I didn't anticipate this day coming until later this fall or next spring, but just as the great fortune of this car finding me I had similar fortunes in getting it back on the road! So it is time to do some cruising for the rest of the season, and maybe even drag it out to Foxtoberfest instead of the '82 GT
I spent less than 10 hours on the paint. I compounded the hood, roof and hatch thanks to some poor storage practices by the original owner. I polished, glazed and waxed the entire car. I used WD-40 to rub out the discoloration and stickiness of the rubber side moldings, and replaced the corroded 5.0 badges. Inside she was minty fresh so not much to do there. This winter I will have a lot of detailing to do under the hood thanks to 15yrs of storage oxidation/corrosion. With only 10,600 on the clock my goal is to have the engine bay looking showroom new.
As for getting it running, that was amazingly easier than I anticipated. Once I was able to get around the dealer installed alarm & bypass system, she was ready to crank. First I drained the tank and discovered very clean gas, that still amazingly smelled like gas after 15 years! Next I dropped the tank for visual inspection, only to find that was a waste of time....CLEAN AS A WHISTLE!! I reinstalled the tank, added some fresh gas and Lucas Oil treatment, changed the fuel filter for good measure, changed the oil and let 'er rip. There was some lifter chatter on the driver side valves (thanks Ford for not putting an access cap on the DS valve cover like the early years!) until the oil pressure came up, other than that it now purrs like a brand new 5.0.
She also drives and shifts like a brand new car. Only issues are pulsating brakes which I will fix by having the rotors and drums turned, and the tires are flat spotted. On the list for this winter will be a set of SVE reproduction wheels and some fresh Goodyear rubber to preserve the Skaterbacks...and belive me, they SKATE!!
Overall I am HIGHLY impressed with how this car came back to life after 15 years untouched in a Detroit area storage unit. I know I can make some good coin if I decide to sell it, but damn it fits in my collection so nicely I may just have to keep it
Here was the first fire-up in nearly 15 years!
https://youtu.be/bInbu3rfRFI
Connect With Us