Restoring the old Eight Nine Stang

[shane96ranger]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

 

[shane96ranger]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

 

[shane96ranger]

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]

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!!!

 

[JoshT]

It was all good until I read this part.

It has GT-40P heads, a 5.0 Explorer lower intake manifold...

Would you mustang guys please quit buying up and tearing apart 5.0 Explorers. It's making the supply very short around here. You may not have gone this route but a Yard/Auto Shop (or auto shop that owns a yard) buys every 5.0L Explorer that comes available for a decent price around here. The only part thy use is the GT-40P heads and Intake and they practically destroy everything else in the engine bay in the process of getting them out. At this rate I'll never find a donor I can afford for my Ranger. The only way they ever come available for less than say $1500 is if they are totaled or completely trashed and that shop buys them as soon as they get listed. Everything else is greater than $3000 and I ain't paying that just for an engine donor, couldn't make enough parting it out to justify the price. End Rant!


I am glad to see the car getting fixed up though, I'm surprised that the shop is putting that much detail into the job for that price. I really hope I can find a place that will do as good when I get my truck repainted, or even half as good when I have my Probe done. A guy I went to school with had a GT of that same body style (don't remember the year) his had been whited out, and it looked great. IIRC he also had clear lenses on all except his tail lights, they had those covers that are slotted which were color matched to the car, really helped bring everything together.

 

[shane96ranger]

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!!!

These things are great cars. I've owned 3 of them. I actually had an 86 GT that had an AOD. I did a T5 swap on it because the AOD is such a dog. People told me it wouldn't run right with the AOD computer and speed density, but it ran very well. That would be awesome to see someone put a coyote 5.0 in a fox, it's only a matter of time.......I'm sure.

Would you mustang guys please quit buying up and tearing apart 5.0 Explorers. It's making the supply very short around here. You may not have gone this route but a Yard/Auto Shop (or auto shop that owns a yard) buys every 5.0L Explorer that comes available for a decent price around here. The only part thy use is the GT-40P heads and Intake and they practically destroy everything else in the engine bay in the process of getting them out. At this rate I'll never find a donor I can afford for my Ranger. The only way they ever come available for less than say $1500 is if they are totaled or completely trashed and that shop buys them as soon as they get listed. Everything else is greater than $3000 and I ain't paying that just for an engine donor, couldn't make enough parting it out to justify the price. End Rant!

I'm not quite sure how to take this, but there was no harm intended to the Ranger crowd....which I am also a part of. I'm a fan of all Ford's so I apologize if I don't see it this way. If anyone should be upset though, it should be a guy who owns an Explorer that needs parts. I see it as I saved some potential scrap metal from being destroyed. And by damned does it work well with the rest of my combo.

I am glad to see the car getting fixed up though, I'm surprised that the shop is putting that much detail into the job for that price. I really hope I can find a place that will do as good when I get my truck repainted, or even half as good when I have my Probe done. A guy I went to school with had a GT of that same body style (don't remember the year) his had been whited out, and it looked great. IIRC he also had clear lenses on all except his tail lights, they had those covers that are slotted which were color matched to the car, really helped bring everything together.

They really are doing a lot for the price. I was quoted as high as 5,000 for the same job at other shops. I also bought all clear lights for up front. I have the factory GT lights (the slotted ones you're talking about) over there now so they can be painted with the car. But I am putting LX tail lights back on it when it's done.

 

[JoshT]

I'm not quite sure how to take this, but there was no harm intended to the Ranger crowd....which I am also a part of. I'm a fan of all Ford's so I apologize if I don't see it this way. If anyone should be upset though, it should be a guy who owns an Explorer that needs parts. I see it as I saved some potential scrap metal from being destroyed. And by damned does it work well with the rest of my combo.

Sorry bout that. Pent up frustration over the issue, have a bad habit of letting it out at the wrong time and not catching my self before hitting the submit button...

And I almost did it again, thankfully I did not just hit the submit button this time.

I have no problem with you or anyone else taking the parts you need from what ever to improve your vehicle. All I want from an Explorer is the necessary fuel injection and ignition electronics and harnesses, short block, accessory package, and radiator. For my swap someone else can have the heads and intake, as I planned to go aftermarket anyway. The problem I have and what set me off is those like the shop I mentioned, and most others in my area who do things the same way (you should see my local pick-n-pull). They don't care what wiring harness they cut, bracket they brake, etc in the process of getting at those parts. As a result it's really hard to find a donor with those parts I need in a location that it accessible to me.

I lumped all Mustang enthusiasts together as the types that would do that, I should not have. Just because a person likes Mustangs does not mean they would do this and at the same time it is not limited to the Mustang crowd. I'm sorry I directed my frustration at you and turned it loose in your thread.