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  1. #876
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Finally installed a windshield in the car yesterday

    Doing a whole bunch more on it today. With any luck at and god willing my dad and I will be buttoning up a running car that moves under its own power by the end of the day today

    Whoomah

  2. #877
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Current issues ….

    horn doesn’t work
    headlights do not turn on with headlight switch but do with flash on dimmer switch
    car will not crank when clutch depressed using key - can’t find the plug the clutch pedal switch attaches to

    engine has yet to start shorting the solenoid - it seems like it is because it is only getting 9V to to the coil in run position

    the carb that was supposed to be rebuilt by the guy I had hired to assemble my 331 back when I was still too busy working to get stuff done did a terrible job. It is absolutely filthy inside and the floats were not even close — a county mile off

    We blew the fuel lines out and put fresh gas in the tank. I expected it should have been empty but Trey must have put some in it when assembling stuff because we got some damn retched gas out of it

    the fuel pump has yet to pump a damn thing. I haven’t checked to see if the diaphragm is bad or the engine builder forgot the essentric or what yet

    still making slow progress.

    Covid-19 had me in extremely bad shape. My doctor said he would have sent me to a hospital but there wasn’t any beds available when I was so bad. It has been a very long path to even being able to walk across the room without oxygen levels dropping into the mid 80’s.

    still hoping to get the car going and enjoy it a little but who knows. I just take it one day at I time these days

  3. #878
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    Your luck sounds about the same as mine.

    Sorry to hear about you getting Covid. The wife and I got in last year around Halloween. Kicked my butt for almost 2 weeks. Then another 2 months of being short of breath just going up and down a flight of stairs. Thankfully that has passed and overall no lingering effects. Amazing how it affects everyone differently.

    Sorry, I never put any gas in the tank on the Mustang. Never had any reason to with there never being an engine. Not sure if that just residual in the lines or what.

    No idea on the clutch switch plug, unless the previous owner cut it like the did so much of the engine bay wiring. Should be a grey colored plug IIRC, if needed I can try and get a picture of one of my Foxes it that might help.

    Hope things get better for you health wise and car wise!
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

  4. #879
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    There was a pretty decent amount of nasty varnished gas. At least a few gallons because it showed on the gauge. I’ve added 3 more — still stinks to high heaven like varnish. Going to have to get it out of there and have a ceremonial burning or something

    It just like so many things … probably a “present” from Pablo or one of the other few who had access ….. I hope they choked on whatever the bought with all the money they got for the stuff they ripped off from us. Sometime we will have to go back and make a real list just to fully understand how damn much they took in the end.

    but yea, my luck has not been great. I mean I knew the roller had wiring problems but we’ve both spent an incredible amount of time at this point straightening stuff out

    I may just buy a harness from prestige and call it if the gremlins don’t move on soon

  5. #880
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Spent Saturday with my dad in the garage

    Remembered that we had not filled the G5 with lube so we picked up a suction gun and went for it

    Still having problems with the no start gremlins on the 85. We had been bottle feeding fuel into the carb and trying to start but had not been getting fuel supply to the carb otherwise while cranking

    We decided to go over the whole fuel system. Blew out the lines which yielded some nasty old gas that stunk of varnish big time, but after draining some out and adding a little more fuel in, it seems to have cleared up.

    The fuel pump would pump gas through a test nipple and line all day long if actuated by hand but with everything hooked up, still no dice.

    I located another pump at a parts store which was a feat in itself….. then and compared pumps. I looked at the point where the diaphragm stated moving on each pump. There was about 3/8” of a difference new vs old

    i took the new pump home and went to install it. It was nowhere near the essentric at its lowers point so I reshaped the arm until it was just right. Installed it, gave it a crank. Still NO fuel. WTF

    Back to the rest nipple and hose - fuel while cranking

    So I removed the brand new pump to carb metal line and inspected it. No kninks, no evidence of problems. Next I tried to blow through it. Nothing. Cranked up the air compressor and gave it a shot from the top side down - pah … bunch of pieces of crap that looked like shredded paper and styrofoam shot out. Apparently at some point some asshole had access to that line in inventory with a supplier and left me a present

    put it back together. Cranked. We have fuel at the carb for the first time in the time I’ve owned it!

    Still no dice firing it. We knew from a previous adventure that the carb messed up. Initially while bottle feeding it, it was puking fuel so we knew the floats were WAY off. When we it apart we found that the guy who had been payed to rebuild that carb clearly ripped me off. While the new pieces like the accelerator pump were there, it was FILTHY inside. Numerous areas where double gasketed where singles belonged. Just about every place that could be clogged inside a carb still was. And nothing but gunk inside

    dad and I took it entirely back apart and went through the carb the right way. Only the way a man with 50+ years of experience knows how to go through one

    Dad brought his bucket of carb soak and pipe cleaners. We cleaned everything until it was spotless then reassembled it

    Tried again. Still did the same thing it had been

    Air, fuel ….. has to be spark

    I’ve questioned the electrical a few times so we decided to build an engine run stand style setup for the ignition. Duraspark II distributor and an HEI module wired straight to the battery and another coil

    The end result - we replicated the exact same problem we were having. While fighting with all ignition new parts you just never know but this points to a bad distributor

    We gave up for the day without a running car

    Closer but still more to do.

