X Pursuit 1987 Mustang Drag and LSR Project

[DanStokes]

That's what stalled out my Red SVO. After replacing the heater core with a new part, the new part leaked. I haven't found the desire to do it again...yet.

I have learned to NEVER install a heater core w/o pressure/vacuum checking it first. I usually just lob the end off the water hose and hook it to the core. Then I plug the other end using any one of a number of tricks (golf Ts are NOT the deal for this!) and then turn on the hose. I've had city water for the past 40 years or so and it tends to run around 40psi +/-. You can spot any leaks pretty quick. Or you can take the new core to a radiator shop (good luck finding one of THOSE these days) and they'll check it cheaply.

If you come over here you'll notice that most of my hoses have repair connectors that they likely needed anyway.

Dan

[CDMBill]

Stiny, I wrote that reply on my iPad and I as can barely read what I write my best friend auto correct changed your BS name for me. I damn near spit tomato juice out my nose reading you reply. It was a good laugh for sure. And, I am sorry for the mistake.

Drag Week rules retaining the steel dash structure in the Street Race class. I guess I'll have to break out the hole saw to get that thing down to a reasonable weight.

[CDMBill]

I finished the disassembly of the dash, interior and the wiring. Man, there are a lot wires and connectors and mystery boxes. I'm going to try and break down the harness to the bare necessities. We'll see if I have the patience for that process. My thought is to lay it on a sheet of plywood with all the lights, motors, etc and see if I can get working stuff before wrapping it up again and putting in the car and having to trouble shoot it inside the monkey bars of the cage. Maybe run wires first?

I like welding and fabricating, wiring not so much. Under dash support and the steering wheel/pedal hangers are just rusty as hell. The clutch pedal will go for now as will the HVAC and everything else that isn't necessary for the drive or the track. I just can't put rusty stuff back in the car so I hope the media blaster will do the trick along with some spatter primer like the rest of the car. Drag Week rules require the dash support structure be there for the Street Race class.

Now for the scraping of the body sealer and the tar paper and the rust spots.

[squirrel]

I don't know, looks like a brand new car to me...

[CDMBill]

Funny, the '87 seems new to me too compared to the '71, but it's 27 years old, though not much compared to your '53 year old cracker box Nova. I am very conscious of little time I have. You really marching with yours. I can't carve out quite as much sheet metal in the Street Race class.

I've got a new manual master cylinder and will re-plumb the brakes and set up the manual steering after the engine compartment gets cleaned up.

[Bob Holmes]

We pulled the dash out of the Red Furd again today. Yeah, no matter how many times you do it, its a PITA. Everyone of those supports that I have seen has the same surface rust. I've come to the conclusion that finding one that isn't rusty would be the exception.

[langleylad]

I was noticing how rusty the pedal hanger / column support was , the same piece in my 68 Cougar is in the same condition . What's with that ?

[Russell]

Ford saved $0.10 each by leaving them all bare

[squirrel]

it's a climate thing. Those parts in my 62 Chevy II have a little rust, but there is still quite a bit of bare metal that is not rusty.

[BBR]

I 've never dug that far into mine to know if they are rusty or not!

Looking good Bill!

[milner351]

Yup - Ford left them bare - anywhere above the humidity level of the desert - they're rusted... but it's surface rust nothing serious.

I like your idea of setting up the wiring on a large flat surface with all the lights intact, switches in place, and a power source - then you can test to make sure what you want is still functional as you remove what you don't want - but I still wonder if starting with a new fuse block and harness would save you time.

[TheSilverBuick]

This last weekend I just went through my Firebird's engine harness. Granted it probably isn't nearly as complex as the dash harness in your Mustang, but I simply cut all the wrapping off, laid it out and took a label maker to each plug for clear identification, then with the service manual out turned to the schematic page verified each wire's use. I ditched about 15 feet of wiring in the harness that was added by a previous owner (with a lot of twisted wire ends with no connectors or solder!). If you are not going to use the circuit (like rear defrost?, etc), flag it with tape of some kind (red electrical?) and then when all the circuits are lined out, start cutting wires! I recommend having your favorite music playing in the background.

[CDMBill]

That's basically the plan. I haven't done this particular job before and I'm hoping someone out there knows or has access to documentation, or can point me to sources on what some of the various boxes I found under there do and hpw much I can lose without having systemic failure or unreliability. I'm hoping the 27 year old technology is still mostly analog and it'll be straight forward.

[squirrel]

what do you need...lights? ignition? starter?

[Beagle]

what do you need...lights? ignition? starter?

I think it will require wires for the fuel pump and if it's one of those monster fire hose pumps, definitely an inertia swtich. Electric fan.

Luxuries! Stereo. Cigarette lighter. USB power outlet center. Defroster and Windshield wipers mebbe?