Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums

General => General Fox T-Bird/Cougar Discussion => Topic started by: zpyro on March 27, 2005, 01:24:19 AM

Title: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on March 27, 2005, 01:24:19 AM
just scored an 89 Mustang LX hatch. 69k miles, bone stock, for $1,000  :D
(http://img224.exs.cx/img224/990/89lx0016to.jpg)
(http://img217.exs.cx/img217/104/89lx0025bs.jpg)
(http://img217.exs.cx/img217/7975/89lx0040wn.jpg)

gonna go pick it up tuesday :w00t:
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: CougarCoupe88 on March 27, 2005, 03:20:18 AM
i once wished i owned one. but now i have one. i wish my cougar was still drivable and not on it's way out to junk yard heaven.  one thing i like is how well the stangs handle and the aftermarket.  btw. 5 speed or auto ?  Enjoy the car.  looks like it's in good shape all the way down to the crome tails.  needs pony wheels though. them 10 holes got to go. im my opinion.
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: 1WLD BRD on March 27, 2005, 06:11:33 AM
Screw the pony's!  Do the 5 bolt swap and go with the bullits!  LOL
(http://members.tccoa.com/1wldbrd/signature.jpg)

Nice stang man.  Wish mine was still on the road, but right now I am stripping out the drivetrain and putting it into my '85 Cougar.  This summer I will buy another 5.0L LX to rip around in.
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: Ifixyawata on March 27, 2005, 10:56:44 AM
That's one hell of a deal.  If I had the money and found one like that, I guess I could deal with fading into the masses, too. ;)  Too bad you don't have a nice rust-free T-bird or Cougar to swap all the drivetrain into.
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on March 27, 2005, 11:44:33 AM
Quote from: Ifixyawata
That's one hell of a deal.  If I had the money and found one like that, I guess I could deal with fading into the masses, too. ;)  Too bad you don't have a nice rust-free T-bird or Cougar to swap all the drivetrain into.

I do have a rust-free Tbird. I live in california, remember? :p but 1,000lbs is a pretty big difference performance wise, and there's so much stuff that you can buy for the stang without worrying if it'll fit or not
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: shame302 on March 27, 2005, 11:53:26 AM
bleh...id gut it for the tbird.
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: TurboCoupe50 on March 27, 2005, 11:59:30 AM
Nice car and a Hellva buy... You sure it has just 69K mi and not 169K ??? Stangs don't have the six digit odo, be careful...
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on March 27, 2005, 07:17:34 PM
Quote from: TurboCoupe50
Nice car and a Hellva buy... You sure it has just 69K mi and not 169K ??? Stangs don't have the six digit odo, be careful...


well there's obviously a significant difference in wear from a 69k car to a 169k car, and the guy says it looks to be the lower mileage. he says the only major flaw in the interior is a tear in the passenger seat
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: foxford on March 28, 2005, 05:23:20 PM
If that's what you want, you got one heck of a good deal on it, especially since it's the LX and not the GT
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: Chuck W on March 28, 2005, 06:15:51 PM
Oh look..A.R.M.  Another Red Mustang.

I agree with shame302.... work the TBird...lose the Mustang.  That is unless you want to be like everyone else....:p

But then again...I'm the guyu who has 2 Merkurs in his driveway in addition to thw 3 Fox Tbirds/Cougars...so my tastes are arguably skewed.  To me 87-93 Mustangs are invisible...they rarely get a second look....

Oh..and the weight difference is less than you think I'm sure....That 5.0 hatchback is at least 3100#.... I know your Tbird isn't 4100#
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on March 28, 2005, 06:46:33 PM
you guys can try talk me out of it all you want but
1) I'm getting it at the same price I got my Tbird, but half the miles
2) even if it isn't 1000lbs difference, it's still hundreds of pounds lighter
3) one word: AFTERMARKET. just one of the reasons it's a good thing to have a popular car. now I can actually put parts on it without wondering if it'll fit or if I got it from the right year/trim/model car or worrying about it breaking cuz I got it from a junkyard
4) nobody gives my car a second look either, but I sure as hell give good looking mustangs a second look. there are two kinds of Tbirds around here; ones that are rolling POS's, and ones that are OK. so even giving mine a nice paintjob will just make it one of the latter
5) I've noticed that they aren't really THAT common around here, everyone and their mom has a 94+ mustang. the only ones with foxes around here are ghetto black guys and they have shiznitty convertibles or are otherwise trashed, and scrawny white guys with really clean GTs. I hardly ever see any LXs.
6) new paintjob isn't necessary, the paint is already in good shape.

