Any way to tell if my car is modified?

Ernsay · Jul 5, 2020

Hi all, new here. And I've got a question about my car that's been bugging me for awhile now.
4 years ago I bought an 85 Mustang GT, 5 speed, carbuerated. I was told when I bought it that as far as the guy knew it was stock. He was 2nd owner. But I recently have become very suspicious about it being stock, I started noticing things were deleted in the engine bay that are typically done to free up horsepower, but nothing huge. But I had someone come to look at it to paint it today and he's very knowledgable about cars and he said that there is probably a performance cam in it and doesn't know what else but that it's probably been modified. So I got curious and took it out and being as I've never really pushed this thing, decided to push it real hard on 0 to 60 . Well I got 0 to 60 in 5 seconds flat! That put the supposed stock time of I think 6.8 seconds to shame. How can I find out what if anything has been done to this thing?

General karthief · Jul 6, 2020

You can compare stuff like carb, intake and exhaust to stock, some things like heads and cam take a little more work.
Check rear gear ratio by marking the drive shaft and spin the wheel one revolution (slowly) counting drive shaft revolutions, not exact but can give you an idea of the ratio.

CarMichael Angelo · Jul 6, 2020

There is just so much wrong here....

Youve owned the car for 4 years, and are just now wondering if it’s stock...What “ little things” have you noticed that seem to be missing from the engine/bay?
It takes 65-70 hp For a 3000 lb car to go from a 6.1 0-60 to 5.0 0-60. And the only way to verify that gain would be the same car, driven by the same driver, in the same conditions, driven exactly as it was before.

Not by somebody granny shifting something they’ve never driven hard since they bought it counting in their head “ one one thousand, two one thousand” till they get to the 60 mph mark on the speedo.

Even if it was done using a more accurate method, adding 70 hp in these cars will be very obvious as soon as you lift the hood. And putting 300 hp in a 5.0 5speed Mustang is gonna have wheel spin when driven hard enough to even try to get a quick 0-60,...which will add time to that number.

General karthief · Jul 6, 2020

CarMichael Angelo said:
There is just so much wrong here....

Don't hold back Mike

CarMichael Angelo · Jul 6, 2020

General karthief said:
Don't hold back Mike

i didnt

Hoytster · Jul 6, 2020

General karthief said:
Don't hold back Mike

CarMichael Angelo said:
i didnt

I find way too much enjoyment watching your conversations. Especially on a Monday morning....

Monkeybutt2000 · Jul 6, 2020

How about a few pics of your engine bay, be a start.

Adieu · Jul 6, 2020

7991LXnSHO · Jul 6, 2020

Good observations, @CarMichael Angelo, and I applaud your tact. Wheel spin and squirrelly behavior on wet pavement will be obvious.
@Ernsay if you have a Solid phone mount, (not just a spot on the dash), there are 0-60 and 1/4 mile phone apps. The first one I tried on my Android said my Lazyboy recliner ran faster than my car. It must have included the Earth’s rotation and orbit speed. But another app was more consistent in it’s readings. Try one of them for better accuracy. Or go to an open day at the strip, a tune and test day. A longer acceleration period will help minimize the wheel spin variables.
Please post pics of the engine bay, including intake, carb, ends of the heads, exhaust and front accessories. The tear control arms and exhaust are often modified for more power, but can be modified for something to blow money on.

Ernsay · Jul 6, 2020

I've never owned a mustang gt before, I didn't know how fast they were supposed to be and I didn't push the car at all because it was old and had alot of bugs I had to work out of it before I felt it was in prime condition. To time it I had a friend sitting in the passenger seat hit a stopwatch as soon as the pedal was depressed. And watching the speedo hit 60 and hitting stop. Not perfect I will admit but still accurate enough to tell within a half second I would imagine. The first three runs I did have major issues with the tires breaking loose and times were 6.3, 5.8, and 6.7. But the fourth I got a perfect start and he registered 5 seconds flat. It's a stock carb, tuned by a professional mechanic when I had it rebuilt after I bought it, exhaust does seem to be aftermarket, the headers seem stock ( they have factory crimping at the bends). But it does have a massive acceleration at around 3000 rpm up to 5000 rpm. The reason I never really noticed much the first few years was I don't drive it much and I had alot of bugs I had to work out of it before I felt comfortable pushing it. So this is the first summer I've really been pushing it and I do notice it seems very fast when I push it.. but on outward appearance it looks very stock. I don't know. I'm not really a mechanic and this is my first working mustang gt so I just figured I'd ask.

Ernsay · Jul 6, 2020

This is the car.

Ernsay · Jul 6, 2020

A few more

Mstng93SSP · Jul 7, 2020

You have a good looking car. I see a lot of stock stuff there, and that isn't meant in a bad way. Looks like stock heads, stock headers, stock carb to me. It possibly has gears (which is a common mod) and if so 60 MPH might not really be 60 MPH.

Chris

General karthief · Jul 7, 2020

Leave it alone and enjoy the ride.

Noobz347 · Jul 7, 2020

if anything....ANYTHING AT ALL...

Finish putting it back to Bone Stock.

Ernsay · Jul 7, 2020

Yeah at this point the gears makes the most sense to me. Because I have passed police on several occasions going well over the speed limit and wondered why they didn't pull me over. Thanks!

Noobz347 · Jul 7, 2020

Ernsay said:
Yeah at this point the gears makes the most sense to me. Because I have passed police on several occasions going well over the speed limit and wondered why they didn't pull me over. Thanks!

Why? Is your speedo off? If so, replace the speedo gear.

Ernsay · Jul 7, 2020

I had to drive 350 miles to even look at the thing, and the guy wouldn't accept anything but cash so the bank was really uneasy loaning to me. But he said it hadn't seen a drop of water in 20 years at that point. And they covered all the seats in plastic and only drove it about 100 miles a year. It's a really lucky find to be honest. I got screwed over with my two previous mustangs. Once I got it I just kept doing the things the previous owner said he did.

Ernsay · Jul 7, 2020

It doesn't seem like it's off really. I mean if anything high speeds seem slower. Just always confused me why cops wouldn't pull me over when the speed limit is 55 and I passed them doing 75. Happened probably 4 times now. Guess I should prolly find one of those police radar guns and test it

FoxChasis · Jul 7, 2020

Looks like the "smog pump" is bypassed, if it is even there any more. It also has dual mid pipes, instead of the original one, and aftermarket mufflers. Can't tell if the lite-off or primary cat converters have been removed...no pics.

Any way to tell if my car is modified?

Member

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

my rearend will smell so minty fresh,

I don't dare do that to my Knob

Mustang Master

Easy there, this ain't a dating site.

wanna catch the space herp

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You have a nice rear end there Dave.

wonder how much it would cost to ship you a pair

Stangnet Facilities Maint Tech... Er... Janitor

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