Did score some extra well trim. Sanded and painted it up. Now just need a day to swap it all over.
2000 GT:
- Thread starter Mustang5L5
- Start date
Yeah, the brakes still suck. While bleeding helped, they still aren’t where they need to be.
When I got the car the brakes were completely rusted over from sitting for a year. Looks like that may have just ruined them. During my inspection, it does look like they were freshly done, but they just aren’t working. My DD suv with 5 passengers and cargo will outstop this car.
Gonna need to swap some parts. Cobra 13” stuff going up front. I’ll likely leave the GT stuff out back but I might try a pad slap and change out the pads. They are cheap enough.
I may or may not swap to the 11.65” cobra brakes out back. Too expensive for minimal gains there. When I had my 03 GT I did cobra only up front and that sucker stopped well.
When I got the car the brakes were completely rusted over from sitting for a year. Looks like that may have just ruined them. During my inspection, it does look like they were freshly done, but they just aren’t working. My DD suv with 5 passengers and cargo will outstop this car.
Gonna need to swap some parts. Cobra 13” stuff going up front. I’ll likely leave the GT stuff out back but I might try a pad slap and change out the pads. They are cheap enough.
I may or may not swap to the 11.65” cobra brakes out back. Too expensive for minimal gains there. When I had my 03 GT I did cobra only up front and that sucker stopped well.
With the PI intake being discontinued, I’m happy I managed to track one down. Technically it’s a crown Vic intake. Part number 9W7Z-9424-A
Not many left.
Not many left.
Installed myself an MGW shifter. Standard handle for now, but got the other two to experiment between this and my fox
Also took it upon myself to ditch the cig lighter and replace it with a power port. The port has a volt meter and more importantly an on/off switch.
Also took it upon myself to ditch the cig lighter and replace it with a power port. The port has a volt meter and more importantly an on/off switch.
Got some interior paint and painted my guage surround to match. Was black previously
Came out nice, but now it’s so fresh and clean it makes me want to paint the other interior parts too. I definitely will be doing the rear quarter panels soon.
Came out nice, but now it’s so fresh and clean it makes me want to paint the other interior parts too. I definitely will be doing the rear quarter panels soon.
So one thing that annoyed me was that with the ac on, if the compressor cycled the car would almost stall out does it more on rainy cold days when using defrost. . It never did but there was always a big dip before it caught itself. More annoying that anything.
Then I realized the intake was changed out, so I wondered if the idle was set correctly. Pulled the IAC plug and it stalled immediately.
Opened up the throttle stop screw a turn or two and now it would idle (barely) with the IAC disconnected.
Unplugged the battery , cleaned the IAC and then came back and started the car and put some miles on it. Car is idling fine where it needs to. Now with AC on it idles smoothly without those big dips if the compressor cycles. Easy fix.
Then I realized the intake was changed out, so I wondered if the idle was set correctly. Pulled the IAC plug and it stalled immediately.
Opened up the throttle stop screw a turn or two and now it would idle (barely) with the IAC disconnected.
Unplugged the battery , cleaned the IAC and then came back and started the car and put some miles on it. Car is idling fine where it needs to. Now with AC on it idles smoothly without those big dips if the compressor cycles. Easy fix.
Also, pulled the rusted convertible top well trim off and replaced it with the trim I had painted with SEM trim black.
Unfortunately it started raining as I wrapped up and put the top back up
Here’s the before pic when I first got the car
Unfortunately it started raining as I wrapped up and put the top back up
Here’s the before pic when I first got the car
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Better pic. The trunk is really the biggest area now to address. Those are chips, so a full repaint is needed. The spoiler has some clear damage as well.
I’m trying to source a part-out for a black 01+ trunk. Waiting for rain to subside to hit the local wrecking yard
I do have an 01+ spoiler in black. Debating plugging the holes and drilling to mount the 01+ spoiler. Nothing to lose considering the trunk needs a repaint anyway. I’d rather just look for a 01+ trunk via a local part-out.
Not looking for a show car, but a decent 20-foot driver.
I just am not a fan of 99/00 spoilers.
I’m trying to source a part-out for a black 01+ trunk. Waiting for rain to subside to hit the local wrecking yard
I do have an 01+ spoiler in black. Debating plugging the holes and drilling to mount the 01+ spoiler. Nothing to lose considering the trunk needs a repaint anyway. I’d rather just look for a 01+ trunk via a local part-out.
Not looking for a show car, but a decent 20-foot driver.
I just am not a fan of 99/00 spoilers.
Parts pile.
For future reference Ford Racing M-5300-G springs are Eibach 3530.140 springs
Gearing up to replace the front control arms. Not looking forward to this due to a few reasons. One is stock oem Long spring, and the other is the steering rack needs to be unbolted and shifted up to remove the front LCA bolt. A lot of wrenching.
Wedge it comes time to put the springs back in, ideally I want to put the stock OE spring in for now. With stock 69k mile struts, I’m worried about it riding like a dump truck.
I have the Bullitt springs as an option as well as the eibachs. I still can’t decide which to run.
For future reference Ford Racing M-5300-G springs are Eibach 3530.140 springs
Gearing up to replace the front control arms. Not looking forward to this due to a few reasons. One is stock oem Long spring, and the other is the steering rack needs to be unbolted and shifted up to remove the front LCA bolt. A lot of wrenching.
