Raffaelli's 94.

Raffaelli · May 17, 2011

I figured I should start a build thread since im about to do alot of work to my mustang and Id thought Id share. So some history first I guess.

I bought the car a year and a half ago for 1,200 bucks. Its transmission didnt have OD, overheated and the suspension was GONE. Came with an off road H pipe, thick aluminum radiator, MAC shorties (in the trunk), 2 chamber catback, and plenty of body damage.

Rebuilt the trans, I needed to get a new case, but I found a hardened (billet?) input shaft and converter in it.
Geared it. 4.10's, new bearings, and shimmed up the traction lock.
Found the overheating problem. In a nutshell I had to do the Timing cover, water pump, 2 bypass hoses and about 4 coolant flushes.
Headgaskets popped on me one day (rusted and coolant ran out the back). I put a set of .030 milled GT40s on it and 1.6 motorsport rockers I had.
Did the shorties. Never will again. Long tube or nothing next time.
Replaced the tie rods. REALLY need to do everything else too.

As I got it...

duh09 · May 17, 2011

You think doing headers on our car is bad, you just about have to remove the motor on 4.6Ls to install longtubes from what I hear.

Looks like a good start!

Raffaelli · May 17, 2011

So my plans for it (immediate)....
1. I have a 99 black (charcoal?) interior (minus seats) waiting to go into the mustang. I just have to order a new carpet. Then start pulling the dash and doing it. You can maybe tell from the picture, but the grey interior is all out of place. Seams dont line up, door panels shot, carpet stained. I wanted to start somewhere, and I picked interior. Plus cupholders are awesome!

Mass black worth the money????

2. Im going to put my fox harness and a A9L into this car. Granted the computer is slower, but much much easier to find, tune, and is more adaptable.
3. At the same time Im swapping in a manual transmission. I have the trans, pedals, cable assembly, flywheel, driveshaft. All I need is a clutch kit I think/hope. Have a stock shifter though :angry7:
4. After that suspension bits. The typical, MM plates, probably H&Rs or sportlines. New BJ's and bushings, Im undecided on tokicos or opt up for bilstiens. My truck handles like porsche and would like that on my GT. Alls it takes is money! :BangHead:
5. Put on my explorer intake. A 65mm TB and a bigger mass air meter, little stuff like that.

Longer tearm goals are to do the body work how I like it. Cobra bumpers front and rear, maybe a cowl or Cobra R hood. 17in Cobra R wheels and put some big brakes on it. 125 shot and call it good.

duh09 · May 17, 2011

A new interior would go a long ways. If it's going to be a street car, I'd go ahead and stick with the mass back. The more insulation the better, right?

Swapping to A9L really isn't worth the trouble in effort from what I've read. It was a decent idea back in the day when no one knew how to tune our cars but with a tuner who knows anything, they ought not to have any trouble working on the new computer.

Raffaelli · May 17, 2011

A few more pics...
Drivers side header in...

86K mile T5 I pulled out of a guys wrecked car.

And most of that interior I was talking about.

**I store my parts in my (used to be) crackhouse. Brand new 3 car in the back yard** :tard: That would be a hell-of-a rough kitchen

Mustang Mark · May 26, 2011

i cant wait to see some progress. looking good so far.

ivan12 · May 28, 2011

Good luck with the dash :thumbsup:

Raffaelli · May 28, 2011

Today a box from ACC came. Got my mass back carpet (black). Very impressed with the shear build/weight of it.

Bought it off rock auto for 170 shipped IIRC.

Ive been working on the drivers door. The window always went up crooked and got jammed in the top 1/3. Well a new regulator and motor later, Found I needed a new glass. :angry4:. I cleaned the inside and put peel and seal on the inside of the door. I plan to do the whole car with a layer. (I did a 2layer in my truck and it works quite well. But need to finish the regulator install today..

pics tonite.

And yea. Pulling a dash sux. Took me about 1.5 hrs do get the black one out. Back breaker. Hopefully I get the carpet, dash and stuff back in on memorial day.

Javi · May 28, 2011

you can just swap the dash pad.

Raffaelli · May 29, 2011

Ok, I did get the drivers window working perfect. All the way up and down easy. :headbang:
-Need to buy good door speakers (no-name chinese ones in it. (suggestions?)) I always liked Infinity, but spendy tho...
-Amp em or not? I want clean, clear, and loud. Im no audio expert, but I can put a system together if I know what pieces...

