Build Thread Dustys has a new friend

[stykthyn]

When's that 2.3 coming out?

 

[90sickfox]

Got the motor and trans pulled today in about an hour. Next, the k member and suspension.

 

[90sickfox]

Done for the night....got everything off but the k member and the sway bar....8 bolts away from scrubbing my knuckles off. There's so much dust on this car. Good thing is every bolt came out easy. Absolutely no real rust anywhere... Just a little surface rust under the battery tray.... When I bought this car I only had one concern....rust. I'd rather deal with 100 door dings than another rust bucket.

Spending the day with the kids tomorrow.... Easter dinner at my house Sunday. I've got a lot of priming and painting to do. Smh

I'm going to try and get my hands on some Cabernet red for the engine bay...either that or it won't be painted. A few years ago I woulda semi gloss black spray bombed the hell out of this thing. Now I know better.

 

[90sickfox]

Here are some pics. Notice the brand new jack stands. Lol

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Here are some pics. Notice the brand new jack stands. Lol

Yeah, that rust doesn't look bad at all, easy fix there.

 

[90sickfox]

Amazing day....and Happy Easter !!!

I got my k member in. Its hanging loose with the rack on it till I square it up. I sanded and rustoleum primed the surface rust spots. This car doesn't look the best from the outside but the condition underneath is amazing. The control arms are in great shape. The factory spring isolators slid right off the springs.

The only place I had an issue was with the metal sleeves AJE sends to slide in the control arm bushings. They've been riding in the arms on the previous car for 7 yrs in snow and all. Needless to say, I had to press two of the four out. A little time on the wire wheel and they're installed in my arms with a generous amount of anti seize.

My aluminum UPR caster camber plates are installed. I have Steeda springs for the front. Should have the car back on the ground real soon.

 

[90sickfox]

 

[90sickfox]

I just got the rack, spindle, springs, and bump steer bolted on. Next are the hubs, rotors, calipers, and wheels...yippee. I'm not running the brake lines yet....just getting the motor and trans in so I can finish mocking up the front. Then lastly the fuel tank, IRS, rear bumper, and exhaust.

 

[90sickfox]

Yesterday I got the car back on the ground and pulled the 4cylinder harness. Some people told me I had to pull the dash but I didn't. Came out with no problem. The v8 harness I have has female connectors at the black and gray harness...the 4 banger harness has male ends of the gray and black computer harness. I see splicing in my future [emoji15]

When I get home today I'll lay the harnesses out and see what's what. This is a 1989 Vert harness going in a 1988 4 banger. We'll see how much trouble I can get in. [emoji83]

 

[90sickfox]

Thanx @stykthyn. I was looking at the wrong harness last night. The 89 v8 to 88 4cyl are plug and play.

 

[90sickfox]

The harness and computer are in...finally. I'm going with Moates QH so the computer will come back out. My best friends are the iddy biddy pieces of blue tape with names of everything on them. I have the harness for the lights and alternator...they'll go in once I figure out what to do with this spaghetti.... Any ideas anyone ?

 

[90sickfox]

Today I'm painting my sway bar satin black. You mustang folks have done a good job keeping me motivated.

I came across this power junction in a Chevy pickup at the JY. I'm using a 1995 starter so the solenoid won't be there. Figured I'd mount this thing somewhere out of the way, like behind the left strut tower. Gotta have somewhere to bolt up the starter, alternator, sound system, and fuseable links.

 

[90sickfox]

 

[stykthyn]

Why not use dex 3? I believe it was made to be aluminum compatible?

 

[90sickfox]

Here's a pic...

 

[90sickfox]

Today I ordered sway bar bushings. Tomorrow, weather permitting, I'll be getting the headlight harness moved to in front of the core support, rerouting my fog light harness, and installing my sway bar.

I don't want to use my chopped up v8 headlight harness so we'll see how that goes.

I've got to go on a junk yard run to find a Volvo dual fan speed relay....and a BMW dual output temp sensor. I want my electric fan to operate like a factory fan. I got this one out of a v8 jeep Cherokee...fits the factory fan shroud well.

 

[90sickfox]

I got the sway bar in....everything but the end links. When the motor is in I'll measure for them. There's so much stuff left to order. I'm just taking it day by day.

This little bowties gem is a new addition. So, I now have the 98 ranger, 88 e150, 09 Taurus, 88...89...95...06...04 mustang, and 00 astro. He's the driveway reject but I couldn't turn down a running driving clean van for 500 bucks.

 

[90sickfox]

I surgically removed my alternator wiring harnesses. Can't believe the v8 harness is chopped up like it is. Its amazing my car ran at all. Removing wires at the pin is so much better.

 

[90sickfox]

I'm really thinking about those rivet in panels....wonder if I could use panel bonder....and some cut off rivet heads instead of drilling a million holes ?

I only have a few hours of taping left....except the coil wires and a couple odds and ends. I did solder and dielectric grease. I know I do some dumb ish now but 12 years ago I was a hack man....it didn't help that the PO of the Vert loved strobe lights and neon. Smh. The headlight harness was all kinds of screwed up. My Vert had been through so many combos and set ups...all types of crap had been tapped into.

Glad it's behind my....let the past be the past.

 

[90sickfox]

Cleaned up some more wiring. The sway bar end links are on. Steering shaft is in.

The end links were on my Vert. Don't know why I wanted to measure for new ones. They worked great before. New bushings and in they went.

I still have to fix the accumulator plug and tighten up the main chunk of wiring.