My '04 turdburglar

Goldmember · Nov 11, 2012

MustangChris said:
yea? thats an interesting idea.... I like what you're cookin' up!

Also, i think someone needs new floor mats.

So I've got the shifter thing figured out, Chris. Some creative stuff I've seen. Some guys who welded the holes on the stock shifter handle closed, then re-drilled for the Pro 5.0 base. Some dude over at SVTP made a bracket that relocates the Pro 5.0 handle backwards about 2" (should mention he drew it up in CAD and had a machine shop make them). Then there's the "easy" solution. Both Brothers Performance and UPR (and Late Model Resto by proxy b/c they sell the UPR part) sell bushings that let you mate the stock shifter handle to pretty much anything. If you were running the stock shifter, these bushings let you get rid of all that rubber insulator garbage. Brothers sells them for about $20 and UPR for about $10. After I get paid I'm ordering the UPR stuff.

02GT · Nov 12, 2012

what makes you hate the car? It looks like a great starting point for a sick ride.

AnthonyF · Nov 12, 2012

Why do you call it the turdburglar? Do you or your car like to fÃ¼ck ass?

Goldmember · Nov 12, 2012

02GT, good hearing from you and thanks for keeping my third GT clean as usual. List of what I hate:

1. Bought this out of desperation, the pre-approval on my loan was about to expire and it was do or die time. At least it was one-owner and cared for.
2. The seats are awful much past 2 hours and the bolsters are worn (Fat guy syndrome) Goldmember had better seats.
3. More (-) points for no telescoping wheel (I know, other cars spoiled me). And the wheel is thinner than Goldmember's was.
4. Feels like it will split in two over big bumps and unsure of itself on anything but perfect road. Feels like it's on tippy-toes all the time.
5. F%$@ing rust.
6. PI motor = even less low-end than my '97 had. With stock 3.27's it feels just like the old 5.0's with 2.73's.
7. TR3650 is rough-shifting trash. There were TSB's out on it for grinding Second. Much preferred the T5/T45.
8. Can't bring the shifter close enough for comfort. So far the stock handle on a Pro 5.0 is working pretty well though.
9. More cosmetically challenged than Goldmember was.
10. Even with that mythical PI top-end it's still no quicker than Goldmember was.
11. Thanks to Ford decontenting and use of cheaper materials, feels cheapter than Goldmember.
12. Even with wider rear track and twin-piston front calipers, turns and stops no better than Goldmember. The 99+ improvements are lost on me.
13. Newlywed + student loans + rent + bills = no money to improve any of this.
14. Ridiculous fake hood scoop. I'm seriously considering swapping a V6 guy straight-across to get rid of it.

So,

15. This car was just a bad idea. Not really going to miss it when it goes. Still upside-down on it and my wife wants me to keep it, at least for now.

Goldmember · Nov 12, 2012

AnthonyF said:
Why do you call it the turdburglar? Do you or your car like to fÃ¼ck ass?

Happily married to my wife of four months. The car is a pile of crap.

greenscobie86 · Nov 12, 2012

Sorry you feel this way. But I can understand.

The Goldmember was a hell of a clean car, I'd miss the hell out of it too.

Goldmember · Nov 12, 2012

greenscobie86 said:
Sorry you feel this way. But I can understand.

The Goldmember was a hell of a clean car, I'd miss the hell out of it too.

If I had the chance to do it again, I would have held out for a nice '97 again. Cooling problems of the '96 2V solved and none of the '98's decontenting.

greenscobie86 · Nov 12, 2012

^
Well put. Those were easily addressable issues but the 97's were the ones to have.

chris91 · Nov 12, 2012

Have you tried switching the fluid in the transmission? Couple guys I know swear on GM syncromesh. One guy had a grind when going into second and after changing to the syncromesh it was gone. I know a couple other oil companies sell syncromesh and its the same as GM's. Where is she rusting at? Have you checked in the trunk down in the fender wells? I had a SUPER clean 94 that didn't have a spot on it. Buddy comes over and tells me to check down in there and low and behold, RUST...... As long as you catch it early enough it should be an easy repair. Good luck with it man. With a few mods I'm sure you'll start lovin it. They are sexy bishes man!!

Goldmember · Nov 12, 2012

chris91 said:
Have you tried switching the fluid in the transmission? Couple guys I know swear on GM syncromesh. One guy had a grind when going into second and after changing to the syncromesh it was gone. I know a couple other oil companies sell syncromesh and its the same as GM's. Where is she rusting at? Have you checked in the trunk down in the fender wells? I had a SUPER clean 94 that didn't have a spot on it. Buddy comes over and tells me to check down in there and low and behold, RUST...... As long as you catch it early enough it should be an easy repair. Good luck with it man. With a few mods I'm sure you'll start lovin it. They are sexy bishes man!!

One of the first things I did was to go to Synchromesh. I thought it actually was harder to shift because the Synchromesh is much thicker than the Mercon III (or V) Ford calls for. So I put the proper fluid back in. It's the nature of this transmission, they're just not smooth operators. Synchromesh saved a couple of transmissions for me but neither of my 'Stangs liked it.

Rust- bottoms of the doors, radiator core support up front, a couple of spots on floorboards, trunk is still ok, and I have a 1/2" bubble in the paint just ahead of the left rear wheel and just above the rocker panel. Inner quarters need some love. LF shock tower has a real bad 3" by 2" spot. I have silver POR-15 but no time to get to it. Nice thing is that it doesn't have to be warm out to use the stuff, it cures with time not temperature.

Money's tight for me these days so mods aren't happening. I'm just treading water with it.

Goldmember · Nov 13, 2012

I'd rather post here than start a new thread, but as I mentioned elsewhere in the thread I have mated the stock shifter handle to the Pro 5.0 base. The result, so far, is good. The throws feel longer but none of the Pro 5.0's precision is lost and the shifter is much easier to reach. I can shift through all of the gears and never take my arm off of the arm rest. For a daily driver with occasional spirited driving, I approve.

02GT · Nov 15, 2012

I havent had any of those problems with the 02, although it is a premium GT and I got it with 1200 miles on it. I think the area you are from is what contributes to the rust, it seems cars from up north are rust prone from all the rough weather. None the less I love the power from the PI, and once I put 3.73s in there it really woke up it. The only things to break on this car so far is the AC Clutch and my throw out bearing went out this past week, but when I went to put a new clutch and throw out bearing in my old clutch looked brand new(i still changed it while i was there). I think you'd be happier with a 01-04 GT in a different color with maybe lower miles or at least leather seats, ive also never been a fan of that silver im not sure why though.

Goldmember · Nov 15, 2012

What I really wanted was an 02-04 in Mineral or Dark Shadow Gray and black interior. Hence my admiration for your car, it represents what I wanted to perfection. Looking back, leather would have been better. At least it's not a basket case, though. Starting to address the rust over Thanksgiving weekend with POR-15.