SPECS
1985 Ford Mustang LX Convertible
Engine: Rebuilt 5.0 V8, former V-6 car converted to a 302 by previous owner (cheaper insurance than a GT).
Intake: Edelbrock Performer RPM
Carburetor: Edelbrock 4 barrel with electric choke
New fuel pump, and alternator
Ignition: MSD 6200
Finned aluminum valve covers and air cleaner
Automatic transmission
Wheels: Mustang GT Turbine Wheels 15 x 7. Good tread on tires.
New front brake hoses and rear brake lines. Good pads.
New power convertible top with glass and top well.
Paint: Satin white.
1983 front fascia
Interior: Tilt column. Power steering. New bucket seats in black. New carpet. Remainder of the interior was dyed black. New stereo and speakers. Stereo has USB, SD, Aux outputs. LED floor lighting. Manual windows and door locks.
No AC or Heat
This is a great driving hotrod intended for summertime fun in the sun!
This car is certainly not for the purist as it is not an original 5.0. The car been built to my taste rather than remaining stock. This car was not meant to be a perfect show car, it is the kind of car that you can drive and not have to worry about losing 2K on a fender bender like you would in your pristine original or high dollar resto.
Car is from the midwest so there was some rust that had to be repaired. Four years ago a section of the left frame rail was replaced and frame connectors were fabricated to increase the overall rigidity of the car. Additionally, left and right upper door hinge mount areas were rebuilt. Floor pan sections were replaced as needed. Front fenders, doors, and trunk lid were replaced, while the remainder of sheetmetal was solid. The doors were purchased off of eBay and do have fiberglass along the bottom edge but from what I can tell looking from the inside it only appears that a few corners of the doors suffered quarter sized rust through. The car was painted at that time and has been touched up recently due to minor scratches while being stored but no issues arose due to the work described above. The satin white paint looks great but can be difficult to clean at times. As you can see from the pictures all of the panels are straight . I have found that a typical wash job, followed up with a magic sponge takes care of the dirt pretty well.
Brakes operate as they should, smooth and quiet with no pulsation, but if you stomp on them hard they will lock up as I recently found out when someone pulled out in front of me, definitely no ABS here! Parking brake was disabled at some point probably due to a broken cable.
As stated, the tires do have good tread but are showing their age with some visible cracks in the rubber.
The 302 motor was just rebuilt and starts right up and has a good rumble at idle with the full dual exhaust and turbo mufflers. OIl pressure is 25 PSI at idle and 60 PSI above that with no leaks.
Transmission shifts nice when cruising and can chirp the tires when manually shifted from first to second gear. Trans fluid is bright red and a new gasket is visible along the edge of the pan hinting at service, but I have no record of it.
No work has been performed on the suspension but the car rides very nice and handles pretty good! However, I'm sure the bushings will need replacement at some point in the future.
Tilt column steering feel great, nice and light, I think the rack may have been replaced at some point.
The interior was a faded ugly blue, but is now all black and looks great. The seats are firm yet comfortable and have enough legroom for an NBA player. Iām 5ā11ā and I can barely touch the gas pedal with my toe when the seat is all the way back.
Stock tach, water temp oil pressure do not work and fuel gauge reads just over a 1/4 tank when tank is full. Fuel tank was cleaned when new fuel pump was installed. Speedometer works but reads high. Cannot gaurantee mileage is correct but assume it is 129K, and not just 29K
Intermittent wipers work as intended, including squirters.
All exterior and interior lights work as intended with the exception of the interior accessory light but a toggle switch near the original operates LED strip lighting in the foot wells.
Center console has had some repairs done to it but is visually acceptable and everything appears to work, including the cigarette lighter.
Windshield is very clean and appears to have been replaced but has a small chi[p on the passenger side.
Seat belts are functional but sometimes finicky to use.
New power top works great and some seals have been replaced but stills requires diligence in closing windows to ensure sealing.