Well the progress has been way too slow to do a progress thread. FINALLY heading to the track tonight I hope. I bought my car a about a year and a half ago and well, haven't done near as much as I though I would. Other priorities so sometimes I just poke around at it but don't do much. I have a lot of parts to put in, just no time. When I bought it, it was a stock one owner 88GT. Custom ordered by the original owner as a GT automatic with manual windows, mirrors, and locks, no map pockets to sag! It's well kept. When I first got it, it couldn't get out of its own way. Literally, a high 15, low 16 second quarter mile car I wouldn't be surprised.
See how the back end sags? The first thing I did when I got it home was a massive cleanout of the subwoofer box and amps, iron spare tire, jack, $25 in change and a woopie cushion. Now at least the car sat level and didn't look like a buick on the way to Florida. That 2.73 is horrible, and combined with an AOD it's even worse. Talk about a slug. I swapped out the rear end with the HPM control arms upper and lower, lakewood shocks, and Moroso drag springs from my old 90GT which has 3.73 FMS gears and the traction loc rebuilt with the alternative clutch pack order so it's much tighter. Sure made a huge difference over that crappy 2.73. Made the car driveable. I also removed the back seats. Nobody is going to sit there anyways. Front end weight is the enemy, so I moved the battery to the back.
Then for the front. I put on my fiberglass hood. Took the front clip off and I deleted the A/C system, the power steering system, front bumper with supports, and all hood latch components. Front sway bar too. Put on my electric fan (black magic) and took out the snorkel to the stock air box which has a K&N in it. Put on the 3G alternator and underdrive pullies. Took off the smog pump and it's components. Took some other things out too, and when I was done the car's front end sat up a few inches, looked horrible. Drove funny too but the difference when I hit the gas was night and day. So I put my front coil over's in with the 90/10's and that settled it down. Put on my Weld Draglites and that replaced the turbines. The skinnies made it much easier to turn the steering wheel as well.
The rear bumper was in bad shape as the owner ran LX tails out from under it and they messed up the rear bumper. Looked horrible. So I put the LX rear bumper on it, as well as removed the rear bumper support. I really like the LX back with the GT wing, so along with the LX tails I really, really like it. However, it lookes hiked up in the back. I was thinking of just getting a cobra rear bumper, I like that look as well. I heard about rust under the side skirts, and decided to take them off to see what's under them. I put on an O/R H-pipe with 2ch flowmasters dumped.
Sure enough, there was surface rust around the body kit brackets. I always wanted a LX anyways, so it's going to happen.
After a little clean up.
Now that's the look I want. Since then I have taken off the sticky crap on the sides. I have all the LX pieces to make it a real LX. Trying to decide on putting the door moulding on.
I didn't use the heat last winter, and it's not my daily driver. The fans just blow hot air in the summer and I didn't want the A/C either as it was deleted anyways. Well, so I decided to remove the HVAC system. Pulled the dash and got to work Removed about everything under there I could, all togeather about 50lbs worth. I put the HVAC controls back just to fill the space for now and not look all rednecked out. So it looks complete, but really isn't.
I have other parts to the car, like a Eddy Performer intake and a TKO500/SpecIII/alum driveshaft and lots of other stuff but I just haven't done it yet. I'm having fun seeing how fast I can make this stock engine and aod trans mustang run. The difference is night and day. No, probably not fast to a lot of you guys, and it's not as fast as my 90 was, but it's surprising to say the least. I've taken a few people for rides and they can't believe it's a stock motored automatic mustang until I show them. I'm really happy with it.
I am going about this car in a different approach than I did my 90, and I've learned a lot over the years. My prespective changed a lot when I met some NMRA pros and saw how fast they could make cars with rather restricted mods and short mod lists. How often do you go to the track and see really built cars, like a H/C/I supercharged combo in the 13's? Then they want to add more power to go faster. The power your engine makes is only part of the equasion to make a car fast. Also, what good is lots of power if you can't use it?
Well, I'm going to keep working on it. Being a homeowner with two jobs doesn't help. Money is tight, but eventually, by the time I'm old and grey I might have something.
See how the back end sags? The first thing I did when I got it home was a massive cleanout of the subwoofer box and amps, iron spare tire, jack, $25 in change and a woopie cushion. Now at least the car sat level and didn't look like a buick on the way to Florida. That 2.73 is horrible, and combined with an AOD it's even worse. Talk about a slug. I swapped out the rear end with the HPM control arms upper and lower, lakewood shocks, and Moroso drag springs from my old 90GT which has 3.73 FMS gears and the traction loc rebuilt with the alternative clutch pack order so it's much tighter. Sure made a huge difference over that crappy 2.73. Made the car driveable. I also removed the back seats. Nobody is going to sit there anyways. Front end weight is the enemy, so I moved the battery to the back.
Then for the front. I put on my fiberglass hood. Took the front clip off and I deleted the A/C system, the power steering system, front bumper with supports, and all hood latch components. Front sway bar too. Put on my electric fan (black magic) and took out the snorkel to the stock air box which has a K&N in it. Put on the 3G alternator and underdrive pullies. Took off the smog pump and it's components. Took some other things out too, and when I was done the car's front end sat up a few inches, looked horrible. Drove funny too but the difference when I hit the gas was night and day. So I put my front coil over's in with the 90/10's and that settled it down. Put on my Weld Draglites and that replaced the turbines. The skinnies made it much easier to turn the steering wheel as well.
The rear bumper was in bad shape as the owner ran LX tails out from under it and they messed up the rear bumper. Looked horrible. So I put the LX rear bumper on it, as well as removed the rear bumper support. I really like the LX back with the GT wing, so along with the LX tails I really, really like it. However, it lookes hiked up in the back. I was thinking of just getting a cobra rear bumper, I like that look as well. I heard about rust under the side skirts, and decided to take them off to see what's under them. I put on an O/R H-pipe with 2ch flowmasters dumped.
Sure enough, there was surface rust around the body kit brackets. I always wanted a LX anyways, so it's going to happen.
After a little clean up.
Now that's the look I want. Since then I have taken off the sticky crap on the sides. I have all the LX pieces to make it a real LX. Trying to decide on putting the door moulding on.
I didn't use the heat last winter, and it's not my daily driver. The fans just blow hot air in the summer and I didn't want the A/C either as it was deleted anyways. Well, so I decided to remove the HVAC system. Pulled the dash and got to work Removed about everything under there I could, all togeather about 50lbs worth. I put the HVAC controls back just to fill the space for now and not look all rednecked out. So it looks complete, but really isn't.
I have other parts to the car, like a Eddy Performer intake and a TKO500/SpecIII/alum driveshaft and lots of other stuff but I just haven't done it yet. I'm having fun seeing how fast I can make this stock engine and aod trans mustang run. The difference is night and day. No, probably not fast to a lot of you guys, and it's not as fast as my 90 was, but it's surprising to say the least. I've taken a few people for rides and they can't believe it's a stock motored automatic mustang until I show them. I'm really happy with it.
I am going about this car in a different approach than I did my 90, and I've learned a lot over the years. My prespective changed a lot when I met some NMRA pros and saw how fast they could make cars with rather restricted mods and short mod lists. How often do you go to the track and see really built cars, like a H/C/I supercharged combo in the 13's? Then they want to add more power to go faster. The power your engine makes is only part of the equasion to make a car fast. Also, what good is lots of power if you can't use it?
Well, I'm going to keep working on it. Being a homeowner with two jobs doesn't help. Money is tight, but eventually, by the time I'm old and grey I might have something.