Topic: New Texas team. 2000 Mustang strut/shocks question.

Hello all,

We are a new team building up the dirtiest former red neck hoopty Mustang that could be found in SE Texas. We are prepping our car for the MSR Houston race in Nov.  I have a quick question (and yes I did a forum search before posting).

The original shocks/structs on our car are a rusted, blowout mess. What are the rules on replacing them? Strictly OEM replacements from Autozone? Or could we replace them with something slightly mild?

Also I'm assuming adjustable caster camber plates are right out?

Thanks in advance!

PS. We are running a 3.8 V6 and 7.5" rear end in case anyone was wondering.

Re: New Texas team. 2000 Mustang strut/shocks question.

Yes to both, whatever you want. But it goes against your $500.

Re: New Texas team. 2000 Mustang strut/shocks question.

It depends... is your mustang a manual or auto? If it's an auto V6 you can toss on some nice dampers and camber/caster plates and I doubt you'll ever need to show them receipt/books. If it's a manual... hard to say how far you can push your luck. They won't look under your car unless your blatantly breaking the spirit of Lemons. At most, if it's lowered, they'll sit on your car and bounce it and immediately get an idea if you have cut springs or "real" suspension. Real suspension can be anything from sleeved bilsteins to Ohlins... but they likely aren't going to bend down to look.  With that said... if you go OEM dampers, they likely won't even pick up on them being replaced... and if they do you have a good argument for it being a safety repair if they're rusty. It's not technically a safety repair, but I think it's a fair argument, especially since you're not running a BMW or a miata. We run sleeved bilsteins in our Miata, but it's because we had enough spare parts to piece that together for free.99 and we didn't have any stock suspension (car came without suspension). That was the cheapest way to get our miata rolling, and I make that argument every time during BS and they let it slide. Look around craigslist/marketplace for some used suspension and that may make your decision.

Idk mustang suspension very well... but there's usually ways to adjust camber and caster with some home depot hardware and fabrication.

Full Ass Racing
#455 Piñata Miata - 1990 Miata
#735 BMDollhÜr 7Turdy5i - 1990 735i

Re: New Texas team. 2000 Mustang strut/shocks question.

Thanks guys for your responses. Yes this car is a V6 with a manual T5. We will be going back with some OEM replacements. Along with replacing the ball joints, tie rods, wheel bearings etc.

This car looks like it was used to jump every culvert in Jasper Co, Texas. I don't think even the Duke boys could have accumulated more dirt.

We are just wanting to replace stuff that is rusty and worn out, back with OEM parts. And it really is for safety. This car had been sitting in someone's yard with the hood up since 2016. Which is why we paid $400 for it in January.

Re: New Texas team. 2000 Mustang strut/shocks question.

if you can find some higher rate mustang springs/sways, you should have no problem with tha either.  We cut 1 1/2 coils on each corner of our turbo coupe, and it does pretty well around the track

Silent But Deadly Racing-  Ricky Bobby's Laughing Clown Malt Liquor Thunderbird , Datsun 510, 87 Mustang (The Race Team Formerly Known as Prince), 72 Pinto Squire waggy, Parnelli Jones 67 Galaxie, Turbo Coupe Surf wagon.(The Surfin Bird), Squatting Dogs In Tracksuits,  Space Pants!  Roy Fuckin Kent and The tribute to a tribute to a tribute THUNDERBIRD/ SUNDAHBADOH!

Re: New Texas team. 2000 Mustang strut/shocks question.

+1... at least cut coils and trim bumpstops while your at it.

Full Ass Racing
#455 Piñata Miata - 1990 Miata
#735 BMDollhÜr 7Turdy5i - 1990 735i