gettin my stang back soon!

Post by **ttocs** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 1:52 pm

I have had a 94 mustang gt that is special to me because my mother was the original owner of it. Last summer my alt died, and while I had it out to be rewound/upgraded I decided that it was only a few more bolts to take out the intake. I bought a cobra intake that I had dome some porting work on as well as a larger throttle body that should have opened it up a little. I had a bolt break while removing the intake, it didn't give at all and when I leaned on it it just snapped off in the head. AFter spending $95 on 3 different types of easy-out bits it just wasn't budging. I am not a motor person and was well out of my element to drill and re-tap it so the car ended up sitting until earlier this year. I finally decided just to bite the bullit and replace the heads, and as long as I was in that far the cam too, which of course would require a tune as well and the stock headers hit the new heads so of course some new headers as well..... I found a good deal on a set of holley aluminum systemax heads with roller rockers and jumped on it.

Now this was back in march when I dropped it off at the shop. I was not in a huge hurry since the car had sat since last summer anyway and told him this thinking that he didn't need to put in in the garage right away but sooner then later. 4 months later(last week) I finally told him that we needed to get it done and he was happy to get after it. Today I stopped by and could not help but get excited seeing the polished valve covers, chrome headers and the cobra intake that I repainted myself.... When I dropped it off I had added underdrive pulleys and a cold air intake since its baseline dyno that showed 185 hp, and 260 tq at the wheels so it should be a good increase. I have been told that it could be as high as 275 hp and >300 tq but I will see hopefull tomorrow or friday when they take it to the tuner..... I'll get a vid of the tuning although I don't have a good camera for videos....

I started thinking that the tires were almost done already, this was not going to help..... I put a post on my local mustang clubs forum to see if we got any discounts and got lucky as hell! Turns out that one of the guys works for a distributor and can get them for cost for his close friends and family. I guess it was a good thing that I refused to take any cash and said he could owe me one after fixing his alarm and his G-friends cd changer. Carma worked for me for a change.........

I am also looking forward to using a complete vehicle detail that I won as a raffle prize at a car show to clean her up this weekend and get some new pics....

Post by **ttocs** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:32 pm

They finished a day early and I picked her up this afternoon! The valvetrain was making some noise at first but after some fresh gas, fuel system cleaner and a cam/oil additive it calmed down by the time I got it home. I took it easy on the way back and plan to for the first 500 miles before I do another oil change but she sure is fun up to 2500 rpms! The 94-95 5.0 mustangs have a computer that can be difficult to deal with aftermarket parts and we had assumed the cost of a dyno tune in the price after all of this was done. They fired her up and the idle was fine, no surging or dying problems and no check engine light. I have to get her smogged ASAP as the registration is expired so we decided to wait and see what they said, drive it for a couple of days and see what turns up.

Gonna take a nice long sunset drive tonight and put a few miles on her before I take her in for testing tomorrow. The temp permit I have is only supposed to be for to and from the mechanic and testing facility but after the car sitting for a year, the heads for a few months and all the new parts I am gonna take her for a sunset drive tonight to put a few miles on her before the big test......

Post by **fuzzysnuggleduck** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:41 pm

I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it again!

Don't let the piggies find you!

Post by **Rold Gold** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 2:47 pm

I love driving my 94 5.0 too.........

Post by **ttocs** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:28 pm

fuzzysnuggleduck wrote:I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it again!

Don't let the piggies find you!

Az has one of the most comprehensive photo radar systems in the nation so I don't even get 5 over before I get nervous. I already had them send me a pic with a fast driving award in this car, not gonna get anymore..... They shouldn't be able to catch me with the new heads!

I am going to do some cleaning on it tonight and hopefully drop it off sunday for the detail job that is badley needed.

I am also curious to see how the rear window louvers I got will look on it. I have never seen them on a 94-95 and I think it will look cool from the back with the horozontal tail lights but I am unsure what it will look like from the side. I think when I get the sideskirts for the side exhaust painted and get it installed it would look pretty cool, almost like a 94 mach 1 with the black wheels. I am going to set the louvers in place and take some pics before I decide to mount anything perminantly. the louvers are new and I can sell them for more then I have in them if I don't like them.

