New addition here, 96' GT
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Old July 7th, 2009, 11:53 PM   #1
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New addition here, 96' GT


So, I just picked up my third Mustang. I bought my first one back in 99 which was a 97' 3.8L V6. I traded that in on a 97' Cobra that was in mint condition with only 17k miles on it in 2003. Six months later I found out I was having my first child so the Cobra had to go, (was sad to see it go) but now my son is in school and I have a lot more time and money to invest in a project car.

I managed to find a decent deal (I think? Paid $3k, he was asking $5200) on a 96' GT. It has a few issues but the plans I have for the car should remedy most of them as the build progresses. This is going to be my DD for the next couple of months till my son is back in school but after that I plan to start the serious stuff in the fall.

So, the current situation with the car is as follows:
Completely stock 4.6L with 130k miles except for - K&N CAI, O/R X-pipe, Custom CatBack with Magnaflows...I think...

Problems:
Transmission - 2nd and 3rd gear synchros are pretty worn I think. High RPM shifts are impossible without grinding. Average RPM shifts are fine. Low RPM shifts emit some noticeable bearing whing up until around 2200 RPM in 2nd and 3rd. All other gears seem fine. If I go my first route which is detailed below, I'm going to need to do something about the tranny. Should I rebuild the T-45 or swap in the 3650. I found an exchange service which will trade me for a fully rebuilt T-45 for $750 plus shipping. Good deal?

Engine - CEL is on, which is due to the lack of cats on the exhaust. Have MIL eliminators on the way. It burns about a 1/4 quart of oil every 1750-2000 miles. I think this is likely due to worn valve seals. The only other "major" issue is that the engine is hard to start most of the time. However, if I tap the throttle during start-up, it fires up instantly. There is also a light ticking noise when the engine is under load. It's most noticeable with the cruise control on. As the cruise control adjusts the throttle to maintain speed you can here the ticking come and go consistently. I have no clue what is causing this or the hard starting. The last issue is a whistling sound coming from the passenger side footwell/firewall area that sounds similar to a vacuum leak. The pitch of the sound even modulates to the throttle input and engine RPM. It's to the point that when giving my clueless cousin a ride around the block, he asked if I had a supercharger. I have yet to find the cause of that problem either as I can't hear it under the hood just revving the engine. Otherwise the engine runs fine, pulls well, and no misses, hesitation, or smoking.

Suspension - It's all stock and performs like stock... My biggest concern is there is about an inch of freeplay in the steering, maybe less than that. It's minor but annoying none the less. It probably wouldn't be as bad except for the car has a bad tendency to pull on uneven roads. If the roads are flat and level the car drives straight all day, but if the road is unlevel or has grooves worn in the surface the car will pull to either side depending on the condition. This of course makes the freeplay problem in the steering that much worse as it delays my steering input to correct the pulling.

If you guys have any experience with the issues I've explained, your suggestions for fixing them would be appreciated. On to the plans....

Plans:
Right now, I'm looking for a deal on a full PI swap (heads included) to hold me over till fall gets here. Once fall arrives, I'm contemplating going one of two routes.

Route 1:
Forged Internals and Supercharger on the 2v.

Route 2:
Termie swap. Motor and Tranny.

I'm looking for something "street-friendly" as I intend to spend a lot of time in this car. It will likely become an almost daily driver. I have another vehicle as well as my wife's car but I hate driving either of them. Family cars....

Anyhow, I'm pretty sure I can tackle either route. I'm fairly efficient under the hood and my father has been a professional mechanic for over 30 years that I can always reference if I run into problems. My questions are how will each route deliver on reliability, performance expectations, difference in cost, and difficulty between the two routes. I'm not looking for huge horsepower...just enough to put a considerable grin on my face when I stomp on the gas and not get laughed at on my occasional trips to the local drag strip.

I'm looking for advice from experienced individuals who have attempted or completed either of these builds to point out the little things and give a rundown on your experience with the issues I pointed out...cost, difficulty, reliability, and performance. I've done a bit of research on my own but getting first hand accounts from experienced individuals will hopefully save me some time and headache. Let me know what you guys think.

