[bird_dog0347]

So about 2 years ago I got my current 92 Coupe 5.0/5spd in a trade from a guy in East Texas, I gave him a dirtbike and $1k for the car. My plan was to have a fun weekend car that I may some day do a
little auto x or an open track day in it. I don't really have an interest in drag racing so it needed to handle as well as possible. It was originally a 4 cylinder conversion, bright red with black
interior. It had weld Pro Star drag wheels on it, unkown crap ass springs, terrible suspension all the way around, disk rear, cowl hood, pretty stock motor that sounded like it had a cam in it (more on
that later), a 5 lug conversion, dumped flows, and a breathalyzer. So after I drove it home from East Tx I ended up driving it back the next weekend to get the breathalyzer pulled out of it as the ass-
hat lied and said it could be done in Dallas.

when it came home






Here's the list of problems it had that I immediately knew about.

No keys, ignition or doors (clean title though)
brakes were spongy as hell and I had to pump them to stop every time
it was eating serpantine belts
broken fan blades
terrible suspension
needed alignment
blinkers didn't work
paint is terrible
no e-brake


Anyways, the first order of business was to get an ignition key for it, the guy said his kid lost the keys... all of them. When he tried to replace the ignition key cylinder he pulled too much of it out
and lost the gear that goes behind the cylinder, so it had to be started with a flat head screw driver and could not be locked as there was no door key.
Then I wanted to be rid of those drag wheels so I swapped DJ for his FR500's but quickly realized they wouldn't work with the crappy 5 lug conversion that was done on the car. It had Lincoln Mk VII
rotors on the front and a 2000-ish disk rear end which made the wheels stick way too far out. Once I swapped the wheels I was pretty much commited to doing a proper 5 lug conversion so I found a used
set of SN95 brakes/spindles and tried that but the calipers were sooo bad that I decided to stop and go with Cobra brakes on the front. So, I got new rotors and bought the caplipers and brackets off
Corral. I also got new Tokico blue struts. I figured while I have it apart I might as well do the control arm bushings and sway bushings, and got MM solid steering rack bushings too. I also discovered
the reason the brakes SUCKED was due to the stock master cylinder and the disk rear end... so I got the proper master cylinder, new booster, prop valve, SVE lowering springs etc. and fixed it. I went
cheap on the springs since I knew I needed something for now but had to wait till I can afford it to get a full coil over set.

Before and after:

 

[bird_dog0347]

Then I ripped it all back out to do the bushings and the cobra brakes. Also the springs still had a serious raked look to them so LMR made it right for me and I got some Eibach sportlines and some MAC
caster/camber plates cause they were cheap and I needed something better than stock at the time. I also did the SVE rear control arms.

Now with the front suspension and brakes where I wanted it for the time being I had to start fixing things like the belt/pullies/fan/etc. I discovered why the belts were being eaten... the water pump
had some how walked the shaft forward which pushed that pulley out of alignment. It also pushed the fan into the radiator (explaining the broken blade) and meant I had to replace the radiator. So I got
another radiator, fan, fan clutch, water pump, 3G alternator, march alt bracket, underdrive pulleys, and a new belt and went to town. I still need to replace my power steering pump as it whines like a
little girl losing her virginity to a porn star.

I don't have pics of this part, but I also replaced the power window motors, all locks, door lock actuators and got the power windows/locks working again. I got the blinker issue resolved as well and took the black "tint" paint off the tail lights and polished them up all nice.
Now it was time to give it a little more power... not much but hey, it wasn't expensive. I found an Explorer intake for it and went to work on that and the exhaust. I hated the dumped flows it had and
love the look of tailpipes on a coupe but the mufflers were welded to what was left of the stock H pipe (that no longer was an H) and were offset inlet center outlet so tail pipes couldn't get hooked up
and it had stock headers. Which meant I had to replace the H pipe as well. So I pieced all the parts together for a whole new exhaust. BBK Long tube headers, BBK O/R H pipe, and 2 chamber flows with
chrome tail pipes. I also discovered at this point that the O2 sensors were cut and I was completely missing the O2 harness. So I got a harness and 2 new O2 sensors and it no longer sounds like it has a
big cam but it actually idles pretty nice now.

