gyuhuo
Good luck with the build. I don't know that I'd bother painting the exhaust parts. I've never seen a paint that will last on them myself. The possibilities for the 5.0 are almost endless. You'll enjoy it.
It held up pretty good on the ranger...Using 2000 degree headerpaint... We shall see :)
again, good luck. What are the plans for the 5.0?
Baby it and save until I have another DD...Then turbo sleeper from hell... The car is in my buddy's backyard FINALLY...So I will be going over tomorrow morning after work to get started.
Well, finally got my hands on it today... Turns out my friend was wrong, it is an 88 xr7. Before I show you these pics...I gotta warn you...Its rough.
I hate the front...Is it a direct bolt-on swap for either the mustang or the thunderbird? Fenders and all, or just hood/lights/bumper?
(http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/263367_205164722869910_100001291504709_512945_786585_n.jpg)
Little rust
(http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/254739_205165156203200_100001291504709_512946_5391603_n.jpg)
(http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/263329_205165186203197_100001291504709_512947_8308859_n.jpg)
The interior was DISGUSTING... smelled like a yeast infection.
(http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/198794_205165216203194_100001291504709_512948_5453563_n.jpg)
The drivers seat is stuck in gangsta lean...another reason to trash it
(http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/228817_205165252869857_100001291504709_512949_6784362_n.jpg)
The chop shop. Hanging: honda valve cover and my exhaust. front car: honda accord with no engine (insert fast and furious joke here) Then because I suck at photography, you cant see the mustang or my cougar behind that.
(http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/262920_205165279536521_100001291504709_512950_4016283_n.jpg)
Robbing the rich turbo mustang and giving to my poor neglected cat. But once again, you cant see them very well...More pics when I get them in.
(http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/185588_205165309536518_100001291504709_512951_7035698_n.jpg)
And thats all for now...Going to bed soon, so I can wake up when its not so freaking hot, and get something done on it. Suggestions on the front end especially would be appreciated...I really like the mustang front, and the thunderbird is close second, but I dont like this merc front at all.
The '87-'88 Tbird front will bolt on, but it's a no go on the Mustang. Nice car though, and an XR-7 too, much better than a '91 have fun!!
The engine bay as of now....could use some work to say the least lol
(http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/262965_205609939492055_100001291504709_514858_2106850_n.jpg)
Cleaned up the wheels going on it, now just gotta get the new tires mounted on them and throw them on (heh I wish it was that easy) 2 hubs are missing lug studs and the rear brakes are FUBAR so theres so more work to get it going.
(http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/198790_205609459492103_100001291504709_514857_7667783_n.jpg)
The seat can be fixed easily. Just replace the lever assembly on it. One from a Fox Stang, Bird, or Cougar will bolt right on. The car looks a little rough, but very rebuildable. My Sport was worse than that. Just take your time and start acquiring parts when you can. No Stang body parts (header panel, lights, fenders, bumpers) are interchangeable with our cars. The seats will swap into ours. They just bolt onto our seat tracks. Clean the engine bay really good, and see what you have, and what you need to get it running good. Modding these are fairly easy, and engine parts are everywhere. Tech answers are just a thread away here as well.
Thanks. So far I have headers, valve covers (and heads if need be) H-pipe, flowmasters, Upper and lower intake with a CAI, dist, coil, radiator and alternator (if need be) possibly brakes (if the stangs wont work I will get new ones) and wheels with tires that I need to get mounted and balanced.
What I know it needs and I have to buy, belts, hoses, wires, distributor, something fixed with the steering (I can shake the wheel and its not because the tilt) Also needs a new heater core and AC compressor, but I will tough it out until fall when I change the heater core and do the AC before next summer.
I like your plans for everything................but the front end swap. Its your car though.
I think you'll like the merc front end once you clean it up a bit. Also, you could swap a 4-eye cougar/bird front end on it, which would look pretty cool. Don't do an 87-88 bird front end on your cougar though....that just looks nasty.
For the steering wheel shake, It may be in the column. Remove the outer column covers, then remove the signal light switch assembly. You'll see two bolts back in there. Pull one out at a time, add a little loctite and reinstall. That should do it.
It's in lot better shape than mine was....I've been messing with mine off and on for over 2 years. I just did get some new(er) calipers for my 5 lug front conversion...feels great to be able to actually stop the thing now, lol.
FML looks like the mice/rats whatever small rodents were living in there since 2006 had their way with the wiring. Got a battery in it, trunk works, fuel door doesnt, wipers wont turn off (even when the key isnt in the ignition), no exterior lights will come on, radio/climate wont come on, couldnt hear the fuel pump prime. Looks like Imma have to wait on your header panel Vinnietbird...will be at least a month before I can afford all the that I dont even know about yet, luckily my friend's mom has money and I have good credit with her. So I just cant buy anything I dont NEED until I pay her off.
Kinda frustrated cause the way the car was described to me "I start it up every now and then, but it hasnt seen the road in a couple years" and then today it was "I drove it home to the south side from choctaw, then replaced the trans and ran out of money, then my brother took some parts off of it and its been sitting since then"
Just a bump in the road. Fixable. One step at a time. Find out the wiring issues then repair them if you can't find a harness.
My buddy said he can do it...but Im kind of sketched about it...So I'm going to price new ones today...Last thing I need is an electrical fire due to faulty wires. I would imagine a Ford stealership would be able to order one...it might cost an arm, leg and my soul...but its a lil better than burning my house down if it catches fire in the garage.
http://rjminjectiontech.com/collections/50l-efi-harnesses/products/classic-ford-harness
Here is an engine harness. Chassis wiring will need to be junkyard or used from someone here.
