or even take it to the track. [ Music ]

(Tommy)>> Here at Powernation we've had two big builds going on at the same time. [ Music ] Both of them have supercharged Coyote power and modern conveniences all in an old school package. [ Music ] After getting these rides loaded up in their fancy covered wagon, they'll set off for their long journey chasing the sunset out west. [ Music ] Hey guys, welcome back to Detroit Muscle. We've been thrashing on that Mustang to bring it to one of the largest events in the automotive industry, and that would be the SEMA show. Well James it's been quite the journey building this car to get it here under the lights at SEMA. Man it's a pure honor. Now I know you haven't really seen it until now. What do you think?

(James)>> Well seeing it in the metal Tommy I absolutely love it. It's zinging! Under the bright lights it's shiny. Everyone's looking at it, everyone's talking about it, everyone's scanning that bar code to try and win it.

(Tommy)>> Well let me take you on a little road trip of what we've done.

(James)>> Brillant, let's go!

(Tommy)>> So what we started with is a 1970 fastback Mustang. Polished its reflection to a brilliant shine using some Sonax polish. Then added a graphics package to compliment its performance and style. Here on the interior we really gave this thing the goods. It has a full TMI interior, the traditional wood grain steering wheel, and it has to have that manual gearbox in the floor.

(James)>> And of course a coffee cup holder for a coffee on your way to the cruise.

(Tommy)>> Under here is where all the magic happens. We've got a supercharged Coyote making plenty of power, and those massive EBC Brakes.

(James)>> Well we're excited to be launching these six pots Tommy for many applications.

(Tommy)>> Well James it's been a sheer honor building this car. I'm proud to stand behind it, and I'm sure somebody's gonna be proud to have it in their driveway.

(James)>> 100 percent, I'd be proud but unfortunately it's got to go to someone else. [ Music ]

(Tommy)>> I sure hope you liked what you saw on today's show, and until next time y'all remember to keep it between them ditches. [ Music ]
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