AC Rebuild & 134A Conversion - Part 4

After work the last two days, I accomplished a fair amount on the Mustang.  I'm nearing the final point of both the AC and interior projects.  This is the best part of the project where everything is clean and you are bolting up restored or new parts.  

The first item to install was the condenser using the brackets I painted and new hardware from LMR.  Once it was installed, I mounted the radiator back in place using the new hardware the previous owner installed.  The installation of these wasn't a priority with everything else to do but I wanted them out of the way as I don't want any damage to the fins of either of them.

Next was the backets for the air compressor and the air compressor itself.  I did take some time to clean the engine block, power steering pump, and the new water pump but it didn't make much difference.  I did notice the new compressor seemed lighter than the original and found it is 2.8 lbs. lighter (17.3 lbs. for the original and 14.5 lbs. for the new one).

Things then started moving a bit faster as I installed the shroud, water pump pulley, fan clutch, fan, and then the serpentine belt.  I then put back in the radiator overflow tank, battery tray, and then the battery.  I replaced the flex loom on the wires to the compressor and coolant reservoir as they were in bad shape.  

The last part of this job is installing the three hoses and the accumulator.  All the hoses are double sealed in plastic bags to keep humidity out of the lines.  I'm hesitant to install them right this moment unless I can get them all installed quickly and get the system sealed.  

Initial Cleaning and Interior Projects - Part 5

I'm working through the last of the A/C and interior project simultaneously but will keep the posts independent.  Over the last few nights, I've been working through putting things together after work.  I'm getting really close and could have the car entirely back together by the end of this weekend.

In order to move the radiator enough to get the condenser installed, I removed the battery and battery tray.  This was a good time to go ahead and install a new negative battery cable.  The previous owner purchased a set of new cables but only put on the positive cable.  I'm not sure why but he was missing the retaining nut so I had to reuse the old one.  Otherwise, it was far easier to do now as the grown bolt was accessible from the top of the engine since a/c compressor and associated bracket are out of the car.

I then turned my attention back to the seats.  I cleaned the rust from the back feet a week ago.  However, there was some very light spots of rust to address on the front mounting points.  As with the rear mounting points, I coated these with Krylon Rusty Metal Primary and then some Matte Black paint.  Additionally, I soaked all the bolts in Evapo-Rust and coated them with the same paint.

I spent some time working on the passenger rear floorboard as it has some surface rust.  I originally tried to address it by using rags soaked in Evapo-Rust which was of some benefit.  I then coated the area with Eastwood's Rust Converter.  After allowing the Rust Converter to work overnight, I coated it with Eastwood's Rust Encapsulator to finish off the job.  

AC Rebuild & 134A Conversion - Part 3

In the evenings this week after work, I spent a little time daily working on the air conditioning system.

The Evapo-Rust did an excellent job on the upper condenser mounts.  They looked like perfect bare metal without any evidence of rust.  I expect with the light surface rust on the part and the lack of paint that this must have originally been installed as a bare metal part.  I then painted them with VHT engine primer (SP148) and then VHT engine enamel in flat black (SP130).  I'm going to use flat black on pieces which are not visible (like these) or others that I want to fade into the background rather than be prominent in the engine bay.

The next step was to remove the original compressor and associated brackets.  It appears someone wire wheeled the main mounting bracket but did nothing more an put it back on the car.  I soaked the lower bracket, nuts, and bolts in Evapo-Rust to get them all cleaned up.  The large bracket was too large to fully soak so I put in some time with 220 grit sandpaper to clean it up before coating it with VHT engine primer (SP148) and then VHT engine enamel in flat black (SP130).

The compressor in the car had the following Ford label on the back of it so I expect it is original to the car.  I'm not sure if it has any value or is worth keeping.  I don't expect to clean it up any but I'll probably store it in the attic just in case I want it for some reason later. 

I also soaked the accumulator/dryer bracket portion by portion due to its odd size in Evapo-Rust.  I then coat it VHT engine primer (SP148) but since it was originally satin black (along with the accumulator), I painted it in the VHT Satin Black color (SP139).  I also painted the two little nuts that mount it to the firewall with the same paint.  This bracket was the hardest to paint as it wanted to fish eye because of something on the bracket, that I couldn't see, that was seemingly hard to get off but it turned out good in the end.

There are little clips, three in total, that are used on the A/C lines.  They line connections should not come apart but it seems they are there to help avoid that.  Two were painted black and one was natural finish.  I ended up stripping the paint from two of them using some spray on paint stripper.  I then painted them like the rest with the VHT primer and flat black paint.

