Radiator Replacement

It was time to replace the radiator in the

1987 Ford Mustang GT 5.0

since it began to overheat (again)

since the seam began to come apart

along the side.

The replacement radiator arrived quickly

from Late Model Restoration Supply .

New radiator hoses must be ordered separately,

but it did come with the radiator cap,

as seen in the photo below.

See the shiny, new radiator...

In the photo above, it's not installed yet -

the red cap where the upper hose connects

is still on there and the fan needs to be re-installed. 

Once everything was installed,

and antifreeze added, the Mustang was started

and idled for a bit, so that we could check

for any possible leaks from a loose clamp

or ill-fitting hose.

It's always a good idea to double check for those

types of things before driving off,

even from a mechanic's garage.



Intake Manifold for 2002 Mustang GT

A few days after ordering the intake manifold,

it arrived in a beautiful box.

We opened up the box to make sure it arrived in one piece

and to inspect it closely.

As a side-note:

An all metal intake would have been preferable,

however there was a great difference in cost.

The fun part was next.

Removing the current manifold.

Sounds easy, but there are many other

parts that must be removed too.

In the photo above, the upper intake, alternator, fuel rails,

fuel injectors along with hoses,

vacuum lines and other connections

(that all should be labeled) were removed.

 

The lower intake has been removed,

and now it's extremely evident that labeling

the connections is very important

before removing any part.

This is a close up of the intake ports to show

the grime that has built up over the years,

as well as the old gasket material.

Cleaning all the ports and removing the old

gasket material is the next step.

The shop-vac was also used to remove

anything that might have fallen into the ports.

It looks funny...seeing a vacuum being used

in the engine, but it's effective.

Before I knew it, the new intake was in place.

I had wanted to get a photo of the cleaned up ports,

but my mechanic (husband) was ready to get this

project finished ASAP, and with the Texas heat 

taking its toll, I didn't blame him.

Once everything was in place,

we started the car and let it idle to make

sure that there were no leaks, or odd noises.

A test drive was also done to ensure that

all was well, even under pressure.

So, for the past few days, the

Mustang GT has been driven

and no longer occupies the driveway 24/7,

all thanks to my husband for taking on this project :)

Things Gone Awry...

In case you were wondering if this

was a case of blog-neglect....

wonder no more!

We've had a series of misfortunate events

occur that have kept us busy....

One vehicle is out for the count.

Although the Mustang GT took the brunt of it,

he was able to walk away.

This sad event was followed by another

incident later that SAME day.

Seems that the 2002 Mustang GT wasn't too

thrilled that her SO was getting so much

attention that she threw a gasket!

Quite literally.

A new intake manifold is on the way

to replace the original, which is

manufactured with plastic

parts that tend to crack.

Then of course the 1987 Mustang 5.0

needed to get in on the action....twice.

One morning the car didn't want to start...

not even turn over. 

Turns out it was a simple fix -

the battery cable needed replacing.

Done.

A few days later, the serpentine belt

shredded to teeny-tiny bits

while I was on the highway.

I managed to limp the car home,

let it cool down and 

put the old belt back on.

Luckily, the engine didn't sustain

any damage....

that we know of.

Somewhere in between

all this craziness, the

Suburban was egged

in the middle of the night.

Sigh.

When it rains...it pours - Morton Salt

Live In It Winner

A few days ago, I was made aware the Live In It to Win It contest,
hosted by WYSP Radio in Philadelphia, where 4 people had to stay
in a 2011 Cherry Red Mustang, getting a 15 minute break every 3 hours....

Of the 4 people who began this contest, it was down to 2 people in the end,
and 12 days after the contest began, a winner was announced on July 2.

It came down to a vote, rather than who was able
to actually stay in the vehicle the longest.

Congratulations to the winner of the 2011 Mustang !

Hopefully the first stop was at a car wash to get
rid of all that trash that piled up over the last 12 days!
Can anyone say, Air Freshener?

