88 LX Budget Build

[BlazinEagle]

Picked up this 88LX as a shell and decided to make it a 5.0L daily driver.
It had no interior, no wiring, no motor or trans.

As I picked it up.
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/005-9.jpg





Here is the engine bay. Pretty clean no major rust at all.

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/004-10.jpg

Figuered with no motor now was the time to swap out my stock k member for a PA Racing K.
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/007-6.jpg





I do not have a bunch of cash so I decided to piece together the interior. I had a bunch of red and grey parts so I painted it black.
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/019.jpg

[BlazinEagle]

I decided to paint the engine bay black and install the k member and lowering springs today.

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/008-2.jpg

Also ripped out the rear end.

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/007.jpg

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/009.jpg


Installed new headlights.
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/006.jpg

[92coupe]

Looking good Rodney. I'm partial to the headlights.

[mustangboy]

Rodney did you still need those lowers? So what motor is going in it?

[BlazinEagle]

Kenny I do not, Steve is going to drop off a set this weekend to me. I do have the valve covers for you though. I am throwing in a mild bolt on 302 for now. I may decided to go a little bigger next year or turbo it? No real plans set in stone. Just want to get back into a stang again.

[mustangboy]

Thats cool, that Steve guy can be ok sometimes. Thanks for the covers, I'll have to make it up to you if you want any coating done on this project. If you ever get over to Cincy Speed maybe you could drop the covers there. If not I'll come up and get them sometime.

[wildstang89]

sometimes??? lolol Thanks Kenny!:D

[BlazinEagle]

Steve, I got those 5 speed pedals off of the car today. Text me when you will be by and I will have them ready for you if I am not here.

[wildstang89]

Cool man!! I'll text you Sat.

[BlazinEagle]

I got the 8.8 rearend ripped out of my parts car and stuck in the car today. I still have to connect the upper control arms and tighten everything down. I still have to mount the gas tank and connect the shocks.
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/002-13.jpg
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/003-4.jpg

I also finished painting the engine baya and getting it ready to drop in the motor and trans.
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/004-4.jpg

http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/001-13.jpg

[draggin50]

Looks good. Good luck with the build.

[GeneralBear]

im digging the car so far man. what to 302s go for? as im looming for one but dont want to get ripped off.

[BlazinEagle]

depends on what you want to start with...you can get a block for around $50 and the skys the limit. I got a whole parts car for $1000. Came with everything I needed to put in my ex 4cyl car.

[BlazinEagle]

Got the chassis engineering upper and lower control arms, and gas tank in tonight. The lower control arms were a bitch. They were rusted inside the sleeve!

[92coupe]

Looking good Rodney! I have similar project here but a vert. Thinking about a mod motor.

[TooFast98Cobra]

looks good!

[BlazinEagle]

I got a 302 dropped in today in the rain. Also got the trans and driveshaft in place. Nothing is really bolted up, but is in there ready to be tightened down and wired up.
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/003-7.jpg
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/001-9.jpg
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/002-3.jpg

[AZZKIKR]

Looks good man, keep up the good work.

[BlazinEagle]

it does not even compare to your amazing car, but for a grand total of $600 (all parts including the car) I think I have something to work with.

[AZZKIKR]

Man it's not the money,it's the passion for these things. It's a disease lol. I have 2 other cars that are budget built and they run strong and have been beating on them for years. It takes a little while to find the parts but it will come together. You are doing a great job, you will be happy when you're ripping around with it...

[Stangman]

Man that don't look like a half bad car ya got there... looks good with those headlights and pony's

[inferno50]

looking good man. good luck with it. looks like you will be on the road in no time.

[SLWB16hatch]

Definitely a sweet lil project. Heck I like watchin budget builds more than I do big dollar race cars. Lol

[BlazinEagle]

Picked up some seats from a fellow banger...they are not finished being mounted yet.
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/004-13.jpg

Almost finished with the dash:
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/005-7.jpg

Tired of looking at the car with 4 different colors so I am going to spray it flat black for now.
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/003-14.jpg
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/002-16.jpg
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/001-17.jpg

[92coupe]

Nice console< one of a kind!! Rodney i have some column covers if you need them.

[Marker1989]

Damn.. nice seats!! I'm diggin' the temporary flat black as well

[BlazinEagle]

I think the ones I have do not fit. The steering column is out of a 93 and I think the covers I have are from a 90 or 88 not sure.

[92coupe]

I have a set for tilt and no tilt columns.

[AZZKIKR]

You're getting there.Keep up the great work!!

[Johnson1134]

lookin good man.glad u are stayin at it.