Lastly, I cleaned the power steering pump slightly and considered cleaning the exposed section of the engine block.  However, I think that would soon get out of hand and spiral into a longer project.  I'll do a quick clean with some Super Clean and a scotchbrite pad and call it good.  I'll then start work on putting everything back together.

Initial Maintenance - Shifter Work

One of the things I immediately noticed when driving the Mustang was the shifter.  It is a replacement LMR short throw shifter which is a fine upgrade but it missed the mark in a few ways.  Most importantly, the shifter was just slightly out of comfortable reach.  Additionally, it was too short of a shift and didn't feel smooth when you shifted.  When the center console was out of the car for the carpet work, I decided to improve these items.

The issue with the shifter itself is that there is almost no angle to the actual shift lever.  Rather than attempt to fabricate something, I decided to look at other shift levers that are available.  I found a Steeda Tri-Ax which I ordered from LMR.  The shifter arrived and was exactly what I needed.  It weighs almost nothing, is slightly taller for less of a short shift, and moves the shifter back 2.5" and about an inch closer to the driver.  The following is a picture of it from the side compared to the standard LMR short shift lever.

I also decided to remove the entire shift mechanism from the transmission to have a look inside.  I found there was no lubrication on the guide plate.  While some transmission fluid will make it into that area, the plate should be lubricated with some white lithium grease.  I went ahead and added quite a bit of lithium grease, cleaned the shifter plate, put it back in with Permatex Black Ultra RTV, and then set the shift stops to ensure they are correct now that it might be mounted ever so slight different than before.  

AC Rebuild & 134A Conversion - Part 2

This evening, I had enough time to loosen the radiator mounts and slide it towards the engine enough to pull out the existing condenser.  I was quite surprised to find out how large is was compared to the one I just purchased.  It seems that is normal with the new approach taken with condenser construction now.  All comparable models I could purchase all look the same.

The upper condenser brackets fit the new piece perfectly.  However, they are lightly coated all over with rust as are the U-nuts and bolts that mount them.  There is a little rust on the accumulator bracket too.  I stopped at AutoZone on the way to dinner and picked up some Evap-O-Rust that I'm going to use to clean them all up.  I'll then put a light coat of paint on them to keep looking nice until I can find some reproductions that look right.

I've researched adding a trinary switch into the system so that I can use it to trigger a fan instead of using the compressor clutch trigger.  This would require having a shop modify the discharge tube that I just purchased.  That is possible and I'm tempted but before when I did this on the '67, the trinary switches were not good quality and kept failing.  After considering it a bit, I'm just going to use the compressor clutch trigger if I add an electric fan later.  It will have the fan on anytime the A/C is running but that is a decent safety measure.

I'm going to let all the hardware soak overnight and paint it tomorrow after work.  

What's Next?

My intention is to update this post sporadically but not retain historical versions.  It is a bit of a to-do list that I just carry forward, update, and change the post date so it generally remains new the top of my postings.  I can then quickly and easily reference it when I have some time or am about to make an order.

Second Set of Keys

Swap Negative Battery Cable

Hatchback Struts Don't Hold

Driver Door Weatherstripping

Glove Box Light

Headliner Repair

Windshield Wipers

All Bushings

Steering Rack Limiters

Steering Rack Bushings (Energy Suspension 4-10103G)

Transmission Mount

Transmission Bushings (Energy Suspension 4-1102G)

Sway Bar Bushings (Energy Suspension 4-5108G - 1.25")

Sway Bar End Links

AC Rebuild & 134A Conversion

I've had to pause the effort on the interior as I wait for some Eastwood paint and Second Skin sound deadening to arrive in a few days.  While waiting, I'm going to get started on the air conditioning system.

As I mentioned previously, the former owner stated the A/C has not worked since he purchased the car in November of 2022.  He had not attempted to do any work to it to understand what was wrong.  I tested the system by pressing on one of the Schrader valves a few days ago and there is no refrigerant in the system.  I decided that since I didn't want to go through guessing at what was wrong, I'd take this time to replace critical parts and perform a 134A conversion.

In an effort to get the system working again, I purchased mostly Four Seasons equipment except for the condenser since I couldn't find one anywhere.  The specific items I purchased include a Four Seasons compressor (FSS-58388), Four Seasons accumulator/dryer (FSS-55278), Four Seasons liquid hose line (FSS-55602), Four Seasons high pressure hose (FSS-55703), and Universal Air condenser (UAC-CN3554PFC), a Motorcraft 134A A/C Clutch Cycling Switch (YH-513 / E35Y-19E561-A), and the two manifolds which bolt to the top of the new compressor (LMR-6888748 and-LMR 6888747).  All the Four Seasons items came from Summit, the condenser from AutoZone, and the rest from LMR.