Before and after:

 

[bird_dog0347]

After almost a year of having it and working on it all the time but not driving it, I finally drove it a little until the rear end started making some noise. And that was pretty much exactly the same time when I saw a 04 Cobra IRS come up for sale for $500 so I jumped on it right away!I knew to get the rear end to handle like I wanted was going to cost at least another $1500 just to handle maybe as well as the IRS so I went with the IRS instead as I already wanted 3.55 gears and it had them. Eventually I'll get different control arm bushings for the rear end, and coil overs, but for now it's got the stock Bilstien's, cut stock springs, poly subframe and F/R diff mount bushings and a rear diff brace. So now it's got full Cobra brakes all the way around as well. Also I had to sell the exhaust I'd just installed and control arms and rear end, so all in all I think the swap cost me maybe $250 after selling off my old stuff. I also got the e-brake working now too! Unfortunately I knew the 18x10 rear wheels weren't gonna fit on the rear with the IRS so I traded them for a set of 98 Cobra wheels.








This is where it sits today, and still needs a number of things as well as a list of "wants". Before I can drive it regularly I'll need the registration/inspection stickers and I've got what sounds like a dragging brake pad that I've got to find and fix what's causing it. Very soon I'll NEED to replace the power steering pump as it's a very annoying sound, new motor mounts, and new front tires (one bad might as well replace both).

I also WANT subframe connectors, arm rest covers for the interior, new seats as I've got the gangster lean driver's seat, and I'll add the A/C kit from LMR as most of my current A/C stuff is missing but the heater does work well.

 

[Animal]

Nice work.

 

[hsean]

great job love the stance

 

[bird_dog0347]

thanks guys!

 

[bird_dog0347]

Well, the issue that sounded like a dragging brake pad turns out it wasn't that at all. When I hooked up my e-brake the cable equalizer (where the two brake cables connect the handle to the rear calipers) was hanging too low and was resting on the drive shaft. It needed to be held up higher in the drive shaft tunnel so I used a small metal clip and attached it to the top so it no longer rests on the drive shaft and the car runs and drives fine now.

 

[bird_dog0347]

So I've been really far behind on updating this thread.

11/3/14:
So I finally got it all ready to go, stickers and all. I drove it to work last week and was pleased with it overall, but the rear tires rub on large bumps as they are 275 tires and are too wide for the 8" rim and the offset. Tonight I plan to try to swap the front and rear wheels as the fronts are 245/40/17 and while I know it will look goofy for a short while I want to see if they still rub in the back. If not I'll just swap the rear tires and drive the #### out of it for a while.

I also want to jack it up and check out all the bolts underneath on the IRS after putting close to 100 miles on it since getting it all done. It has a valve cover gasket leak which I hope to have time to address this weekend, and I need to check the header bolts as well since it almost sounded like a header leak while I was driving it but I'm also used to my nice quiet 2014 GT so it could just be I need to get used to the additional NVH.




From 11/17/14:

So the tires don't really rub in the rear with the 245's back there except when I hit a really big bump on the passenger side but I haven't rolled that fender so that should fix that issue.

I noticed a long time ago that it would leak a few drips of oil every now and then and finally got around to figuring that out. Turns out the passenger side valve cover was the source so I was thinking no biggie just new gaskets and be done with it. Well, looking closer I discovered the valve cover it's self is cracked (in two places I noticed after it came off) so I bought another one and cleaned it up and painted them. I had always wished I had taken the time to paint them when I did the intake swap but I was lazy and didn't and it looked like ass in there. Now it looks MUCH better.

Pic of the crack.



Old covers showing how crappy they looked.



So fresh and so clean clean....



Stock heads, stock rockers, very likely the stock cam...



That looks much better and no more leaks.

 

[bird_dog0347]

From 11/30/14:

So I finally got a set of wheels that fit correctly front and rear with the IRS. Fronts are 18x8 +35 offset with a 245/40/18 and the rears are a 18x9 +45 offset with a 275/35/18 tire. I put a small 3mm spacer up front even though I didn't try it without it just to be sure they wouldn't rub, but otherwise they fit perfect.

It was really hard to find a set that had the right offset and size and actually looks decent on a Fox especially since the IRS is something like 3 inches wider on each side than a stock fox axle. The rears fit perfectly and tuck in just right. I'm not a huge fan of chrome but maybe someday I'll get them redone in a black chrome which I do like.

I need to get some better pics of it, but here they are from last night.



Here's better pics from a nice Sunday drive, love this weather!

 

[bird_dog0347]

From 12/16/14:

Over the weekend I finally did something about the stereo system... I had all the stuff just laying around from an old car and decided to put it in the notch so I could actually hear the radio. I didn't take any pics of it yet, but I added 1 full layer of quick-roof (like Dynamat but cheaper and available at home depot) in the entire trunk floor all the way up to the rear seat over the rear axle. I'll finish adding more in the front when I pull out the seats and replace them later. I added two amps, my head unit, and 1 10" sub in the trunk. The speakers still suck but after adding more power to them I can at least hear it just fine at half volume where I was having to turn it to full volume to hear it while driving. The sound deadening certainly helps a lot as well, and I'll eventually add another layer or two in the future as well since I don't really care about the weight.