[BlazinEagle]

not much progress but a little:
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/001-5.jpg
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/002-15.jpg
http://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd250/blazin_eagle/004-11.jpg

[BlazinEagle]

Ok so I ended up having major wiring problems! I had :
'90 Body harness
'90 engine harness
'90 computer
but a 93 dash harness!
I searched everywhere for a 90 dash harness and couldn't find one. I grabbed a 91 thinking that would work...WRONG
So after about 2 weeks of searching the net I found a 90 dash harness on EVILBAY.
I get it and it is in pretty bad shape but I think I can make it work.
Pull out the dash and start putting it in.
Well the harness is mostly installed but it still doesn't run, missing 12VDC at thee EEC power relay. The good news is we now have power at the coil and one side of the fuel pump relay. The EEC relay energizes but we are missing the 12 volts that goes thru and powers the fuel pump relay and the fuel injectors, only has 1.6 volts.

[BlazinEagle]

I also made a trip to the pullandpay and picked up a new fiberglass piece that I broke on the front fender, an extra taillight (just because it was in good shape, an extra wiring haness incase I need a socket or something off of it, and a few odds and ends.
Then I bought a throttle cable, strut tower brace, and both door moldings off of Mustang3091.

So far with the car included I am up to $950. When I am done I will sell my left over parts and hopefully be under the $900 mark I set my goal at.

[BlazinEagle]

Well I got the car fired up today! Got everything working then broke the starter solenoid so ran up to advance picked one up and she fired right up. I did have to jumper a wire to the fuel pump relay , but everything works like it should now. All I have to do is finish installing the dash and it should be ready to roll!

[motox159]

Looking good man! Watch those advance auto starter solenoids...i've had 3 burn out in under 2 months on my old F100. Ended up finding a guy on ebay with a few motorcraft ones for 18.99 a piece, can't beat that. And thanks for the info on the wiring harness as I am I.P of swapping everything from a 91' GT to a 90' GT. Had no clue the dash wiring was not compatable.

[BlazinEagle]

If you have a 91 parts car then use every bit of wiring from that car! It will make your life so much easier in the long run. This way when something goes wrong you do not have to factor in the wiring from 2 cars!

[motox159]

Got that right man! The 91 was rolled and pretty jacked up body wise but everything seems to be intact wiring wise, hope so anyways. Looks like I'll be learning even more than I had planned lol.

[BlazinEagle]

I did I know that. When I started this build I had never really done anything but bolt ons to my car. I can say now that I have completly taken a car to a bare shell and built it back up.

[BlazinEagle]

Only have 2 problems now!!!!! My license plate lights do not work and I have the wrong throttle cable gear in the car. I need to pick up a gear for a 355 gear and track down the light problem(hope it is just a missing plug or not connected).

[mustang8998]

License plate lights, could be a simple splice, to you tail light wiring.

That throttle cable gear problem..... boy, I don't know.....(llooll)

[silverstang]

I went through a license plate light battle with a old escort i had and just ended up tapping in to my tail lights, it will work just the same and not a big hassle.

[BlazinEagle]

I was going to try to find the problem but if I cannot I will splice the wire into the tail lights.

[BlazinEagle]

Got the license plate lights working! Just missed a plug is all! Now only have to get the speedo gear and figure out the backfire issue.

[BlazinEagle]

Got the speedometer working. The trans was missing the c clip that held the drive gear in place (hope it is not in the trans!). Had to get a new clip from Green sales.
Tomorrow I will swing by RACEME's job to get a set of seatbelts and the last step is getting insurance and tags.
I am super excitied to finally get this thing on the road.
Once I get it driving the only issue I have is the wipers. They are only working on high so I think my multifunction switch is bad.

[92coupe]

I have a good multifunction switch. find me a good pass side lx tail and i'll trade ya.

[BlazinEagle]

I am going to upullandpay tomorrow I will check there for you

[jack90gt]

car looks good man....I am diggin the flat black and black ponys....I'd rock it....

[BlazinEagle]

Let the car run for awhile and it overheated. Replaced the thermostat and tried it again with the same result. So I decided to replace the water pump. While taking the pump off one of the bolts were siezed and I broke an ear off of the timing cover.
So now I yanked the motor back out and got a new cover (Thanks Brian), new water pump, new timing chain and gear, new oil pump, new clutch, and I am having the flywheel turned.
I pick up the flywheel tomorrow and will put it all back together Sunday.

[mustangboy]

Rodney are you sure you don't have an air pocket in the coolant system. Little trick is to jack up the side the coolant filler is on and the air will eventually rise to the high side. It may burp out a while so you will get coolant all over but that usually does the trick.

[BlazinEagle]

No after the tear down I found the problem. Apparently while I was yanking the motor from the donor car I put a paper towel in the radiator hose and forgot to take the damn thing out. When I pulled it all apart I found it and about died of laughter being it was my own damn fault. Oh well atleast now just about everything on the motor is new!

[motox159]

^^^ lol...at least you got everything else out of the way for any future problems!

[BlazinEagle]

Well now I replaced the starter and the alternator and she runs pretty damn good except for the exhaust leak. I plan on buying a set of gt40p heads and installing them because my leak is at the headers anyway.

[87moostang]

Looks like a fun build! Keep up the good work.

[2007ShelbyCobra]

the towel in the radiator hose is ****ing funny