I removed all the hoses from the system this evening.  I sprayed PB Blaster into the AC fittings and after waiting a while pulled them using a Lisle (#39400) disconnect tool.  There is one particular fitting near the firewall and accumulator that everyone complains about taking forever to get loose.  I suppose I was lucky as it came out without any trouble.  I then removed the fan shroud, fan clutch, fan, and serpentine belt.  I stopped for the evening at that point not sure if I would remove the radiator or try to sneak the condenser without damaging the radiator.

Initial Cleaning and Interior Projects - Part 4

I led off the morning with painting the second two A/C vents and the driver side door pull.  I don't have much more planned to paint today which is good as I ran out of paint.  I would have put another light coat or two more on these but I'll use the as it and can repaint later if they don't look good once they dry.  I didn't realize how much of this paint I was going to use or I would have purchased two cans.

When I was finishing up painting, my Amazon order arrived containing the door panel retainers.  I coated the window slider with some WD40 Silcone spray while I waited for the door pull paint to dry.  I then put the driver door back together without the rain shield plastic and threw away the old insulation.  When the time comes to install stereo speakers, I'll just end up doing all of that work then.  I've already spent enough on what was going to be a fairly simple refresh of the interior.

It is suppose to rain this afternoon so the next job on the list was to clean the driver and passenger seat.  They are covered with stains and look horrible.  While the driver side needs to be replaced, I want them to be as nice as possible until that day comes.  Much like the back seat, I ended up cleaning the driver seat about five or six times.  The passenger side wasn't as bad but did have some stains on the lower portion.  

Once they were cleaned, I decided to do ahead and address the mounting points on them.  Where the rear two bolts go on both seats the mounting point is rusted quite a bit.  It had stained the carpet.  I used a wire wheel and a sanding disc to get off all the rust and to as much of bare metal as possible.  I then coated them with Krylon Rusty Metal Primer and then Krylon Matte Black.  They will the some time for both the paint and seats to dry after being cleaned. 

I remoted the passenger side door panel and fixed it up just like the driver side using the new map pocket and WD-40 Silicone on the window slides.  The passenger side was much cleaner so there wasn't as much work to do in getting it ready.  That said, all of the push retainers on the door were so worn they were not doing anything either.  

The final task of the day was to clean the floor of the Mustang.  I vacuumed it all out, used a brush to get more of the stuck on stuff free, and then vacuumed a second time.  I sprayed some cleaner on the floor and wiped it all off.  I cut out the insulation under the back seats and it also smelled like mouse pee.  I'd have liked to have used it and don't see it reproduced but I've rather find something else than use it the way that it was.  

I have a few more parts to clean up like the kick panels and the sill plates.  I need to treat some rust on the passenger rear floorboard and have some Eastwood paint coming in a few days for that job.  Once that is done, I'll put some sound deadener in that is on the way, install the carpet, and reassemble the car.  

Initial Cleaning and Interior Projects - Part 3

I continued on the interior cleaning and mini restoration project while off work today.  I tackled so many small projects it doesn't feel like an incredible amount was accomplished.  That is in part because a fair amount of time was spend cleaning everything that was visible of dirt and dust.  This might be unnecessary but I'd like to take advantage of the opportunity and feel good about the job I've done. 

The instrument cluster was the first item on the list.  I removed the cluster, cleaned it completely, and swapped in a Scott Drake LED set (LRS-7993LED-W).  The nine LED kit covered the turn signals, high beam indicator, low coolant light, the five cluster illumination bulbs, and the two illumination bulbs in the A/C controls.  I used original bulbs in the oil pressure, check engine, brake, belt, amp warning lights and left the air bag light without a bulb.

I polished the clear plastic over the gauges with some Meguiar's PlastX plastic polish.  It worked well but there are a few marks on the clear plastic that will not come out completely.  I did the front side four times and then the back side twice.  I then cleaned both sides twice with good glass cleaner before putting it all together.  I'm trying to ensure there isn't anything stuck inside that would be visible later as this part is rather hard to get out.

With the instrument cluster done, I cleaned the entire dash, installed a new Mustang emblem on the dash (LRS-04460-B), and swapped out the old looking A pillar screws (HDW-6103598).  I removed the stock amplifier before taking out the carpet but removed the wiring today and set it aside.  I then put on my new registration sticker before I forgot or lost it.  I then decided to change pace a little and switch to work on the door panels.

I pulled the door panels so that I could install new map pockets at the bottom of the doors.  When pulling the driver's side off, I found none of the push pin that retained the door panel.  The insulation inside was held to the door panel with some really thin duct tape.  The door also lacked the plastic shield to protect the door panel.  While looking around, I did find a loose ground in the door which I was able to quickly fix.  