From 1/16/15:

Being a nice day out I decided to take the day off work and fix a few things on the fox. A few weeks ago after a day of driving it I noticed the drivers rear tire was flat the next day. I pulled the wheel to find the damage and it turned out the puncture was less than 1 inch from the inside sidewall. Combine the damage location with the fact the tires were right at the wear bars I knew that no one would patch it for me so I searched craigslist and found a pair of 275/35/18 Nitto NT05 tires brand new still with stickers and nipples all over them for $350 so I picked those up and had them installed today. While I had the car up on jack stands I finally pulled my speedo cable out of the T5 to see what gear was inside the tailshaft so I would know what to buy for it. Turns out I had the 7 tooth yellow one and it appeared to be in good shape. I got to thinking about it and decided I didn't want to have to wait till Monday/Tuesday to install a new gear if I had to order from LMR and decided to call Dallas Mustang and sure enough they had the 20 tooth gear I needed so I picked it up and installed that today as well. Now that the gear is swapped I finally know how fast it's going and can have an accurate mileage count on it.

 

[bird_dog0347]

From 2/19/15:

Well, I just placed my first order today after my tax return hit my account, I'll likely place my next order for the suspension stuff tomorrow when my bonus hits. First order was with LMR today so hopefully I'll get it tomorrow and have new seats in it this weekend..

Order Number: #xxxxxx

Mustang LH Floor Pan (79-93)
Mustang Flowmaster 2.5" Mini-Catalytic Converters
Mustang Headlight Adjusting Tool (87-98)
Mustang Shorty Antenna (79-09)
Mustang SVE S1 Racing Seats w/ Non-Assembled Seat Tracks (Pair) (79-04)
Mustang SVE Cold Air Intake Kit Black (89-93) 5.0
Mustang Spline Drive Lug Nut Kit Black

From 2/20/15:

Well, part of my order has already arrived. The seats are packaged nicely and the box wasn't beat up. I've got to assemble the tracks before I can install them but I went ahead and just snapped a few pics for now, more pics and a review later on assuming I can break away today and install them.

Hmmm, the hardware doubled up on the allen head bolts to mount the track to the seat, and left out the correct hardware to assemble the tracks. Looks like I'm running to Lowes to get bolts/nuts/washers as I don't have 8 of each that match laying around.




Seats are in, carpets all cleaned up, etc. This weekend I'll get the CAI installed and headlights adjusted. I put the antenna on and now I have radio I can hear. I also got my floor pan today, black lug nuts, as well as the Trick Flow cats, and spent about an hour talking to Jack from MM about what I need for dampers/springs so that order will be placed likely Monday or Tuesday when Jack can recommend the proper spring rates. I'll also get subframe connectors and I need to buy a welder.

 

[bird_dog0347]

From 2/21/15:

I got my SVE CAI installed this morning, I do like the black look they've gone with on it and for $65 or so I have no complaints, and it gets my filter into the fenderwell. I'm sure I'll have to get different silicone when I get a bigger MAF and TB though. My engine bay is filthy and I plan to clean it up this summer, but it's too damn cold for that right now.



From 2/27/15:

Stupid snow... The brown truck was supposed to deliver my MM full length subframe connectors, FMS spark plug wires, and distributor spout. The good news is, I did get my full MM coil over kit ordered today and should have it by next week. I went with the Koni SA all the way around, MM C/C plates, and the MM coil over kit for front and rear. MM recommended keeping the stock IRS rear sway bar, and the front 1.3" (33mm) sway bar that was stock on 85-93 V8 mustangs. Mine still has the stock 4 banger sway bar which is like 15/16". I'll post up pics as soon as I get the parts.

From 2/28/15:

Well, the weather sucks for doing stuff today, so I kept the heaters on in the garage overnight and worked out there most of the day today. I got the H-Pipe off and measured into a template, then cut it and welded in the cats as I'm tired of smelling like exhaust when I drive it, and it's got less than 250 HP so who cares that it has cats. Hopefully I can have it installed and running tonight, but I'm off to do the family dinner thing.





From 3/1/15:

I got it all buttoned back up this morning and fired it up, runs nice and smooth with the perfect flowmaster sound a fox should have... No leaks, and best of all, no more budussy smelling exhaust. The interior is even quieter now, very happy with this overall and wasn't too hard. In fact it would have been a lot simpler if my Mitre saw had been in my garage instead of at my dad's house. I had to cut the pipe with a 4.5" metal cutting disk on my angle grinder which was a bit of a PITA.