let's just say I wasn't nearly this excited when I got my Tbird :p
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: Beau on March 28, 2005, 08:01:36 PM
I had an LX Stang once, though I did trade it in for my 'Bird...
I was gonna shove a carbed Windsor down in it, and put a converted 9" in the back, and make a street rod out of it, till I saw that maroon Bird on the lot (fool I am)
Now I have a running white Bird, and a junked maroon Bird....
Your Mustang looks good, I'd of paid a grand fer it too
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: shame302 on March 28, 2005, 08:06:03 PM
Quote
the only ones with foxes around here are ghetto black guys and they have shiznitty convertibles or are otherwise trashed, and scrawny white guys with really clean GTs.

so wich one are you?.... :dunno:

just kidding dude, just playin with ya..
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: Go Roush on March 28, 2005, 08:48:57 PM
I got myseslf 4 TBirds, with all engine combos.  But I would still like to find me a Mustang to build up also.  Congrats
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: foxford on March 28, 2005, 10:23:26 PM
I'm not trying to talk you out of anything, some of my best friends have stangs, have had one myself at one time. It's all personall tastes, I personally like Mark VIIs and T-birds much better, that certainly doesn't mean that you should feel the same way. Your still young enough that they probably aren't near as uncomfortable to you as they are to me either. Glad you got what you wanted and best of luck with her. Fair warning though, don't expect that just cause it's a stang, that the parts designed for it will bolt up like butter, I've built several and still had to modify parts slightly to make them work.
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: V8Demon on March 28, 2005, 10:29:08 PM
Quote
don't expect that just cause it's a stang, that the parts designed for it will bolt up like butter


That's true with any car...By enough parts for say...a 69 Camaro and eventually you'll run into a few that you'll have to "adjust" to get to work in a 69 Camaro.
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: Ether947 on March 28, 2005, 11:23:48 PM
if i could get a Stang as a second car i would. but still put my money in the Bird. it's one of the few Hatchbacks i like. ^_^ and foxford is right, just because they are made for a Stang doesn't mean it will bolt right in. my friend's Stang is nothing but problems when it comes to aftermarket part fitment. in fact they fit my Bird better. lol. he hates that. XD
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: jkirchman on March 29, 2005, 10:18:33 AM
Nice buy, zpyro.  I'd have done it too if I were you.
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: Bird351 on March 29, 2005, 10:24:45 AM
I doubt I'd own a Stang.. (I wouldn't say no to a free one or something, but I would not go out of my way to get one) but I wouldn't mind having another early Fox Capri, say 80-82.

Found another Bird I might try to go after, if I find out the owners are willing to sell.. and (only) if I can get my 351 sold. Body looked good in the two glimpses I got while we were driving by.. but there's a tarp over the passenger door window. Might've been busted out in the hurricane, or just a case of busted clips. Oh well, could be a strip-it-and-sell-it job.
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on March 30, 2005, 12:55:47 AM
just got home with my new toy. took 4 hours to get from there to here cuz we had to do 50 to avoid ruining the tranny, which still got fried anyways  :rolleyes:
(http://img11.exs.cx/img11/5381/dsc007385mr.th.jpg) (http://img11.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img11&image=dsc007385mr.jpg)
(http://img50.exs.cx/img50/9927/dsc007397bt.th.jpg) (http://img50.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img50&image=dsc007397bt.jpg)
(http://img50.exs.cx/img50/8358/dsc007408gq.th.jpg) (http://img50.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img50&image=dsc007408gq.jpg)
(http://img50.exs.cx/img50/5739/dsc007546ex.th.jpg) (http://img50.exs.cx/my.php?loc=img50&image=dsc007546ex.jpg)

