Ok, so it was a highly illegal, uninsured, unlicensed, uninspected, 6-mile round trip with no tail lights or rearview mirrors and half the interior missing, but I drove it :mullet:
I had just replaced the valve covers and gaskets (installed some aluminum HO VC's and rubber gaskets), and was letting the car idle in the driveway to burn the oil off the manifolds. I decided it was taking too long, so I shut the hood (TC hood scoops still uninstalled) and eased it onto the road, whereby I immediately floored it. The arse went sideways, I kept into it, and fishtailed a good 100 feet up the road. Once it straigtened out I had it up to about 120 km/hr (75 MPH) and stomped on the brakes to se the rust off the rotors. I repeated this a few times until the brakes felt smooth. Brought it back up to 120 and enjoyed the car's newfound handling prowess on the country back road I live on.
This was the first time I'd driven the car since I installed the CHE suspension, TC rear, and Mach 1 springs. Now, it's been better than two years since I last drove it, so I can't really make an apples-to-apples comparison (I forget how py it used to handle). A few things I did notice: Even though the stock non-HO 5.0 was choking on years-old gas, it works quite well with the 3.55 gears (old gears were 2.73). It's not particularly fast, but much quicker off the line than I remember. Of course I'm also comparing it to the 100-horse platic torpedo I drive daily. This car SOOOOOOO needs an HO-T5 conversion to make it complete!!!
The 11" front brakes and TC rear brakes work excellent. I know this is the stuff Mustang guys throw away, but it's so much better than the 10" rotors and drums the car had originally. I almost feel confident that the car will stop when I ask it to now :D
I also noticed the A/C compressor is fvcked. It still works, but is noisy as hell and the clutch slips at higher RPM. I was kinda expecting this, though - the compressor was noisy when I last drive the car.
Finally, I noticed just how loud these things are when there's no interior in them. I've got the carpet, front seats, dash, and headliner installed, but little else. No door panels, no sail panels, no A-pillar trim, no back seat, etc. It felt like I was driving a tin can. Actually, a more accurate description would be that it felt like I was driving a cargo van. Wind noise, road noise, and "booming" galore, all amplified by my poly bushings.
The upshot: I am finally feeling ambitious about getting the thing on the road again. You don't realize how much you miss driving these cars until you go without for a while...
i know the feeling!! When ever I lose intrest in my mark i take it down the street and back quick and its a rush
Your summonses are in the mail, LOL!
:burnout:
Sounds like you are getting close! Pics, please:D
I know what you mean. I love the first ride in my 88 after it sits all winter. Even though I drive a T-bird every day (a MN-12 :mullet: ) there is nothing like a fox.
You really DO need the H.O and T-5.The H.O conversion can be done for almost nothing,and the T-5 is pretty cheap if you really shop around.
Isn't that short for "Richard"?.LOL.
Yeh you could look at it thay way.
It was not to be takin as fowl.
Or was it?................the mystery of it all.LOL.
The worst is that it was probably still one of the more legal cars on the road around here. You oughta see the things the hillbillies drive by in - cars with no windows, doors, or exhaust, trucks that have been rolled, set upright again, the roof kicked back up, etc. Then there's the 4-wheelers that sail by at mach 3 every day...
...But no, sadly, I'm not getting close. The car is pretty much unchanged since the last pics I posted. I've still got to:
- Reinstall the rest of the interior (including painting blue bits black)
- Paint and install the things that bolt in where the roof meets the quarter panel
- Paint and install the hood scoops
- Paint and install the side trim
- Paint and install the mirrors
- Re-attach the tail light lenses to the housings
- Remove and re-glue the windshield (it is literally almost just sitting in place, the factory glue has let go on both sides, there's only about a foot wide strip top and bottom holding it in)
- Reinstall the windshield and rear window trim
...And that's just to get it drivable. Then I've gotta make it legal (plates, inspection, insurance). Then there's the refinishing of the snowflakes, then I've gotta get tires to fit 'em, I need a stereo, and of course the HO/T5 swap.
I should be driving it regularly in... oh... say, 2015...
Nothing like some nice black marks to keep ya motivated :D Sounds like some great mods, can't wait to see some more closer to done pics.
sounds like [almost]every car ive had and everyday for me :toilet:
since you already have them off you wouldnt happen to have any pics of the channel for the trim on the rear window, and how the clips go on?
I can have you some pics tomorrow...