    I bought a new dizzy today but I have not tried it yet

    In the end I’ll probably gut the stock style duraspark box and use the HEI. It tolerated suppling 12 volts constantly rather than 9 after start. Also the module I bought has a built in rev limiter.

    Lord knows with habit of missing a shift with my foot on the floor at times it needs one. No way with the induction and exhaust anything will stop it from revving to the moon otherwise.

    Staying patient with it, but it is certainly testing me

  6. #881
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Went back to basics and verified everything using another new distributor …..

    same old song 2nd verse. Antichrist bitch of a car ……
    -- James

    Favorite thing I’ve said that’s been requoted: “"40 year old beercan on wheels with too much motor"

    My four eyed foxes:
    "Trigger" - 86 Mustang GT - Black with red interior. 5.0 T5 built as Z. Original motor ~1/2 million miles. 18 yr daily, 10 a toy
    "Silver" - 85 Mustang Saleen 1985-006? (Lol) Rare 1E silver GT / charcoal interior. The car is a little bit of a mystery. Current project bought as a roller, tons of Saleen / Racecraft pedigree

    Also in the stable - my son’s car. 1986 Mustang GT Convertible. Black/Black/Black conversion. 93 leather. VM1 ECU. T5Z

    past foxes -
    1989 Mustang LX Sport 5.0 AOD white/tan black top. Once I ran this one down I caught a wife.
    Wife also had a 1987 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe in the 90's.

    I'm a four eyed pride supporter, are you? Become one today!
    http://vb.foureyedpride.com/payments.php

  7. #882

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    Wow, I just looked back and realized it has been a 5 year journey on this build. Sorry you are having so many issues. When all said and done it will be 1 awesome Fox!

  8. #883
    FEP User 83 4SPD GT's Avatar
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    Some cars just seem to fight you tooth and nail the whole time you have them, nothing is ever easy to do on them.
    Of course on the flip side to that, when they are finished, a lot of times people get bored with them and sell them.
    1983 Mustang GT 5.0L, TRX Pkg, T-Tops, 4 Spd, Polar White, Medium Red Interior, Built 11/22/82, 15,400 original miles, with the original 38 yr old Michelins still on it. Added LMR 17" mesh wheels w/Nitto NT555’s.

  9. #884
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    My dad and I went back to the basics yesterday.

    We know it has spark and we know it has fuel. Air is a given, but what about compression

    Long story short - we put a compression tester on it and 0 psi. Zip. Zero. Notta

    So back to the drawing board. Why.

    All sorts of things went through our heads. Ruined compression rings, head gaskets, lack of valve seal, etc.

    Then we asked ourselves what could cause no valve seal. Bad valves would of course, but what about if the adjusters were just too much

    I decided to loosen the rocker arm adjusters around two turns per cylinder. It doesn’t need 0.606 lift just to run. Bingo — compression tests jumped up to 150+ across the board

    We put the plugs in, connected the plug wires, turned on the key, jumped the solenoid with my crank switch I made for working on this thing ….. Whoomah!

    Immediately. Just like you stopped at a store for 5 min and came out and hit the switch. Just that simple

    The clatter of misadjusted rockers — sure. But it runs. So we went back to dialing the valves in. Fire it, run so it builds oil pressure and lubes everything, turn back off. Wiggle wiggle on the rockers. If they move side to side easy there’s not pressure there from the pushrod. Give her a little bit until it is where it should be. Rinse repeat

    we got about 1/2 done and were hungry - decided it was time for a taco John’s run

    when we came back and went to fire it, the carb was dumping fuel everywhere

    Disassembly revealed a float was full of fuel. No parts stores had a float for a performer and my spare 1406 is in Lincoln so that was the end of it for the day

    But hey — I finally got to hear it run. I never thought I’d live to see the day with all the Covid and long Covid stuff I’ve been battling.

    But I did make it that far and it sounds AWESOME.

    Anyone who wonders if you should get a custom cam from FTI — YES you should


    it isn’t even close to dialed in yet and it already sounds every bit as good as I had hoped it would

  10. #885

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    That's great news! Looking forward to the finished project.
    -Randy
    '83 Mustang GL notchback - 351w - T5Z
    '84 Mustang GT350 20th Anniversary Hatch #2808 - 302 - T5
    ''92 Mustang LX Hatch - 2.3t - IRS (in progress)

  11. #886
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    It’s a great idea to go back to the basics when you are struggling. Nice to see it’s finally running.

