Progress Thread Finally got my first Fox Body - 1988 GT

Insulation makes a huge difference in the garage. When I bought my house, the garage was uninsulated. In the middle of winter it was in the 20-30s in the garage.

I added insulation, and when I wired it I added a 220v circuit or two. I bought a 3600 watt electric heater and now can get it up to 70 degrees when it’s 10-20 outside. It’s made working in the garage much more tolerable.
 
  • Like
  • Surprised
Reactions: 1 users
  • Sponsors (?)


Oh no!! Pushed to the outside..... say it ain’t so!
The new vehicle cost $35k...the Fox cost $5k.

*Thanos voice: “it’s a simple calculation”

The Fox will get plenty of garage time no doubt...especially once it warms up. The black car didn’t have a garage the first two years I owned it and I hate leaving it outside.

I might look into some type of carport or canopy option for the side yard next to the drive way but until we move into a bigger house one day and I can get my three or four car garage, I’m going to have to play musical cars. Blah.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Your $5k fox is slowly creeping up towards $10k the more to clean it up and address issues. All these little things you are fixing do make a difference.

A few years from now, it will be worth more than whatever vehicle kicked it out of the garage. Not picking on the choice of vehicle at all, it’s just a sad reality at how most cars depreciate so rapidly.
 
Last edited:
  • Agree
Reactions: 1 users
The new vehicle cost $35k...the Fox cost $5k.

*Thanos voice: “it’s a simple calculation”

The Fox will get plenty of garage time no doubt...especially once it warms up. The black car didn’t have a garage the first two years I owned it and I hate leaving it outside.

I might look into some type of carport or canopy option for the side yard next to the drive way but until we move into a bigger house one day and I can get my three or four car garage, I’m going to have to play musical cars. Blah.
I’ll steal this from the funny picture thread.....
618E2124-72B3-461B-B6C8-94BB33ACC023.png
 
  • Like
  • Haha
  • Hell Yeah!
Reactions: 5 users
Insulation makes a huge difference in the garage. When I bought my house, the garage was uninsulated. In the middle of winter it was in the 20-30s in the garage.

I added insulation, and when I wired it I added a 220v circuit or two. I bought a 3600 watt electric heater and now can get it up to 70 degrees when it’s 10-20 outside. It’s made working in the garage much more tolerable.
How about the garage door? Did you change anything with the door?

Your $5k fox is slowly creeping up towards $10k the more to clean it up and address issues. All these little things you are fixing do make a difference.

A few years from now, it will be worth more than whatever vehicle kicked it out of the garage. Not picking on the choice of vehicle at all, it’s just a sad reality at how most cars depreciate so rapidly.
Fair point...though I have read that [spoiler alert] Subarus hold their value pretty well.

My plan is to at least keep the cover on the Fox when it’s out of the garage. I’ll probably get a cover for the DudeStang for when the Fox is taking the garage space for extended wrenching.
 
The door insulation depends on the doors you have. Make sure the sides have the trim with the rubber lip. Shouldn't see any light when door is closed from outside. In a previous house I cut down some green foam insulation from Lowes to fit in a bare metal door. Can't say whether it really helped or not. The garage chill was broken with 4 hologen 500w pedestal lights. Warm enough to have to take your coat off when working.. The biggest impact was stopping the drafts.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
So I did some googling on this and all I could find was stuff about how to make ramps out of wood....but anybody have any thoughts on getting some planks of wood to put underneath ramps? I want to have the Fox up higher than it sits on the ramps and I figure if I get a couple pieces of wood to put underneath them, they could serve the dual purpose of making it easier to drive on and off the ramp while also making the car sit a little bit higher on the ramps. If this is a stupid idea, feel free to tell me so.

Anyways, it’s snowing here again. I made a non-update update video. The Fox being in the driveway upset some other people, lol. Not to worry though, I will be moving it back into the garage soon so I can try and make some progress on things that don’t require laying on the floor.


View: https://youtu.be/lXjmyNBUDo8


Anyone else bored out of their minds lately? I feel like I didn’t understand just how helpful and therapeutic it was being able to work on the Fox project...until I couldn’t. My work has been a lot busier but it’s a different kind of busy. It’s not the same as completing something on the car after hours or days. Blah.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Personally, I stopped actually driving onto the ramps a long time ago. I jack up the car, and slide the ramps under. Too many times they have shifted as I go up or down, so enough with that!
That being said..... have you thought of building some crib blocks out of 2x4? A lot of guys have good success with those.
As far as the therapeutic of the car project..... that’s a big part of it for me. I can go put my mind on that, try to forget about the stress of work, and have some fun.
Especially in a winter of snow and covid..... there is absolutely nothing else going on!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I built a set of cribbing blocks out of 2x4s with the sole intention of using them when I welded in a set of jacking rails,
they worked great and are rock solid.
I would have to measure but I think I built them 12"-14" high, simple 2x4 and screw construction.
They do get the car a little higher than jack stands being that the cars tires are resting on them and it
is very stable.
There's some drawbacks ,you have to be able to get the car up on them , they are heavy and they are not
easy to store if you have limited space.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
If you are looking for just a few inches I took a length of 2x10 and cut and stacked, held together with screws with the ends beveled and got a little over 3" . It made more room to run the jack under the front and jack it up too.
I like the wooden crib method too.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
If you are looking for just a few inches I took a length of 2x10 and cut and stacked, held together with screws with the ends beveled and got a little over 3" . It made more room to run the jack under the front and jack it up too.
I like the wooden crib method too.
First time I tried to run the Jack under the front of my Fox after the lowering springs were installed was an experience! Even my low-profile jack wouldn’t fit.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I built a set of cribbing blocks out of 2x4s with the sole intention of using them when I welded in a set of jacking rails,
they worked great and are rock solid.
I would have to measure but I think I built them 12"-14" high, simple 2x4 and screw construction.
They do get the car a little higher than jack stands being that the cars tires are resting on them and it
is very stable.
There's some drawbacks ,you have to be able to get the car up on them , they are heavy and they are not
easy to store if you have limited space.

If you are looking for just a few inches I took a length of 2x10 and cut and stacked, held together with screws with the ends beveled and got a little over 3" . It made more room to run the jack under the front and jack it up too.
I like the wooden crib method too.

Do you guys have pictures of these you could share? Thanks.
 
I realized a few days ago it had been a year since I bought the Fox...and since it’s still too cold out, I made a video talking about most of the things accomplished on the car over the past year (a lot of it wouldn’t have been done without the folks on this particular forum). Thanks for all your help, guys.


View: https://youtu.be/p3mzN7GEdXQ
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Here's some pics of the cribbing I built.
Simple 2x4 and screw construction. I almost had enough leftover lumber from various home improvement
project to complete these but did have to by a few 2x4s , cheap enough though.
They are heavy but can be stacked , I keep all 4 of them in my basement just don't have room in the garage.
0215211600.jpg
0215211601.jpg
0215211603.jpg
 
  • Like
  • Surprised
Reactions: 2 users
Stole this from the web...... but it gives you a good idea of the clearance you get. And for me...... I’d actually feel safer under that than those plastic/ composite car stands.
7407CDEF-191E-4469-A019-D637B42AEA02.jpeg
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Stupid Question: How do you get the car up there. Just jack all around a little at a time. The blocks are nailed together?
floor jacks under the rear axle and front subframe ( i used a piece of 2x6 between the jack and front subframe)...my cribs are 12 inches high..its best to have 2 people to get it up and down...theres alot of room under the car to work when its on the cribs...yes nails or screws holds it together
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user