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Thread: 78: Big Red

  1. #26
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    Cobra stuff:

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    An hour and a half of filing, another hour and a half of rat-ta-tap rat-ta-tap with (mostly) a light ball peen.

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    Large NPR intercooler, late 90's Explorer 4.0 radiator, FlexLite shroud and fan for late '90s Explorer/Ranger:

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    The radiator was purchased at 1/2-price day at Pick-n-Pull out of an extremely nice Explorer that had a new water pump, new thermostat, new heater & radiator hoses, new radiator, new everything, I guess, but the needed head gasket.

    Mike

  2. #27
    FEP Power Member Fearnot's Avatar
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    Hey Mike, what kind of engine management are you going to use?
    88 Turbo Coupe auto
    88 Turbo Coupe 5spd
    79 Fairmont Futura 4.6
    79 Capri RS - 2.3/5spd restomod
    80 Capri 5.0/5spd project
    79 Zephyr Z7 factory 5.0 sunroof
    79 Pace Car 5.0/5spd project
    85 LTD LX factory 5spd?(not documented)
    86 GT conv 5.0/5spd
    79 Pace Car 2.3/4spd - needs new home

  3. #28
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    LA3 initially. I've got a Moates Quarterhorse (which is software deficient and should be sold) and a PiMP and an MS2 (both had minor drivability problems in the Mustang that the LA3 didn't). Big Red is getting performance upgrades, so, we'll see.

    Mike

  4. #29
    FEP Senior Member Patrick Olsen's Avatar
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    Did the Tbird seats bolt right in back there?

  5. #30
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    Bolt in? No.

    The Tbird seat back uses different hangers, but with a sharp knife you can get to where it will hang on the Fairmont hangers.

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    I haven't yet, but will tweek it up and out a little, so that the lower mounts are closer:

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    I think that the lower mounts are different (the youngster who stripped out the interior cut the floor attachments off). Using a battery-powered drill and a spot weld cutter, I got the correct attachments, which are in a box that's in accessible.

    Name:  Rear seat 03.jpg
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    Mike

  6. #31
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    The weld-on bracket for the Tbird lower seat cushion missing from the previous post:

    Name:  Rear seat 04.jpg
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    Mike

  7. #32
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    Shortened the SN95 rear brake cables that were on the Mustang to work with the Fairmont system:

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    Mike

  8. #33

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    Nice!
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  9. #34
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    Nice Mike.
    Will Rogers" common sense is not as common as you think"

  10. #35
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    In case you missed it, I'm looking for a few parts: vb.foureyedpride.com/showthread.php?171723-Parts-for-Fairmont-boxtop

    Thanks

    Mike


  11. #36
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    Very nice work man.

  12. #37
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    Thanks, F.

    Couple things that might be of interest:

    The underside of the dash pad (NOT the original color), left side of instrument cluster:

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    Right side of the instrument cluster:
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    The inner dew wipe was date-stamped every 11" before the clips were installed:

    Name:  Interesting 01.jpg
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    08-03-77-1 (a little hard to read).

    Mike

  13. #38

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    Cool car, in for updates!

  14. #39
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    How I shortened the e-brake cables: http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthre...95#post1763795

    Mike

  15. #40
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    Minor stuff #2:

    Aluminumumummm , the usual Explorer 4.0 2WD driveshaft.

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    There are several different measurements for this driveshaft on the web (and on this site), so I'll add a little to the pot:

    Burying 2":

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    Gets you 50.75" center-to-center:

    Name:  Driveshaft 04.jpg
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    Mike

  16. #41
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    Lots done, but little to show.

    The Detail Zone (Ron Francis) wiring harness is installed. The behind-the-dash wiring is complete after heavy modifications. The dash installed. Next, the driver's seat comes out and all of the wiring connections will be put together.

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    Upper driver's side "stainless" re-installed. Mirror installed (back to the paint store Monday for a better match ).

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    Mike

  17. #42
    Mike1157
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    Quote Originally Posted by 4-barrel Mike View Post
    Lots done, but little to show.

    The Detail Zone (Ron Francis) wiring harness is installed. The behind-the-dash wiring is complete after heavy modifications. The dash installed. Next, the driver's seat comes out and all of the wiring connections will be put together.

    Name:  2015-11-14 1.jpg
Views: 507
Size:  188.2 KB

    Upper driver's side "stainless" re-installed. Mirror installed (back to the paint store Monday for a better match ).

    Name:  2015-11-14 002.jpg
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    Mike
    Is your car running since the install on the replacement fuse panel?. I feel for you having to lay on your back to make those final terminations. Which RF panel? I used an RF express panel on mine.........."express" isn't how I would have labeled the job.

  18. #43
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    Well, I obviously didn't give enough information. The Ron Francis harness I installed is the MG-65 http://www.ronfrancis.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MG%2D65 "Ford 2.3 Turbo Engine Swap Harness."

    The youngster who stripped the interior out of BR (and threw it all away) also pulled out all of the wiring. Although he purchased an NOS underdash harness, he threw a lot of wiring away, such as the sub-harness for the heater.