I pulled off the black block off panels the former owner installed instead of going back with the factory style map pockets.  It then became incredibly apparent how dirty the door panels were as the gray was not so gray but more brown in areas.  I cleaned it for quite a while and it is probably half way back to normal.  I then installed the new map pocket and it looks good.  I'm going to need to do some paint on the door pull so I set it aside to do with numerous other parts later.

While I had the door panel off, I measured the speaker opening.  It has a 5" opening to hold a 6.5" speaker.  With the window rolled down, there is a bit over 2 1/8" of space for a speaker magnet.  That should give me plenty of options.  The mount pattern uses three screws instead of four that I've seen on most of the 6.5 speakers sold lately.

Next, I removed and took apart the A/C vents as they had a yellow/brown tint to the gray color and looked out of place.  I used Opal Gray paint from LMR and planned to use SEM Sand Free Adhesion Promoter (SEM-38363) but the can they sent gushed fluid from the top rather than spray like it should.  Hopefully, the paint still adheres.  

Initial Cleaning and Interior Projects - Part 2

Each evening after work this week, I spent a little time disassembling the interior of the Mustang.  On Monday, I removed the A/C controls, radio, center console, driver's side lower dash, and instrument cluster bezel.  On Tuesday, I removed the sill plates, kick panels, the seats, and then the original premium stereo amplifier (which I'll set aside and save).  On Wednesday, I returned to work on the seat belt bolts which were stubborn and the middle two at the transmission required heavy heat from under the car to get lose but I was then able to remove the console bracket that is behind the radio and ultimately the carpet.

The carpet doesn't seem to have ever been removed before from the vehicle.  The car has been repainted at some point and they removed some of the interior to do a good job.  They painted the door jams as some paint made it on to the carpet under the sill plate.  There were two things I found removing the carpet which are rather interesting.  They include a Paint/Metal Inspection sheet and gloves left in the car at the factory.

The Paint/Metal Inspection sheet was slightly under the bottom of the firewall insulation in the passenger floorboard.  The gloves were between the gas pedal and transmission tunnel in a bit of a corner pocket down in that area.  Surprising, you could not tell with the carpet in place.  They were slightly inside out as if someone finished for the day, pulled them off by the wrist portion, and threw them in the car before heading home.  Unfortunately, I didn't find a build sheet under the carpet or any of the seats.

This is the state as of now with the interior fully removed.  I'm off work the next two days in order to work on the car.  My goal remains to clean up the interior and do a bit of a restoration.  To control the scope, the plan is to work on everything between the dash and the rear seats.  I'll do everything I can to get it in really good shape with the exception of doing anything with the stereo and speakers, seats (beyond cleaning), and headliner.  

Initial Maintenance - Hatch Bumpers, Hood Prop Retainer, & Brake Reservoir Lid

In my recent LMR order of interior parts, I included a few items to repair broken or deteriorated items that were not associated with the interior.  Over the last couple of days, I installed those parts between working on the interior of the Mustang. 

The rubber insulators that keep the hatch from rattling and making contact with the quarter pane were worn out or missing.  There are some midway up the batch which were there but were crushed about 3/16" in from their original shape so I put in some new ones (#N806487).  The bottom corners of the hatch also have bumpers which were completely missing so I got a set of those too. (#E7ZZ6143634).

My hood prop retainer was broken so I ordered one (#LRS02-14-03B) and installed it. 

The brake reservoir cap was strangely spot along the side as if it were melted somehow.  It melted enough to create a hole through the cap but only facing the threads and not the inside of the reservoir.  I went ahead and purchased a new one (E9SZ-2162-A) and installed it too.

Initial Cleaning and Interior Projects

My son is coming over tonight to see the car so I don't want to tear anything apart substantially.  I also didn't want to do something so small that I could save it for a day after work.  I decided I'd pull the bottom of the rear seat to clean under it and to clean the fabric as it had several significant stains.  

When I pulled up the seat, I was surprised to see clumps of old carpet underlayment.  A moment later, the smell of mouse pee hit me in the face.  I lifted the seat fully out of the way and could see little mouse droppings under the seat.  He is no doubt long gone but that makes me want to immediately replace all the carpet and clean all the seats.

I vacuumed up everything that I could under the seat and then off the bottom of the seat foam.  There wasn't anything special under the back seat except a gum wrapper, folder label, mini Mag light, and a BIC pen.  I'd hoped to leave the underlayment as it is immediately above the mufflers but it will need to go in the trash.  

