Turns out my "totally stock" Notch is not quite as stock as I thought

MileHighDart

MileHighDart

Member
Nov 22, 2011
35
2
19
#1
So I haven't found anything too strange yet, but I was under the car yesterday installing a new clutch cable and quadrant, so I rolled my creeper back to the rear to look at the mufflers. They say "Magnaflow" on them. Hmmm, maybe thats why its got such a nice sound to it.
And a bit later when I was working under the hood I looked down and saw the car had headers on it and not exhaust manifolds. I was like wow, how did I just notice that ?
And it has a K&N air filter in it.
Nothing big, but just a couple things that I hadn't noticed yet.

BTW, the new UPR clutch cable, quadrant, and firewall adjuster are in and it works great ! Easier pedal effort, better feel to the clutch. I like it !
 
#2
Lol that nothing, mine was supposed to "run great" with nothing else wrong. Hmm.. besides running rough as sh*t the clutch is shot, the passenger door handle doesn't work, the interior looks like puke and the exterior looks like Sanford and Son. Lol but there's no rust and all the body panels match. Oh well I was building an engine anyway, i just have to do a little more than expected to the rest. You'd slap me if you knew how much I paid. Haha

Sent from my MB860 using Tapatalk
 
#3
I got a notch with less than 70k miles on it. When I got it the plug wires were still date-coded 1993. It had flowmasters on it because the original mufflers had rusted out. Use to be you could not buy just the mufflers from Ford. You had to buy the mufflers with the stainless tailpipes. They were expensive and nobody would buy them. You just had some other muffler welded on what you had to replace the originals.
K&N filter is almost a given on these cars. The 5.0 came with factory stainless headers. You can tell the originals from the pinches mashed in them for header bolt removal.
Does your car still have the smog pump?
 
#4
I didnt' know they came with headers. What ever they are they're probably not stainless cause they are pretty rusty.
And, yes the car still has the smog pump.
Just had an emissions test last week so I could get my plates, and the car passed with no problem.
headers.webp
smallside.webp
 
#6
Sweet car! Those look like original stainless headers to me. Also looks like original plug wires too. You got a cream-puff!!!!

I think new O2 sensors are always a good idea on these cars. Make sure it is running on all 8 cylinders as those plug wires can break down.
 
#9
I think you scored a real nice and original car. That things so original I would be very hesitant to modify it. I bet it has only had simple maintenance since new.
These original cars are few and far between. Problem is they are sort of slow compared to new V-6 cars pushing over 300hp. Tough call to keep it minty and original or modify? Your choice...

Cars preserved like the one you have are the ones that will certainly increase in value.
 
#10
In case you haven't figured it out through all the bickering here, those are original stainless exhaust manifolds on your car. All 5.0's from '86 and up came with them.

I still want your car.
 
#13
wythors said:
In case you haven't figured it out through all the bickering here, those are original stainless exhaust manifolds on your car. All 5.0's from '86 and up came with them.

I still want your car.
Click to expand...


I could be wrong but didn't the pretty much ALL come with stainless headers? I don't think i've ever seen a 5.0 HO of any year that had actual cast manifolds of them. Also for what it's worth, until you do something about the stock lower intake, the stock headers really aren't much of a bottleneck. Most people do exhaust and headers before they do the intake which i think is working backwards.

Oh, and the reason those 24 year old headers are still on the car and not rotted out, is because they're stainless. That's pretty damn amazing for any exhaust component to last that many years and still be usable.
 
#14
85_SS_302_Coupe said:
I could be wrong but didn't the pretty much ALL come with stainless headers? I don't think i've ever seen a 5.0 HO of any year that had actual cast manifolds of them. Also for what it's worth, until you do something about the stock lower intake, the stock headers really aren't much of a bottleneck. Most people do exhaust and headers before they do the intake which i think is working backwards.

Oh, and the reason those 24 year old headers are still on the car and not rotted out, is because they're stainless. That's pretty damn amazing for any exhaust component to last that many years and still be usable.
Click to expand...

I know all the fuel injected cars had them and I know the early carb'd car didn't. I don't know exactly when the change happened though. I believe it was 84 or 85.
 
#15
It may have been '84 that they changed...i'll have to ask around the 4 eyed pride crowd and see. My '85 came factory with them and i'm fairy sure i've seen an '84 that had them. I'll check and post back what i find.


-Yep, '85 was the first year.
 
#20
Warning to SlammedGT: personal attacks and insults will not be tolerated on this forum. Posts in violation and responses to them have been removed from this thread. Further personal attacks/insults will result in suspension or ban.
 
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