  12. #887
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Sourced a float kit for the 1407 and got it back together yesterday. It is running pretty good but there's a lot of room for improvement still. The list on the wall in the garage is getting shorter and is manageable. It would be nice to get it to where it can move under its own power, but I have things like brake bleeding and torquing the entire front suspension and basic alignment to address before I can get there and many two person jobs. Is what it is.

  13. #888
    FEP Power Member bluesfannoz's Avatar
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    Great news to hear you got it running! Looking forward to seeing it in person!
    Steve
    "Taillights in Your Face Jack? You've just been Dominated!"
    # Link to Facebook Dominator Mustang Fans # # Link to Facebook Predator Mustang Fans #
    # Link to Facebook Twister Mustang Fans #
    Current Stangs: Stangless
    Previously owned:
    84 Black GT, 85 Black T-Top Dominator GT # Link to Restoration Thread # 85 Dominator GT RIP 1995, 85 Predator GT, 83 Dominator GT, 82 Mustang GT

  14. #889
    FEP Super Member JTurbo's Avatar
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    Congrats! Great news.
    1979 Indy Pace Car Mustang 302 / 5spd
    1982 Mustang GT T-Top 302 / 4spd
    1986 SVO Mustang - 1C

  15. #890
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Brock pitched in today and figured out why the engine wouldn’t crank with the key and why the headlights wouldn’t work

    He also helped my get brakes sorted

    It finally made it off the jack stands and moved out of the garage under its own power for the very first time! I stopped at the driveway because there a bunch of stuff to do with torquing the frontend and alignment, etc, but it lives!

    I almost didn’t live to see the day. I’m beyond excited

    Once that stuff is done it will be stickers, etc

    Shes such a beautiful car. The stance is SICK too - awesome. Easy to fall in love!

  16. #891

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    Happy for you!! It's such a great feeling to drive it out of the garage for the first time and hear run!!! Can't wait to see some finished pictures!!!
    1986 ACS McLaren Capri
    1971 Mustang
    1968 F100

  17. #892
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    A while back I lost the ability to post more pictures here and I still can't get pictures to post unfortunately. No idea why .....

  18. #893
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Revisiting the what the hell is this thing and it is just as uniquely curious as ever. I was going back through my notes I took during the conversation with Saleen 5 years ago with Saleen

    my car vin ends 188532. There is a (phantom) VIN factually recorded by Saleen as an actual car and according to the 1985 Mustang production records the car/vin cannot/does not exist. What do you suppose the odds are that this thing is real and misrecorded.


    1FABP28M1FF188532

    Vs


    1FABP28M1FF532188



  19. #894
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    I have a detailed discussion with my insurance agent today.

    We are moving forward with an agreed/guaranteed value insurance policy on the car. I have 1000's of hours and miles into this thing and a crap-ton of money too. There are some irreplaceable parts and some that are "just" exceptionally hard to get.

    I don't know how I feel about the number we landed on, but we landed on $50,000.00. The company they are advising to use is JC Taylor Insurance

    The car is a zero mile full-on restore/rebuild from the bare shell (or inner structure in some instances) up.

    It is a documented class racecar and it was not over-restored in those aspects when you look at the car. hell - there was still dead grass on some stuff when I bought it. LOL.

    It is a documented 14K mile car originally too -- making it among the lowest mile 1985's still in existence.

    Members of several of the Facebook groups I am a part of strongly suggested this number. I was skeptical at first, but as I look at it I think they are absolutely correct. I was going to ask for less at first. But there is no replacing this car. It is 1 of 1 in some regards.

    Unfortunately and very sadly for his family, Kenny Brown passed before he had a chance to respond to my recent inquires. Basics like the names of his former staff in Omaha that would help substantiate this car further.

    There's title history on the car and matched up with history it will establish whos hands were involved in creation of the car as I found it. Those hands may have also been anyone at this point. But were they the hands that built 1986-019R and 1986-029R and some others that are thru and thru dubbed a Saleen? It is speculation until proven true or false isn't it.

    But time will tell how this things play out. It could have a positive influence on the value of the car. I don't see it having a negative if it does not pan out because of all the extremely rare things on the car and the condition of it overall.

    As a reasonable person might also take forward an argument that since there is no possibility of 1985 Saleen with VIN ending 532188 to exist that somethint is up. That vehicle ID is recorded by Saleen. It strongly suggest someone who is mildly dyslexic (like me) transposed VIN digits when they recording it.

    Personally I can write stuff wrong and read it back just as wrong 3-4 times before I finally catch something if I ever do. It drives me crazy but I've learned to live with it.

    What the future holds and what is "right" in the eyes of any of us or the right people? Time will tell.

