Nick's "lvndpst" Restoration (and Slight Modification) Thread

I found it :D
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Not sure if you actually want me to post the link ,since it links to your personal Fb and all :shrug:
:demon:
Alright Nick, wasn’t your lower from a ‘99? That’s new edge, not an SN cobra.
 
You poor guys and your lack of SN knowledge.

‘94-‘98 Cobra front (what I suggest grafted onto an LX)
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‘99 and ‘01 Cobra front (scowl or frown look):
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And finally the ‘03-‘04 Cobra front (what I used, and someone once suggested a squirrel with its cheeks full look):
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And one cannot forget the ‘00 Cobra R, which is a ‘99, ‘01 with a molded on lip:
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I found this in my Stangnet directory while browsing through it today...

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It must have come from this thread :shrug:

That was brought up in here at one point. That poor car got parted out due to rust issues. It turned out to be a pig with lipstick I guess, like my ‘85 Ranger with the 351W. Took one year of driving for the bondo to crack free and the rust holes to show themselves through the nice paint.
 
The ol’ girl was woke from the dead today. I pulled her out of the barn with the 4 wheeler and a strap, and commenced the Systemax install after selling my GT40 tubular a few months ago.

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Upon cleaning up the Systemax I bought, it seems to have been ported. Not sure how well, or by whom, but hopefully it doesn’t actually hinder flow.

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I used new ARP bolts, and gel pro gaskets to mount the lower. Threw new O rings on each end of each fuel injector and lubed them prior to install.
 
Next up was installing my new thermostat housing. I’ve had a coolant leak at the front of my engine, and I’m thinking it’s either the old hoses or the pitted t-stat housing.

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But I couldn’t find my old thermostat anywhere, so I had to stop and order one. I shifted over to installing my new oil sending unit I ordered long ago because my oil gauge was intermittent. That took 5 minutes.

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After that I was looking over things and realized my fuel pressure regular was original. Figured now was a good time to replace it while the upper intake is off. So in the mail is my new motorcraft FPR and thermostat. I don’t want or need an adjustable regulator. The stock one has lasted 31 years, so that’s good enough for me.

My daughter joined me for the fun. She loves the parts boxes.

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Well,......I guess you could still do donuts there....

Wait,...what’s that in the corner of the pic? Looks like somebodies frozen off balls... :eek:

Nope,..false alarm...just crusty ass frozen snow.

I was doing donuts on the 4 wheeler after plowing. Next to my house is about 10-12 acres of woods with ATV trails. The owner is my age and we go ride in the snow. Makes winter more bearable than in town trying not to get hit by idiot drivers.
 
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I was doing donuts on the 4 wheeler after plowing. Next to my house is about 10-12 acres of woods with ATV trails. The owner is my age and we go ride in the snow. Makes winter more bearable than in town trying not to get hit by idiot drivers.
I gotta say that despite all of my dogging the Midwest winters,..Some of my most fondest memories come from that time..

  • Filling my trans am gas tank, turning my face away from the wind, while the clock/ temp at the 1st national bank of Omaha told me that it was -14 below zero.
  • Choosing Southern Comfort as a means to heat my body alternatively to an actual residential HVAC system while spending some frigid night hanging out with my friends at spring lake hill...The Southern Comfort influence justifying riding an upside down car hood down the icy, 1/4 mile slope,..completely out of control ( and being too drunk to care).
  • Gathering my future wife up off of the parking lot at the Ranch Bowl parking lot in Omaha due to the glare ice that covered said parking lot, because at 20 years old,..there was just no way she was gonna go into a bar NOT wearing a pair of 5” heels.
  • Having to go get my wife’s Hair dryer to un-freeze the engine on a 30 below morning, because the thing just wouldn’t crank. ( I laid it on the air cleaner, turned it on full blast, went back into the house, came out 29 minutes later, started the engine, and left for work.)
Ahhhh Nebraska...if only I had stayed drunk and stupid...maybe I’d still be there.
 
