The good and the bad

Topic: The good and the bad (Read 760 times) previous topic - next topic

The good and the bad

April 01, 2012, 01:47:59 AM

Let's start with the good. Bought a 89 LX Mustang for parts. $400. I bought it from a friend of mine that had bought it to make a drag car out of it. Years flew by and it sat with no fuel pressure. Not even touched. He bought it from a young fella that thought looks was important. The body is in worse shape now than if he had not touched it. He also slammed the car by torching the springs. You can't drive over a pen 15e can laying sideways without touching it! Owner prior to that spent massive amounts of money on it (mostly polishing a turd). He done a 5 lug conversion and rear disc conversion. He also replaced the engine with a crate engine. I think it was mainly a stock 5.0 crate. It currently has less than 10,000 miles on it so I am told. Title has been lost some time ago, but tags and vin have been ran clean. I got it running by bypassing the bad inertia switch. It runs much faster than my bird even on questionable gas. Now for the bad. My TV cable came undone and I did not know it. Thought it was accelerating a little slow but I did not make the connection. End result is loss of 3rd and 4th gear. Now I have to swap the trans as well. I am looking to start the swapping process sometime in May. I will try to take some pics as I do the surgery. Any help information wise would be greatly appreciated. Just a question for future refrence, 89 HO have valve reliefs on the pistons?

The good and the bad

Reply #1 – April 01, 2012, 06:55:47 AM

Yes, the '89's have valve reliefs. As far as help and info....what are you looking to know? Are you swapping the parts into a Thunderbird? Building the Mustang? Oh, and fix the TV cable problem while you're swapping the tranny.

The good and the bad

Reply #2 – April 01, 2012, 09:57:45 AM

All the goodies go into the T-Bird including the 8.8 rear. As I had mentioned the Mustang is a turd and not worth fixing. Parts transfer should be strait forward. Only info that I ask for is the small things I may miss, such as the need to replace the fuel pump.

The good and the bad

Reply #3 – April 01, 2012, 10:12:53 AM

Now that I have re-read what I have typed, I see Vinnie's confusion. Bought the Mustang to rob parts for the T-Bird. 3rd and 4th gear out on the T-Bird. In case anyone has forgot, My bird is an 87 LX with a 5.0. As for the help with info, mainly for brain fart prevention. Having to do this in a bit of a rush. My truck is not running so well, so at the moment I don't have a reliable vehicle.

The good and the bad

Reply #4 – April 01, 2012, 12:26:25 PM

Use your engine harness, the Stang's EEC, and engine. Now would be a great time to get a set of Chuck's mounts if you have the coin, and if he has some. The Stang mounts won't work.
Put a new trans mount in too. (I found an Energy Suspension mount from a member here..)

The Stang 8.8 will be narrower than your existing 7.5, and really not much better ratio, 3.08 compared to your stock 2.73 gear. If you can wait, I'd try to find a TC 8.8, or you can swap in TC axles into the Stang's 8.8 to get the proper track width back again.
(I've a pair of TC axles if you go that route, I also have the brake stuff, but both calipers are seized.)

The fuel lines will correctly match to the engine without mods.

I've basically done what you're wanting to do, swapped in an '89 HO, T5, and briefly, i also used the rear, until I found a TC rear.

If the fuel lines on that Stang aren't cut or hacked, I'd buy them from you once you got it taken apart, if you'd ship them..

Sounds like you're gonna have fun....hell of a power difference between the So and the HO lol

The good and the bad

Reply #5 – April 01, 2012, 06:00:49 PM

Quote from: ThunderbirdSport302;385735

Use your engine harness, the Stang's EEC, and engine. Now would be a great time to get a set of Chuck's mounts if you have the coin, and if he has some. The Stang mounts won't work.
Put a new trans mount in too. (I found an Energy Suspension mount from a member here..)

The Stang 8.8 will be narrower than your existing 7.5, and really not much better ratio, 3.08 compared to your stock 2.73 gear. If you can wait, I'd try to find a TC 8.8, or you can swap in TC axles into the Stang's 8.8 to get the proper track width back again.
(I've a pair of TC axles if you go that route, I also have the brake stuff, but both calipers are seized.)

The fuel lines will correctly match to the engine without mods.

I've basically done what you're wanting to do, swapped in an '89 HO, T5, and briefly, i also used the rear, until I found a TC rear.

If the fuel lines on that Stang aren't cut or hacked, I'd buy them from you once you got it taken apart, if you'd ship them..

Sounds like you're gonna have fun....hell of a power difference between the So and the HO lol

Not sure what axles they used for the 5 lug conversion. Rear seems too wide for Mustang. It could just be the massive wheels they have in the rear. I'll take measurements. As for the leftovers, my brother and nephew get first pick. After that I will try to sell off what I can for little to no profit. I'll send u a PM when I get to that point. Consider the fuel lines yours.

The good and the bad

Reply #6 – April 01, 2012, 09:25:31 PM

Yeah, the different axles/rear end widths and stuff will make ya dizzy...there's a nice axle/rear chart that has the different lengths if you think that'd help with the identification.

If it's a rear from a '94-'98 Stang it'll be wider than a Fox rear, assuming the original axles are used. (The housings are the same, overall length, it's the axles that are long for '94 and up, thusly, swapping in '94+ axles will gain you the wider stance)

Of course, different offset wheels will affect this though.

Sweet...let me know when it gets close to the fuel lines..I'll get some money sent to you for the hassle, shipping, etc. :)

I'll see if i can locate the axle thread for ya