SN95 Bringing One Back From The Brink.

[94pushrodvert]

Also posted this in the welcome area, but wanted it to go in the car specific forum.

Bought (ok, traded a boat for) a 1994 GT convertible about a year ago. It's always run okay, but was UGLY when I got it. Interior seats were rotten, ripped up, nothing worked. Windows were stuck, top didnt go up or down, and it had some rust. Speedo still doesnt work, etc...

Before and now pics...
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Front view, rust over the windshield was bad, the windows were wedged with wood to stay up, and the top wouldn't go down.
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Clear Coat was gone on the trunk, and plastic had turned a sickly pink around the top

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First thing I did was get rid of those god-awful rims and tires. It made a huge difference riding down the road, and looked better too.

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Got rid of the torn seats, sourced a newly re-done set of front and rear seats in a totaled 98 vert.

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Now, the windows go up and down, put in new motors on all four of them, and the top got a new motor, it works well too. No leaks even through a car wash.

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Had a friend of mine sand and paint the trunk and area above the windshield. No more rust, and the paint looks pretty good.

It's not a show car, but it's a decent driver. Every once in a while I need to go out and hear a v8, put the top down and relax a little. It fills the need. I still have a lot to do, i could use some new door panels, a new instrument cluster, the transmission acts a little funny sometimes, and theres a ding on the front of the hood. (I have yet to see an aftermarket hood for these that I really like the cowl hood is too high imho, and the scoops dont look right either. I haven't seen many stripes I like on the sn95 either... but i do like the two-tone paint.

If anyone is looking to unload a 150mph cluster from a 94-95 im looking. Also need a hood.

Also, any tips would be great, did these come factory with shorty headers? This car has them, what looks like an h-pipe and cats are deleted. It's almost like someone started playing with it, and decided it wasnt worth the time. It was filthy when i rescued it. Cigarettes everywhere, tobacco in the carpets, etc. Are AODE transmissions what people are going back with or is there a newer transmission people are going back with when those go out? (I'd do a 5-speed swap, but could think of a better 2k to spend on her.)

Thank you!

 

[2000xp8]

Sounds like you are enjoying fixing it up.

A 5 speed swap shouldn't be anywhere near 2 grand. If you need a new trans without a doubt i'd swap one in. If you shop right, should be half that.
Probably feel like you added 50hp and quadrupled the fun.

No shorty headers, they were crap manifolds from the factory.

For the ding in the hood, take the car to a guy that removes them. Usually about $75 each ding, but it's money well spent, you would be shocked at the stuff these guys can get out without any paint damage. I had a guy take 4 out of my explorer (one was a ding with a crease) and when i got it back, i couldn't even figure out where they were, $225.

Not sure if 94/95's need the cluster to match the computer because of PATS, but i'd work on fixing your cluster before i attempted installing another.

 

[94pushrodvert]

Well, I say ding, its more like a slight crunch. Its fiberglass, and some cracks where it hit something. Pretty sure it coulod be patched and sanded and painted, but it might be cheaper to source another hood at that point. As for the transmission, i have a line on another AODE for $350 should this one go out. It shifts HARD from first to second so you have to baby it, and other times doesnt feel like it wants to move at all. (Not slipping, just like theres no power, once you put it in neutral and start over its fine)

I am pretty sure the cluster is 94/95 only. I replaced the speed sensor in the transmission, but that didnt fix it, might try the gears in the speedometer. The odometer isnt working and the speedo works intermittently. Not sure I can do the swap... I havent taken out a transmission in about 20 years, and I am not the kid i was then.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Follow the wires and see if it has one of those Dallas Mustang speedo calibration boxes. Nothing against Dallas Mustang, but that thing was junk. I had one in my '95 after I swapped gears and wheels/tires, and it only worked about a month and became very intermittent. I had soldered my connections, and everything was still tight after several checks. That could be your problem, in which case you can eliminate it and figure out the right speedo gear that gets you close enough.

 

[stykthyn]

Good deal man. Those 94/5 verts are starting to grow on me