'97 GT owner-to-be!

4potsoffury · Aug 15, 2007

Oops!

Located the owners' manual. Never saw someone leave it in the center console LOL...

Off I go to check the power seat fuse.

RedDaemon · Aug 15, 2007

u sure you have 3:27s?

i ask because i have a 99+ with the stock 327s and lemme tell you my car has no balls in 5th at 45mph

Tim2002GT · Aug 15, 2007

-=NightHawk=- said:
u sure you have 3:27s?

i ask because i have a 99+ with the stock 327s and lemme tell you my car has no balls in 5th at 45mph

+1 on the 3.27's having no balls! Now 4.10's at 45 isn't so bad!

flashstang04 · Aug 15, 2007

Shouldn't he have 2.73s stock?

FWIW, if you have a loose hangar that is vibrating when you are on the highway, it can sound like the whole chassis is coming apart if it is bad enough.

mustanggt3685 · Aug 15, 2007

Great car, looks to me in immense shape. What most of the guys have been saying and you personally, take care of the basics and then have at er!' I learned alot by doing the PI stuff and a few other things to my GT; enjoy it.

4potsoffury · Aug 15, 2007

flashstang04 said:
Shouldn't he have 2.73s stock?

FWIW, if you have a loose hangar that is vibrating when you are on the highway, it can sound like the whole chassis is coming apart if it is bad enough.

The hangars on BOTH tailpipes came undone would that do it? Cause it sounds like hell!

Update... Turned out the power seat fuse was fried. Thank God that's all it was b/c someone stuffed a 30 A fuse in a 25 A slot! Could have been a lot worse! Put the proper 25A fuse in and we're good to go.

Just cleaned the mass-air and with the help of my dad fixed the horribly jury-rigged cone setup that was on there. Cleaned the TB out good while I was at it...

Meantime I''ve got my new exhaust picked out and will be ordering new pads and rotors tomorrow. Also, for the time being, getting the tailpipe hangars rewelded (to stop the damn vibration!) You know what it sounds and feels like, a go-kart at top speed. At 60 MPH!

As for the balls in 5th at 45 MPH... I don't mean earth-rotating forward motion but enough oomph to glide up to 55 without dropping a gear. I love how flexible the powerband in this car is.

97speedster · Aug 15, 2007

-=NightHawk=- said:
u sure you have 3:27s?

i ask because i have a 99+ with the stock 327s and lemme tell you my car has no balls in 5th at 45mph

My '97 came with 3.27's stock. Verified when I did the brake upgrade and had to pull axles. Tag was still installed to cover.

Superhereaux · Aug 15, 2007

3.27's were an option pre-'99

RedDaemon · Aug 16, 2007

i was asking the possibility of him having something other than 327. like a 3.55/3.73/3.90/4.10 etc since he was talking about acceleration...not the other way (2.73)

4potsoffury · Aug 16, 2007

First impressions aren't always reliable...

After a day with the car, here's what it needs:

To pass inspection- new pads and rotors, exhaust (got a leak at the H-pipe, need the hangers rewelded), tires (borrowing the mounted 16" snows from my dad to get it through inspection)

Soon after- new trans fluid (running ATF for about the length of an oil change then going to Synchromesh, [used Synchromesh in the past with great success] I don't know how long the present crap has been in there), full tune-up, idler pulley (it's singing like whoa), the shift boot that mounts to the floor pan (mine is torn up... how one can tear this boot up is beyond me)

Worse yet, I've got a driveline vibration that might be the rear end- was out with Dad last night, he popped into Neutral at speed and the vibration was still there, so it's definitely coming through the gearbox. If it's the rear I'm planning on buying a used 8.8 to put in there- cheaper and easier than taking it apart. The 3.27's are fine by me anyway.

Any and all commentary welcome... I bit off a little more than I can chew, and it needs more work than I thought it would, but in due time all the issues will be sorted out. You can't wipe the stupid grin off my face when I'm beind the wheel!

BTW I took the tint off the rear windshield today- it looked like hell, was a hack job done in two pieces- looked like my window was cracked all the way across! It came off easily but left a mess of old adhesive in its wake... any suggestions how to get it off without ruining the defroster grid?

Z06killinSBF · Aug 16, 2007

Go to the store and get this stuff called "Tint off". Works GREAT on getting the glue off. I've used it numberous times with great results.

4potsoffury · Aug 16, 2007

Good news

Just got back from the shop, had the car on a lift:

- Turns out the car actually has an X-pipe, not an H-pipe. No leak... I guess this is just how they sound.

- Car is in fantastic shape underneath. I was impressed... no leaks... everything is looking solid- Thanks to Ford for coating the brake lines, my last two cars had line issues so it's nice to see a worry-free set under there.

- And we found the vibration we thought to be the rear end... The front U-joint was shot straight to hell. You could wiggle the driveshaft all over and it sounded terrible- you could hear it knocking as you slowed to a stop. One $10 part later and the car runs smooth with no vibration other than what is normal. It was so bad Dad didn't want me leaving the shop with it- I could totally see why- it was awful.

- Tailpipes were rewelded to their hangers.

Took a local backroad on the way home and I was very pleased- steering is quick to respond, not much body lean, quick to change direction and it feels pretty confident. Smooth operator! A far, far cry from my Grand Marquis. BTW to end my gear debate... the axle tag shows it has 3.27's.

Slowly but surely I'm nursing it to full health. Huge thanks to my dad and to Dave, the tech who helped with the car.

BTW my trip odometer is inop... any ideas, gang? It's been at "000.0" since I brought 'er home... I guess I never really went anywhere LOL

sicK96GT · Aug 16, 2007

when the trip odom goes out the mileage odom is next to go

my x pipe on my car also sounds like it has a exhaust leak.. I have had it at 3 different shops and each tell me everything is tight, just a odd sound in the car in WOT

4potsoffury · Aug 16, 2007

sick96GT thanks for the warning...

If it helps/changes anything I should mention that the car has aftermarket white-face gauges. One of the former owners of the car was going for the Cobra look in and out- I have a bunch of snakes to take off my GT- I consider that false representation...

Ranting aside... anyone done an odometer swap?

Z06killinSBF · Aug 16, 2007

4potsoffury said:
sick96GT thanks for the warning...

If it helps/changes anything I should mention that the car has aftermarket white-face gauges. One of the former owners of the car was going for the Cobra look in and out- I have a bunch of snakes to take off my GT- I consider that false representation...

Ranting aside... anyone done an odometer swap?

It's really simple and everything comes apart (at least on a Fox). Hardest part might be sourcing the parts.

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