Want to see more?.... All photos and videos are available here.

Mustang 1000 Lap Challenge

Did you miss it?!

Even though V8's are the preferred

engine around here, this news about the

2011 Mustang V6 1000 Lap Challenge is pretty awesome!

The challenge was to find out if the V6 powered Mustang

could last at least 1,000 laps around a race-track...

on ONE tank of gas.

There were many formulas out there

using what the known factors were -

16 gallon tank, about a half-mile track

against the unknowns -

the main one being MPH, cruise-control usage, weight, etc...

It's amazing that the 2011 V6 Mustang

went even further than the 1000 lap goal

by a whopping 45.7%

It made it 1,457 times around the Bristol Motor Speedway,

averaging 48.5 MPG at an average speed of 43.9 MPH.

A bit on the slow side for being on the race-track,

but this was a CHALLENGE.

So every measure was taken to ensure the

1,000 lap goal would be met.

I think it would be a greater challenge

for me to stay under 45 MPH

At that speed, I could relax a bit,

drink coffee and read the newspaper.

LOL Just kidding... heh-heh.

Congrats to the 22 contestants who

guessed the correct number of laps.

One of those contestants will

walk away with keys to their

very own 2011 Mustang.

Lucky

Thanks to the MustangBlog
and Muscular Mustang
on twitter where I found
the final numbers.

Live In It & Win It

I don't know if I would be able to

live in any car with 3 other people...

but there's this contest hosted by

WYSP Radio in Philadelphia

where 4 adults are living in a

2011 Cherry Red Mustang.

I don't have all the contest rules, but

it seems that the person who can live

in it the longest will drive away in it...

How long does this contest last?

Apparently, as long as it needs to.

Uh, we'll check back on this story....

Last year's contest lasted 11 days,

and you can read about here.

In the mean-time, check out the reasons why

each contestant wants to win this car here-

they're not what you'd think!

Black OPS Power Adders

Also at last weekend's car show in New Braunfels,

we got to bear witness to some clever, and decisively

clandestine  tech and power adders/upgrades.

One specific example was a black 2007 Mustang GT, owned by Josh.

He had recently acquired the car from Mississippi

after flying out there and test driving it. At first glance,

Josh's 2007 seems like an everyday, generic Black Mustang,

commonly seen cruisin' the highway during the week.

Nothing unusual about it....or so I thought.

Taking a look inside revealed a Triple gauge A-Pillar pod,
with AIR/FUEL ratio gauge, OIL PRESSURE gauge, and BOOST gauge.

In the photo above, we can see the intercooler for
the turbo tucked neatly behind the front valance.

Josh's GT has a line lock for his beefed up

automatic transmission, which has a manual valve body.

The gauge for the TRANS temp is centered on the

 console beside the E-brake. Although this setup lacks the additional

space for cup holders, in this case it's probably best not have one in the car,

unless you really don't like that shirt that your mom gave you.

The covered safety switches are for the NOX bottle.

Josh has a hidden camera that replaced the lock on the trunk deck lid,

when activated by one of the smaller switches,

it displays on the DVD/AUX/CD player.

This way he can keep track of

 the competition, and record any unworthy

trendsetters getting punished.

This custom enlarged GT badge adorned the inside of the trunk lid,

and concealed the camera wiring. Josh also noted that it adds a little flair

considering that his 2007 was pushing a dynoed 450rwhp off the bottle,

 and almost 700rwhp with the juice.

We were excitedly appreciative that Josh took

the time to go over his GT, and elaborate on the tech he had.

If you've got some stealth tech on board,

send us some pics, and tell us what you've got going on.

Car Show, Pt 2

The South Texas ’Stangs Club invited all makes of vehicles to the 2nd annual Benefit Car Show on Jun 5, and it was held in Gruene, TX, to support the Iraq Star Foundation. A majority of the vehicles in attendance were Mustangs of all years and in various states of progress, along with many other makes and models.