-Figure out the power locks. I has no keyfob, so prolly need a aftermarket remote/module and wire it up.

I gotta get off my butt and get to work...

And Javi- coulda sworn the pad was reveted to the rest of the dash. :dontknow:

Note- The PO didnt know what he was doing apperently for anything. He left all kinds of regulator and track bolts out/loose or too small. The door actually got a *little* chewed up because of this. Ovaled out a few holes and such. Just sayin...

Raffaelli · May 30, 2011

A buddy helped me figure out what audio to run.

Got this deck, and door speakers. Still need a 200-300w 4way amp (for the hi's) and the sub(s), and that amp.

Started stripping the interior.

Down to bare metal

And what I stopped at last night.

I did get the sterio and the two door speakers hooked up temporarily. VERY impressed with how clean the music sounds. Cant wait for the rear 6x9s and the amp.

Javi · May 30, 2011

I unbolted the pad off an 03 cobra.
and i believe the 94 its the same way.

rio red 95 vert · May 30, 2011

Keep us up to date looks like u doing well so far nice job man

Raffaelli · Jun 1, 2011

Finished the sound deadening stuff...

New carpet and black panels fron the dash back.

The Mass back is SOOO plush its crazy. Even with dronemasters, OR h pipe and 4.10's, it cruises pretty damn quiet at 70.

ccasion14:

Raffaelli · Jul 9, 2011

Woot! Woot! :headbang:

Now have the T5 in. Everything went smoothly. Unbolted the Auto, new rear main, new FMS flywheel, Sachs clutch, Steeda adj cable and quadrant, ARP flywheel bolts, 5 speed driveshaft....

Anyways, for anyone wondering, I didnt swap to a 5 speed computer/trans harness. I took off the PNP switch, then took of the harness from the trans and wound it up near the fenderwell (PNP still plugged in). Reverse lights dont work, and the speedo is busted anyways. But still runs beast.

Really need a good shifter, stock blows A$$. And the 2nd gear syncros arent the best. Speed shifting is sketchy from 1-2. I will rebuild the T5 one of these days. Otherwise works great.

Faster? Yes. But its soo nice to be able to control the trans instantly. Not so in the auto.

And besides that I have been further working on the fox harness swap. Ive been wiring CCRM components to regular bosch relays. Should be done in a few weeks.

ivan12 · Jul 9, 2011

Hopefully that steeda adjustable last a while

Raffaelli · Jul 11, 2011

Just posting....

But I just ordered,

New ball joints,
sway bar links,
MM LCA poly bushings,
MM solid steering rack bushings,
MM Poly sway bar bushings

Need to decide on struts. Im going to get H&Rs and MM plates, and later eibach swaybars; just cant decide on struts? Tokicos, KYB, Bilstien?

Raffaelli · Jul 15, 2011

A few days ago got my poly sway bar bushings (stock 30MM); prothane

and the moog sway bar end links installed...

Going from no swaybar to ^ is amazing. Even the girlfriend noticed. :tongue3:

cant wait to do the other stuff. Should help alot too.

BTW, anyone have a link on how to do the MM rack bushings? I read the instructions and now im really confused.

Raffaelli · Jul 16, 2011

I did the lower control arm bushings today. Also did the balljoints, and cut off the backing plates and ABS sensors.

The R bushings were in poor shape, the left were fine. R balljoint was Fkd up. Needed to be replaced. Now the wheels dont have excessive neg camber on both the front tires.

So if anyone is wondering, poly bushings are a GREAT mod. Steering and reacting to bumps is firm. Ride quality is a little down, so expect that. Now I can actually feel the big cracks in the road. No more LTD gunboat float.

ccasion14:

Raffaelli · Jul 17, 2011

Swapped out the automatic computer (W4H0), for a T4M0 five speed computer and trans harness I got for 12 bucks. :icon_rr:

A WORLD of difference. Before the spark would drop out right at 5,200 like a brick wall. Now I can sail it up near 6500 no problem. Doesnt pull at that rpm because of intake, TB, ect, but im happy that it can do it.

And its giving it much more timing in the top end, car detonates a tad at WOT near 5K+ rpms. I think its the compression of the milled GT40s showing thru. The ambient air is hot as hell outside, I couldnt imagine it on a 65 degree night at the track...

Im going to take it (If all goes well) this friday night to Baytown's raceway. First time down the quarter in this car. Wild guess is low 14s :dontknow: We will see.

*Oh yea and no CEL on anymore.