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Hey guys, This is my first time here so please, dont hurt me too much. And yes, my posts on most forums are horribly long!
I love my mustang (1989 5.0 LX Hatchback) that I bought off my step-father for peanuts and I'm not letting go. Sadly it has some problems that could REALLY be looked at or considered changing. Please note this car is FACTORY! The only thing non-factory option is the cursed AOD. Its new (installed 1998), but I dont have the money to change it out again. Keep in mind that my funding is terrible and this is the only car to get me to and from work.
Im not looking for High HP/Dragstrip material. Control, economy, and capable of pulling off the sleeper image. Note also that in Virginia, it rains a quite a bit through the year. I know when to push the gas and when not to.
First on the list is my 200K miles 5.0 block. Rebuild? (yes/no) If yes, should I use a rebuild kit from Summit racing? (seems to be the best price for this sort of thing). It's been treated to High Mileage engine oil by valvoline (10w-40) since I aquired it in '99. The head gaskets have been replaced once by my step-father because it was eating oil back in '97.
Next up: Transmission. This wonderful AOD P.O.S. unit was installed by some chopshop on the blvd. It has only 3 selectable forward gears (but its really a 4-spd), OD, D, and Low. Although the unit is new and has some sort of shift-kit installed, it has a pechant for not running in the right gear. After some self diagnosis, I found that the TV cable connection to the trottle arm was broken (i still have yet to figure out how this thing down-shifted without it). After temporarily attaching it back with stainless steel bailing wire, it seems to be back to how its supposed to be, but i'm still at 3/4 throttle before it will downshift one gear. Should I actually adjust this myself or is it a bad idea?
This brings me to my next issue: The rear drive assembly seems to have some play in it (Clunks when put into gear, bangs when coasting down a hill and tranny up-shifts because of the speed <very violent sounding>, it also travels about 8 inches when in park and you push on the car). I did some digging around and was reading that I should put in a set of 3.73 ring and pinion. I was advised by a kit-car builder that a jump from 2.73 to 3.73 might cause excessive wear to the engine and drivetrain and was recommended agains doing so. I'm an open individual and like advice, so I have not had the FRPP ring and pinion installed yet. After some reading around the forums here, I see that most people that have this ratio (3.73) do not take their mustang out into the rain/snow. Again, here in VA, its a good percent dry, but durring early winter through early summer, its usually wet. Would a set of BFG Geforce T/A KDW's fix/improve this problem? The tires I have (cheap cordovan 235/60R15's <cant argue with free tires>![]() are okay durring the wet spots, but i'm sure there are better tires.
Next is my suspension. As most of you know how it feels to hit a pot-hole with an incredibly stiff suspension, it's quite ball shattering really. Im sure all of the rubber bushings are toast (this could be where some of the klunk comes from when put into gear). I was considering buying a Poly-Eurethane bushing kit for my suspension and was advised against it due to the stiff-ness of the material. I would prefer a slightly softer ride (possibly fixable by changing tires). The car has a problem with the poor repair work done to virginia interstates. VDOT has been implimenting something reminiscent of the size of a speed-bump, every quarter mile. I've seen some of these patches that are quite tall and i attempt to line the wheels up with the rutts that the 18-wheelers put into them. however, despite this, some of them have the ability to push the car vertical when run over. I've had only one close call thank goodness, but thats no excuse for the VDOT to make them that way. I again would like to soften it up a little so my passenger(s) dont complain so much.
Input is most welcome,
Love the magazine, love the cars (bling'd or not)
-Joseph Harder
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