    I've had the dash on the work bench and correctly installed the new harness. I removed a lot of the unnecessary wiring such as the coil wires (now in the RF harness), everything related to the Duraspark, etc. I installed the wiper motor out of the Mustang and am using its wiring harness, I also removed the Fairmont wiper wires.

    Since I'm using a tilt column from an '89 Mustang, several wiring changes were necessary:

    1) Had to use the horn relay/wiring out of the Mustang.
    2) Because the Mustang column is wired for separate turn & stop lights while the Fairmont has them combined, I had to wire in a little box so that the rear lights would work correctly in the Fairmont. My first attempt used a Curt Trailer 58240. I could get no output from two different ones, so I moved on. The next attempt used a Hopkins 48845. This required a flasher for LEDs & 1k 1/4 watt resistors added to each of the three circuits. The first attempt had no left output. The second worked for about 2 minutes then one of the diodes released its magic smoke. The third attempt worked well for more than three hours continuously and so was hard wired into the dash harness.

    All of this was done with the dash and column on the workbench, completely wired up along with four lights and powered by an old Radio Shack 25 amp 13.8v power supply.

    As for laying on my back, there really only about 8 wires (besides the speaker wires) to be plugged in beyond the stock plugs.

    Mike



  19. #44

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    I'd be interested in more information on this taillight box. I have an '87-93 harness in my car, so my taillights currently function like a Mustang of that year. I've been considering researching a multifunction switch out of a car that has taillights that work that way such as the '92-95 Taurus, but never got anywhere with it. If you could provide a diagram for your box I'd appreciate it!
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  20. #45

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    Beuller?
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  21. #46
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    This is amazing to me . Awesome work
    Will Rogers" common sense is not as common as you think"

  22. #47
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    Default Craigslist: 1980 Ford Fairmont ES trim parts - $100 (Troutdale)

    Attachment 93675

    Have outside and inside trim parts, headlights, taillight, radiator, alternator, headliner, main gague cluster, etc.. Red inside. Came from car pictured. I prefer to sell everything as a package if possible. Rather Rare Vehicle.

    ---

    Got home a while back with the unevaluated pile of parts: all of the red interior plastic, carpet, headliner, driver side decor group door card (no! passenger side), one bucket, sun visors, BLACK! dash hull & glove box. Exterior includes ES taillights, headlights, all of the polished aluminum side window surrounds, the rear side window vents w/interior pieces, but I think that needs a special window frame & glass?, and more I think.

    The car was stripped a couple of years ago in Seattle to go racing (he guesses). He & a buddy bought the cast-off parts, the buddy needed the transmission, the seller needed the rear end for the Futura on jack stands in the garage.

    I'll post a couple pics tomorrow once I sort everything out.

    Mike
    Last edited by 4-barrel Mike; 12-10-2015 at 12:15 AM.

  23. #48

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    Quote Originally Posted by 4-barrel Mike View Post
    Attachment 93675

    Have outside and inside trim parts, headlights, taillight, radiator, alternator, headliner, main gague cluster, etc.. Red inside. Came from car pictured. I prefer to sell everything as a package if possible. Rather Rare Vehicle.

    ---

    Got home a while back with the unevaluated pile of parts: all of the red interior plastic, carpet, headliner, driver side decor group door card (no! passenger side), one bucket, sun visors, BLACK! dash hull & glove box. Exterior includes ES taillights, headlights, all of the polished aluminum side window surrounds, the rear side window vents w/interior pieces, but I think that needs a special window frame & glass?, and more I think.

    The car was stripped a couple of years ago in Seattle to go racing (he guesses). He & a buddy bought the cast-off parts, the buddy needed the transmission, the seller needed the rear end for the Futura on jack stands in the garage.

    I'll post a couple pics tomorrow once I sort everything out.

    Mike
    Sad! That car was beautiful! There are posts about it here under user RacinNDrummin or something like that.

    You do need different window frames and glass to use the louvers. He wasn't also selling those? If you do an ES conversion on your car, that would be sweet! Looks like you should've left the mirrors black! Let me know if I can help!
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

  24. #49
    FEP Power Member 4-barrel Mike's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ZephyrEFI View Post
    Sad! That car was beautiful! There are posts about it here under user RacinNDrummin or something like that.
    http://vb.foureyedpride.com/showthre...dan-build-PICS

    From my initial thread when I bought Big Red the first time:

    Quote Originally Posted by RacinNdrummin View Post
    Hey Mike, Ive seen you over at TF too, you should know better than to put a 5.0 in that beast! Hey, up this way, there is a guy with a complete 2.3T setup with ECU, he wants 300 for it, im sure you could talk him down.
    Mike

  25. #50

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    Oh okay, so you know, haha.

    So what about those details on the taillight box?
    Brad

    '79 Mercury Zephyr ES 5.0L GT40 EFI, T-5
    '17 Ford Focus ST
    '14 Ford Fusion SE Manual

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