Progress Thread Project Pale Horse

I was encouraged to start a build/restoration thread for this car. So here it is. I don't have a name for this car project yet. "Pale Horse" seems to fit, but I haven't settled on anything. Feel free to offer suggestions.

Now a little history:

I bought a very nice, reliable, lightly modified daily driver '85 Mustang GT when I was 20. All I cared about then was speed, noise, and beating up on imports. In the desire to make the car fast, and only focus on engine power and weight, I ruined that car. Not figuratively, literally ruined it. Torn floors, torque boxes, gutted interior (threw it all away), parts installed in haste, removed any and all unnecessary wiring by just cutting it out, blew the engine up, etc. I regret it to this day.

Now, 16 years later I bought a 1993 Mustang GT with the intention of doing a restoration. I plan on a very streetable H/C/I combo, gears, stronger transmission, chassis upgrades, suspension upgrades based on the stock system (no coil over stuff), and make the car a very nice driver.

This car I picked up for $3600. I don't know the history, or how many miles, or how many owners this car has had. It's obvious that some of the previous owners shouldn't be let near a wrench. Coolant sensor and IAT sensor in the wrong location, wires replaced with no organization, emissions removed improperly, a very hasty R134 conversion, the car has been repainted at least once, it goes on and on. I almost gave up and sold the car. It was a little overwhelming, then I realized I needed to just focus on one thing at a time. It isn't a daily driver, and can sit whike I save for parts.

The passenger seat is coming through the floor at the rear mount, so floor patches are in order. Along with F/L subframe connectors, torque box reinforcements, seat mount reinforcements, and anything else I might find while in there.

This will be a fairly long project, I don't have a whole lot of money to dedicate to this car right now. Hopefully that will change in the future.

So, without further adieu....here she is.












Feel free to comment, criticize, or help with this project. I'll post updates as they happen, and hopefully get lots of pictures.

First things on the list are O2 sensors and making the engine run as it should, floor repairs, chassis upgrades, interior restoration and finishing touches, almost everything to do with the doors, and suspension. Not necessarily in order.

Oh, forgot one thing... I'm fairly certain this car has been in a front end crash. If you look closely at the driver fender apron, you can see cracks in the metal near where the fender bolts down. There's also body filler all over the cowl panels, and on the fenders. I'll get better pictures up.

I'm also not sure why the fuel door rubs the body around it. The bumpers are there, and in good shape. The rear hatch also doesn't seal.

I'm torn on the wheels. I normally don't like the turbine wheels, but they do look pretty good on the car. I want to put wider wheels and tires on it, and was planning on some silver PonyR 17x8 and 9's. I also want to do a two tone white/titanium gray paint.

Very nice car. I'll probably leave it a 4 lug, you can't see the lugnuts with the pony wheels anyway. Unless I decide to 4 wheel disc it and I don't know if there are conversion kits with 4 lug axles.

My concerns are that the coil over struts will put stress on the shock towers that they weren't designed to handle. Same with the rear shock mounts.

Subject change...

How do you manually test the O2 sensors? I get a bank 1 sensor code when I run the KOER test. This car was running pig rich when the IAT sensor was in the coolant port, and the coolant temp sensor wasn't working at all. It is better now, but I think the bank 1 sensor is bad. Just looking to verify.

I know that the sensor should read anywhere between 0-1 volt, and that it should fluctuate depending on rich/lean signal.

So I should just replace them both and go from there? Assuming the wiring is okay.

Scoured the only local salvage yard that's open on weekends yesterday. No fox Mustangs to be found....bummer.

I did however find a 1997 V8 Explorer that was just delivered on Friday. Got some goodies from it (What I could afford anyway)

Explorer intake with internal EGR $75



The heads are GT40P, and I'm hoping to pick them up later. $31 per head is what they want for them.

I also found some quarter windows locally on Craigslist. They need restored, but everything is there



And finally, looking over the engine to see what's missing or needs repaired I found a vacuum leak at the vacuum port on the back of the manifold. The carbon canister has been removed, along with the smog pump. I also uncovered under electric tape some hacked up wiring going to the MAF. Going to need to fix that as well.



Not sure why someone modified the wiring like that, but I'll fix it easy enough.

This car has 4 catalytic converters, makes me think this was a California car.

Question for you EECIV gurus... This engine stumbles off idle, especially when cold and when the throttle is snapped open. What would be the cause? Only codes I found last time I scanned it are for the bank 1 O2 sensor.