Wedge it comes time to put the springs back in, ideally I want to put the stock OE spring in for now. With stock 69k mile struts, I’m worried about it riding like a dump truck.
I have the Bullitt springs as an option as well as the eibachs. I still can’t decide which to run.
Probably going to work on replacing my front control arms next week. Either the Mach springs or the eibachs are going in.
Prelim ride height numbers. Keep in mind my tires sizes are staggered. 255/45/17 rear and 235/45/17 front. So 1” difference in OD (lowering the front 1/2”)
Fender gap is:
28.25” rear
27.75” front
Total 4x4 mode
Prelim ride height numbers. Keep in mind my tires sizes are staggered. 255/45/17 rear and 235/45/17 front. So 1” difference in OD (lowering the front 1/2”)
Fender gap is:
28.25” rear
27.75” front
Total 4x4 mode
Pulled the rear panels out for a little paint todaY. Used about 3/4 of the can for the new guage cluster trim and these panels. Wish I had a pic of how sunfaded they were but the dye worked well
Also took the opportunity to clean the rear seat again with that Mold Armor spray. That stuff is really effective! Seat looks much better!
Now, you can see the contrast between the door and the rear panel. It’s not that the door is darker, but that’s just all grime and stuff that I couldn’t clean. That door was much worse.
But now you know what I need to do here? Pull the door panel, hit it with the mold armor stuff and then give it a fresh spray!
Recovering the front seats is a winter projext
Also took the opportunity to clean the rear seat again with that Mold Armor spray. That stuff is really effective! Seat looks much better!
Now, you can see the contrast between the door and the rear panel. It’s not that the door is darker, but that’s just all grime and stuff that I couldn’t clean. That door was much worse.
But now you know what I need to do here? Pull the door panel, hit it with the mold armor stuff and then give it a fresh spray!
Recovering the front seats is a winter projext
Also, I’ve decided to go ahead and drill to mount the 01-04 spoiler on my trunk. This trunk is bad enoigh that it needs to be replaced or have major body work to repair those multiple deep chips. Since the trunk is fugly anyway, what’s a few extra holes.
I ordered up some plugs, and will give the top of the trunk a compound first to try and remove the old spoiler witness mark
Not installed yet. Kids were bugging me all day so I need John Wick-like focus for this.
I ordered up some plugs, and will give the top of the trunk a compound first to try and remove the old spoiler witness mark
Not installed yet. Kids were bugging me all day so I need John Wick-like focus for this.
Also decided it was time to clean these up.
Much cleaner now
However, after some bedding in, they aren’t wowing me. Car stops, but I feel like too much leg effort is needed. I drove my fox with the same brakes (up front at least) and it put me through the windshield on the first stomp on the brakes. I’m starting to wonder if the issue is elsewhere. Bad pump or hydro booster? Thing is, I’m not seeing any obvious signs they are bad…
Much cleaner now
However, after some bedding in, they aren’t wowing me. Car stops, but I feel like too much leg effort is needed. I drove my fox with the same brakes (up front at least) and it put me through the windshield on the first stomp on the brakes. I’m starting to wonder if the issue is elsewhere. Bad pump or hydro booster? Thing is, I’m not seeing any obvious signs they are bad…
I need to get some front end work done on this. All sorts of crustyness.
Ball joint still has grease. I’ll be staying off the highway in the meantime.
Need to get bilstiens front struts and C/C plates and then I can tear this all apart.
Inner a-arm bushings also bad. I suspect this is not an oem a-arms. I discovered the two front brake hoses were replaced in 2014. I replaced them again.
Ball joint still has grease. I’ll be staying off the highway in the meantime.
Need to get bilstiens front struts and C/C plates and then I can tear this all apart.
Inner a-arm bushings also bad. I suspect this is not an oem a-arms. I discovered the two front brake hoses were replaced in 2014. I replaced them again.
I initially thought the pistons were sticking but it appears that is not the case.
I’m gonna give it a shot bleeding one more time. I ran though various checks for the pump and hybdrobooster and everything I see indicates it’s working as intended. Pedal might be a tad on the soft side, so possible air. Gonna try a rebleed once the rain moves out.
As she sits today. I may finish off the brakes with the m-2300-m rear kit at some point. The puny GT rear brakes just look so small to me. Not on the priority list at this time.
I’m gonna give it a shot bleeding one more time. I ran though various checks for the pump and hybdrobooster and everything I see indicates it’s working as intended. Pedal might be a tad on the soft side, so possible air. Gonna try a rebleed once the rain moves out.
As she sits today. I may finish off the brakes with the m-2300-m rear kit at some point. The puny GT rear brakes just look so small to me. Not on the priority list at this time.
Decided to go ahead and mount my 01+ spoiler. I like it much better
In prepping to install the wing. I had to do a little work to the topside of the trunk lid after removing the original spoiler. There was witness marks and haze from years of sitting. Did a light wet sand, compound and polish. It came out amazingly good. In fact, not the wing and top of the trunk have a nice shine, while the rest of the car is flat/stained.
So now i need to start doing each panel. I might be able to recover the paint.
In prepping to install the wing. I had to do a little work to the topside of the trunk lid after removing the original spoiler. There was witness marks and haze from years of sitting. Did a light wet sand, compound and polish. It came out amazingly good. In fact, not the wing and top of the trunk have a nice shine, while the rest of the car is flat/stained.
So now i need to start doing each panel. I might be able to recover the paint.