    I've dubbed it 1985-006 for the reasons we've all hashed out before and those reasons have not changed.

    The car has certainly become very famous among my fellow fox fans and for that I am very pleased. This too most certainly helps with its value. For that I am forever grateful to my peers.

  20. #895
    FEP Power Member bluesfannoz's Avatar
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    James would love to have the car at the 40th Anniversary of the Dominators gathering I am planning this summer. I know it's not a Dominator but being originally ordered by Summit just adds to it's history!
    Steve
    "Taillights in Your Face Jack? You've just been Dominated!"
    # Link to Facebook Dominator Mustang Fans # # Link to Facebook Predator Mustang Fans #
    # Link to Facebook Twister Mustang Fans #
    Current Stangs: Stangless
    Previously owned:
    84 Black GT, 85 Black T-Top Dominator GT # Link to Restoration Thread # 85 Dominator GT RIP 1995, 85 Predator GT, 83 Dominator GT, 82 Mustang GT

  21. #896
    FEP Power Member bluesfannoz's Avatar
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    Using a VIN Calculator that Foxchassis gave me years ago the 1FABP28M1FF532188 is invalid. It would calculate to be 1FABP28M2FF532188 So I think you are onto something.
    Steve
    "Taillights in Your Face Jack? You've just been Dominated!"
    # Link to Facebook Dominator Mustang Fans # # Link to Facebook Predator Mustang Fans #
    # Link to Facebook Twister Mustang Fans #
    Current Stangs: Stangless
    Previously owned:
    84 Black GT, 85 Black T-Top Dominator GT # Link to Restoration Thread # 85 Dominator GT RIP 1995, 85 Predator GT, 83 Dominator GT, 82 Mustang GT

  22. #897
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bluesfannoz View Post
    James would love to have the car at the 40th Anniversary of the Dominators gathering I am planning this summer. I know it's not a Dominator but being originally ordered by Summit just adds to it's history!
    Provided I can get it going by then, I don't see a problem which being there currently. Please share the date and location info and I'll see if I can carve out the time.

    James

  23. #898
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    After a lengthy battle to get the new HPM Caster/Camber plates I had tracked down I've given up. I'm out a considerable amount of money on this which is truly frustrating.

    I considered leaving the Onion heads in place as they were when I found the car, but I also have to look at how the car will drive and handle vs having a period correct set of caster/camber plates.

    I ultimately decided to source a pair of Ford Motorsports / Ford Racing caster/camber plates from a close friend. They are low miles and a quality piece. The were produced unchanged from the mid-80's until the early 2000's making them an excellent period correct piece for the car.

    I'll keep the Onion heads safely tucked away and with the car as they are part of the Saleen Racecraft supspension system on the car.

    While working to install the plates and put an initial alignment on the car I discovered that the drivers side Koni had lost some of its charge where-as when it was assembled by Trey a few years ago they were both perfect.

    I found a place where I can get these extremely rare vintage 1985 Koni's fully restored and that is the avenue I will take. Expensive but worth it for the car.

    In the mean-time I've sourced a pair of Koni adjustable struts that I'll put in place for now. Once the originals are rebuilt these temporary struts will end up in the parts pile for my 86GT rebuild. Hopefully they do not suffer a similar fate!

  24. #899
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    What a wasted weekend. Sat around all weekend -- mostly by myself -- waiting on parts that were supposed to be here Friday morning.

    Not that I have any help to complete an alignment even if I do manager to get the parts and get it assembled. I am SO done with being stuck on projects I can't do by myself. It is infuriating

    Next I want to take give a special recognition to FEDEX. I cannot nicely say how much I despise FEDEX in this area. The carrier that never fails to fail.

    They've had my temporary struts for several days. They were shipped overnight express. One showed up yesterday evening -- 48 hours late. The other is still rolling around on a truck somewhere in Lenexa KS.

    Worthless pieces of crap -- they have ONE job. And they made a commitment to when they could have it here, took the money for the job, and pissed it right down their leg like they do every single time.

    I hope they get some management that actually manages. If they make a commitment to when a package will be there, make sure it is. If it is not, they have FAILED. They need to fully clean up their act. If they don't I hope they go bankrupt. Right now they are not being even remotely accountable to anyone for anything. Bunch of morons. I'm at the point where I'll flip off the drivers every single time I see one. They work for a complete piece of crap company.

    big time waste of a weekend

  25. #900
    FEP Super Member erratic50's Avatar
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    Long Covid has been holding on big time. Each time I start to get better things take a major turn for the worse again. I’m on round 5 of medicines that are supposed to help clear the spike protein …. I’ll either come out of it or I won’t I guess.

    The 85 sits on jackstands with the front end tore apart to install stuff

    My 86 sits about 25 feet away with the rear in the air. Still waiting on my FRPP driveshaft to make it back from being length corrected so it will actually fit a foxbody

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