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I gotta say that despite all of my dogging the Midwest winters,..Some of my most fondest memories come from that time..

  • Filling my trans am gas tank, turning my face away from the wind, while the clock/ temp at the 1st national bank of Omaha told me that it was -14 below zero.
  • Choosing Southern Comfort as a means to heat my body alternatively to an actual residential HVAC system while spending some frigid night hanging out with my friends at spring lake hill...The Southern Comfort influence justifying riding an upside down car hood down the icy, 1/4 mile slope,..completely out of control ( and being too drunk to care).
  • Gathering my future wife up off of the parking lot at the Ranch Bowl parking lot in Omaha due to the glare ice that covered said parking lot, because at 20 years old,..there was just no way she was gonna go into a bar NOT wearing a pair of 5” heels.
  • Having to go get my wife’s Hair dryer to un-freeze the engine on a 30 below morning, because the thing just wouldn’t crank. ( I laid it on the air cleaner, turned it on full blast, went back into the house, came out 29 minutes later, started the engine, and left for work.)
Ahhhh Nebraska...if only I had stayed drunk and stupid...maybe I’d still be there.

A couple of my high school friends moved to Omaha after we graduated. I had some fun not so sober times there as well.

In all honesty, if my entire family and 90% of my wife’s family weren’t here in Iowa, we would have moved long ago. But I grew up outside of Dallas and missed a lot of time with my extended family as a kid, and don’t want to do that to my kids. You just can’t get that time back. I’m jealous of my cousins that spent their lives making so many memories with my grand parents. Fun times and memories I will never have.

Anyway, sappy :poo: aside, it’s not so horrible if you learn to have some fun with it. The 4 wheeler and neighbors who also ride them has helped it be more fun.
 
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Today may just be the day I tackle my 8.8 clutch replacement. I am waiting for an LMR care package to arrive before I can proceed with the intake install, and the clutch rebuild kit is in hand, so why not? Just need my daughter to take a good nap and the temp outside to warm up a touch.
 
Whether it be working on my house or car, baby steps is the name of the game with my kids being home.

Found my thermostat after I stopped looking for it. Decided to throw it in.

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Drained the rear end (the plug option is handy), with a little help from my #1 fan.

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While under there I realized my exhaust is within a fraction of an inch of my fuel line.

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This is because I pulled the pipes together a touch when doing my center exit tips. I already bought some LX tips to install because I’m not going to get around to finishing that rear diffuser/center exit exhaust idea. I just don’t have time and want to drive the car.

This leads me to another point. I have a MM pan hard bar setup sitting in the box in my garage, and the way I see it, it’s not going to fit with my current exhaust. I really don’t feel like redoing my exhaust again (except for the LX tips), so I’m going to sell it off. If anyone here wants it, PM me. I’ll match the out the door price from MM minus $25 (shipping included). I will never road race the car, and was getting carried away when I bought it. It’ll do burnouts and donuts well enough without it.
 
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You do more work in a weekend with kids than I’ve managed to get done in two months. I’m lucky to get 10 min a week with the car right now

My 10 and 6 year old boys will stay glued to electronics if I let them, so that helps occasionally. My daughter watches me, or plays along side me in the driveway with her tricycle or other toys. Otherwise I wait for her nap time.
 
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Ok, we’ll I got started on the 8.8 clutch work. It never goes as smooth as it should, nothing new there. Didn’t take many pics because it’s a messy job.

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But after installing the new clutches and discs, and using the same shim thickness as stock, I can’t get the spider gears back in. My stock clutches were worn smooth, and the new ones are thicker being full of friction material. I’m going to youtube it and see what tricks are out there. My S clip is marred up, so I need to get a replacement.

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Regular auto parts stores don’t carry them, so I need to hit up my one and only drivetrain shop in town tomorrow and cross my fingers so I can get the job finished tomorrow.

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