I had the chance to drool over see this 1966 Mustang

a few days after the car show at over at Tri-County Collision,

where most of the work has been done.

While I was there, I got to sit in the passenger seat

and listen to the engine run (and wish I was taking it home).

Back at the show, walking down "Mustang Alley" we saw

a 2002 Roush convertible...that really stood out -

but not because of the doors....

It was the color of the paint -

Colorado Red.

This blog won't discriminate against other car models...

As you can see, I've included a Corvette photo, but you have

to look past the massive Ford Fairlane to see it.

That is...

If you could take your eyes off the Cobra engine.

The owner of this 1986 SVO has taken

care to keep this car as close to original as possible...

And, paid attention to details, such as adding Dyna-mat,

adding new weather stripping and so much more.

I think that this SVO looks as good now as it did then.

This Cobra II was looking good under the sun.

Now...I may be a bit partial to red with black stripes,

but you gotta admit, it looks good on just about any

Mustang, no matter the year or model.

The inside was just as clean,

with a bit of a friendly warning for any passengers

who would be thinking of going along for the ride.

All in all, we had a great time at the show,

and got a chance to meet really nice people

who shared ideas and swapped stories with us.

We are on the look out for other car shows to attend -

So, if you know of any meets, shows or swaps

or if you have photos of cars you'd like to share

leave a link in the comments.

Car Show

Even though it was blistering hot outside,

we made it down to the Harley Davidson in Gruene, TX

for the 2nd annual Benefit Car Show,

which the South Texas ’Stangs Club started in order to

raise money to donate to the Iraq Star Foundation.

We met up with other Mustang owners who were

eager to talk about their cars,

and modifications that have

been completed or are in progress.

Walking into an actual Mustang Alley was just awesome.

This was just the first row of Mustangs.

All in all there were about 80+ vehicles there

from all years including some trucks and 'vettes,

which will be seen in the next few posts....

Until then,

Even though there's a mutual respect between competing vehicles,

a friendly reminder doesn't hurt either.

Rear View

This is the view that most people see when we're on the move.

If you're not in a Mustang, just move over and get out of my way.

One view that some people don't see too often is under the car.

Last time a clutch was replaced, it was on the 2002,

this time it's the 2000 Mustang GT.
So, prior to putting the transmission back
on the car, I crawled beneath the car and snapped a few photos.

In the photo above, the pressure plate and the teeth from the fly-wheel can be seen,

 along with the bell-housing.

Really, it was pure coincidence that the clutch was the same
color as the Mustang.

The output shaft of the transmission and the splines
for the driveshaft can be seen in this photo above.

Installing a clutch isn't a walk in the park.
You gotta have the right equipment - tools and parts -
but most of all you'll need time and some assistance wouldn't hurt.
Lucky for us, all the above were available to complete this project.

What's your next project?

5.0 Legend Returns

If you haven't seen this video of the 2011 Mustang GT 5.0....well, just where have you been?

I already have the 1987 Mustang GT 5.0 and think it would be great (awesome, really) if I could own another 5.0 from the newest generation of Mustangs. Do I hear any sponsors...? Alas, all I heard was cricket noises (sigh)

I first saw that video from a twitter tweet from MuscularMustangs a few days ago. Watching that video makes me want to pinch pennies and save up...but I'm running out of parking space!

Happy Birthday to the Ford Mustang

Today, April 17, is the 46th anniversary of the Mustang's introduction at the New York Worlds Fair in 1964 to the public. Ford had orders for over 22,000 units by the end of the day and the Ford Mustang was on its way to becoming a legend!
Thanks to MuscularMustangs.com for the reminder and to Ford on twitter for the photo!

Rainy Day

It's raining.

I'm not complaining, it's nice that the yellow

dusting of pollen that has settled on the Mustang GTs

will finally be washed away.

