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New member - 1983 Mustang GLX 5.0 'vert - 'Rocket Queen'

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  • New member - 1983 Mustang GLX 5.0 'vert - 'Rocket Queen'

    Hi BangShifters,

    I'm new to the forum, but have really enjoyed the build threads I've seen so far. Looks like a great place with lots of knowledge.

    This will be a slow thread, since I'm currently recovering from a broken hip from a mountain bike fall. I probably can't touch the car until August, or maybe not this year.

    But anyways... here's the car:
    I made a wife pact to get out of motorcycling, and replace my Honda VFR with a Fox convertible. Have wanted one since, as a kid in the early '90s, I got a ride in my uncle's '92 notch which involved burnouts and a 100mph freeway run.

    This car came up in Jan 2014 in Akron - drove to buy it, stored it there, then drove it home in May 2014. The drive home was an adventure... found out my 'new' car had an empty power steering reservoir, no signal or reverse lights, blown front shocks with no bump stops, and only two working gauges (fuel and speed.) But it ran great, made it home, and got 26 mpg highway which floored me.

    Here's what it had as bought:
    • Motor: '91 roller motor rebuilt recently with Edelbrock heads (not sure which... I think Performer RPMs?), Trick Flow Stage 1 cam, 1.6 Patriot rockers, Performer RPM intake, equal length shorty headers with an off-road H pipe with Flowmaster 40's, Holley 670 Street Avenger carb, summit aftermarket ignition and coil, big radiator.
    • Trans/running gear: T5 and 8.8 rear end from a '91, King Cobra clutch, 3.55 rear end gears;
    • Suspension: Crappy, soft 2" lowering springs (Intrax?) on stock struts with no bump stops, Summit upper/lower control arms, front 13" Cobra brakes, rear SN95 disk brakes, bolt-in subframe connectors.
    • A bunch of the original interior pieces in boxes, including new carpet.
    Have had some setbacks, but over the last year, I've put in most of an interior, changed the suspension (found used Tokico Blues and Mach 1 springs), quieted down the exhaust to help wife relations (Super Turbos), and done some motor odds and ends (water pump, thermostat). A few things to do yet - tidy up wiring, finish the interior, fix a stumble on the carb secondary (dashpot, or vac leak?), and touch up a few rust spots. Also, I'm going to use some contacts at work to design up and 3D print some custom kick panel speaker mounts.

    This is my first time really doing a project car, and I'm learning as I go. Stuff I'd really love Bangshift advice on is:
    • Favorite products/techniques for cleaning up surface rust - there's a little on on the underside. Do you guys like KBS, POR-15, etc.?
    • Would love to see, or be referred to, a thread where there's a lot of wiring. I can cut and crimp, but it's not pretty.
    • I'd like to go fuel injection eventually, just to make it warm up quicker and be more streetable. The parts aren't that hard to find, but there's a lot of them, and to capitalize on the mods done, I'd probably need aftermarket manifold, TB, etc. Has anyone been through this?

    The goal is to have a fun weekend ride, and maybe do the odd autocross or open night at the strip. Have been stocking up on 'period' CD's lately for it... Megadeth, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden...






  • #2
    Mmmmmmmm four eye.....

    Welcome to BS! Looking forward to seeing more of this car!
    Life is short. Be a do'er and not a shoulda done'er.
    1969 Galaxie 500 https://bangshift.com/forum/forum/ba...ild-it-s-alive
    1998 Mustang GT https://bangshift.com/forum/forum/ba...60-and-a-turbo
    1983 Mustang GT 545/552/302/Turbo302/552 http://www.bangshift.com/forum/forum...485-bbr-s-83gt
    1973 F-250 BBF Turbo Truck http://www.bangshift.com/forum/forum...uck-conversion
    1986 Ford Ranger EFI 545/C6 https://bangshift.com/forum/forum/ba...tooth-and-nail

    Comment


    • #3
      Welcome. Great to see another 4 eyed car in here. I have most of the wiring diagrams for an 84 should be mostly the same, tell what area you are working on and I will see if I can scan a copy for you. The wiring is notoriously bad in these cars or at least from my experience. I think my 84 was a running electrical fire waiting to happen when I got it.

      Good luck and looking forward to more pics.

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi JWS,

        I actually think I have a pretty good reference on the wiring - I got the wiring diagram from FourEyedPride (this thread) and printed it out on 11x17 paper. However, I really appreciate the offer to scan it for me.

        My issue is just on joining things correctly, routing it nicely, and using good practice. It's pretty horrendous... actually, kind of relieved that I don't have a pic to share.

        Comment


        • #5
          Know the feeling. My engine harness looked like a ball of copper and pieces of insulation everywhere. I had to pretty much completely rebuild it. I have a pic somewhere of it but I hate to show it.

          Foureyed pride is a good source for stock stuff and wiring diagrams and such.

          Comment


          • #6
            Having seen it firsthand, I'm amazed JWS's car didn't burn to the damn ground.
            Life is short. Be a do'er and not a shoulda done'er.
            1969 Galaxie 500 https://bangshift.com/forum/forum/ba...ild-it-s-alive
            1998 Mustang GT https://bangshift.com/forum/forum/ba...60-and-a-turbo
            1983 Mustang GT 545/552/302/Turbo302/552 http://www.bangshift.com/forum/forum...485-bbr-s-83gt
            1973 F-250 BBF Turbo Truck http://www.bangshift.com/forum/forum...uck-conversion
            1986 Ford Ranger EFI 545/C6 https://bangshift.com/forum/forum/ba...tooth-and-nail

            Comment

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