91blckgt's "about *&$# Time" Progress Thread

91BlckGT

Founding Member
May 24, 1999
2,386
75
68
in a van, down by the river
I'll be mostly editing a single post, since I'm about 4 months resumed into what was originally a 2 year project but has stretched into a 20 year odyssey.

A brief background on me and the 'stang:
The 1991 Black Mustang GT was my first "baby", being the very first car I ever purchased in 1993 coming off a 2 year lease. I've owned it ever since. I started modding it in 1996 with the usual free mods like yanking air silencer driveshaft weights, and things got steadily more expensive from there.

In the years between the build start and now, I manged to get married, buy a couple of houses, have 4 kids, switch a couple of jobs, and moved into management a few years back. Well, i have more money than time now, but I still believe in doing all the work myself, having used the hobby as a diversion.

The mustang has seen many a different personas. I did dB drag racing early on (142.6dB was my peak), then decided to gut the whole stereo and switch to drag racing. With only gears and some drivetrain work, I ran a 13.8 on the stock rims in awful weather at Kilkare raceyway. I am not a good driver, and have not been back to the strip in 15 years. I then took up the whole "show car" idea, but continued to strip the car and convert it into an auto-crosser / street car. Turns out I never did take it to an auto-crosser, and barely drive it on the street. :) I did join the NMRA for a while, and enjoyed the local show circuit.

At this point the goal remains a fully streetable show car that I like to drive. So that remains the mantra of choices I've been making going forward, as well as buying higher quality parts when I can. This is not a budget build.

Speaking of budget, I paid $9,600 for the car.. In the intervening years I've dumped about $25,000 into the car, and at this point I consider it inheritance for my kids as I will never sell it or recoupe the costs.

Enough about boring stuff, here's some mod history...
There is very little stock left. This list isn't complete, I'll update as I recall things:
  • Saleen Valence
  • Steeda Badging
  • 17" 5 lug Cobra-R Wheels
  • 13" Cobra front brakes with SN-95 bearings
  • Moroso 31 spline axles
  • 3.55 Gears
  • Rebuilt T-5 with that steel bearing do-dad.
  • Aluminum driveshaft
  • Steel driveshaft safety loop
  • FRPP Steel flywheel
  • King Cobra Clutch
  • Baer 12" rear brakes, conversion kit. SS lines, 1993 booster
  • 275 Nitto Drag radials out back, 245 up front.
  • Steeda lowering springs *(1.25" drop)
  • Adjustable shocks / struts (can't recall the brand)
  • Adjustable camber/caster plates
  • Steeda front / rear anti roll bars. I think adjustable.
  • New Tie rods
  • of course the steeda clutch adjuster
  • Steeda tri-ax shifter, leather knob.
  • Steeda floormats (i really like steeda)
  • Flowmaster exhaust,
  • bassani x-pipe w/ cats,
  • FRPP shorty headers
  • FRPP Underdrive pullies
  • FRPP Silicone Radiator Hoses
  • FRPP Ignition Wires
  • Edelbrock performer intake
  • Accufab 70mm TB
  • C&L 76mm MAF kit
  • and a bunch of other crap I'll fill in later.
So what's up now?
I've done everything I can other than the lower part of the engine. So now it's time for a meat-and potatoes common build (i'm not trying to blaze new ground here) for a simple head and cam swap. $4100 later and I'm knee deep in aluminum dust and loving every second...

I'll organize these pics in a bit, but I've talked too much and you're all here for the pictures anyway:

Testing out the new rollers and experimenting with pushrod length.
9Bd757TLwRLNYnYz_QoWbDC6oL8zeXELhTHeglm54t9Mil6BWUJ90mWBdFj-7hTgS6hoPVOrnHOlREyw8q=w1689-h950-no.jpg



I like LMR. UPS doesn't. This is how I got the box.
y29UQAHeiyO1v0GTzGhiCfZYxwbUTh_wIW1eXvaA1EGygO9ZThNmeCVTlWdHtuqZY4MPG-OAkvAT3zcAD1=w1689-h950-no.jpg


Flowtech Custom grind:
txBa6CayljIY4-p-5OXAKaHpC8ta15b7wk98nc5MHX7fhmP0oxsJtEnnZ4KHfs5RmQMyOtjw9DbEA8FjMe=w1689-h950-no.jpg



Gutted and painted with POR-15. Not quite as smooth as I'd hoped.
JJFdvPiZW-ancqFLzkrUDK8saf-sn5K1XMBIs5ridBq2c_eZiWaVzyWyGrJ0XVEDJHLWaB6dkR1xT7MByY=w1602-h901-no.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
  • Sponsors (?)