Here are some pics:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3492/...0e574318_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2483/...71e940e0_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2634/...93cf1b97_o.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2569/...4dabaae2_o.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3448/...4b45f10f_b.jpg
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2630/...17dd5953_b.jpg

Last edited by MODularGT; July 7th, 2009 at 11:56 PM.
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Old July 8th, 2009, 01:34 AM   #2
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WELCOME! we can be same-car homies.....i guess

that light ticking noise when it's under load? I think I have the same problem. it sounds like a ticking or rattling when i really give it gas...or a shuffling i guess(ya thats wierd but that seems do describe it best: mettallic shuffling)

LOL i have some other of your problems including the whistle(mine has 133k on it)

but sorry no idea how to fix them.

again, welcome.
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Old July 8th, 2009, 06:12 AM   #3
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Thanks for the warm welcome...sounds like my problems are pretty common among 96's.
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Old July 9th, 2009, 02:47 AM   #4
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Maybe I should go get some breast implants first so I can attract some responses...
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Old July 9th, 2009, 01:45 PM   #5
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happy to have ya here

1. on the transmission i dont know to much about pricing so mabey someone else could fill ya in on that... personally i have a automatic in mine and i wouldnt change it for anything

2.that ticking noise i had a similar problem on my 01 gt....(thats a long story to explain why and at the same time it doesnt mean thats what your problem is, just something to look into) in my case it was a lash adjuster that went bad, the ticking will get worse over time and eventually if you are as unlucky as i am it will drop the valve into the cylinder and grenade everything to peices.... not good as i have been peicing together an engin for about 6 months now

3. the whistling noise i have (or had depending on how you look at it) the same problem and infact it isnt a problem its you cold are intake that is making the noise under throttle.... i play around when im driving just to hear it lol

4. the play in the steering im not sure that you can fix the steering rack but the price for one isnt that bad... might as well go aftermarket flaming river is a pretty good brand.

for the record im not a mechanic... im good with a car but i would recomend double checking anything i said im not always right.

and as far as a swap down the road do the terminator swap if its gonna be daily driven its just one big bolt in and then tuning instead of building an entire motor

hope i helped ya
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Old July 9th, 2009, 08:58 PM   #6
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agree on termi swap. your going to eliminate 95 percent ofyour problems. and you DD with be somewhat of a sleeper untill you bring it to life. and with minimal parts. its a direct swap. and not to expensive wither. lot less cheaper than a real termi
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Old July 10th, 2009, 03:30 AM   #7
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Thanks for the input guys, that was a huge help. Not to sure what I'm going to do now...My brother-in-law was going to be helping me with the project but he was killed by a drunk driver doing 110 yesterday. He was only 18 years old and a die-hard mustang fanatic thanks to me. The funeral is this weekend so I'm going to take some time after that to re-evaluate my plans. Just can't get excited about the project now. Thanks again for the help guys, it means a lot.

Article:
Wreck claims life of Monroe teen; two boys injured | thenewsstar.com | The News Star

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Old July 10th, 2009, 02:00 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by Thumbie View Post
WELCOME! we can be same-car homies.....i guess
actually hes my car twin since mines the same color.

to the OP.
if u decide to do the termie swap, u might as well not even worry about messing with mods in the engine bay. personally, if u just want some good power (say under 500 rwhp) u can get that from a PI swaped 2v and some FI (personally i love turbos but a twinscrew blower or centrifulcal are nice too). another thing to think about is Trickflow Specialities new heads (totally thier design and im prolly gonna get flamed a bit for this but oh well). they flow really well for a 2v head (4v still out flow them tho) and they will make it easier for ur 2v stang to make power. what I would do in ur situation is start doing suspension mods (no sense in having all that power if u cant plant it) and tranny upgrades till u decide on ur engine route. and last but not leaste...i also recomend u get some black fr500 wheels. they look sex on my (same color and year as urs) car...
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Old July 13th, 2009, 12:15 AM   #9
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Welcome!
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Old July 22nd, 2009, 12:23 AM   #10
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dont hate on me, but whats the termi swap? is it the 5.4?
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Old July 22nd, 2009, 06:54 PM   #11
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Originally Posted by Thumbie View Post
dont hate on me, but whats the termi swap? is it the 5.4?
Termi swap would be a motor + blower out of the 03/04 Cobra, nickname = Terminator
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Old July 22nd, 2009, 07:40 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Thumbie View Post
dont hate on me, but whats the termi swap? is it the 5.4?