Post by **ttocs** » Fri Jul 24, 2009 4:26 pm

ah shit! not a big one but still, shit..... when I picked it up he told me that the valvetrain was a little loud. I wasn't sure what he meant till I started it and he was right, it was loud. It idled fine, didn't have any surging or hesitating and definitly had a little more power but I didn't take it over 3k rpms. We opted to wait for the tune and see how it went for a couple of days and if it would pass emissions. I took it for a short drive last night and infact didn't get a mile from my house before the sherif reminded me that I needed the temp permit on the back window since my tags expired in sept 08..... After taping it back on I had one small spot where it was bucking a little bit and when I got up to highway speed for a short time the check engine light came on. The light turned off before I even got off the highway, all the gauges are running normal but I still dropped it back off this morning. while the valves had quieted down it was still louder then it should be, and the ac wasn't working either. Talked to them tonight and he said that he though a lifter might need replacing and they are going to take it down to check them on monday. He said he would no charge any labor, just parts to make it right so hopefully it will not be too bad......

Post by **ttocs** » Tue Aug 25, 2009 6:43 pm

jesus, can't believe its been a month and its still in the shop. I got it back and it was running hot. AFter a new thermostat and taking the underdrive pullies off it was good to go to the dyno tuner as 94's computers do not like to have parts swapped on them. They did a couple of runs when the guy across the shop asked what the knocking was that started after the last run? We didn't hear anything until we walked to the passenger side and there was a distinct knock on that side. He sat in the car and asked if the oil gauge had been working as it was showing 0 now.

Long story short they dropped the oilpan and found a shitload of metal shavings in there that took out the pump. The main bearings got chewed up and almost spun but it took the crank with it so the block is shot........

so now I about to order a new longblock although I know that the tranny will go out as soon as I get it in.

Post by **stipud** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 6:36 am

Damn that is some shit... did the engine break due to the work you had done on it? Or was it just on its last legs already? Are your new heads fucked?

At the very least with your stang a used shortblock and tranny should be easy and cheap to come by.

Post by **ttocs** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 11:05 am

The heads were actually used before I got them. This will be the 2nd time that I will have to have them sent out and tested and for what I paid plus the 2 inspections/machinings I am just going to sell them and get some new ones as well. This will save on labor and allow for a better warrenty from the engine builder as well. Since this is a car that will not be sold I am not interested in just getting it running again, I want it running solid...........

They are pulling the motor today. I am going to go down tomorrow and hit the engine bay with some degreaser and elbow grease to clean it up. Mom kept it running but she NEVER cleaned under the hood. There are some little tricks you can do to hide the factory wiring in the fenders and make the bay look much cleaner that I am considering doing. I am also considering painting the bay black with some rattle cans but can't decide if I should go for it and if so if I should use a semi-gloss or gloss? I am thinkin semegloss as that is the same color the engine is painted and will make the rest of the chrome parts pop.

Post by **Rold Gold** » Wed Aug 26, 2009 11:20 am

Still hating on you ttocs........................

Post by **Rold Gold** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 1:20 pm

So what did the rebuild cost ya? I was also thinking about side exhaust options as I'd like to get the saleen kit at some point. What did that exhaust run ya? I found anywhere from $400-$1200 for cat-back.......

Post by **ttocs** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 1:57 pm

the rebuild on the original motor or the newly rebuilt motor? All told I have just paid too damn much already, I was close to calling it a day.

The side exhaust kit I put together with pieces I think for around $700(cat-back) for the new side skirts and the mufflers/tips. I still need to get the skirts painted and installed and that will run almost $400

. There are certainly cheaper standard exhaust kits and they flow better as well but I love the style of these. There was one back in my hometown that did it just a year or two after we got ours and I just loved it! I polished the last 2" of the tips and painted the rest flat-black. I was happy to find magnaflow high-flow catt'd X-pipe on craigslist this weekend that will free up the bottleneck the factory cats would create. Between the BBK shorty headers I put on it, the new X-pipe and the mufflers I can't wait to hear it and see it.