I like shiny things. Here I am mid-way through scouring off 10 years of midwest salt rust off my headers. I should have taken a before picture. This job sucked. You can still see the pitting. At some point I gave up, gave them a final coat of white rouge, and they are prepped and ready for install:

_scJXebqwMggi86j8aTKXHJv7SUcsWvQd-s3HkW54KnH4Znl4swESn3gkCyfLnhKjO3-V0XT4RMihE6IWq=w1689-h950-no.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
Yet another pass at insanity, I took off the original timing cover (it was nasty) and the replacement water pump (I think it's a high flow model) and polished them. This might have sucked worse than the headers. I broke an electric die grinder on this bastard:

yDS4K2OyNSVfcoUuDkoX-V9MELjri7FfaP9Vp1vaaZ7Kx8BdaXiLI6zBiHYBruhuJTHhMKjXJ3sHcemKJ3=w1689-h950-no.jpg


_buGmrq2H7oeDDOOFhGRDocutwp09CD8WcLU4w-CZT0jrdiDdv3szA5bf3gFUdg987vqJltj409Q1-rb9U=w1602-h901-no.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 4 users
A long time was spent cleaning pistons because... reasons. I'm pretty sure I did a few dumb things while cleaning them. I used a mix of simple green and brake cleaner. Regrets to follow, but i did reoil the linings so it cranked easier.... It doesn't crank easier.

QEY3pQzgcmBrevD8hfQKV04XGc-zNu2eCJ2vDLXAqwaOJPLoJ6XbiMY-dSqivgxJgxfqRE61rfJKHUVZti=w1689-h950-no.jpg


And a "before the cleaning" pic: This is the process of disassembly.
XAO_hAYGutUTNBmS_oSPHijV7uYImBEWifNy9Ya77o_zwdbTs5gZOISRq9jkwHRJJ9xmZfVM38silXgwl0=w1602-h901-no.jpg
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
I'm posting in reverse chronological sequence, before I get back to the build-up. here the engine is in mid tear down. You can see how the headers looked here, they were half rusted, and half covered in aluminum grill paint.

VAZfgL-cov5M57BcMCtHgf4zaIXUg_MP8JR8qpBX3grnaPcS1QdUGmrtKD1uyzZu6qrQ-lVl0r_if2d4wZ=w1689-h950-no.jpg


Still going backwards in time:
UKNlPJB4DxegfNsxzfP4hxDslOScgzDpEkRVkOlAVicAOQwUl6KURuX2zNesP9OLev-52OnGUzRyrKitMi=w1689-h950-no.jpg


I have a fully polished Edelbrock Performer I'm reusing for this build. After 400 hours hand polishing, I don't care that a performer RPM makes more power.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Almost done rewinding the clock before we spring forward, or fall back, or grenade my engine and I tow it someplace to have someone fix it.

8yO5xFZLa3QO3LNqBkoeoOAhQV3WigQhC5l3aBAgl-JhJmM5ig21msG0pa0pniQgvfY67OwnPtjUF9wLNF=w1689-h950-no.jpg


Here we can see the upper still on. I've got an existing Accufab 70mm TB paired to the engine. I thought it was a 65mm when I posted before. I was wrong. You can see the before pick here of the water pump, and note the polished power steering pump, and a keen eye will see I polished the brake booster.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
These are not my cars and have nothing to do with this post. But you are all car guys and will appreciate them before we resume the thread build, because we reached the end of my tear down, and the next post after this will be the build up:

Ahi99QThArRKA-7e6YzNy17Dbxcgr0mJLKGWJGFCVSgrPYgyIylhSJqq0NPqMD_n8W9ywJmRuGUqRvZ3Jg=w1689-h950-no.jpg



s2q0yrIqurLtor6rKw3O7GvvJ51Ceiw_5b9oq4IoBJ8pfT69p8w337SkSd3PlQeAvPJgr5ur7MgujH7fj7=w1689-h950-no.jpg


xCdkIC8zBFexG051mGfbm225GVSOwhLIaQF1aOOBP0RnTXvMifkdCLHHA15XwC5AJP5DMBimGvjbJgHV6O=w1689-h950-no.jpg


