Progress Thread Finally got my first Fox Body - 1988 GT

[DudeStang]

Took the boot off the stock shifter today and it doesn’t seem like it will fit around the SVE shifter.



I assume the one I ordered will be the same size. Will have to look around and see if there’s something that will fit this shifter.

 

[DudeStang]

I'll look and possibly get a pic

Let me know if you can get a pic. What kind of shifter do you have?

 

[General karthief]

Pro5.0

 

[DudeStang]

Pro5.0

Thanks. Do you know where you got the dust boot?

I’m looking at this pic of the pro-5.0 and it seems like it might be similar in size to the SVE. Maybe the pro-5.0 is slightly bigger.

Pro-5.0



SVE


If that’s the case, maybe I could use something like this, which is designed for the pro 5.0 shifter. Kind of expensive though..

Cobra Valley's Pro 5.0 Shifter Debris Cover

427 Cobra & Replica Sales and Service. Complete hand built cars and loads of informative pages on Insurance, Specifications, Options, Photos and more! For the 427 SC, AC, Shelby Cobra, Superformance Mk-III, Factory Five, Shell Valley, ERA, and more...

performanceunlimited.com

 

[General karthief]

Yes, that is kinda pricey.
I'll try to get a pic of mine this afternoon,

 

[Mustang5L5]

I don't run one on my MGW shifter. It's just bare shifter, the inner rubber shift boot (that bolts to the tunnel) and the outer boot.

The rubber donut got trashed. Didn't fit

 

[General karthief]

Well, that was unexpected, it appears to have melted, it has been there for 50k miles but I would have thought it would not be like this.
I trimmed the boot to fit under the ring and squeezed it over, it fit pretty tight, something else added to the list. And I just got the seat back in too!

 

[90sickfox]

You could use something like this with elastic or draw string top and bottom. Worth a try. No one but us will ever see it sitting below the mustang shifter opening seal and boot.

 

[DudeStang]

Finished my latest video, I’m sure there will be some head scratching at my process for removing the center console


View: https://youtu.be/BUomNC3breM

 

[Steel1]

If you have a 1/4" drive ratchet / sockets you don't need to take the console out, I've remove the shifter multiple times
with the console in.
Didn't realize you were taking it out just for the shifter , I thought you were removing it for other reasons.
My bad, just noticed you are also doing some stereo wiring etc.

 

[DudeStang]

Lower shift boot and metal “ring” arrived yesterday. Old versus new:


My three different shifter handle options

OEM

S


SVE - probably going to try this one first

 

[DudeStang]

Thought about bringing back this classic...


I tried the OEM dust cover again but it just isn’t gonna fit. I think I could use the old lower shift boot to mock up something but I’m just going to try it with only the lower shift boot and check on the shifter after driving it a few times.




Tried to get the center console back in with no luck last night. Didn’t want to break something so I called it a night and watched some TV with my wife. Will make an attempt again today, lol.

 

[Dan02gt]

Over the years I’ve had Steeda, SVE, and MGW shifters in various cars and I’ve never gotten the OEM dust cover to work. The noise boot you installed will be sufficient.

The ‘90s Soundstream amp really takes me back. I had one similar in my ‘87 4 cylinder fox back then. Don’t trash that that. Soundstream was tier 1 back then along with PPI and there is a vintage market for it.

 

[Steel1]

You should definitely run the Budweiser shifter handle..lol

 

[DudeStang]

Over the years I’ve had Steeda, SVE, and MGW shifters in various cars and I’ve never gotten the OEM dust cover to work. The noise boot you installed will be sufficient.

The ‘90s Soundstream amp really takes me back. I had one similar in my ‘87 4 cylinder fox back then. Don’t trash that that. Soundstream was tier 1 back then along with PPI and there is a vintage market for it.

The new dust boot arrived today actually. Interesting packaging...


Confirming what you already said...I couldn’t get it to fit on the SVE shifter.


New compared to old


I guess I can just give it to someone who is using a stock shifter or something.

Got the shifter installed finally and got the interior mostly put back together. Will get my video with the rest of the installation and “review” up soon.

 

[Boostedpimp]

Out of the three I would go with the SVE knock off of the Pro5.0 shifter

 

[DudeStang]

Out of the three I would go with the SVE knock off of the Pro5.0 shifter

Actually just tested all three shifter handles last night back to back and I’m definitely digging the one that came with the SVE shifter. Seems to be weighted/balanced perfectly for the shifter.

 

[DudeStang]

I need to stop being lazy and make a semi decent thumbnail photo for this...but I uploaded my latest video, finishing up the shifter install, putting the interior back together, sharing new parts that arrived, and comparing shifter handles


View: https://youtu.be/Lh5MDhc-Jzg

 

[DudeStang]

I’ve made zero progress recently...I blame the weather mostly. Snow the last two weekends and freezing temperatures over a couple of weeks before that. I really need to get some type of insulation for my garage. This was last weekend.



My other excuse is that we spent a couple of weeks test driving multiple vehicles before finally buying one early last week. I made a video about it, naturally.


View: https://youtu.be/Y_mVj_4bKz0


I didn’t put all the details in the video or it would be like three hours long but if anyone is on the tall side and in the market for a crossover, I can offer lots of insight. We tested 11 vehicles before choosing one.

The Fox has lost its garage space for the time being but hopefully once the weather starts cooperating, I can get back to making some progress. Glad I at least got this car cover from the previous owner. This is from this morning. Most of the snow had melted and then it started coming down heavy overnight.

 

[Rdub6]

I’ve made zero progress recently...I blame the weather mostly. Snow the last two weekends and freezing temperatures over a couple of weeks before that. I really need to get some type of insulation for my garage. This was last weekend.



My other excuse is that we spent a couple of weeks test driving multiple vehicles before finally buying one early last week. I made a video about it, naturally.


View: https://youtu.be/Y_mVj_4bKz0


I didn’t put all the details in the video or it would be like three hours long but if anyone is on the tall side and in the market for a crossover, I can offer lots of insight. We tested 11 vehicles before choosing one.

The Fox has lost its garage space for the time being but hopefully once the weather starts cooperating, I can get back to making some progress. Glad I at least got this car cover from the previous owner. This is from this morning. Most of the snow had melted and then it started coming down heavy overnight.

Oh no!! Pushed to the outside..... say it ain’t so!