The rain might mean that the Mustangs

will be spotted with raindrops

or that the dirt from puddles will be visible

once the car is dry.

While driving in the rain today,

I realized that it's probably been over

6,7 or 8 months since the windshield wipers

have been replaced.

I realized this as soon as the wipers were activated

and made that dreaded 'burrrp' noise

as they waved back and forth.

Since the rain seems like it will stick around,

I'll head over to the auto parts store

for new wipers.

Most times, they'll even install

them for you...even if it's already raining.

Keeping the Mustang on the Highway

We were on our way to Austin, in November 2009, in this photo. We opted to go in one car, since the price of gasoline doesn't seem to decrease.

To keep your car as fuel efficient as it can be do the following on a regular basis :

- Maintain optimal air pressure in the tires Grab a tire gauge and check the air pressure in the tires. You can find the optimal air pressure or PSI on the tire itself.

- Use a fuel additive to clean out fuel lines You can go to the local auto parts store and find fuel additives/cleansers. Typically, we’ll reach for a product called SeaFoam. Read over the directions, since some need to be added with a full tank of gas.

- Clean out the air filter Generally speaking, this is one of the easier tasks that just about anyone can handle. Our Mustangs have K&N filters, which can be cleaned out and used again and again.

It’s crucial that the engine receives oxygen, but if your car can’t breathe, then it tends to sputter and/or use up more fuel. Newer cars can have several O2 sensors to maintain the correct oxygen/fuel mixture the engine receives. If one of the O2 sensors goes bad, the “Check Engine” light will appear. Once the code is checked, the O2 sensor can be located and replaced…but sometimes they’re not easily accessible.

The items on this list will help keep your car running efficiently.

What other tips do you have to keep your car running smoothly?

One Million Mustangs

On March 2, 1966, Ford was celebrating the production of its one millionth Mustang. Even as the years have rolled by, the Ford Mustang remains a favorite for auto enthusiasts... from those who restore the classics, to the grocery-getters and for those who just love to drive the Mustang! You can read more about the one millionth Mustang here.

Recall for the 2010 Mustang

Apparently, Ford issued a recall on the 2010 Mustang line, but Ford Mustang owners have known about this issue for years! :)


You can read the whole article here.

In my opinion, they should have issued a wider recall to include models from years past.

Mustang in the Mirror

I see you. I always see you. You're in my rearview mirror. Silently sneaking into the side-view mirror. Whether you have a classic Ford Mustang, Saleen, Fox-body, Shelby or Cobra...I see you. Now, you'll drive alongside me and do one of the following things... 1) Look over at my Mustang and then at me to say 'Nice' or something to that effect 2) Look over my Mustang and attempt to engage me in a NASCAR-like race on the highway 3) Attempt to zoom past me, without so much as a wave All the while, I'm most likely going to do one of the following things... 1) Look over at your Mustang and then at you to say 'Nice' or something like that 2) Look over your Mustang and drop mine into neutral, rev up the ponies, just so I know that you know I'm there 3) Continue on my way, without so much as a wave

Either way, I hope that you make it safely to your destination.

Auto Showroom in Vegas

If you ever find yourself in Las Vegas with

nothing to do or if Lady Luck is nowhere to be found,

then head over to the Imperial Palace where

you can enter the

Auto Collections Showroom.

Not only are these cars displayed,

most are for sale - if you can get past the

6 digit asking price.

Hmmm...the Ford Mustang GT500 Fastback

or

the Ford Mustang Boss?

Choices!

Since the vehicles are bought and sold,

the cars or trucks on display

change from time to time.

The velvet rope.

That's the only way to rope in a wild

ride like that!

Maybe Lady Luck will bestow you with

the kind of cash needed to obtain one,

however I do believe this one is no longer available.

Read My Odometer

This happened on December 23, 2009.

I was on my home from work when I noticed the odometer was close to having consecutive numbers. When it happened, I parked at the nearest place available, which was a gas station, took the photo and drove home.