Suspension help
 

Okay so you guys are gonna scorn me for this but I am seriously considering putting a 5.0 in the 85 GS I picked up (no its not because I hate rotary, it's because I can't afford a 13bt right now)
But here's the thing. To keep handling up I want to lower it an inch or two, my questions are.
A: is there a way to lower the car using a granny's speed shop 8.8 rear end?
B: performance upgrades for suspension to lower the tail happiness.
C: for the V8 guys here. Does it really mess up the handilng that bad?



For anyone saying I ruined the car be putting a V8 in it. It was gonna go to a scrap yard if I hadn't picked it up. And I would rather get it back on the road than let it rot.

Engine swap into FB
 

I put a 5.0 Ford in my 84 FB, drove it for 9 years, had a lot of fun with it, and sold it for just under 10K. I had stock suspension front and rear, stock LSD, converted to the 1990 hubs and brakes with the BBS alloys from the convertible. I left the battery in the front and had the heavy AOD trans, and I had no problem with the handling.

Of course if you are building a race car there are other issues, but for normal street driving, the handling is fine, the rear end is adequate. Lowering the car will make it more awkward getting in and out of the car, can screw up the suspension geometry if you don't do it right. Many people will tell you that lowering the car will improve the handling, but find me someone who has installed stiffer springs and sway bars, better shocks, better wheels and tires, new urethane bushings , drove it for a while and THEN lowered the car. The fact is no one knows what the effect of lowering because they always change other things at the same time. People do it because they think it looks cool. It is only in the last few years that some people will admit they are lowering the car because they like the "stance" look.

I recommend you look at the Nissan SR20 and RB series turbo motors before you commit to a V8. My current driver is a 1984 GSL with a Skyline RB20, not quite as fast as the V8, but close and I get 27-28 mpg in all around driving. Without the brute torque of the v8 you definitely don't need to change the rear end, even if you drive it hard.

https://www.rx7club.com/v-8-powered-.../#post11665524

One thing you may want to consider is air bags/ride . I have thought about it my self . With stiff enough front swaybar and from what i read leaving the rear sway bar out will help the rear from being tail happy you would have the best of both worlds . I would lower my car more if i could but the exhaust would be the biggest issue . I have the 8.8 and had to cut the springs to bring it to where it was which is 1.5" ish lower than stock .