Where Should I Start?

[agardonia]

Ok, 2 weeks ago I got my first Mustang GT. It's a 91 Hatcback GT, with a stock 302 and a t-45 transmission. The motor needs new main bearings and an oil pump, and new vacuum hoses. The interior is very ruff, the body is in overall above average condition. Has a few dents and scrapes, and the paint is peeling, so it needs a new paint job. I found a freshly built 308 with Roush Heads, T-Flac Pistons, and Eagle Rods, along with a T-5 5 spd manual transmission for $1100. The motor and transmission have 2,000 miles on them apiece. I've heard the motor run and it sounds awesome, and I can tell it has some horsepower to it, probably around 400 at least. Since this is my first mustang, I have all sorts of ideas of what I want, but no idea of where I should start. Anyone know of the order I should go in to get going on this thing? Interior, Suspension, Body, Motor? Body, Motor, Interior, Suspension?

I am wanting to redo the entire interior because it's really rough. The gaskets and weatherstripping on all the glass needs to be replaced because they are really bad. The carpet, headliner, rear bench seat, and bucket seats need to be replaced. The door panels are the worst. The door handles don't work from the outside, the power window motors work, but the power side view mirror motors, and power door locks don't. The heater doesn't work, but the a/c does (needs new heater core). The motor and tranny need to be replaced, and the rear defrost doesn't work. It has no radio. The center console is loose and rattliing. I know the paint scheme I want. Dk Navy Blue Pearl Metallic for the entire car (except the ground effects) and Pearl White Metallic for the ground effects and the racing stripes. A Cervini Ram Air Mach 1 Hood will replace the OE Hood. Clear Diamond Headlights will be installed. The car had Eurostyle Taillights, but I swapped those with some guy for LX 5.0 Taillights. The rear hatch needs a new latch as the current one doesn't like to latch properly. It also needs new tires and rims, and front and rear brakes. The emergency brake doesn't work, and the headlights have a bad ground, because they sometimes go off and on on their own. There is a lot to do to this car, but I know once it is completed it will be well worth the time and effort. My only problem is where should I start. I'm sure some of you will tell me wherever I want to start, but I'm asking you all where I should start. Also if you want to see the website I am designing for a mustang parts guy here in KC feel free to visit
http://www.mustangautoparts.com

All feedback is welcome, any ideas and suggestions are appreciated.

Andrew

[gmhatr]

Good call on the tail lights. Get the motor and tranny if thats what you are looking for then What I did was go from the outside in. Just depends what you want to do with it. Get it to where you wont get any tickets for your lights going off first. There is a ground on each side of the core support for the headlights. Good luck!!!

[Hethj7]

Hey, welcome to the boards! I am from KC too, so maybe I'll see ya crusiing around...although I currently drive a contour :runs and hides in corner:

Also, unless someone swapped trannies on you, your 91 would have had a T-5 in it also. Sounds like you have a good sized project on your hands. If you can be patient with it, I would also try to start from the inside and work out. If not, I'd get that motor in asap, roast off the old tires, then buy new rubber for it

[KiltedBanshees93GT]

Wow, sounds like the "Litany" from Ghostbusters: Needs new brake pads, brakes, tranny, mastercylinder, rings some rear end work....j/k
Definatly roast the cheapies once its running
Sounds like you have a good idea of where you want to be with the car overall. The only things I would add would be,
Consider your overall goal, then build the subsystems to match it, so the whole thing works together. (i.e. if you want to have a corner carver for SCCA, dont slap on a set of 4 cly springs on the front)
I agree with working from the inside/underside out, that way you can get all that potentially paint damaging heavy work done, then get the body smooth and straight, and once its perfect, get the killer paint job.
(The other advantage to this is avoidence of the ricer "3 grand paintjob with a primer bodykit attached" look)
Plan ahead as to what projects should be done together. Example: if your going to be replacing the door lock solenoids, go ahead and hold off until you can pop for new inner door panels, and do it all at once. Saves taking the same thing apart a dozen times for different reasons.
BTW, That 308 sounds like a sweet deal, Best of luck.

