[sclass-hole]

Reading through all these threads I see a pretty common theme....

Stock Fox body mustangs are pretty rare.

That being said, what should I priorotize as must have? I really don't want to go the 5 lug conversion route but noticed it's pretty common. Is there a reason other than wheel availability for the mod? I was just going to scrap the turbine wheels and go with the pony wheels.

Would the standard brakes be adequate if I'm just looking for a cruiser? The car has apparently stopped ok for the last 23 years with disc/drum but again, there appears to be a lot of people with brake upgrades.

While I'm trying to keep this car from being a "budget" build, I also have 4 other cars to maintain so I can't throw endless amounts of money at this car. Part of it's allure was the fact that parts seem to be plentiful and priced very agreeable to my wallet. I'm hoping to make the car mechanically sound and spend a few bucks on appearance upgrades rather than try to make it a stoplight racer.

Sorry for the long post but I guess the main question would be, what upgrades are absolute must do and what could I pass on and be content with just having a solid depenable ride?

Thanks in advance for the feedback.

[ryanw]

Just though the poneys on and be done with it. If those are the wheels you want, then skip the 5 lug swap. If you want to make you stock breaks work better, then flush, and bleed the system and upgrade the the flexable brake lines for some thing that wont expand under pressure.

[StangBanger302]

I would do subframe connectors as the verts I have seen were VERY flexible. They're cheap and I'm sure they don't cost too much to install. Other than that, throw ponies on it and it'll look nice.

[sclass-hole]

Thanks for the replies. I'm sure in the future I'll want to do some performance mods but I really just want something to drive around in the Summer at this point. I blew my wad on new suspension for the Mercedes this fall and then spent way too much on the Expedition getting it ready for Winter.

[ALEXLOPEZ62188]

Go with ponies. Only reason I wanted to go 5lug was the fr500 wheels..
But if you like ponys, there's no reason to go that route. Ponys look clean as hell anyway

[sclass-hole]

Started tearing out the interior last night. Looks like it's a good thing I planned on gutting and replacing everything.

Back seat


No back seat


Passenger seat removed. Hey! Look at that antique amplifier.


The top doesn't go down with the power switch, not sure what the issue is yet but manually, it only goes down this far. I don't plan on having the top up on this car so the power switch issue can be put on the back burner but I need to figure out why it won't go all the way down manually.


All the windows work but the rear passenger. It makes a slight noise but acts like it cannot engage.


Looks like there is some moisture or possibly oil on the car behind the back seat. Not sure what it is yet but I'm hoping it's something expensive to repair.


The dash and center console are in surprisingly good shape. I'm going to repaint/replace everything inside black so I should be able to correct any small imperfections before spraying them.


It was dark last night when I got started so I'm hoping to roll it out into the driveway today and grab some pictures of the outside. She's a diamond in the rough so don't expect much.

[sclass-hole]

Got a few shots of the outside. I ordered new fenders, and bumper covers this morning.









Fenders are shot.



Some of that good old Ford paint is still on the car. Most, is not.

[ryanw]

Make sure you take care of any other rust on that car, before it gets to bad

[sclass-hole]

Originally Posted by ryanw Make sure you take care of any other rust on that car, before it gets to bad

Drove it over to a friend who has a lift and we checked it out underneath. There are a few small spots that aren't bad but have the potential to become an issue so I'll be taking care of that this Summer. I know the car looks pretty shitty but overall, it's pretty solid. It looks to me like it just needs some pretty normal stuff to be a nice cruiser.

I'd like to sink a shitload of money into the Mustang but since I have an Expedition and a Mercedes, I'm only one rough morning away from a $2000 or $3000 repair bill on my daily drivers so I have to keep my budget somewhat sane for the "toy".

[95StangMX]

I would do subframes no matter what you do, if you bang the gears, or stab it out of the hole (that sounded kinda porno~ey haha) you will tear it up, hopefully it hasn't been driven hard and is still in good shape.

[sclass-hole]

Originally Posted by 95StangMX I would do subframes no matter what you do, if you bang the gears, or stab it out of the hole (that sounded kinda porno~ey haha) you will tear it up, hopefully it hasn't been driven hard and is still in good shape.

I forgot to mention the subframe connectors. I just assumed it was a given to do that on these cars.

[sclass-hole]

Ran into a small issue today.

Tearing out the carpet and realized the floorpan had a little rust. After cleaning everything, there's a pretty good size hole by the seat mounting bolt. DAMN! I was hoping not to have to get a floorpan welded in place. Now this sets the project back at least a few weeks. I don't own a welder and I can't justify the expense of one for this project. Has anyone ever used panel bond for a project like this? I know some jeep guys said they used street signs, sheet metal screws and undercoating to fix rust but those guys are typically assholes and Jeeps are gay.