py pics, but it's in really good shape. only body flaws are a dent right behind the passenger door, a small ding in the driver door, and something on one of the fenders...I dunno wtf it is, kinda rough patch like the previous owner tried to use bondo but did it blindfolded and drunk (it isn't rust tho). interior is obviously that of a 69k mile car, dash is flawless. I'm thinking of welding the holes in the engine bay (it's like swiss cheese) and hiding the wiring, make it a little cleaner under the hood. gonna get started on pullin the engine/tranny asap. got my engine I built w/ b-cam, cobra intake+rockers, ported stock heads, 3k stall converter, and some nice tubular control arms (after I return the Tbird ones  :p ) that will go in, any idea what it'll run?
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: MasterBlaster on March 30, 2005, 05:24:26 AM
Quote
had to do 50 to avoid ruining the tranny, which still got fried anyways
Tranny problems? You didn't mention tranny problems.  :nono:
And no horn button?? My God, that thing's a wreck!  :tg:
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: thundergrowl on March 30, 2005, 07:24:32 AM
Quote
Tranny problems? You didn't mention tranny problems.
I think he's talking about the tow vehicle. That 'Stang is on a trailer.
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: MasterBlaster on March 30, 2005, 08:00:07 AM
Quote
That 'Stang is on a trailer.
It had to be hauled on a trailer?? 
Will the horror never end?
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: V8Demon on March 30, 2005, 08:46:47 AM
It had to be hauled on a trailer??
Will the horror never end?


It only has 3 wheels!!! :rollin:
Just kiddin.....looks good.  Some others here wouldn't want a Mustang at all, but I got a soft spot for 'em.  I'd like to find a 91 or 92 Mustang LX notch 5.0.  They were lighter still than the hatchback style LX (about 2700lbs with a 1/2 tank of gas)  I like the sleeper look of the old trunk models as well.  Good luck with her and don't forget us cat and bird freaks! ;)
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on March 30, 2005, 11:59:44 AM
lol you guys are funny :p the stang had to be towed on a dolly, and we couldn't get the  driveshaft bolts off so we went no faster than 50mph. the trip was about 200miles, took us 4 hours to get home.
the tranny might just be low on fluid, but the engine is supposed to be running when you check the level and it barely runs enough to get it onto and off of the dolly. the guy said it's probably a lifter or valve problem, doesn't really matter that much cuz I'm replacing the engine anyways
like I said before, this thing has half the miles of my Tbird when I got it, and cost the same $$. a good polish n wax job should make it shine real nice

at least it isn't a Civic :tg:
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: fastbird86 on March 30, 2005, 06:25:54 PM
Quote from: zpyro
at least it isn't a Civic :tg:


Then we all would be raggin ya big time :D

Nice buy, I had a '93 Fox stang once, it was a 2.3 Hatchback but it was still a Mustang. I was Bright Red with the color-mathing door mouldings and grey cloth interior with a 5-speed. It was in prestine condition and had about 121k miles on it when i bought it, very nice car I picked up for about $1000. I only had it for a week when I got t-boned at an inersection buy an S-10 who red light doin 45 mph, totalled the car and gave a pretty good cut under my chin, when I got punched in the face by the air bag. Thats pretty much how I got into the T-bird.
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on March 30, 2005, 07:52:55 PM
lol, pulled the intake and found that one of the pushrods came off of the lifter cuz the rocker arm bolt was super loose. also, while draining the oil I had a strong craving for milkshakes :p
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: foxford on March 30, 2005, 08:39:05 PM
Well see why you got it so cheap now, I really do think you need to add a 1 to the front of those miles though, my Mark has 134k on it(odomoter was replaced at 17k miles, and the interior in it looks showroom new other than the armrest on the center console, which i recovered so it looks brand new too. 169k miles is still not bad on a '93 model. Have a good time building her, that's always the best part.
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on March 31, 2005, 02:03:38 AM
what makes you think it has that much? cuz the rocker bolt came loose? everywhere else I look this car is hella clean, in 10x better condition than my 149k tbird. apparently the head gasket blew and the previous owner replaced them. he apparently decided to paint every bolt head he could too :crazy: everything still looks pretty new, I doubt all the stuff that looks new was replaced
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: TurboCoupe50 on March 31, 2005, 02:21:01 AM
You might want to get a Car Fax report on it, 69K on a '89 with its problems really don't seem likely... The 88 GT Vert I bought last year had 75K mi Actual Milage on the title... Car Fax listed it as 138K three years prior. But no matter what the milage, you got a great base for mods...