$550!? Gonna see the damage first lol. Thanks man.
Noticed that the GT40 lower intake had a crack in it, so plans were to go back to the original intake, but the one we cleaned and painted that came on my buddy's stang when he got it. Then I was trying to take the FUBAR thermostat housing off and broke a bolt off in the intake. So it was back to the GT40, just going to get it fixed, or get one from the JY.
The top intake is the one Im going to use...And theres my valve covers....they're a lil dusty
(http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/299291_207427595976956_100001291504709_520171_3143850_n.jpg)
Anything NOS like a harness for these cars will be high. The cost of any new parts that are specifically for the Cougars and Birds are going up. In a year, we'll be street fighting for a console lid.
I have ALL the wiring out of my old 88 T-bird. Only wires that are cut go to the fuel pump and the window switch might be missing.
cool, going to see how bad it is...still havent pulled the dash, been too busy with the engine bay the past couple days...Hopefully today I will get the dash pulled and see how bad it is...unless I get my new lower intake, then its back to the engine bay.
A couple pics. Gas prices at 7-11 (the 3 on the right are non ethanol gas, the one on the left is 10% ethanol)
(http://c.tfster.com/images/galleries/full_b6d42f700463948a5727eb459fd2844e.jpg)
My buddy's nascar radiator for his turbo stang...It has my initials on it so I tried to get it from him but he doesnt want to part with it.
(http://c.tfster.com/images/galleries/full_5bd80863d9273ee591c87463b10152ad.jpg)
Nice radiator. I just replaced mine a couple of months (almost) ago. Been great.
Ah all we have is ethanol gas in Chicago. Regular is $3.85 in the 'burbs and $4.00 in the city. We have 93* octane gas here though:hick:
I wish i could get non ethanol...
There is a few place around here that have 93 Im pretty sure...
Thats how I felt in Houston...Another reason I love Oklahoma (that and no emissions inspections)
Didn't come out as dark as I thought they would...but its hard to tell when spraying the lens tint...I like it better than all black...but I still screwed up. More important things to worry about now...will strip them and try again another time...
Opinions: next time leave the clear alone like I did or spray that too?
(http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/295824_208450029208046_100001291504709_523001_3861179_n.jpg)
what part of Oklahoma are you in? I am about 4 miles north of the state line in Kansas
Oklahoma City/Mustang
Went over to finally get my car in the garage this weekend, but then my friend's honda was having more problems. So I helped him with a fiberglass box while him and his friend dealt with the honda. After I was done with the frame of the box, he told me to go look through a few boxes to see what I could use on the cougar... Found a few things from brand new spark plugs and new dist cap, to new gaskets and BBK fuel rails... The fuel rails were in the mustang fire. So I took all the hoses off and cleaned them up...
When I got them, after I took the hoses and FPR off (there was a new FPR in the box too :D )
(http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/318198_212939842092398_100001291504709_536361_2320665_n.jpg)
ALMOST as good as new, but definitely worth saving the $200
(http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/299325_212940032092379_100001291504709_536363_7699117_n.jpg)
Not too bad of a car to start with. I would pull the front end off and inspect for damage though. I can't atand things out of alignment for some reason.
Doesn't look like your afraid to get you hands dirty. Good luck, and let us know if you need anything.
Thanks. Just found out I meet my new lawyer on Thursday regarding my truck. If I get a good settlement out of that, the cougar might be promoted from DD to project car before it even gets running :D
Got the rear wheels on it...but had some clearance issues on the front... So either have to get spacers so they wont rub the struts, or possibly rob the Rotors and calipers from the mustang... Putting on wheels cant even go right with this thing :mad:
(http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/317375_215914981794884_100001291504709_545656_3490763_n.jpg)
(http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/309563_215915148461534_100001291504709_545657_114377_n.jpg)
The exhaust in the pic will be removed tomorrow hopefully... If I can ever get a few Fing hours in the garage :mad:
After the sun went down, Took off the upper intake to to find a coolant line that was clogged full of muddy looking stuff... So I broke it... No excuse not to replace it now... Then taking off the lower intake, I broke a bolt off and rage quit... My buddy says he can get the rest of the bolt out when the sun comes up... IDGAF, ready to trash the whole engine and get one from the junkyard.
Any progress is still progress. I don't know that I'd replace a whole engine because of a broken bolt,though. When you're building an old car, you have to expect set backs. I've said this before, mine came from the salvage yard. It was an uphill battle for a long time, now, it's just little things from time to time that are still 24 years old I have to tend with.Everything else has been swapped out at this point. Be patient and it'll pay off.
For the front wheels, just get the thinnest spacer you can get away with for the wheels. Use large washers as a reference first to see how thick you need the spacers. They sell them on Ebay for cheap. What size are the front tires? I'm guessing the wheels are 17x9's.
Think the tires are 245/45/17 but not sure... Its not just that bolt.... Its the fact that its been sitting for so long and it seems like a lot of bolts are rusted... Thats the second one Ive broke, and quite a few more werent in the best condition. The bolts for the valve covers were all hand tight... I literally didnt need a wrench to take them off.... Might have to buy 1/4" spacers i think... but I would rather just go with the mustang rotors and calipers if possible (if they will make it where I dont need spacers), because mine look pretty py/rusted and there is a lug stud missing from one of them... I'm sure we will go with the cheapest option in the end... Everything that had coolant in/near it is caked with crud or rusted... or both
PS...Im not quitting, but I probably wont be working on it for a few days... Too frustrated with it at the moment.