[heretic81]

Okay, so here's what I have for pics so far:









Here are the struts, driver's side first:





They don't look too good to me!

Here's a few shots of the muffler:





And the body damage:









Here's the best shot of the engine:



Here's a shot of the audio wiring (it's set up for an amp/sub in the trunk):



And here's a close-up of the crazy tube that the audio wiring goes through:



And finally, some videos for you. The first one is me sitting in the driver's seat, turn the car on. I can't hear the noise in the video, but this car revs up pretty crazy when you first start her up. If you can see the tachometer jump, maybe you can diagnose without hearing it, but it just sounds like a serious rev. The second video is basically from my camera phone sitting propped up in between my wallet and the bar where the hood clamps in the middle, looking at the engine while I run and rev it up for you. You can't really see much, but maybe it's all you need(?)! Hopefully my wife or someone else can hold the phone while I take the next vid. Here ya go:

Ignition

Ignition

Revving

Revving

Hope this is enough for you guys for now. I have more/can take more. I'd really like your input. Apparently, the heater core is busted, as the front passenger side floor is a little damp, and the floor underneath and behind the front passenger seat is completely soaked. The guy at Valvoline told me that's what that was most likely from, and said to just get some connector valve to by-pass the heater core until I have the $$$ to fix the heater core. Beyond that, they said I should just get the rear differential done, a flush the coolant system or whatever, and do something with the transmission fluid that costs around $70. Oh yeah, the guy told me the power steering sounds bad (it whines), too.

Thanks for any help. Can't wait to see what you have to say!

[Codeman]

My car does the exact same thing when I first start it. The tach jumps up. I do not think it is anything to worry about. As far as the struts, mine look exactly like that. One way to test to see if they are bad is to jounce your car which means push down hard on the front and rear bumper hard a couple times then watch and see how many times it takes for the car to stop going up and down. It should only take 1-2 times. Or another way is to drive on the interstate and if it feels like you are driving a boat then it is time to replace the shocks and struts.

[heretic81]

Originally Posted by Codeman My car does the exact same thing when I first start it. The tach jumps up. I do not think it is anything to worry about.

Well, that's a relief! This is my first Mustang w/a manual transmission, and the only other car I had that was a stick was a Mazda Protege (same year), and it never did that. I was a little worried!

[Codeman]

Ya mine worried me also. It gets a little annoying. You can try cleaning the IAC and Mass Air sensor. It might help. I am going to try cleaning both this spring.

[b1gdaddy98]

the weird tube thing you're talking bout for the stereo is your fuse case, that way if your stereo blows it doesn't hurt your care it just blows a little fuse!

[heretic81]

Originally Posted by b1gdaddy98 the weird tube thing you're talking bout for the stereo is your fuse case, that way if your stereo blows it doesn't hurt your care it just blows a little fuse!

Sweet bippy! I was wondering what that was for, but I figured it was good! Thanks for clearing that up!

[heretic81]

Yeah, the stereo's crazy, BTW. I hooked up my portable cd player through the tape deck because that works, but it sometimes swaps to the cd player for no apparent reason, which is broken. Then it starts making all kinds if crazy, angry noises (probably the cd that's stuck in there spinning out of control). I'm gonna take it to an audio shop and have them install my deck soon, but just thought you should know. I think it might be indicative of an over-all electrical problem with the car, but I'm probably just being a worry-wort.

[b1gdaddy98]

you should install it yourself...a cd player is like the easiest thing to install just snap and plug basically. Good looking car though especially for the deal u got it at, good luck wit it all! you got any plans for it soon?

[Codeman]

U could try installing it yourself like above said it is not too bad. But if you are more comfortable taking it somewhere do that. It is best to pay a little more than mess something up.

[heretic81]

Originally Posted by Codeman U could try installing it yourself like above said it is not too bad. But if you are more comfortable taking it somewhere do that. It is best to pay a little more than mess something up.

Yeah, the last time I tried to do it myself, I screwed it all up. It was not easy, as I had to cut the wires from the stock system and re-attach them all individually to the plug I bought. I ended up just taking it to Best Buy, where they fixed it all for me. I think I'll either take it to a shop or pay a buddy to do it this time, save myself a headache.

[b1gdaddy98]

yeah if you're not comfortable with it then it's def worth payin someone to do! What kinda cd player you putting in there?

[heretic81]

Originally Posted by b1gdaddy98 you should install it yourself...a cd player is like the easiest thing to install just snap and plug basically. Good looking car though especially for the deal u got it at, good luck wit it all! you got any plans for it soon?

Thanks!

And yeah, my immediate plans are to purchase a set of new tires, fix the heater core, and find OEM front seats that have the pony inlay somewhere.

Then, when my wife gets her full-time gig at the Post Office, install a twin turbo kit! I'm sure I'll need a tuner once I do that, and I'm not sure if it's possible to have a CAI with a twin turbo set, or even necessary, but I'll do it if it makes sense. Then I want some long tube headers and a flowmaster dual exhaust system. Then maybe I'll get a racing clutch with a short-shifter, upgrade the brakes, upgrade the struts, then bring her to the dealer for a full body restoration, a paint job (black, of course), and some tinting on the windows. Then I'll find some nice, black rims, and convert the interior to all black (maybe delete the rear seats).

Yeah, I want to murder her! Muahahahahahaaaaaaaaa!

Last but not least, I will install a custom system in the trunk, preferrably with one 15" sub with a dedicated amp, and two 10's powered by another amp..

[heretic81]

Originally Posted by b1gdaddy98 yeah if you're not comfortable with it then it's def worth payin someone to do! What kinda cd player you putting in there?

I said in a previous post that it was a Pioneer, but I was wrong! It's a Panasonic, from 2007. Just a basic deck for now. Once I get some cash flow, I'll upgrade it again.

[heretic81]

So, one thing I forgot to mention was the door... I included a pic, but that might just be the plastic molding that's off, which bugs me anyway. The real problem is that the door won't close properly unless you slam it. It seems to get caught underneath. There's a fair amount of play if you try to lift it up when it's open. Is that just a hinge problem that's easily fixed, or am I going to need a new door somewhere down the line?

Also, about that noise when it starts. It's really "scratchy" sounding. Doesn't just sound like a normal rev. I wish I could get better audio quality outta my phone so I could show you exactly what I mean, but it sounds bad. It's probably not supposed to sound "scratchy," is it??!!

[v606er]

I foresee this thread having 11 pages. 15 or more if she posts pics of herself.

[heretic81]

Originally Posted by v606er I foresee this thread having 11 pages. 15 or more if she posts pics of herself.

If who posts pics of herself??? I'm a guy...

[b1gdaddy98]

lmao I was thinkin you were and I had no idea wut the v60 person was talkin bout

[HMUSN]

Then why on earth are you driving a v6?



























Sorry dude.. I had to take that one.

[b1gdaddy98]

^^^^ OUCH that hurt...

[heretic81]

Originally Posted by HMUSN Then why on earth are you driving a v6? Sorry dude.. I had to take that one.

Very funny! I read that the base hp for a 99 V6 is 190, and the base hp for a 99 GT is 260. That's only a 70 hp difference. I'm sure a V6 can be modded to have 260 or more hp. And I test-drove a 98 GT automatic that didn't impress me at all. I like my V6 manual! It sounds great, has good pick-up, and almost won a race last night on I-95 against what I think was a 99-04 GT!