Originally Posted by HorsepoweR View Post
Termi swap would be a motor + blower out of the 03/04 Cobra, nickname = Terminator
ya. what rock have u been living under thumbie
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Old July 23rd, 2009, 02:11 AM   #13
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i said dont hate!! im not a forum whore jeeeeez
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Old July 23rd, 2009, 04:44 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by Thumbie View Post
i said dont hate!! im not a forum whore jeeeeez
zip is the only forum whore i know of
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Old July 23rd, 2009, 12:12 PM   #15
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Welcome i used to own a 96 GT as well....
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Old July 23rd, 2009, 02:43 PM   #16
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Originally Posted by MODularGT View Post
Thanks for the input guys, that was a huge help. Not to sure what I'm going to do now...My brother-in-law was going to be helping me with the project but he was killed by a drunk driver doing 110 yesterday. He was only 18 years old and a die-hard mustang fanatic thanks to me. The funeral is this weekend so I'm going to take some time after that to re-evaluate my plans. Just can't get excited about the project now. Thanks again for the help guys, it means a lot.

Article:
Wreck claims life of Monroe teen; two boys injured | thenewsstar.com | The News Star

I'm sorry to hear of your brother-in-laws passing. I know its hard to get excited about the project. But maybe building it in his meomry will help with losing him. Keep your head up. If you need someone to talk to I'm sure someone here will be their.
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Old July 24th, 2009, 02:03 AM   #17
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holy crap i didn't even see that part about your bro!!! Dude that is terrible! I might get in trouble for fould language...but FUCK drunk drivers!!!
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Old July 31st, 2009, 03:41 AM   #18
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So, after taking some time off from work and moving into a new house, my dad has gotten me excited about the build again and has volunteered his mechanical genius to be at my disposal. Several friends and family members have also volunteered their help.

I've decided to do the Termie swap and do the build as a tribute to Hunter. I have a friend that owns a body shop and we're discussing paint schemes for the tribute that won't be to flashy. I'm looking to incorporate some subtle additions to place around the car that would be symbolic of his personality. Nothing too gawdy though.

I'm going to start with the suspension mods while I'm looking for a complete motor for the swap. I'm wanting to start with subframe connectors and a new k-member. It is my understanding that a the k-member should free up a little space under the hood and my front end is pretty much on its last legs anyhow.


Questions???
Is there any particular k-member I should be looking for brand-wise? I've seen a few suspension kits that are basically all inclusive deals that have everything. Does anyone have any experience with or recommendations of a particular brand? If not I'll just look up some reviews. I'm wanting to hug corners more than launching at a drag strip while hopefully maintaining some semblance of ride quality. And last but not least, where is my best shot at finding a full Termie motor with harness and ECU other than eBay which I'm watching religously.

Thanks again for everyone's help and kind words.
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Old July 31st, 2009, 08:16 AM   #19
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you have my sympathies about your brother in law. i know what its like to lose someone you care about, and how bad crashes can be.

but on a happier note, glad to hear your doing the termi-swap, i look forward to seeing this build. oh, and welcome.
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Old July 31st, 2009, 10:52 AM   #20
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Wow... Sorry MODularGT... That's absolutely sucks...

I've got the same car (convertible), please keep us posted on your project. I've been trying to decide what's the best path for mine as well. Looking forward to your updates!
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