Progress Thread Finally got my first Fox Body - 1988 GT

Really the only reason to get that is if you have a supercharger kit that requires stock belt routing, otherwise it’s another potential failure down the road.

Short belt it and reroute
Thanks!

Caster / camber plates have way more alignment ability than the factory plate. You can adjust the camber back out with drilling out the factory rivets and moving the strut plate or using camber bolts in the strut where it bolts to the spindle. The correct and easiest way would be to do it right the first time and get good aftermarket plates. I use UPR but the best is Maximum.
Thanks. Yeah I kind of figured this would be the answer based on other internet sleuthing but was secretly hoping otherwise so I wouldn’t have to buy one more thing, lol. I’m now trying to decide between finishing my stereo setup, getting tires for the pony wheels, or finishing the suspension.
 
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The suspension option was decided against (for now) when I failed to capitalize on the LMR Halloween sale. That’s fine, I suppose. I want to think it through more anyways. I want to lower the car but don’t want it to be impractically low. I also want to replace the front LCAs at the same time, but need to decide if I’m ok with OEM replacements or if I want to do a slight upgrade.

In other news, I did finish upgrading the lighting in my garage and did a little comparison video between the two different light setups I used:


View: https://youtu.be/fiZSXv4sP8w


I’m also happy to have the red body moulding stripe back in place. It isn’t perfect but it looks a lot better than just having red stripes on the doors.
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I need to get the lettering in on the rear bumper cover and fix the paint around the reverse light on the passenger side.
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That car is looking good.
Thanks man. I am pretty happy with how it looks from 10 feet away or so, lol.

Just realized that my garage light comparison video is super over exposed - something to do with transferring the video from my phone to Adobe. Going to try and get that fixed soon and re-uploaded.

In the meanwhile, here’s a new fast food review if anyone is bored:

View: https://youtu.be/sPkOT89pPh4


This increasingly cold weather in VA + work being too busy lately has not made for much progress of late on my Fox. I really want to put the pony wheels on but I’m trying to make myself wait until the spring to buy some summer tires for those wheels rather than buying another set of all seasons (the turbine wheels I bought the car with have all season tires that were brand new when I got the car).

Edit: here’s the updated/fixed video of the garage light comparison


View: https://youtu.be/fiZSXv4sP8w
 
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Just got a quote from another shop on doing the rear end gears. This one is a shop in Maryland that has done work on my other Mustang before (never had any complaints really). They quoted me $975 to do the ring and pinion, not including parts, gear oil, etc.

From what I can gather, I’m looking at around $1,250 total to have this shop do the gears, without adding a new differential cover. This shop is a lot further away so I would also have to account for gas and the time to get there and back.

The other shop, which is closer, quoted me $950 for just the labor.

I usually try not to complain about prices for skilled labor but just wanted to ask again since this is the second shop I got a quote from. Does this seem to be the new norm? The only shops I’ve found that will actually do a ring and pinion install have both given me similar price quotes. The rest of the shops I’ve called either don’t work on cars as old as Fox Mustangs or just don’t do read end gears.
 
Just got a quote from another shop on doing the rear end gears. This one is a shop in Maryland that has done work on my other Mustang before (never had any complaints really). They quoted me $975 to do the ring and pinion, not including parts, gear oil, etc.

From what I can gather, I’m looking at around $1,250 total to have this shop do the gears, without adding a new differential cover. This shop is a lot further away so I would also have to account for gas and the time to get there and back.

The other shop, which is closer, quoted me $950 for just the labor.

I usually try not to complain about prices for skilled labor but just wanted to ask again since this is the second shop I got a quote from. Does this seem to be the new norm? The only shops I’ve found that will actually do a ring and pinion install have both given me similar price quotes. The rest of the shops I’ve called either don’t work on cars as old as Fox Mustangs or just don’t do read end gears.
I had a local shop (Lexington, KY) change my 2.73 to 3.55 last year. I supplied the 3.55 ring and pinion and they installed it for $500. He said the bearings were good, so they weren’t replaced.
 
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You need to find a Master Mechanic that works on lots of Mustangs in your year range. The type of guy that knows them like the back of his hand. He might even be within 20 minutes of your house and might offer beverages while you wait to drive your car home the same day.

