Progress Thread 93 Cobra basket case project, new spectra tank prepped

Looks like someone purposely vandalized that car. Seems like they wanted to make sure it wouldn't start. Who steals an old distributor cap...and cuts the radio wires and leaves them. The hvac hoses... someone wanted to make the previous owner cry.

You can use a 93 4 cylinder dash harness also. I've swapped a tin of dash and engine harnesses.

The computer is still back there behind the passenger foot well. Behind thematic plastic cover and a flap of carpet insulation. That thing is pretty rare too. Good thing is it seems like they didn't steal any of the really important cobra specific stuff.
 
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Looks like someone purposely vandalized that car. Seems like they wanted to make sure it wouldn't start. Who steals an old distributor cap...and cuts the radio wires and leaves them. The hvac hoses... someone wanted to make the previous owner cry.

You can use a 93 4 cylinder dash harness also. I've swapped a tin of dash and engine harnesses.

The computer is still back there behind the passenger foot well. Behind thematic plastic cover and a flap of carpet insulation. That thing is pretty rare too. Good thing is it seems like they didn't steal any of the really important cobra specific stuff.



Do you know if the dash harnesses are the same from 90-93 or 91-93?
 
I’ve found a 93 dash wiring harness and from what I’ve read all 93 (91-93) mustangs used the same dash harness. I’m hoping this applies to convertibles too because it’s coming off of one. I was looking at the EVTM and it looks to me like it should be ok.
 
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I found a salvage yard that specializes in mustangs and they’ve got a couple of 93s there. The guy seemed knowledgeable and he pulled a dash harness he said looked good so I ordered it. It’ll be showing up next week so I went ahead and got the dash pulled out. I’ve never done anything like this before, the most ive done on cars is brake jobs and oil changes. I am however mechanical inclined because I’m an HVAC tech so I’ve torn lots of stuff apart and put it back together. With the help of YouTube and the Ford manuals I managed to remove the dash relatively easily. I guess it helps when all of the plugs have had the wires cut and are still in their components. How they got up there to cut the wires going to the instrument Cluster with out removing or breaking more stuff I have no idea. They did, however, take what was left of the harness as it was missing. They must have pulled it out of there for scrap or just out of meanness because the scrap value of that can’t be more than a couple of bucks, lol.

While I’m waiting for the harness I’m going to try and figure out what I need for under the dash and get it ordered next week. One question I have is I’m wondering if that harness attached to anything or if it just kinda sets in there. I took my time and am trying to keep it interesting and fun. As I took screws and bolts out I put them in bags labeled for where they came from. Now putting stuff back together is like a big puzzle with a few pieces missing! Lol. I will make this car run again, I’m sure there will be many challenges to overcome but I’m going to give it hell.

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Hope everything works out for you. I am going through a similar thing as when I divorce and got my mustang in it my ex's friend stole parts off of it before I got it into my possession. What is the junk yard you used as I had one I found 2 years ago but lost their website and name?
 
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Hope everything works out for you. I am going through a similar thing as when I divorce and got my mustang in it my ex's friend stole parts off of it before I got it into my possession. What is the junk yard you used as I had one I found 2 years ago but lost their website and name?

Connecticut mustang is the place I found, reasonable prices (so far) and good service.

 
Near Iowa City.
No way! My family is from there! I used to work in Corralville.

Nick @95BlueStallion, an all around good guy here lives in Cedar Rapids.

I haven’t been back home since 1985. I really need to come up there and visit. I miss Iowa (except for maybe the winters, lol).

Anyhow, enough of me distracting you. I’ll offer help when I can.
 
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The harness should have several of the white plastic push pins taped into it. When you put the harness close to where it sits you should see the holes in the metal framing of the dash where the plastic pins push in.

Chris
 
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No way! My family is from there! I used to work in Corralville.

Nick @95BlueStallion, an all around good guy here lives in Cedar Rapids.

I haven’t been back home since 1985. I really need to come up there and visit. I miss Iowa (except for maybe the winters, lol).

Anyhow, enough of me distracting you. I’ll offer help when I can.

That’s cool, I love it here, even the winters!
 
I just want to also point out, sometimes when the harness is removed the tape is weaker than the pins and the pins will pull out of the harness and stay in the frame. So, your used harness may or may not have some, or all of the push pins. You can buy them and tape them into your replacement harness if needed.
 
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I found a place to buy those wire retainers, not knocking lmr or cypony, they have them too but you buy 5 or 6 at a time can get pricey.
I post a link if I can find it, I have not swapped my stuff from the ' cracked screen' yet.
 
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That’s cool, I love it here, even the winters!

You’re crazy man. Difference between us is I grew up in Texas and was relocated here at age 17. I hate the winters, lol.

Wiring is my least favorite activity, but if you end up needing help running the harness, or swapping the clutch, feel free to reach out. Would be glad to lend a helping hand. I’m just north of CR outside of Alburnett now.
 
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You’re crazy man. Difference between us is I grew up in Texas and was relocated here at age 17. I hate the winters, lol.

Wiring is my least favorite activity, but if you end up needing help running the harness, or swapping the clutch, feel free to reach out. Would be glad to lend a helping hand. I’m just north of CR outside of Alburnett now.

Thats very cool of to offer! I might just hit you up if I get hung up. The best thing about winter is it gives me a reason to lock in the hubs on my truck. I live at the end of a dead end gravel road with some good hills. We’re about the last on the list to get the road plowed so a 4x4 comes in handy a few times a year.
 
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And the fun begins!
I got the wiring harness last week and had a chance to get it laid out and start identifying plugs. I do have the evtm and it would be pretty difficult to do this without it. It looks like I can find drawings of a lot of the plugs with wire color combos so that’s where I’m starting. I’m putting wire tags on everything and logging each one in a notebook with connection number and a brief description. Its going to take me a while to figure this all out but it’s do-able. It sure would be a lot easier if I were replacing one that was at least still there.

Problems
- Three wires pulled off of plugs, I’ve figured out where two of them go. Is that fixable without a new plug with pigtail?
- From pictures I’ve seen It looks like the bundles of wires should be be wrapped and as you can see in the pics It has mostly dried up fallen apart. I would think they should be wrapped with something to protect the wires. Is it like a cloth tape or a vinall tape and does it really matter? Could
- There’s some aftermarket box that says Viper and a little box with an antenna and I assume that’s a remote start. Probably not the end of the world but something else to figure out how it’s supposed to be stock.

The positive
- all the plug’s retaining clips seem to be intact
- he sent along a lot of stuff like the air bag diagnostic box, turn signal flasher thing and other stuff like that. Some I have and some I don’t have or are broken.

I understand this part is pushing 30 years old and finding a “perfect” one could be difficult. So here’s the question do I try and return this? I find it highly unlikely that a salvage yard is going to take a return, but I am going to call the guy and talk to him about the wires that have been pulled out of the plugs. I can’t really see anyway you could fix that without a replacement plug with a pigtail. Any opinions would be appreciated.

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