J

[agardonia]

Ok, the final evaluations are being made this Saturday. The car is going up to my personal body shop guy and he's going to look at it, and give me an estimate. I also found out that if I buy the paint directly myself, it saves me a lot of money, because most body shops mark it up (learn something new everyday). I have finally decided on the paint scheme.

The ground effects all the way around will be painted a Ford Opal Opalmistic Metallic White Tri-Coat with flex added into the paint to keep the ground effects from cracking, this will also include the racing stripes to go on the Cervini Ram Air Mach 1 Hood that I will be putting on it. The rest of the body will be going a BM575 <----- paintcode) DuPont Desaturated Navy Blue Pearl Metallic.

I have seen so many mustangs, but have yet to see one with this paint scheme. I get tired of seeing red and silver, red and white, blue and white, green, yellow, black, or all blue. Which is why I wanted to do these colors, because it's unique and it will definitely stand out, and everyone will say, hey He did something new.

Saturday is also the day I take it up to the Custom Interior Shop. I am really torn up on the choice of color, but I know the material I definitely want to use. Instead of true leather (which will fade, crack, and wear out faster in the sunlight) I am going to go with alternative leather, looks and feels the same, but holds up a whole lot better and lasts longer too. My problem is that I can't decide on a white interior, a grey interior, or a black interior. I want the white, but it's so hard to keep clean, but looks awesome. The grey isn't too bad, but you can still see stains on the carpet if you spill something. The black is ok and you can't see as many stains, but it gets really hot in the summer time. This is my main dilemma.

Today while working (I am a professional delivery driver) I stopped at a tire and wheel shop and found the rims I want to use. I decided to go with Weld Racing Draglite 191 XP Series 17x8 rims (are these Windows XP compatible? just kidding), mounted on Bridgestone Fusion ZR 225/55/R17 performance tires. I have a buddy who can get them cheaper than the $322 per rim that they are priced at, and also cheaper than the $150 price per tire. So that definitely works out for me there.

As far as when all this happens, it wont be until after my bills get paid off. I'm expecting an insurance settlement any day now from a nasty car wreck I was in this past summer. That will go to pay most or all of my bills off, depending on the settlement amount. Once that is done, I will have only $800 per month in bills to pay, and $1600 per month to play with, cause I make damn good money for not having a college education. Then on top of that I will be getting a pretty hefty tax return this year, and that will go towards getting the Mustang done. So at least I have a plan, and now it's just putting it into action and making it happen.

Just to let you know, this 308 and T-5 that I will be getting here pretty soon, have only 2000 miles on them a piece, and this motor is pretty bad a**, probably between 350 and 425 hp. Also a buddy of mine has a 302 McLaren XXX block for sale for $150, which is in superb condition, has no (zero) wear inside the piston bores, and it's bored .030 over, no cracks, and is very clean. This will be a perfect project motor for me that way I can build my real racing motor. I'm going to stroke this one to a 347, and supercharge it. I'm gonna try to get at least 500 hp out of this bad boy. Well that's all for now. Let me know what you all think. This should keep me busy for quite some time.

Andrew

[mustangII460]

FYI.

I post on FFcobra.com . This website is for AC Cobra replicas made by Factory Five Racing. This car uses a Fox body as a donor car.

People throw away the carcus all the time. So... interior,body and alot of suspensions parts arn't used. You could score some cheap or free stuff if you watch it close.

My sugestion would be to register and post in the Wanted" section for what you need. Alot of people just won't take time to post things they are trashing.

Good luck.

[KiltedBanshees93GT]

Originally Posted by mustangII460

FYI.

I post on FFcobra.com . This website is for AC Cobra replicas made by Factory Five Racing. This car uses a Fox body as a donor car.

People throw away the carcus all the time. So... interior,body and alot of suspensions parts arn't used. You could score some cheap or free stuff if you watch it close.

My sugestion would be to register and post in the Wanted" section for what you need. Alot of people just won't take time to post things they are trashing.

Good luck.

I may have to check that out too

J