No idea where you'd find that guy :thinking:
 
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Major complex/technical upgrade accomplished yesterday…….I replaced the passenger side mirror :D


View: https://youtu.be/tidz5Hg3EW0


It actually did end up taking longer than I expected (shocker) because I didn’t realize I would have to take the inner door panel off to access the connector for the mirror. Im pretty happy with the quality on the new mirror though. I didn’t replace the driver side but will do that too eventually.

I also discovered that I did have a door speaker on the passenger side but the wiring had broken off right at the speaker. I guess I misunderstood the guy who installed my new head unit a couple months back.
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If I had known earlier that yesterday was going to be a warm day, I would have taken it off from work and tried to get the steering shaft assembly installed. Missed opportunity.

Still haven’t found a local master mechanic for the gears. Trying to determine what else I can make progress on while the weather is mostly cold.
 
Major complex/technical upgrade accomplished yesterday…….I replaced the passenger side mirror :D


View: https://youtu.be/tidz5Hg3EW0


It actually did end up taking longer than I expected (shocker) because I didn’t realize I would have to take the inner door panel off to access the connector for the mirror. Im pretty happy with the quality on the new mirror though. I didn’t replace the driver side but will do that too eventually.

I also discovered that I did have a door speaker on the passenger side but the wiring had broken off right at the speaker. I guess I misunderstood the guy who installed my new head unit a couple months back.
7F991EC7-ECDF-4F9D-BD97-85C95E7BB1FA.jpeg

If I had known earlier that yesterday was going to be a warm day, I would have taken it off from work and tried to get the steering shaft assembly installed. Missed opportunity.

Still haven’t found a local master mechanic for the gears. Trying to determine what else I can make progress on while the weather is mostly cold.

@90sickfox? Not sure he got he message.
 
Hey...over here :oops:

I understand how people want to deal with shops and warranties and such. In reality, a bunch of shops could care less about integrity. The Gear Box in Mechanicsville MD is the only shop I'd send a rear to....but I do them myself. If you want my services inbox me. If not ( and I understand ) this is a recommendation to a good shop that'll get it done for you. If you got the rear dropped I'd even haul it over there in my truck with you.

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So you are kinda doing what I'm doing in that you are replacing improving as you can. Do you have a pile of old parts that you are collecting? I'm keeping all my old junk. You never know. That mirror might be fixable and the only thing available at some point in the future. I'll admit I'm kinda a hoarder.
 
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Hey...over here :oops:

I understand how people want to deal with shops and warranties and such. In reality, a bunch of shops could care less about integrity. The Gear Box in Mechanicsville MD is the only shop I'd send a rear to....but I do them myself. If you want my services inbox me. If not ( and I understand ) this is a recommendation to a good shop that'll get it done for you. If you got the rear dropped I'd even haul it over there in my truck with you.

Screenshot_20211207-130452_Chrome.jpg
Thanks man. Really appreciate the offer and the recommendation. I am planning to give this place a call this week. I’ll shoot you a DM too.
 
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So you are kinda doing what I'm doing in that you are replacing improving as you can. Do you have a pile of old parts that you are collecting? I'm keeping all my old junk. You never know. That mirror might be fixable and the only thing available at some point in the future. I'll admit I'm kinda a hoarder.
Yeah, that’s mostly been my approach as I also think about what else I want to do with the car longer term. I don’t think I’m quite hoarder status (my wife might disagree) but I hold onto stuff that I think I might need later on or that I could give to someone else who needs it.

When I first got the car, I was pretty determined to use it for track days but now I wonder if I should just keep it as a weekend cruiser/never ending project and either planto use my 2014 for track days or look for a deal on something else. The car ADHD struggle is real.
 
Some new parts arrived a few days ago. Basically all of the parts (I hope) I needed to get the 4.10s installed. Uploaded a brief Vlog to share:


View: https://youtu.be/iq91d27FpqI


I drove the car about 70 miles today to drop it off at the shop that’s going to install the new gears. That was the longest drive I’ve done in the Fox since the day I picked it up. My knees and back were killing me and I definitely contributed to future hearing loss with that drone.

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Can’t wait to drive the car with the new gears, even though the same drive back with 4.10s might be even more unpleasant, lol.

Didn’t catch any pictures while driving but we saw a lot of Amish buggies a few miles from the shop. I didn’t realize there was such a large Amish presence in Southern Maryland until today. I’m used to usually only seeing those horse drawn buggies when I visit friends in Lancaster, PA.
 
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