With your B cammed engine, 3000 stall and 3.73s,  low 13s/high 12s should be possible... Get some good heads, and it would be deep in the 12s...
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: Cougar5.0 on March 31, 2005, 04:39:18 AM
It's prolly got 269,000 miles  :rollin:

Just kidding  :evilgrin:
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on March 31, 2005, 01:22:13 PM
lol well I ran a carfax on it and it has a Not Actual Mileage report on it, guess you guys were right. oh well, it's still in a LOT better condition than my Tbird, and I didn't get it to worry about resale
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: foxford on March 31, 2005, 01:56:04 PM
Don't worry about it, as long as your happy with it, mileage is just a number, all it means is you may want to be looking at replacing some chassis parts a little sooner ie. bushings, ball joints, that sort of thing if they haven't been done already. I've had vehicles with no idea how many times the odometer rolled over on em, no big deal.
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on March 31, 2005, 03:04:26 PM
well underneath the car it looks like the sway bar end link bushings have been replaced, they're green :wtf: but underneath the car looks pretty  clean for a 169k car
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on April 04, 2005, 05:25:56 PM
well this is how it looks right now
(http://img13.exs.cx/img13/5265/dsc007864vp.jpg)
gonna drop the rear out today, I need a master cylinder, adjustable proportioning valve, some e-brake cables, and rear calipers to put the turbocoupe rear end in (3.55 and disc brakes compared to the stangs 2.73s and drums), and I also need freeze plugs and pushrods to finish the engine. add in a shift kit for the aod, throw the bitch back together and I'll be owning the faces off of ricers left and right(http://www.californiafords.com/ubb/graemlins/woowoo.gif)
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: TurboCoupe50 on April 04, 2005, 07:17:25 PM
Quote from: zpyro
well underneath the car it looks like the sway bar end link bushings have been replaced, they're green :wtf: but underneath the car looks pretty  clean for a 169k car

Well guess I'm gonna have to beat you over the head....

So what about that 140mph speedo???? It didn't come in the car as the POS 85mph was what the factory stuck in the dash...

So what am I getting at??? The 140 was likely put in the car when it had already had some miles on it. I'm doubting it has 169K, but prob  anywhere from 80 to 120K mi...

The TCs have the green end link bushings... they may be orig...
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on April 04, 2005, 07:58:26 PM
Quote from: TurboCoupe50
Well guess I'm gonna have to beat you over the head....

So what about that 140mph speedo???? It didn't come in the car as the POS 85mph was what the factory stuck in the dash...

So what am I getting at??? The 140 was likely put in the car when it had already had some miles on it. I'm doubting it has 169K, but prob  anywhere from 80 to 120K mi...

The TCs have the green end link bushings... they may be orig...