A72kyqqilnH6-9BTIjLJhbeZHHMVpvHw1FzDl7tea5Tp8DWUsJ5_SW_0SlA0J8MFh2td5MWKRUF4ZR8nHP=w1602-h901-no.jpg


I9iIN8VJGynPfN9jW7jbkh59Ng_FuQYG2OVx_-1fatzY3fcco9tbdcOd46-Yvx26sWfaAJFbuqgftUqU7j=w1602-h901-no.jpg


uwo2at7rrQbC1FwXQbQeCZimba2cnodVYYgUUK8PloCOztxXoPDyD3c1mIFYIClRamdfbVuwtLtU9ECoW9=w1689-h950-no.jpg




I stopped taking pictures when my daughter realized I was photographing the cars and not her. :)
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
So we've now leaped back to the present day. Here's the test fitting of the new valve covers. I went with Summit el cheapo chrome ones.

w1MDHB1PLd90niqPs9a24JoIScDA7IX8_2LOXvOURLibxYlnVBg-XQ8T6fMtq-akpx18vLuSg8HodbUg18=w1689-h950-no.jpg


I'm currently staring at my roller bar marks on the valve stems, trying to decide if my new pushrods are the right length. That's a different post in the tech section.

And as I'm looking at this I'm realizing those el-cheapo valve covers put the oil fill under the TB. That's not going to work so well, and I'm missing the vacuum cross-over. Might need to return a bunch of stuff to summit and swap in higher priced covers.
 
Last edited:
So what's left? well, still a big pile of parts to go, here's a sampling of my parts I installed:
  • AFR 165CC heads $1761
  • Cylinder Dowels $12
  • FTI Austermper Custom Cam $340
  • Lunati 72335-16 Liters $393
  • ARP Head Bolts 154-3701 $50
  • 9333-pt-1 head gasket $24
  • Intake Gasket 1250 $24
  • Exhaust Gasket 1415 $20
  • Valve Cover gasket: $40
  • Timing Gasket Kit TCS45449: $12
  • Romac SB Ford Balancer Red Series: $308
  • Summit Valve Covers: $44
  • Comp cam Ultra Pro Magnum Steel Rockers: $330
  • 30lb/hr Accel 150830 injectors: $280
  • Kirban Adjustable Fuel pressure regulator: forgot what I paid
  • C&L Calibration tube from MAC: $47
  • Pushrod tool that's a piece of :poo:: $22
  • Comp Cam Hi-Tech Rods: 7621-16 $158
  • ARP Header Bolts: $30
  • Ford Chrome dipstick tube: $32
  • Autolite 3924 Spark Plugs: $24
  • Proper 4Gauge wiring for my alternator with a 200amp fuse: $40
All told I'm sitting at $4,199.24. I left some the fluids and junk off that list. I'll get it dyno tuned after all of this, so there's another $400 coming up at some point...
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
nice build as I also like the bling bling and I know how much work it is to polish parts.... I probably have 100 hours in my parts... .. we all have fallen into the same hole of a $1000 job turning into a $$$$$ job.. FYI as some of your pics are not posting,

One suggestion- do not use the 1250 paper intake gaskets--- they suck and will deform around the water passages,. I would recommend the 1250S3 that have the steel core inserts and also use right stuff on the china walls.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
nice build as I also like the bling bling and I know how much work it is to polish parts.... I probably have 100 hours in my parts... .. we all have fallen into the same hole of a $1000 job turning into a $$$$$ job.. FYI as some of your pics are not posting,

Crap. I can see them all when I refreshed, but when I switched to Incognito it didn't work. Will try and fix now...

**UPDATE**: Links fixed. Found a bug in XenForo. If you hit "enter' after pasting an image in Chrome from your clipboard, it won't attach properly. Just paste and save, and it works.
 
Last edited:
Now we just need to see what the rest of the car looks like! J/K, cool post! I think its worth your while to buy some nice valve covers since you are investing a decent chunk of change into it, and they cap off the top of the engine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
I will second those opinions...use the other intake gasket and better valve covers. If you want a subtle touch and like polishing so much(lol) you can polish the stock valve covers or have them powder coated(they make a "chrome" version). You might have to mess with the baffle to fit though. Very nice build and look forward to your progress.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user