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I originally wrote this in 2008, long before this club became a reality. I am taking the liberty to post it again because it is (in my humble opinion) a good read and I enjoyed reliving it when I stumbled across the story in the depths of my computer hard drive. All this happened in 2007/05. All the Mustangs, except the 89 Coupe, are long gone.
At the time, we had an 04 Cobra, a 1999 35th anniversary GT vert(black), a 1991 black Fox vert, a 1989 coupe, and a 1989 hatch.
if you don't enjoy reading, well, tough on you.
n I’m either one of the world’s luckiest dads because I have FIVE Mustangs to play with, or I’m the biggest touch for giving good car stuff to his kids.
It started off when I leased a Honda Civic for my oldest son while he went to University.
It continued when I got my first Mustang in 1999, leaving me with a 92 Dodge Spirit worth nothing on the trade.(did you know that 92 Dodge Spirits had 4 wheel disc brakes and anti lock?) Feeling guilty that the oldest one had wheels, I gave the Spirit to my middle son who was then just reaching the tender age of 17. It had been modified with aftermarket alloy wheels, HD shocks all around, a custom exhaust and Pirelli Z rated tires. Thus, son # 2 was indoctrinated early into the world of mods!
4 years ago, I completed the triumvirate by buying a 1989 4 cylinder Mustang notch for my youngest son, Noah.
. It was a 1 owner car with 90,000 km on it. It was a 4 cylinder, with an automatic.
Then #1 son convinced me to get rid if the 2002 Honda we'd gotten him for his graduation, while his grandparents lent him the bucks to buy a 1991 Mustang GT Vert, black on white!
After a nasty accident totaling the Spirit, and two miserable years in a 92 Dodge Avenger, #2 son wound up in a 1989 Mustang LX hatch 5 litre, which we purchased for $1100, and then spent $200 to get it safetied and on the road. (The previous owner thought the motor was blown, but it turned out to be a bad spark plug. It also needed one fender, which we got for 50 bucks. Fortuitously, it was black, so it didn't even need to be repainted.
Last year, the little 4 banger, which was actually surprisingly fun to drive (I own an 04 Terminator, suitable modded to 500+ horsepower so I feel I know something about driving fun) needed a paint job, so I volunteered to help out. I took it to a brand new custom shop out of the city that low balled me with a ridiculously low price for the work, and then managed to double it, although I honestly think they had just made a mistake in their estimate and didn’t do it purposely. The car turned out to need floor pans, a fender, and there was more rust elsewhere than I thought, but it came out looking great. Unfortunately, said customizing shop is no longer in business.
This summer, # 2 son took the hatch in for some work to our local Mustang guru, Rick Booth, where it was determined that the shocks weren’t shocking and the ball joints were unjointed, along with bushings that weren’t....well, bushing. As well, the headlights were practically opaque, typical for an older Fox body.
#2 has repeatedly mentioned feeling left out because the other 2 boys work in my business, while he works as an electronics techie for a large communications company. So, feeling befittingly guilty, I offered to pay for the shocks and ball joints. Being a gadget head myself, I also volunteered to obtain a set of just out one piece projector style headlights for him.
When it turned out that the ball joints by themselves were going to cost over $200, we decided to look at new lower control arms as well, and then, since we had a perfectly good set of 17" wheels and tires from my wife’s 99 35th Anniversary GT convertible literally just laying around, well, what the heck, a 5 lug conversion began to sound pretty good.
Since our mechanical magician was going to have to disassemble a lot of the suspension anyway, it began to make some sort of demented sense that while the car was being massaged, we might as well do springs, brakes, and brake lines as well. However, this was going to cost, big time.
Taking a lesson from the afformentioned Mr. Booth, I began looking for bargains. Having never done that before (If I need something, I’ll just go into my local vendor of choice and buy fresh parts), I was new to this. However, once you start looking, the bargains are there.
Item 1] The 5-lug conversion. 50 Resto has it on sale for $399.00 Someone in our club posted a used set (it was only on the car for a week, and judging by the condition, they drove it 6 inches). I got it complete with a jar of brake lube for $200( note: 16 years later that jar is still on my shelf!)
Unfortunately, other than the axles, subsequent decisions have rendered most of this stuff unnecessary.
Item 2] Ball Joints. Ford Motorsport front lower control arms seem to be back in production. They are all over Ebay for around $350 US “buy it now”. They come complete with ball joints, which were going to cost $350 anyway. Then #1 son found them at our local Ford dealer for $400 CDN, which was cheaper than Ebay after counting in shipping. So we ordered a set. Of course they were on indefinite backorder, but the parts manager said “any day, any day”
Then we went to Woodward, and while there we dropped in at MRT, where we have had a past business relationship. Their friendly parts guy, Dan Garn, was showing us around their new shop when we just happened upon a pile of brand new 99-04 Cobra Lower Control Arms, which he said would fit the car, although the track would be bigger. AND they were only $200 for the pair, including ball joints!
He also said that we MIGHT need a set of camber caster plates, but that they weren’t absolutely necessary. Oh, well, in for a penny, in for a pound. Another $160.00 (also still on my shelf)
Item 3 Spindles. For these lower control arms, we’d need SN-95 front spindles. I managed to score a pair for $100 from the buy sell forum of our club! Unfortunately I didn’t need them in the end, but since they’re as rare as hen’s teeth, I’ll keep ‘em
Item 4 Springs. Here we go, again. MRT got a set of H&R springs for around $250. Ahhhhh. Good thing I have credit cards
Item 5 Front brakes. It seems that the 5 lug conversion brakes I got at a bargain won’t fit the SN-95 spindle/hub, and the brand new lower control arms won’t fit in a fox . Not to mention hubs and bearings which I didn’t have. What to do? SSBC lists a brand new set of 99-04 front brakes and calipers for something like $1100, more if you want polished calipers. Hubs not included.
Brainstorm!! I called Mustang Specialteaz, where the proprietor Jeff just happened to get in a wrecked 1995 GT that day. $350CDN, for a complete set of front brakes, hubs, calipers, lines, struts, nuts, bolts and whatever. It seems that the owner of this forlorn car smacked it up only a few days after installing brand new rotors and pads. Score another one for the Steinberg low budget team. Jeff also gave me the SN95 master cylinder, vacumn assist, and brake proportioning valve. While on his premisis, I also scored for another few dollars the rear discs, hubs and axles, so we were all set to do a complete 4 wheel disc system. Problem is, now I had a perfectly good 5-lug conversion kit which I didn’t need at all.
Item 7 Stainless braided brake lines Sounds sexy, eh? Apparently it will firm up the pedal, and if there’s one thing I really hate it’s a squishy brake pedal.$120
Item 8 Rear lower control arms In for a penny....since we’re getting new shocks
anyway, might as well go all the way. $200
Item 9 KYB shocks. These were part of the original plan: just shocks and ball joints.
Another $200
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