The Hoser, '86 Canadian export Mustang SVO

[horsewidower]

With the demise of the DD BMW wagon I've needed to pull a car from the boneyard and prep it for DD duty. After looking at the candidates, '74 GTV that hasn't run since '86, a '67 Riv with rot and a bad transmission, an '86 red SVO with no engine and trans but a great suspension that hasn't' been titled or registered for 4 years, or the Hoser, the choice was pretty easy.

The Hoser is one of about 650 SVOs that were prepped for export. It was an attempt on my part (like the '74 GTV) to get my sons interested in cars. Like the GTV the interest lasted until they tore a couple of things off and quit.

Annnnnyyyyhowww, that's a different issue. So I needed to try to put this thing together having never torn it apart. How many of you have tried that on a car that was one of the first years of EFI? with 24 year old wiring. Hacked by the prior owner. Misplaced by you son. Good thing I have a bunch of parts and electrical crap from the racecar project.

So after finding all the hard parts...intake manifold, some injectors (that matched!), a turbo that I never thought I'd use, a manifold that wasn't cracked. I was on to the hacked wiring. God I hate hacked wiring as wiring is probably my weakest skill. But apparently there are people much worse.

[horsewidower]

Re: The Hoser, '86 Canadian export Mustang SVO


So, with the help of my friends at the SVO clubs we figured out where all the connections are at and managed to piece together a working harness and got the electronics working. Finally, I scabbed the 3" exhaust of the "red turd" SVO and put it on. So the car ran, rather raggedly, but it ran.

So I waded through the modern day Dante's inferno, known today as California DMV, paid my penalties and fees and titled and registered the car. But I needed a Smog cert. Oh shit, I figured that there was no way it would pass. Everytime it started it registered the tiredness of its engine with the funky blue smoke of death that can only come from bad rings and/or valve guides passing oil into the chamber. Not a chance...well hold on there bunky. Apparently a very new cat that is warmed up with a proper highway drive will wack the hell out of your emissions. Unbelievable. I walked into the Smog place, flat out told them that I was there to fail in order to get my 60 day permit to fix this rolling disaster and rolled out with a car that had passed. Not only passed but excelled, I'll have to post the actual numbers but it was stunning, triple digit thresholds that we passed with single and double digit numbers. And I didn't even resort to adding a couple of gallons of E85 in order to help. I still don't have my sticker, I've spent three hours in line at the DMV and haven't even made it in the door.


Pics:

[TheSilverBuick]

Re: The Hoser, '86 Canadian export Mustang SVO

Congrats on making through the rings of hell and living to not only talk about it, but legally drive it too! New cat's are alway the friend of poor emissions

[horsewidower]

Re: The Hoser, '86 Canadian export Mustang SVO

Man, only people that live in California with the mandated forloughs and screwed up budget can truly appreciate how bad the situation is. If you have an appointment, you can wait more than an hour. Doing a walk up...you're screwed. Twice I've gone and stood in the line that wrapped around the building and in each instance, after standing in line for 1 1/2 hours, I didn't even make it into the building.

[mustang13]

Re: The Hoser, '86 Canadian export Mustang SVO

Your DMV issues blow but, the rest of the tail is gold. That thing passes smog on the first lap, awesome Bob.


We don't have lines at the DMV here in NY, however we do have the meanest, unhelpfull woman on the planet working at them. I find taking chocolate helps grease the wheels of progress ;D


If you have time at you next DMV visit, order up so vanity plates that say " eh hoser"

[horsewidower]

Re: The Hoser, '86 Canadian export Mustang SVO

Nice!!! ;D

[horsewidower]

Re: The Hoser, '86 Canadian export Mustang SVO

Best $100 I ever spent.

The Hoser has been driving me nuts. Its been my DD replacement for the blown BMW wagon, so I've become rather intimate with its habits. Well, it has had a problem where at 3,000 rpm it would just fall on its face. Just like a light switch. Haul ass...boggggggggggggggggg. ARgh! SVOs have a really nifty switch, the regular/premium switch. When on regular, the timing is not aggressive and its limited to 10 psi of boost. On premium, you have a an aggressive timing table and you have 15-18 psi. Couldn't get it to run at all on premium and I took an additional 2* out of the regular table. Yeah, I know I was crutching a problem, but I wanted to work on the racecar not the DD.

So I nursed it for a few weeks, I hate working on DDs. But it finally complained too much, my wife refused to drive it, and it wasn't even really "car guy" safe.

