New, But Old Member Back At It Again...

Nov 15, 2013
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Hey guys,

I have been off an on these forums for the past 10+ years or so. A little history, bought a '93 GT in 2003 and it started my Mustang addiction. It was a daily driver with very basic bolt-ons; CAI, MSD, full exhaust from shorties to cat back; 3.73's, AOD, 3G alternator, 3-core radiator... You get the idea. It was totaled in 2007. Yay :(

Being my DD, I didn't have the time or money to upgrade H/C/I or any major work that would put the car out of commission for any length of time. I also didn't have the knowledge to do such improvements. The car, albeit slow was a fun car to drive, and I am still hooked. I want to do it right this time, take my time and have a blast with this car.

I have recently purchased a house with a garage, and I have been itching to get back in the game. My plan is to buy another GT ( I would like a T5 this time, but I would settle with another AOD and upgrade those components too, or do a swap) in good running condition, and upgrade with all the bolt ons, from suspension to motor, to the interior. A little at a time until I'm ready for the big improvements.

I have read every progress thread and all the threads that can help me learn more about engine building, suspension, everything. I will not be ready to buy the car until closer to the new year, but I would like to start reading about engine rebuilding, etc. in my spare time before it happens. Things like cam numbers, head specs, etc. are still slightly confusing to me. I watch YouTube videos, but I think books would be better for me. Finally, the point of the post, is I wanted your opinions on which books I should purchase? My first will be Haynes or Chilton's manual.. But I know there are specific rebuild/instructional books out there.

I have a feeling I will get asked, but my plans for the car will be another thread when that time comes... :)

Anyway, thanks for the help! I look forward to sitting behind the wheel of a Mustang again!
 
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Welcome. I look forward to pics of the future car you end up with. In regards to books, what kind of information are you looking to read up on? Chilton/Haynes manuals are good for repairs and sometimes schematics, but if you are trying to understand why the components are designed a certain way, I'd recommend looking for other books. There are some mustang specific books out there but there are also books that talk about the general design of suspension, engines, etc. You can try browsing through bookstores or Amazon to see what interests you. There are both concise ones that give you general overviews and more detailed textbooks. Let us know if you find good reads. I'm currently reading through Heywood's book on IC engines but have been looking for one on suspensions.

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Well today I found a YouTube channel where the mechanic basically but a 302 from the ground up. Each video was a portion of the build... Cam installation (he went over lift, duration, etc.), cylinder head/rocker installations, etc. (Each video was at least 15-20 minutes long) Something along those lines... I will do a search on Amazon though! The books seem to be priced enough that it won't break the bank to buy a couple of them and go from there. Thanks!

Currently, I am looking anywhere from 91-93... I go through moods where I like the Coupes, but I have always been a GT fan... I found one with a sunroof (but it has an AOD) for 3200... Needs new tail light, door handle, and other small things, but it's down the road from me... I really need to stop looking though because financially Im not ready until later in the year.. Its just making it worse, lol
 
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Well today I found a YouTube channel where the mechanic basically but a 302 from the ground up. Each video was a portion of the build... Cam installation (he went over lift, duration, etc.), cylinder head/rocker installations, etc. (Each video was at least 15-20 minutes long) Something along those lines... I will do a search on Amazon though! The books seem to be priced enough that it won't break the bank to buy a couple of them and go from there. Thanks!

Currently, I am looking anywhere from 91-93... I go through moods where I like the Coupes, but I have always been a GT fan... I found one with a sunroof (but it has an AOD) for 3200... Needs new tail light, door handle, and other small things, but it's down the road from me... I really need to stop looking though because financially Im not ready until later in the year.. Its just making it worse, lol
I really think you should be looking at our four eyed friends IMO, maybe a t-top!:D
 
Here was my old ride before and after the accident... Notice the a-Pillar and the teepee shape.. lol
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Cheez whiz that was a bad one! :(

Sorry to hear about that... I'm curious also how you came out of that one. That looked like a really hard hit, man.
 
Well today I found a YouTube channel where the mechanic basically but a 302 from the ground up. Each video was a portion of the build... Cam installation (he went over lift, duration, etc.), cylinder head/rocker installations, etc. (Each video was at least 15-20 minutes long) Something along those lines... I will do a search on Amazon though! The books seem to be priced enough that it won't break the bank to buy a couple of them and go from there. Thanks!

Currently, I am looking anywhere from 91-93... I go through moods where I like the Coupes, but I have always been a GT fan... I found one with a sunroof (but it has an AOD) for 3200... Needs new tail light, door handle, and other small things, but it's down the road from me... I really need to stop looking though because financially Im not ready until later in the year.. Its just making it worse, lol
Try your best to have patience when getting back in to the Mustang game. Since you've been there before you may already know how expensive these can get really fast once you own one so buy the car correctly with all the options you want already on it. Don't buy any 5.0's that were already a swap vehicle whether auto-T5 or 4-8 cylinders. Also if you want a T5 car then get one that came that way from the factory, there are plenty out there.

Did you watch that "Archifix" or whatever his name is on youtube for that 302 rebuild? It's a pretty good series of videos.

Good luck with your search.
 
Cheez whiz that was a bad one! :(

Sorry to hear about that... I'm curious also how you came out of that one. That looked like a really hard hit, man.

Broken rib, some back pain and a sprained foot. I actually had to pull my foot out from under the pedal assembly... Nothing a few muscle relaxers couldn't fix! I was actually able to climb out from the passenger's door. I was lucky :hail:

I will check out Archifix, but I think I watched Pete's Garage?

I know it can get expensive quick, but i will just work on it as time and funds come along... It will be my weekend bolt-on driver for a while. I guess you can say it will be a slow but steady resto mod...
 
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