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Gru · Post by **Gru** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 3:59 pm

Other than getting the adapter plates made for the seats, and modding the strut brace to fit the intake manifold, there probably won't be much done to the car for a bit.

At least not until I get the diff welded. No point undoing the diff and pulling the rear axles out before that just to do it again to put the welded one in. And not going to be getting the cage put in til at least March. But I'll have the torque-arm and subframe connectors by then so will do all the welding at one time.
I might put the 5-lug rotor/hubs on the front, though, just because I can. That'll leave me with 4 pairs of 4-lug wheels to burn the rubber off of practicing til the rears are ready to go in.

If nothing else, I'll try to get some pictures and/or video of my practice runs....just don't expect to see any decent drifting til I get used to it and all that.

GTEAST · Post by **GTEAST** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:24 pm

Looking good!! I really want to get my SVO track worthy...one day maybe.

Gru · Post by **Gru** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 7:37 pm

Got the timing sorted out....retarded as most Honda drivers.

(just kidding)
But it was set way too low....timing was at 8, when stock is 12-14.
I set it to 14 and it runs fine now.

Also got this in today:

EDIT: heheheh, just realized that has the 4 most important documents in my house as of today: Mustang service manual, DNN For Dummies (building a website), voter registration card, and the manual on using a timing light.

Grant steering wheel & quick-release hub. Working on putting that in now.

mikespeed95 · Post by **mikespeed95** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:05 pm

cool beans.

i start working at ford on the 14th so i *might* be able to get a hook up on parts shipped out.
im suppost to be getting a ford racing catalog to familiarize myself with soon. been kinda thinking about getting a fox or a blown up 99+ car for a daily that i can abuse my hookup with.

Gru · Post by **Gru** » Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:54 pm

Sweet...if you ARE able to get deals on FRP stuff, lemme know.

Would be interested in a pair of longtubes (& midpipe)...maybe even a fully catless exhaust since it's a track-only car.

P.Haire · Post by **P.Haire** » Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:56 am

fox body mustangs are so sweet you should get one.

Gru · Post by **Gru** » Sun Jan 06, 2008 5:17 pm

Yet another update....nice weather today let me unfuck the "work" of the previous couple of days.
Have the "stock" steering wheel (minus the airbag itself, since it's not plugged in anyway) and driver's seat put back in.

Also sanded and rattle-canned the rust/paint-fade spots. Waiting on FOERST coat of paint to dry now, but here's a couple pics while waiting for one of the primer coats to dry:

.

Man, what a difference compared to the bluish gray fade and rust. Well, after I painted the actual black paint over the primer, that is....

And on a whim, added a sticker on the stupid hood, just to give the car a little attitude:

drift50 · Post by **drift50** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 3:54 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tKD9lXInAVY

Made it out to the track with the Air Locker working...

At least for a couple of runs that is.

mikespeed95 · Post by **mikespeed95** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 6:45 am

cool beans.

ill let yall konw on the ford racing stuff, still kinda in recovery phase :-/

mikespeed95 · Post by **mikespeed95** » Tue Jan 15, 2008 6:51 am

http://houston.craigslist.org/car/535202795.html

hmm

Gru · Post by **Gru** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 1:20 am

After about 2 months of doing absolutely NOTHING, I'm finally getting some more work done.

Monday's nice weather here allotted me a chance to hit the junkyards for stock replacements for stuff. Actually managed to find everything I needed at one place:

stock hood, with hinges (no dents or rust!)
Driver side window
tilt-wheel steering column that will work with my pop-off wheel
Dash cluster (that hopefully has working gas gauge)
Hand brake assembly
Stock shifter (the crappy "short throw" handle that came on my car sucks)

But then, the joys of used cars reered it's head:

The crossbeam on the front of the Stang, that the radiator sits on, is bent...never thought to look at it, but it's obviously hit something in the past and kind of "rolled up" on itself.
So, the radiator actually sits at a slightly funky angle, and a little higher than it should.

Explains why there was no shroud on the fan.....I put my shroud on and the fan rubs it. Grrrr. (probably how the old fan got all mangeled and cracked, too)

Luckily the fan is RIGHT THERE at the radiator, not 3 feet away like on 240's and RX7s. I should be ok for now without it.

Yea yea, I know... "Get aluminum radiator and electric fan"
Right now, I need to focus my budget on suspension.
I'll see how the heat factors once I get it out on the track.

If heat isn't too bad, I'll hold off and do the radiator/fan next year when I get a supercharger, since both of those will require a new size fanbelt anyway...might as well do both at same time.

(and then, a couple hours later)
Grrr...
OK, going to have to pull the radiator out and try to bang down that bent crossmember anyway.
I put the stock hood I got on, and the radiator sits just "higher" enough that it's too high for the hood to closer properly.
*grumble*

But the hood looks great! So much better than that cheesy "Cobra R with SVO scoop" fiberglass one....even if slightly heavier.
Of course, I couldn't find a black one at the junkyard, so....

Behold, Redbeard!

Post by **andysapp** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:24 am

RED BEARD!!1

Gru · Post by **Gru** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 3:52 pm

"She ain't pretty, but she works"

Pry bar was useless, but a few good whacks with the sledge did the trick.

The crossmember looks worse now, but it actually fits the radiator properly. Not fond the cap across the middle, but so long as it does it's job, I'm content:

.

Those two zip-ties are more for reassurance than anything....but took 6 more to hold the shroud on in the right spot.

Other things done that day:
replaced shifter (yea, took 2 mintues)
Replaced e-brake handle, feels like it grabs a lot better.

Got replacement steering column disassembled and the pop-off bit on it, but am having issues drilling out the ignisition switch. *grumble*

And while I had the front cover off and could get to the fender well easily, I decided to replace the cheap "cold air intake" with an equally cheap but far better one....no MAF sensor in the way, and actually putting the filter in the fender well to get colder air:

.

Oh, and "the joys of used cars" PART 3!

1. FOERST the whole "wrong steering column for this car" thing
2. Then the bent core support crossmember.
and now
3. Mind got wandering a bit when I noticed that the bracket holding the clutch cable (mechanical clutch, not hydraulic) was obviously home-made. Poked around in the Chilton's manual for the VIN breakdown & realized......Why yes, even though it's a LX it did *NOT* originally come with this V8 motor! It came with a 2.3 I4. *sigh*
Luckily, the only chassis differences are the speedo only going up to 85 and the rear diff which is getting replaced anyway.

shawn shawn · Post by **shawn shawn** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 5:58 pm

Look on the bright side at least its got a ford V8 instead of a ford 4.

Post by **andysapp** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 7:41 pm

Nice stickers!