So... I might have a project! (Car-related)

"Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen" (sportwagen)
02/02/2015 at 22:04 • Filed to: None

Background- In January/February 1990, my grandfather walked into a dealership on a cold rainy evening to inquire about a black convertible they had out front. He made them an offer and they took it (SOMEHOW!). For $13k, he had just bought a 1989 Mustang GT 5spd that had been through one owner (a lease out of Denver) and 20k miles.

Fast forward 25 years- The Mustang has been sitting for 12 years (but occasionally started) and it puffs blue smoke, which was the reason it was parked in the first place. It isn't in particularly great condition, but it also isn't a total rust bucket or pile of shit like a lot of the Fox Bodies are. It has 140k miles and only on its second owner! Now, my grandfather asked me the other day whether or not I was ever going to get around to fixing the Mustang or not... and of course I said yes! So... yeah. I'm rebuilding a car that was sitting for 12 years. The interior is completely disassembled and filthy (it is a convertible with the back glass removed... yeah. Not good) but all of it is there. The car has been beat on by some people *cough* MOM *cough* including my aunt (who spun it into a light pole at 10 MPH in the ice... SMDH) and my uncle (Who was t-boned by a red light runner in 1994... on his way to prom). Yet it is still a solid car and very nice!

Somehow, it still has a clean title even though it has been in at least two wrecks. So I guess that makes it more valuable if I ever do sell it. I need to pull the engine and rebuild it from the block up (GT40 heads, Explorer intake, Comp Cams 255DEH kit, etc) and get new gaskets and such on it. All in all I think it will take me a couple of weeks to do it all with the help of aforementioned grandfather ;)

Wish me luck Oppo! I might upload pics if I stop by to check on it tomorrow!

DISCUSSION (24)

Nisman > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/02/2015 at 22:11

That's really fantastic! Cool car to be working on, too. I hope you keep us updated on Oppo!

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/02/2015 at 22:13

woo rebuild time. I'd love to see the compression test results before and after.

Cherry_man1 > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/02/2015 at 22:14

Be sure to post lot's of pics!

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Nisman
02/02/2015 at 22:15

I hope I have the time to work on it ;)

Also, I really don't care what my parents have to say about it... I don't think they want me driving a "performance" car... even though mom drove it during highschool (1990-91)

Hell, she told me the story of the time the speedo kept going farther and farther around after the numbers stopped... at 85

And yet, somehow she survived!

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy
02/02/2015 at 22:16

Yeah, we think it is the piston rings... but we don't know yet do we? :)

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Cherry_man1
02/02/2015 at 22:16

I'll try!

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/02/2015 at 22:18

If it's just that, you can probably get away with re-ringing it. It also wouldn't hurt to hone or deglaze it if the walls are worn.

jkm7680 > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/02/2015 at 22:19

Niiiiiceeeee, just give us pictures.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy
02/02/2015 at 22:20

Possibly... but it probably needs a full rebuild :( 120k miles of teenagers beating on it probably didn't do much good for it :( mostly the aunt though... she beat the living shit out of it!

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > jkm7680
02/02/2015 at 22:25

I'll be like Vanilla Ice, just even more white... in a black two tone convertible lol

Top coat is black, lower body cladding is a very light grey of some sort

Almost like this, just black on top

Kinja'd!!!

AJ Feldman (alecmets2011) > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/02/2015 at 22:34

A good ol' fox body project

I'm in

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > AJ Feldman (alecmets2011)
02/02/2015 at 22:35

Yep. My first hands on experience with an engine ;)

Steve in Manhattan > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/02/2015 at 22:45

Sounds like it is worth saving ... please post pics for those of us who don't have a car (or the need to work on a car) anymore.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Steve in Manhattan
02/02/2015 at 22:46

Okay... I'll get some pics of the car in its current state tomorrow if I'm able to

Dsscats > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/02/2015 at 22:49

Rebuild, remove top, carpet, back seats. Install subframe connectors, coilovers, brakes. Awesome street/autoX car.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Dsscats
02/02/2015 at 22:53

Meh, no coilovers... not in the budget yet. I might swap the rear axle for an SN95 GT axle (straight swap!) because it has disc brakes and 5 lug axles!!! All for $350 pulled from the car!

Not removing top, I want to keep the streetability of it. I might remove the carpet (it is FUCKING NASTY). Subframe connectors are a maybe.

No set budgetm but I'm trying to keep the whole thing under $1k... and the list has stayed within that so far.

Steve in Manhattan > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/02/2015 at 22:56

Just wish I could have a car, or work on one. But I live in NYC, so I don't get to have a car. Keep us informed.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Steve in Manhattan
02/02/2015 at 22:59

Yay Kansas! - said no one ever

DavidHH > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/02/2015 at 23:54

I spun the speedo on my Ford Econoline, while taking a couple to meet EMS at a mini mart. They hit bambi and then a guard rail, and while she was okay, but he was not wearing his belt. So while I was speeding east to meet EMS who was traveling west, he stopped screaming and I knew I had to go faster. So I dropped the van into 3rd and pushed as fast as it would go, and the speedo just spun around past MPH, but I was not watching it, so I can't tell you how far it went.

DavidHH > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/02/2015 at 23:56

For the Rust:

Read about POR15 for the rest and you must use their marine clean and metal etching products first. I did the entire floor in my econoline in grey and it is still clean six years later.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > DavidHH
02/03/2015 at 00:11

Rust? I'm in Kansas, land of dryness... sort of anyways :P

The car is solid as a rock as far I know. I might have to get it up on a lift before we start working on the engine...

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/03/2015 at 00:20

Yay Kansas!

there, you saw it from me.

Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy
02/03/2015 at 00:21

LOL okay! Kansas says thanks... I guess.

DavidHH > Sportwägen, Driver Of The Red Sportwagen
02/03/2015 at 00:35

Convertible == Rust

So you will be finding a use for POR15 when you start taking it apart. Their product works, only if you follow the prep instructions, but if you do, the rust issue will be solved for a long time. As for the engine, the issues are likely to make it easier to fix with it out. And then you will find even more rust.....