Progress Thread “Rising from Ashes 11” 88 GT T-Top build thread

[95steedamustang]

We are Almost 11 years to the date of the fire that took 2 Mustangs I owned. The 94 Cobra which was the original build thread I got one month after the fire. It replaced the 95 Cobra I had. The other car in the fire was an 88 Grey GT that I had done a lot of work on including painting when I was a teenager. I had it from 95 until 2009 when it was destroyed.

It looks bad but I didnt really lose as much of
It because I had already taken a lot of it apart to redo the car.
So August 2010 a year after the fire I decided to go about replacing the GT with another one.
But even when I got my first mustang I had wanted a T-Top but couldnt find or afford one. All I could find was notches. They were all cheap too. Funny now! They are the highest.
So I knew I I wanted a T-Top GT and I found one for sale in Knoxville. Funny thing was the same guy I bought my 88 GT from in 95 had done most of the work on this car to make it what it was. A local rebuilder named Stanley Bivens. He owned a place named Restang. He was a good friend and someone I learned Mustangs from. The those 2 things made it a no brainer for me. I bought the car from the seller and I’ve owned it for the past 11 yrs. So a lot of this work will be long in the past of that.

 

[General karthief]

Damn, need more popcorn, be right back

 

[95steedamustang]

Damn, need more popcorn, be right back

Better get the jumbo for this one

 

[SorsCode]

Subscribed

 

[95steedamustang]

So I purchased the car September 16th, 2010. The main reason I bought it then was the Rod Run was the following day/weekend and I never miss and always have a cool car there so I literally bought this car and took it to the show. Here are the pics 9-17-2010.

 

[95steedamustang]

October 2010, Moved into the new garage. one pic has the 94 Cobra in the same view as these two cars were the fire replacement cars.

 

[Mark 7 LSC]

I've never driven rode or owned a T-Top Fox body and willing to give up a kidney right about now to own one. Beautiful Fox man!!!

 

[95steedamustang]

I've never driven rode or owned a T-Top Fox body and willing to give up a kidney right about now to own one. Beautiful Fox man!!!

Thanks man!!! T-top cars were my dream as a 15 yr old looking for my first. Just took me 15 more years to get one.

 

[95steedamustang]

Now that I had my garage going again and this car in I wanted to start first with the interior. The car had accumulated a lot of mismatched factory black pieces and some dyed pieces. some pieces that were scratched up etc. So time to K and K this interior. fix all that and dye it all a nice satin black.

 

[95steedamustang]

Putting some powdercoat on any metal I pulled out to re dye all the black to match. Seat tracks and brackets all powdercoated and interior back together.

 

[95steedamustang]

Just some weekend engine bay cleanup projects. My goal with this car was to keep it road ready. so all the work had to follow that plan. Before I had 25 Mustangs, I had this car and the 94 Cobra which was a complete project. This 88 GT was my go to if I needed a Mustang to drive, So this is just some minor cleanup and little improvements done a a few days at a time.

The starting point

 

[95steedamustang]

And yes the engine bay is Fugly especially with the wire tuck but....I know a guy who loves to prime and block these bays. So we know where this is headed

 

[95steedamustang]

Since I had to drop the tank to relocate the battery to the trunk, Did some detailing and redo to the parts. Including changing the fuel pump from 190 to 255. also powder coated the unfinished panhard rod in an almost chrome. Then added my smooth tank cover as I do to most of my cars

 

[BlakeusMaximus]

Man! That car is freakin sweet!!

 

[General karthief]

That's a busy rear end.
Wow, that could be a CT

 

[95steedamustang]

That's a busy rear end.
Wow, that could be a CT

Yep. Its a turbo coupe rear end with saleen rear brakes and axles. Then all the maximum motorsports stuff. Busy for sure

 

[95steedamustang]

Brake time. out with the ugly and in with the K N K sauce.

 

[95steedamustang]

Wheels. Wheels make the car. so the ones that came on it are OK but... Ok is never enough for me.
When I bought the Stern 3 pc wheels for my 89 Saleen, I went ahead and bought everything the seller had including extra barrels, lips and faces.

while Im not using the faces on the above wheels, The barrels and lips will be perfect to make a set from.
So I found a 5 Lug set in japan. They were all 17 x 7 wheels but I was only after the faces so I took a chance

They arrived 3 months later and here we have our start. Now to just do my thing on them.

 

[95steedamustang]

media blasted the faces, barrels and 160 bolts and nuts and applied the powdercoat. polish the lips and test fit

 

[95steedamustang]

Sterns for the T-Top car all done.