I checked the timing again, it was fine. I did a compression check, it was fine (it blows blue funky smoke of death at start up, but I'm thinking valve stem seals). So I did a fuel pressure check...Bingo. 30 psi at idle (should be 38-40) and when I blipped the throttle it was at 25psi. Since I knew that my son had changed the fuel filter (about the only thing he completed before abandoning the project) I knew it was a fuel pump. A quick order at Summit, next day delivery and I had an upgraded pump. A little time on my back and a few spills of gas all over the garage floor and I was good to go.

HOLY CRAP!!! Apparently I've never had one of these cars run right before. What a totally different beast when the knock sensor isn't aggressively protecting the engine.

But...Damn it, now I'm going to need a new clutch. ;D

[milner351]

Re: The Hoser, '86 Canadian export Mustang SVO

Sorry to hear of the great time that is the Cali DMV - but otherwise - WELL DONE!

I had an over turbo'd over injector'd SVO that I had to put backtogether after my wife's cousin pulled it apart then went off into the army to live it in the driveway for over a year.

I hear you on the wiring.

These cars are really fun to drive once you get the timing of the turbo lag down.... I bet you're doing pretty well on fuel too - as long as you don't spend ALL your time at WOT.

Clutch should be a cake walk compared to the wiring! ;D

[horsewidower]

Re: The Hoser, '86 Canadian export Mustang SVO

I'm using an IHI turbo from a Turbo Coupe at the moment. Not much lag, but it's pretty much limited to 18psi without becoming really inefficient. I may be able to push it some with the installation of a water/alky injection kit that we have left over from the racecar.

It should get in the mid-20s for MPG, but I still need to do some tuning. I'm not doing so good at staying out of WOT at the moment, though. Too much fun!

[milner351]

Re: The Hoser, '86 Canadian export Mustang SVO

the car I had was lowered to the level of stupid, there was not a corner or a speed I attempted that induced a feeling of "oh SH>>>>" the car just went around the corner - off ramp at 80? sure... I too had a case of the way heavy right foot, I sold it before it became an issue - the deal with her uncle was to get it running and move it - give him half the cash... another deal I lost out on in that family!

[horsewidower]

Re: The Hoser, '86 Canadian export Mustang SVO

Very well balanced cars. Probably the best handling Mustang built.

Man I love boost.

[horsewidower]

Re: The Hoser, '86 Canadian export Mustang SVO

Ordered the new upper control arm bushings for the rear end. I'll swap over the panhard bar, Koni sports, and MM adjustable lower control arms from the red turd this weekend, if time permits. Because the lowers are poly and heim joints, I'm going with rubber replacements for the uppers. Trying to avoid the dreaded quadra bind snap oversteer.

[horsewidower]

Re: The Hoser, '86 Canadian export Mustang SVO

Huge milestone this weekend, drove the Hoser to LA and back to Sacramento for the Knott's Fabulous Fords show. Ran like a top, had no problems what so ever. We got the AC running last Thursday as the previous year it was 102 when I went. It also worked without a problem.

A bunch of the SVO guys get together the day before the show and have a BBQ. It gives me a chance to look at cars that haven't been hacked up. There were a couple of low mileage factory original cars that I took a lot of pictures of in order to help me figure out wiring and vacuum tree problems. In additon, we installed some weatherstripping while I was there and received a number of recommendations on how to make it stop banging and squeaking like a loose set of pots and pans. It is now much quieter, I'm only a couple of squeaks and some window weatherstripping away from having a very tight sounding car.

Only one problem during the trip, at the first gas stop I had to buy some ear plugs. I'm going to have to do something about my exhaust. I love the way it burbles and sounds around town, but on the road its an ear splitter.

Bob

[Scott Liggett]

Re: The Hoser, '86 Canadian export Mustang SVO

Man, only people that live in California with the mandated forloughs and screwed up budget can truly appreciate how bad the situation is. If you have an appointment, you can wait more than an hour. Doing a walk up...you're screwed. Twice I've gone and stood in the line that wrapped around the building and in each instance, after standing in line for 1 1/2 hours, I didn't even make it into the building.

That's why AAA is worth every cent. I don't go anywhere near the DMV when I pay for registration. In and out in less than 15 minutes everytime.

[HoosierGTA]

Re: The Hoser, '86 Canadian export Mustang SVO

congrats on a fun , fast, great MPG car for DD duties !