huh, I thought they had the 140 starting in 89  :sorry:  the mileage intervals looked pretty regular so i dunno. but it doesn't really matter, the mileage is just a #. everything will probably be replaced sooner or later anyways  :crazy:
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on April 12, 2005, 04:50:12 AM
well I've been working on welding up the holes that are all over the shock towers and engine bay. I've got em all welded up, smoothed out and primered. I'm painting everything flat black so the engine will stand out even more
I know the driver side area where the battery goes is kinda py, but I had to return the welder and figured might as well just keep the battery there rather than putting it in the back. I dunno if you can relocate the battery to the back of a hatch anyways :dunno:
if they're too big for your screen's resolution just click on the pic and it will open in another window and should resize itself
(http://img160.echo.cx/img160/869/dsc010108vq.jpg) (http://img160.echo.cx/my.php?image=dsc010108vq.jpg)
(http://img223.echo.cx/img223/8903/dsc010120to.jpg) (http://img223.echo.cx/my.php?image=dsc010120to.jpg)
(http://img223.echo.cx/img223/5966/dsc010170hf.jpg) (http://img223.echo.cx/my.php?image=dsc010170hf.jpg)
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: Funky Cricket on April 12, 2005, 11:02:38 AM
still though, lx 5.0 looking even remotely as good as that 1000 is a heck of a deal. and the lx has like 150 lbs on the gt. (can't remember exactly but I know it is significant)

Nice buy. Even if not a bird/cat

I miss my 80 Capri, but my wife will prolly never let me have another one, she hated the flared wheel wells and fake hood scope but that was what i loved! hehe. At least she likes t-birds!  :giggle:
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: Chuck W on April 12, 2005, 02:03:28 PM
Ah..the mono-chromatic underhood look... :crazy:
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on April 12, 2005, 02:46:22 PM
ok mr. anti-stang :p you do your thing, I'll do mine
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on April 13, 2005, 04:08:57 AM
finished
(http://img216.echo.cx/img216/4031/dsc010223hx.th.jpg) (http://img216.echo.cx/my.php?image=dsc010223hx.jpg)
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: jkirchman on April 13, 2005, 10:07:26 AM
That looks good.  It will look better with a motor in there!  I do have a question, though.  Is it good to paint all those wires and hoses too?  I noticed you painted right over some of the harness, the AC dryer and hose, the cap for the washer fluid reservoir, and several other components.
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: V8Demon on April 13, 2005, 11:26:01 AM
Paint will come off the hoses after a while.  It will start to flake
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: Bird351 on April 13, 2005, 11:31:05 AM
Sounds messy. I think I'd have just pulled the harness before painting.
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on April 13, 2005, 07:23:03 PM
wonder how much shiznit I'll get for this :p

just finished installing the white gauge overlays, they look 10x better than stock IMO (on the right). they're electroluminescent, so no worries about the light from the stock guages shining thru or not.
(http://img171.echo.cx/img171/9802/dsc010400on.th.jpg) (http://img171.echo.cx/my.php?image=dsc010400on.jpg)(http://img142.echo.cx/img142/3876/dsc007680oh.th.jpg) (http://img142.echo.cx/my.php?image=dsc007680oh.jpg)

I also got some rear calipers from a junkyard for the TC rear end. now pretty much all I need is a tranny, shift kit, some various brake line adapters and I'm ready to throw it all together
Title: Re: Finally got me a stang
Post by: zpyro on April 24, 2005, 06:02:47 PM
well got the rear end/control arms in, looks pretty good if I do say so myself :P
(http://img256.echo.cx/img256/7302/dsc010934jr.th.jpg) (http://img256.echo.cx/my.php?image=dsc010934jr.jpg)
(http://img152.echo.cx/img152/9290/dsc010949ch.th.jpg) (http://img152.echo.cx/my.php?image=dsc010949ch.jpg)
(http://img152.echo.cx/img152/6331/dsc010961od.th.jpg) (http://img152.echo.cx/my.php?image=dsc010961od.jpg)
(http://img22.echo.cx/img22/3672/dsc010972zo.th.jpg) (http://img22.echo.cx/my.php?image=dsc010972zo.jpg)
(http://img151.echo.cx/img151/2369/dsc010983sk.th.jpg) (http://img151.echo.cx/my.php?image=dsc010983sk.jpg)
haven't gotten the swaybar on it yet, I just wanted to see how it'd sit with the wider axle

so all I have left to do:
buy tranny
buy+install shift kit
buy battery
buy master cylinder reservoir
install brake line adapters (already bought, being shipped)
install speedo gear+cable (already bought, being shipped)
install front sway bar bushings
sand down the rear rotors
install engine+tranny+exhaust+everything else
install alarm/remote start system

then it's good to go :w00t: