Matto611's 1989 ford mustang lx 2.3l thread

[Matto611]

Hey what's going on everyone, My name is Matt and I am a proud owner of 2 very fun mustang's. One 1989 Ford Mustang LX 2.3L 5speed, the other 1998 Ford Mustang 3.8L auto(my first car). I am 17 year's old, I have had several car's before I got my licence. I have done some easy mod's to full engine sway's. Never done a overhaul though or anything like that. Anyway's I have owned my 1989 mustang for about a month now and I have done some pretty cool stuff to it.

MODS

• Hood pins
• Custom 3" Cold air intake
• Cherry Bomb Muffler
• 95lph fuel pump
• cd player
• accel ignition coil

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These are just some picture's of it they way it sit's now. I will be posting some more picture's of it. I have made this car go from slow to actually go a little bit more. It will keep up with some of the local ricer's in my area.

 

[bonestock87]

I think it's very cool that you are 17 and into Mustangs. Looks like your '89 has lived its life in the rust belt but that's ok, you can make something out of her. Try to find yourself a replacement hatch and get some used 10-hole or 16" Pony rims and you'll be on your way. Good Luck!

 

[Matto611]

Thanks.... I forgot to mention that I have a new hatch on it right now. The new hatch is red though, but I guess it's fine. As for wheel's I have 3 steelie's and 1 older style lx wheel. I need rim's! ! ! ! ! ! lol

A little info about the rust on the car (atleast the story I was told.). I baught the car from a guy who's grandfather baught the car new in 1989 as a cruiser, his grandfather suposivly only drove it on nice day's durring the summer. Then in 1992his grandfather went into the hospital because he choked on a marshmellow(idk that's just what I was told), the marshmellow caused him to have a heart attack then died. So his grandmother had the car sitting in her yard for a year and the communitie would get on her about it not behing moved and what now, so she would drive it for a week or so then she couldn't drive it anymore because of her back, So then she parked it for another year or so and soo on. She did this until 2006 when then She parked it in a storage shed because she was soon to sell her house. Then in 2007 the guy I baught it off of took it out of storage and drove it for a month and then baught a truck and let it sit again. I baught it in 2008 I think in the end of september.

Long story short it sat along time and never got drove much. The origanal shifter tag was still in the owner's manual. The car was custom ordered especially for this the origanal owner. It's had a harsh life out side in the cold and I will soon help revive her.

I am the 3rd owner (technically the second but it was registered to 3 different people including me.). The car only has 61,000 mile's on it.

It came from the factory with 2 different year owner's manual's. 1989 and 1990 anyone know why that could be?

 

[bonestock87]

Interesting story there with the marshmallow, didn't see that one coming. Yeah, I can tell that it wasn't abused. The interior looks too clean to have been ragged out. The rust was unavoidable so no one is really to blame there. Don't worry about the red hatch on a white car. I lived with a white hatch on a black 87 5.0 for about a month before it went to the paint shop. People just thought I was the police. Interesting story on that 87 I had. I bought it from my wife's boss who ordered it back in 87 with the 5.0, 5 speed, 3.08 gears, A/C and manual windows. He drove it to work for 13 years before parking it. When I got it, it still had the original plugs and wires, brake pads, coolant, etc. The interior was as clean as the day he got it. He had car seat covers on it that he put on there the day after he bought it. I ended up needing cash to send my wife back to college, so I sold it back to him after I had it painted and all tuned up. I miss that car.

Just do the little things first; hide those stereo wires, replace that center console armrest pad and keep it clean. We've got to preserve these foxes!

 

[Matto611]

Yeah, as for right now I am trying to get my stuff straightend out on it. Making sure it is ready for winter. Getting all my stuff cleaned out of it.

I was wondering if there was anyway that I could try getting some of the origanal power that it had from day one back. Like could I get some Sea foam or somthing like that. I have been thinking about sea foaming it, but I have been really unsure how to do it also if it's worth the $10.00 that it cost.

 

[bonestock87]

I've had good results with seafoam. I did it to my '03 when it had 35k miles, smoked like a freight train. I also added it to my gas as well. I've seafoamed probably 6 or 7 cars or trucks of mine and my family, we all like the results.

Doing things like replacing the plugs, wires, fuel filter, thermostat, pcv valve, engine coolant, air filter, rear end fluid are all things that will get back some of that lost oomph it once had.

 

[Matto611]

So it's been a while since I have posted, but I have been doing alot of work to the 89. I have started out with replacing the valve cover gasket, I also replaced the upper intake gasket. I have also installed a new Sony Xplod Cd player, with Sony xplod 6x9" door speakers, 1 15" RockFord Fosgate PUNCH1 in a vented box and 240 watt amp. Also I have installed new driver side door hinge pins.


I am so close to having my car finished. I only have a few more thing's that I plan on doing to it.

1. New Front sway bar links
2. Paint and install my GT rear sway bar
3. Make a EGR Block off plate
4. Remove the A/c Belt
5. Paint the whole car semi glossBlack
6. Paint the Mustang letters on the rear bumper Lime Green
7. Install Lime Green underbody neons
8. Tint the window's black

So that's it for now, Anyone got any FREEBIE's LET Me know!
I am willing to take anything for the car.

 

[Red_LX]

There's no sense in blocking off the EGR unless you have a header that has no provision for it.

And, why remove the AC belt? The pulley free spins on the compressor when the AC isn't engaged.

BTW I pitched the AC setup both on my old Mustang, and on my Thunderbird...and there are a lot of hot days when I wish I would have just gotten it fixed and recharged rather than taking it off.