Post by **Rold Gold** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 4:04 pm

The new 302 yer putting in.......

Post by **ttocs** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 4:23 pm

going with a rebuilt motor from jasper engine and transmission. The longblock from them with the core return was $2500. The racing with all the triclflow goodies 331 was $5k.

Post by **ttocs** » Tue Sep 08, 2009 3:39 pm

went in today and took advantage of the motor being pulled and hit the engine bay with a degreaser and a brush and rags. Mom did an ok job of keeping the outside and inside clean but never got under the hood. After cleaning out the empty bay, putting in a newly rebuilt motor it should look pretty good. I am hoping to pick it up tomorrow and then it will be off to get the side-skirts painted for the exhaust.

Post by **ttocs** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 2:34 pm

I was finally able to pick her up today, she runs great but why shouldn't she with a newly rebuilt motor. With the cobra intake, new maf, and cai, and shorty headers, X-pipe with high flow cats and side exhaust I gained a little hp over the stock engine. I was afraid the side-pipes would be too loud but I almost wish they were a little louder. I have to take it in to get the sideskirts panited and installed before we can call it complete but I can at least drive it now.

Post by **joerg** » Fri Sep 11, 2009 2:39 pm

Good to hear u finally hit the streets again! Have fun and an accidental free live!

Post by **ttocs** » Wed Sep 16, 2009 6:48 am

the body shop guys are scaring me..... The mangaer/owner took time to explain in detail what they would need to do. He said that we needed to let the ground effect hang down about an inch in order to allow the pipes to sneak/snake into the hole infront of the back tire. To do this he said they would have to fab some L-brackets and fasten them to the bottom on the lip so that it would be secure. They said they would mount them up for mock-up so that I could take it across the street to some exhuast guys to make sure that plumbing fit and lined up. They called me yesterday and I put it on the lift across the street only to find that he had not done ti the way the guy explained and had fastened a long piece of alluminum L-channel to the lip and then fastened the bottm of the effects to that. This allowed no room for any pipe to go through with out somehow cutting the fiberglass and I had no idea what the guy in the shop(different guy) had in mind. I called the manager/owner that I spoke to and asked him if he or his guy could come and explain what he had in mind as this didn't make any sence to me or the exhaust guy. He showed up 10 mins later spittin and cussin that his guy went off and did his own thing after he explained what he needed to do. He was suprised that he did it that way and didn't know what the guy was thinking either, he should have known better. He said he would take care of it, man everything has to be this hard?

Post by **ttocs** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 6:15 pm

body shop finished up and I am happy with it. They made some really sturdy brackets to hold the bottom on and the paint is a great match. The tips of the exhaust does make a difference and helps it rumble a little bit. I will get a video clip of it but I am happy as it is not too loud at ilde or with the window up but when you get on it, it does get a little raspy.

My only dissappointment is that I polished the last 1" of the tips, but you can't tell........

Thumper88 · Post by **Thumper88** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 7:12 pm

holy shit, that looks fuckin badass!

Post by **Bfowler** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 7:16 pm

that looks pretty sick...and i dont even like stangs

Post by **ttocs** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 8:29 pm

thanks fellas! As I have said before the car was originally purchased by my mother and that was the first year of that body style. There was another mustang in town that had that setup back when the car was new and I have been wanting one ever since. I have one more cosmetic addition to do to it this week, but I am not as sure that it will look as good as this.

Post by **stipud** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 7:31 am

Looks pretty nice

Just be careful burning your legs when you get out of the car now. Mine sears me all the time when I unload the groceries from the trunk.

bretti_kivi · Post by **bretti_kivi** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 10:17 am

that looks rather nice.

Bret

Stryker · Post by **Stryker** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 12:47 pm

That looks friggin tight. Is this lowered at all? I just love low cars in general, If it's not dropped yet that might be something to think about. Mustangs of this ilk always look wicked mean with a nice low stance and a small amount of rake

. Don't tell anyone I said that over on the Tbird forum

. That color looks very similar to my 96 Alpine green....What color is that?