Suggestions for my next modification

[UNTCHBL]

So where should I spend money next? I still have an entirly stock rear, control arms and all. Just some 373's out back. Should I address this or do something else. I though about maybe a complete feul system. Or should I address something more urgent like the feul injectors and the maf sensor? Start building a short block? Or working on the motor that's in the car with the usual top half deal (intake, heads, cam?) What about a paint job? where should I spend my money guys? I'm actually just going to do miner stuff untill I buy my new daily driver in feb., but after that It's all out again. What should I do next? I'm open to suggestions here!

Brandon

[468LC]

Do a lot of chassis work.

Subframes of some sort. Lower control arms for sure. Don't worry about the uppers. I rebuilt the suspension entirely on my 89GT and I swear that car is as tight as the 01GT we have.

If your still not happy with the engine than finish that first.

Damn this is kind of a loaded question.

[Doug]

I agree with Steve. Subframes, shocks, struts, control arms etc... I've seen car that make 500rwhp and only run low 12's on slicks. I've also seen cars that make 350rwhp run low 11's. All the power in the world don't mean squat if you can't put it to the ground.
Doug

[UNTCHBL]

Let me clarify a little of my setup. The front is done. tubular k-member and a-arms, coil overs with comp eng. 90/10/s flaming river manual rack and shaft and caster camber plates. Out back I do have comp eng. 3 way adjustable junk shocks, but thats it. Who should I turn two for the rear end components? I'm kinda tired of d&d. There service seems to be slipping to me. who else would you guys suggest? I want uppper and lowers, spherical bushings, and some sort of spring. Maybe coilovers Any suggestions? And yes that is a very loaded question. Ha

Brandon

[exgmguy]

For the rear all you need is a standard 50/50 shock, and a set of good lower control arms like the HP Megabyte jr's. I have stock shocks, Eibach drag springs, and a set of ghetto Lakewood slapper bars, and I have 60 footed in the 1.5's when I had a T5.

[fanglemeister]

I'm running HPM Megabyte Jrs at the milder lift setting, and some SVO HD uppers w/ polygraphite diff bushings. Also have KB super subs, lower K brace, and had strut tower brace but left it off.

The car has very good traction and good handling up to 8/10ths, launches straight as an arrow, yet is good fun in the twisties. I'm debating the spring setup and shocks - I run 95% on the street, & still have the stock springs & shocks on it, and they are ready for retirement this year. I plan on adding Tokico front adjustable drag struts and illumina adj. rear shocks, Steeda's spherical upper control arm bushings, and a Global West torque arm and spherical rod end lowers.

Another upgrade that you will really appreciate is brakes. I'm thinking about going with Baer's 12" AS brake package, which is about the most brake that can fit inside my freshly refinished 16" Pony wheels.

And seats! I really need some good seats in it - the oem driver's seat leans back somewhat further on the shifter side from 12 years of powershifting (and has a tear on the door side bolster seam that needs sowing, from being hit by my fat ***. :)

And paint, got to freshen up the looks of the old pony.

Damn, you had to get me started...

[UNTCHBL]

LOL, I am planning to do the following::::
-Get a big *** alternator!
-Double adjustable uppers with spherical bushings.
-Some sort of lower, either some megabite's, or some adjustable lowers.
-Either spring's or coilovers, I"m still debating.
-And then take it to the chassis shop for the rear to be setup, subframes installed and tork boxes strengthened.

Then I"m going from there.

Next, depending on the motor in the car now will either be upper engine parts or a shortblock. With paint to soon follow.

That brings me to my next question. Graphics? Leave it black? Or maybe change the whole color? What do you guys think?

Brandon

[Doug]

Originally posted by UNTCHBL
That brings me to my next question. Graphics? Leave it black? Or maybe change the whole color? What do you guys think?

Brandon

I think you should put some big grafics that start on your hood and run diagnally down to your fender. Make sure you get a carbon fiber hood. Paint the car bright yellow. Paint the rollcage bright yellow and make sure you install the cage so everybody can see all of the bars. Mount a fire extinguisher on the passenger side A-pillar. Install 10 guages on the drivers side A-pillar. Put some 24's on it and maybe some air bags. Then and only then will you be cool. :D
Doug






























j/k-please DO NOT do anything I have suggested.

[fanglemeister]

Graphics? I have a friend who married a japanese wife, he said he is thinking about making up some vinyl stickers with kanji characters saying "Rice burners have small members". That guy is a hoot.

I just ordered some Corbeau TRS seats & adapters, $645 delivered.
The adapters set the seats an inch higher, the Corbeau replacement tracks set the seats an inch lower. I felt that the inch lower would bother me more than higher, but I can always change my mind if I don't like the adapter seat height.

[UNTCHBL]

Cool. I would like a pair of seats out of a bullit i think.

As far as graphics go I'm talking like a two tone tear or something of that nature. Maybe some sort of ghost tribal deal. Any suggestions here. What if I wanted to paint my black car say, dark mineral gray? How much do you think I should spend to have the car painted a solid color, be it black or something else?

Or maybe I could get that aluminium wing and finish my rear bumper to where I could put some 5 inch tips out the back. My personal fav. is bright green wire loom for everything that is wire in the engine bay. Including spark plug wire. Then I"m going to krylon my power pipe, discharge tube and upper intake. Maybe even my billet blower brackets. I mean who really likes unfinished shiny metal? LOL.

Brandon

[fanglemeister]

Originally posted by UNTCHBL
What if I wanted to paint my black car say, dark mineral gray? How much do you think I should spend to have the car painted a solid color, be it black or something else?

It depends if any bodywork needs fixing (it always does), and resto items like window trim, door seals, & lights, and it also depends on what your local market will bear, some cities have much higher rates than rural areas. You should be able to get a decent quality 2-stage clearcoat paint job for @ $800-$1200 or so, plus any extras as mentioned above. I know that Maaco and Earl Scheib are cheaper, but I'd only use them if I had a modified stock car that got wrinkled up every other weekend.

PS dark mineral gray isn't too bad a color. For some reason I have the hots for painting my silver '90 in Estate Green metallic.
It would really be set off by my freshly refinished Pony wheels, and the black gut, plus I know I wouldn't see many other GTs with that color scheme!
--
CJS, swore off black and red over ten years ago

[UNTCHBL]

Hmmm, do you think I should do the engine bay and door jams too? Or leave them black? I'm thinking that some new paint for the coming summer might be really nice now that I have a new garauge to put the car in. I like the dark blue that came on the 01 and 02 lightnings as well. The estate green would be nice as well. Hmmm decisions, decisions.

Brandon

[fanglemeister]

Engine bay left black, door jams to match exterior, would be nice.
Not sure about the Lightning's blue, there were 3 blues on F150. I'd have to guess it was the same as the SVT Cobra's dark blue, which is called True Blue Metallic, code L2. There was also a charcoal blue (KW) and a sapphire blue (LR) on the F150s.

For a different kind of blue, there are 5 different "copcar" blues, or maybe the new turquoise blue on the Tbird, this is called Thunderbird Blue Metallic. That would make for a real one of a kind Mustang! (but way too loud a color for me).

You can check out color chips & get paint codes at http://www.paintscratch.com