1986 mustang GT restomod

[danco86]

Alright everyone,
I'm almost 2 years into a complete rebuild of my 86 GT. I bought it off my dad in Feb of '12 when I found out he was planning on selling it. He brought it home brand new back in September '86 when I was 11.
Anyways, I've told this story before so I won't go into it.
I always wanted to run a thread of the progress right from the beginning, but between work, life, and my photo software crapping out on my computer, I haven't gotten going on it. I've taken lots of pics along the way though. So now I've finally had a few days to get my computer back in order and am going to get this thread going. I of course am quite far along on the build and am hoping to complete it by this May. I could not have done a lot of it without the help of the members on this forum. I have posted a lot of inquiries and some pics along the way and have gotten a ton of help most every time. It is greatly appreciated.
There have been a couple setbacks along the way, but now things are back on track.
I will post mostly a "Coles Notes" version up to where I am now and then be a little more detailed as I post from now until completion.
I might not get everything posted tonight, but will work on it.
Thanks again to the members who have helped me out to this point.

[danco86]

So here it was when I brought it home. It was in really good shape thanks to never being winter driven and having been in a garage all its life. Having not driven a 5.0 since the late 90's, suddenly realized how it drove and handled like a 25 year old car. So I planned on redoing it to even better than new. My dad always mentioned plans of modding it up a bit, (The car came with 4 boxes full of 5.0, Mustangs and Fast Fords etc. magazines dating from the mid 80's up until early 2000's). I didn't even plate it. Started right into the teardown.

[danco86]

Up on blocks and pulled the engine. The seals all leaked, and the compartment itself was pretty messy. Especially on account of the car having dealer installed AC hacked in right from day one.

[danco86]

Engine pulled and stripped down to take to the machine shop.

[danco86]

Interior came out.

[Radarluv]

Good so far

[danco86]

With the interior in my basement, and the shortblock off at the machine shop. I focused on the the body. The guy I always have used in the past normally only does big projects throughout the winter months. It was springtime and I wanted it to be done over the summer. I took the word of a buddy of mine and brought the car somewhere else. This is where things went badly....
The shop I brought it to had a wicked body man. He had just come from a high end restoration shop and gave me his word he would see my car through. The owner of the shop seemed a little sketchy, but I thought the bodyman was worth the risk.
I brought the car there and did the disassembly myself.

[danco86]

The body man there did go good for awhile. But ended up quitting before the car was even close to ready for paint. I don't blame him for leaving. That was one of the most dysfunctional shops I've ever seen.

[danco86]

Inners got paint.

[danco86]

So, this is far as the car got there. The plan was to paint the jambs and the engine bay. I was going to take the car back and drop in the engine and install the new suspension. The car would go back, body reassembled and fitted, and final paint. When the body guy quit, the owner, who claimed to be a veteran painter, pushed the car into the booth unfinished and painted the whole thing. Hung the doors and chased them with the sprayer, creating massive runs. He then pushed the car outside once it had dried. I was driving home from work and drove by the shop to see the car still taped up, sitting out in the pouring rain filling up with water..



It doesnt look bad in the pics, but believe me. Runs, bleed through from the base applied too thin, dry spots everywhere, entire spots missed from spraying in only one direction, tape lines... It goes on and on. I lost my mind!
I went back with my trailer and there the owner was, grinning with his hand out for more money.

Censored - censored - unpleasantness - censored..

I loaded everything up and brought it home. I put the car back in my carport (to my wife and neighbours discontent, and put all the panels into a storage.

[danco86]

I pulled the rear end out so I could swap out the gears over the winter. I was so crushed and defeated at this point that I covered the car up and did not touch it until the spring.


The cat at least found a use for it while I got my plan back together.

[danco86]

I got the motor back from the machine shop with the following work done:
Complete rebuild with stock crank and pistons.
AFR 165 aluminum heads with the flat top pistons flycut for ptv.
Comp Cam 1.6 roller rockers.
ARP head bolts.
Stock cam machined a few extra degrees.
balanced.

[danco86]

I installed the lower intake and had the original valve covers powder coated and put them on as well, then mock assembled the motor over the winter.
Cobra upper and lower intake
BBK shorty headers
U/D pullies

[danco86]

I decided to go 5 lug, 4 wheel disc. I was looking into an sn95 spindle swap and had found the perfect donor car at the wreckers, when I found a 13" Baer front and rear disc conversion kit with 87-93 spindles & master cylinder still in boxes, on kijiji for a price I could not refuse. The fellow selling it had started to convert his '90 for drags, but sold it before completion.

[danco86]

I also opted for the Eibach pro line lowering kit. I had to tke the front and rear swaybars in to get them powdercoated gunmetal grey from the bright red they always come in.

[danco86]

The wheels I chose for the build were 17x9 FR500 replicas wrapped in 245/45/17's. I love these wheels.

[danco86]

Spring came along and I started back on the car. I pulled the front end apart and redid the steering. Steering rack was shot, so I replaced it with a rebuilt Cardone. I replaced the rack bushings with MM solid aluminum bushings and installed an extra rack limiter on each side to eliminate rubbing from the wider wheels. I replaced the steering shaft with a MM solid shaft, and upgraded the tie rod ends to a Baer bumpsteer kit.

[danco86]

I pulled the front control arms and replaced the rubber bushings (so much fun removing them) with polyeurathane bushings. I trimmed them down to eliminate binding and squeaking. Reinstalled the ca's with brand new bolts.

[danco86]

I then installed the Eibach pro springs and struts along with the modified 87-93 spindles. The MM spring install tool shown in the pic above is a godsend for installing the springs. Especially if you have new isolators on them.

[danco86]

Baer front discs and calipers..

[danco86]

MM caster camber plates.

[Fishdatty]

I just Bought a 1985 Coupe and your pics are awesome and give some great inspiration.....

[Radarluv]

Wow what was Your budget for this build

[86asccoupe20]

This might be the sweetest modified canyon red 86 out there. I love that color. Perfect mods. Can't wait to see it done.

[danco86]

Thanks guys.
Budget is totally blown. The car is on the paint shop getting redone and finished. So, what do you do? Too much into it to stop.
Doing all the work myself except bodywork/ paint and engine machining helps a bit.
Doing it all in my carport sucks.
I have to justify the cost by: no kids, no real vices, and still costs less than a new 5.0.
The car has great sentimental value, and I'll keep it for life.
Thank goodness there has been a lot of overtime at work the past year.