My favorite thing about the flowmaster cats (got them from LMR) is that they slip right over the existing 2.5" H-pipe and are very easy to weld in place. If you're considering getting cats, I recommend these for sure.

 

[bird_dog0347]

From 3/8/15:

Well my Maximum Motorsports Koni Coilover kit arrived on Friday and I spent yesterday installing it. I still need to finish setting the ride height and it needs to be aligned as well but I think I'll go ahead and install the tilt column and wheel on it before I do all that just so it will be closer to done. Still left to do on the car overall is the driver's floor pan and then install the MM Full length SFC's that I got.

And if anyone is interested in a set of Eibach springs, tokico struts, bilstien shocks, and Mac CC plates let me know, I've got it all for sale hoping to sell it as a kit.

Anyways, here's some pics, but like I said still not done setting ride height.

Old rear setup:


New rear setup:


Old front setup:



New front setup:



And it desperately needs a bath!

 

[Badpony93]

Nice ride clean and simple how you liking those seats?

 

[ChiefStangs]

PM sent for suspension pieces. Forgot to ask you about shipping to IL...

 

[bird_dog0347]

Nice ride clean and simple how you liking those seats?

They look great, and I do like them. The website says up to a 36" waist but I'm a 33" waist and they are very snug. They do sit just slightly taller than I'd like but they have about a 1/4" or so washer/spacer that you install on them that I'm considering changing out for a few thin washers. If you have a 90-93 like me with the no-tilt airbag wheel, it does become challenging to get in and out of them with the tall leg bolsters, but I've got a tilt column I'm swaping in at the moment so it won't be a big deal. They are much firmer than the marshmellow seats I had in there, but I haven't driven it yet to say how they feel while moving. I wouldn't want to drive them across the state, but I'm sure for a weekend car it'll be no big deal. For the money, I'm very happy.

 

[bird_dog0347]

So I finally got the car aligned on Friday, took nearly 3 hours for them to do it all and they got it pretty close to what Jack at MM had suggested to me but some of the adjustments got maxed out before they could reach the suggested settings.

The car is a whole different animal now with the MM kit and an alignment (I never got the rear aligned after installing it as I knew I'd be replacing springs/shocks). When I would hit a bump before the front suspension would barely move and the rear would bounce all over due to the completely wrong spring rates (eibach in front and cut stock IRS in rear). Also any large bump would cause my rear tires to move up enough to contact the fenders and would rub every so slightly. In a turn, if I applied any throttle it was so unpredictable and did not feel planted at all. It was like all the sudden the rear hit a small patch of ice and felt as if it stepped over 8-12 inches then caught traction mid turd.

Well, with the new suspension in there and properly aligned that feeling is gone. The car has a FAR better ride than it had before and now I'm really happy with the decision to go with the IRS in the rear. I've only put a few miles on it so far, and plan to drive it more tomorrow, but it feels balanced now. It just feels SOLID. The suspension isn't overly stiff, and rides way better than the sportlines did, and I don't feel like the NVH really increased at all over what I had before. I think having the poly control arm bushings and what not already had the NVH increased as it were... There doesn't seem to be much body roll either, and the rear end doesn't feel like it's going to bottom out or rub the tires anymore either.

The vastly improved suspension however makes my steering setup more of a glaring problem. The problem is the vague feeling that's so familiar with a Fox chassis. The car simply doesn't respond quickly to steering input, there's a rather large dead zone in the center of the steering, and changing direction quickly right/left/right/left it feels notchy when changing. I've known I need a new pump for a while as it whines a lot, but I've been putting that off till I decide to do a new rack, bump steer, etc. I guess I'll start saving up for those items and need to decide what to go with. I'm thinking of going with the Cortex racing rack ($349), new pump ($90.97 pump/hose/filter), MM BS kit ($149), and MM solid steering shaft ($219.97), MM BS Gauge ($97.95). I've already swapped my steering wheel/column for the non-airbag tilt wheel. The above parts would cost quite a bit though, total of $906.89 and then I'd need to re-align it I'm sure.

 

[bird_dog0347]

So I've driven it around today and all I can say is wow, the car rides better than my 2014 GT now. The steering still needs some attention and lots of little things to do but as far as handling and ride quality, it blows away any other Fox I've ever been in. My GT has a lot more creature comforts, less noise, better steering, but aside from power and refinements I prefer my fox!


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App

 

[Old School EFI]

Great before and after review.

 

[svt99cobra]

nice progress