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  1. #1

    Default Picked Up A Four Eyed GT!

    Good Afternoon,
    My name is Grant and I've been a fan of the early fox body Mustangs since Ford redesigned the Mustang II in 79. I used to have pictures of 85 and 86 GTs on my bedroom walls. My very first car was a 69 Grande with a 289 HO engine that had been built for the track and dropped in to the six cylinder engine bay. The car was fun to drive, but on a minor fender bender and seemingly constant engine problems led me to begin collecting parts for a 351c swap. Well, other interests began to take over, and I finally decided to sell off the project. My second Mustang was a 2008 GT. I loved the way it looks very similar to the 69 fastback. LOVED that car, but when a family member fell sick, I had to liquidate and it was one of the first things to go. Well a few weeks back, I was watching a show at a buddies shop called "Wheeler Dealers" where they picked up an 88 GT for around $2500. I guess I hadn't followed the market, and when I started looking around, I found everything from $500 rollers to $15,000 near perfect specimens. I figured I could pick up a relatively decent mechanic's special for around $2500 and set that as my target. Well, after a couple weeks I found a 1986 GT Convertible in Austin, Texas for $1000. Needs top, tires, exhaust, battery, interior work, etc. Good rust free body, and engine fires right up on starting fluid. Car had been sitting for almost 10 years, so the fuel in the tank and fuel system wouldn't allow the car to stay running, and possibly needed a fuel pump. Well, I borrowed a trailer and made my way to Austin to pick up my new family member. I give it the once-over in the guys driveway. Everything looks good. Coolant level is low, but the car has been sitting for a while. Radiator internals look good, only a little light corrosion. Got the car home and it's just as described, Relatively clean, straight body. Interior about what you'd expect for a 30+ year old convertible. Dropped a new battery in and a shot or two of ether and it fires off like it just rolled out of the showroom. Nice. So, I grab a gallon of distilled water and start pouring it in the radiator. After about ten seconds I notice water pouring out from under the car. I get down and check the hoses. All tight. Pour a little more and start looking for the source. It's coming from behind the power steering pump and a/c compressor. Freeze plug must have popped. So I start pulling the accessories off of the front of the engine, and low and behold the freeze plug is in place and solid. I do the fill test once again and now can see where the water is coming from. A silver dollar sized hole in the front of the block just to the right of the water pump. Crap. I pull the water pump off and damned if there isn't another hole in just about the same location on the passengers side of the water pump. I have a friend who is a welder and says that he can patch it up. However, I'm seriously losing faith in the integrity of this engine, and setting out to find a replacement block. Well I'm hoping the Four Eyed Pride forums can help me determine my options. So I'm on my way to the V8 Powertrain forum to do some research and probably post my second post!

    Thanks!

    Grant
    1986GTVert

  2. #2
    FEP Super Member STANGMAN116's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    DENVER CO, the 303
    Posts
    2,813

    Default

    Welcome to fep! Sorryto hear about your block, but Lets see some pics
    Last edited by STANGMAN116; 06-27-2017 at 11:01 PM.

  3. #3
    FEP Power Member Broncojunkie's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Barboursville, WV
    Posts
    1,773

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    Nice find and sounds like a good deal even with needing an engine. A good, complete 302 can be found relatively cheap. The explorer motors are a popular swap, since they're already sporting gt40 heads and intake. Just upgrade the cam and valve springs and you'll have a decent bump in power.

  4. #4
    FEP Super Member bwguardian's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2010
    Location
    Houston (Clear Lake), Texas
    Posts
    4,668

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    Good find...and really not a loss as you can pick up an Explorer GT40 5.0 engine and transfer some stuff from yours. The 86 GT 5.0 didn't have good pistons or heads for performance. Where are you located...in Texas?
    HAD
    '82 GT monochromatic (red)...black cloth

    HAVE
    '85 GT vert two tone (white on charcoal)...white leather
    '00 F350 two tone (white on silver)...gray cloth
    '00 Excursion Limited two tone (white on tan)...tan leather...wifes ride
    '08 Taurus Limited ice blue...tan leather...daughter ride
    '08 Edge Limited white sand tri-coat metallic...tan leather...other daughters ride

  5. #5

    Default

    Welcome to FEP.. Hope you get her up and running...

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