Restoring the old Eight Nine Stang

**shane96ranger** · 10-25-2010, 07:00 PM

Hey, welcome to my little corner I'm making for my Mustang. To be honest, my first love is not Rangers, it's Mustangs......but I still am a huge Ranger fan. Anyway, I've owned this Mustang since January 19, 1995. Needless to say, I have PLENTY of stories about it. It honestly still has the original motor and transmission with 185,000 miles (roughly). I did put new heads on it last summer, but it was for power reasons.....not because it was broke. I currently have it at a body shop here in town. They are tearing off all of the GT trimmings to paint under them. I am having them paint it all white instead of having the titanium gray on the ground effects. Here are some pics showing where it's at.

EDIT: I've changed my signature at the bottom, so I need to list my mods to the Eight Nine. It has GT-40P heads, a 5.0 Explorer lower intake manifold, a Downs Ford upper intake (breadbox style), Explorer 65mm throttle body, Accufab 65mm EGR spacer, Crane Cams/FMS 1.7 ratio roller rockers (93 Cobra factory part), 24 lb. FMS injectors, 73mm Vortech/C&L mass air meter, Air Charge Temperature sensor relocation kit, BBK Underdrive Pulleys, MAC Headers (for now), MAC O/R H-Pipe, MAC Flowpath Catback, FMS Aluminum Driveline, Hurst Shifter (same as Saleen), FMS 3.55 ring and pinion, and an FMS King Cobra Clutch.

dhinch279 · 10-26-2010, 06:23 AM

I am envious of your hatch, its in great shape. Mine has dents on each corner from when people use the wing to slam the hatch closed. Not cool. It's little things like that, that show how well the car as been taken care of overall. Also, if you don't mind me asking, how much are you paying for the complete paint job? I am only asking because it is something that I need done in the near future so I am trying to get a ballpark figure, you can PM me if you would rather.

**shane96ranger** · 10-26-2010, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhinch279

I am envious of your hatch, its in great shape. Mine has dents on each corner from when people use the wing to slam the hatch closed. Not cool. It's little things like that, that show how well the car as been taken care of overall. Also, if you don't mind me asking, how much are you paying for the complete paint job? I am only asking because it is something that I need done in the near future so I am trying to get a ballpark figure, you can PM me if you would rather.

The paint is costing me 2500. They are, as you can tell from the photos, taking everything off and painting underneath. I was quoted as low as 1500, and as high as 5000 dollars for the job. I really felt good with this guy while talking to him, and then he tells me "don't worry man, I'm a huge Mustang fan myself and I have a 66 inside I'm working on". After I looked at his 66 I was sold. I really needed someone who would appreciate the car to do the job and I found that. It was just a car to a lot of other shops.

Oh, and my hatch has it's share of issues too. I had to POR-15 some rust underneath, right above the tail lights. I'm going to see how well it does; all of the shops I took it to said it should hold up forever if it was prepped right. So hopefully my anal way of doing things was good enough, LOL. If it starts giving me any shit, I'm going to get a fiberglass hatch.

dhinch279 · 10-26-2010, 11:05 AM

Yeah, I was thinkin about a fiberglass hatch, but dropping $400-500 just wasn't in my budget this time around. $2500 isn't bad at all for a complete Paint job. Definately keep the camera handy to take pics

**jhammel85** · 10-26-2010, 07:43 PM

That's really cool that you've had it this long and will give it another lease on life!

**shane96ranger** · 10-26-2010, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jhammel85

That's really cool that you've had it this long and will give it another lease on life!

Yeah, I feel I owe it to her. I bought her when I was still a teenager (19). I really have beat the holy piss out of this car. It's seen more than it's fair share of wide open throttle. In 16 years I've only put 75,000 miles on it.....only 4,000 in the last 8 years.

**shane96ranger** · 10-26-2010, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhinch279

Yeah, I was thinkin about a fiberglass hatch, but dropping $400-500 just wasn't in my budget this time around. $2500 isn't bad at all for a complete Paint job. Definately keep the camera handy to take pics

They are actually pretty excited about my car too. They asked me if they could posterize my Stang for advertisement, which I am cool with. In their office, they have local car show trophies that customers have given to them from the cars they painted.

These guys are actually taking pictures of every step along the way with the "Eight Nine" and giving them to me afterwords. These pics here are all with my cell phone.

dhinch279 · 10-27-2010, 06:31 AM

Sounds like a cool shop, what are the plans after the paint job? Just keep it the way it is or are you looking to refresh the engine as well.

**shane96ranger** · 10-27-2010, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dhinch279

Sounds like a cool shop, what are the plans after the paint job? Just keep it the way it is or are you looking to refresh the engine as well.

After the paint comes the interior. It needs carpet and a drivers seat, but the rest looks great. I do have a new center console I got off the local classifieds I need to install. The guy who owned it before me let his son "try" (and I do mean try) and install a stereo in it. He used a soldering iron and wasn't woo terribly careful where he was aiming the damn thing and made little burn marks on the console. I've been looking at it since 1995 thinking it needs replaced, so I am finally doing it.

The motor runs great how it is, so I can hold off a bit on that. I might put the Explorer upper manifold on it and see how it runs compared to my breadbox upper that's on it now. A very good friend of mine owns and operates a transmission shop, and he told me to pull the T5 out and he'll build it for me. I am also considering having him put 3.73's in the rear instead of my 3.55's.

**shane96ranger** · 11-02-2010, 03:25 PM

Okey Dokey, here she is today. They are actually removing the paint with a razor blade prior to sanding it.

**shane96ranger** · 11-04-2010, 03:22 PM

Alright, it's getting close to having paint fly. Just a little body work and the primer goes on.....

This little spot is the only rust hole on the car. There was some surface rust, but this was the only official "cancer" in the car.

wookie13 · 11-05-2010, 10:56 PM

that makes me wish I had my 91 GT back!

Damn I miss that car even if it was a AOD auto!! I really want to get another xcept w T-tops!! I have a whole plan in my head if the lottery would come thru!! Can you say coyote 5.0 in a fox!!!

10-26-2010, 07:43 PM	#5
jhammel85 Capt. Slow Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: South NJ Year: 1987 Make: Ford Model: Ranger Engine: 2.9 V6 Class: 4X4 Used For: Daily Driver / Off Road from time to time Posts: 3,187 Rep Power: 10 iTrader: (3)	That's really cool that you've had it this long and will give it another lease on life!
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11-05-2010, 10:56 PM	#12
wookie13 Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Fenton Missouri Year: 2002 Make: Ford Model: F-150 Supercrew Lariat 4x4 Engine: 5.4 TRITON V-8 Class: 4X4 Used For: daily driver,off-roading Posts: 82 Rep Power: 7 iTrader: (0)	that makes me wish I had my 91 GT back! Damn I miss that car even if it was a AOD auto!! I really want to get another xcept w T-tops!! I have a whole plan in my head if the lottery would come thru!! Can you say coyote 5.0 in a fox!!!
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