I cleaned the seat with a Bissel Little Green carpet cleaner we have had for years.  I ran the carpet cleaner over the back seat a total of five complete passes and it finally started to look much better.  It is rather disgusting to do this work and I only did the bottom of the seat.  I could probably do without sharing this picture but this is the water that was being vacuumed out of the fabric on the first pass with the carpet cleaner.  

I'm letting the seat bottom dry out in the sun today.  I coated the bottom of the foam with some Febreze to remove any residual smell.  I still need to clean more under the rear seat area and the back of the rear seat.  However, since it is Easter Sunday and we have guest coming over, I'll call it done a little early today.

Initial Maintenance - Simple Oil Change

This afternoon, I decided I'd replace the oil in the Mustang despite the knowledge it was replaced not that long ago (81,547 miles on 10/23/24).  When it was replaced, they used a MicroGuard filter so I imagine they used inferior oil too.  It will give me some peace of mind to replace it.  I keep a supply of Valvoline VR1 10w30 for my 1967 Mustang along with several Wix 51515 filters so I had everything I needed to do the job properly.  

The new oil pan looks nice under the car and doesn't appear to be leaking anywhere.  It was installed when the oil was last changed so I don't expect anyone has removed either of the drain plugs.  They were rather hard to loosen as I expect it was likely painted with them in place.  However, that was nothing compared to the effort required to remove the oil filter.  

The oil filter would not budge using a standard oil filter wrench.  I tried a Craftsman rubber strap wrench and that would not work either.  After working with it a while, I hammered a screw driver through the side and was able to loosen it some.  Unfortunately, I had to do that three times and then twist it off with a huge vice grip wrench.  It was beyond ridiculous how tight it was installed.  I'm tempted to keep it as some form of trophy due to the effort involved.

I cleaned up the huge mess I made due to the oil filter and put everything back together.  The mileage is presently at 81,733.  I noticed I need some sway bar bushings and end links so I'll add that to the list of future projects.  I looked around a bit under the car and see some light surface rust to deal with but in general it is in good condition.

Update:  The following morning I walked out to the garage and looked under the Mustang.  I found the oil pan leaks from the back drain plug.  It was already rather tight but I tightened it a bit more but within an hour there was another spot from dripping oil.  I was probably only sealed before due to the drain bolts being painted over when it was made.  

The drain bolt has a simple metal washer rather than something plastic or with a seal.  I stopped at O'Reilly and picked up a set of 1/2 drain washers which have an integrated rubber O-ring (Dorman 097-021CD - shown on right in image below).  It is convenient that it is a two pack as I have two drain plugs.

I swapped them into place, captured the oil in a super clean pan, and then put it back into the car.  I drove it around a bit and will see if we have any leaks this time.

Initial Maintenance - Air Bag System Error and Weird Noises

This morning, I decided as an extension of the interior cleaning, I'd remove the radio which led to removing the A/C and ultimately checking the air bag control module.  When I first sat in the vehicle yesterday, the air bag unit started a relatively consistent chime noise and then went away.  I didn't hear it again on the drive home.  However, at home, it just seemed to make rather weird noises instead of a chime sound.  

In my understanding, you should be able to turn on the key, watch the air bag light, and based on the flash sequence know what is wrong.  Unfortunately, the light on mine just stays lit which means the problem is with the control module itself.  I might be able to find someone to repair it but most just try to find another off eBay to swap into their car.  However, in all likelihood, after 33 years, the system isn't going to work properly anyway due to age.

I decided the best option was just to remove the air bag module completely.  I'll save it in case I ever want to put it back into the car.  This will certainly eliminate the noise I was hearing but will cause the air bag light to aways stay on.  I plan to remove the cluster to clean it and swap in LED lights so I'll just remove the air bag light then.  The system would then be fully disconnected.

The blue box has a black connector and a grey connector.  I'm going to end up labelling them somehow and leaving them inside the dash in the event I need to get to them later.  The box bolted from below through a metal brace from the radio area.  The part number of the blue box appears to be 72AF14B056AD (0's could be O's or D's).

Initial Cleaning and Interior Projects

After some time to relax this afternoon, I returned to a '93 to start cleaning the interior.  Cleaning the interior sounds easy but I'm very easily distracted with the various items I'm interested in checking or learning about on the car.  I've numerous random pages out of a pad of paper containing various notes of things that I would like to improve pulling me in multiple different directions.  I'll need to work to keep some level of focus as performing upgrades methodically is better than an ADHD buying list of new parts.

The exterior of the car doesn't require anything immediately to make it presentable.  The interior has not seen as much love so it is looking a little tired.  This is a good starting point for cleaning and making some improvements.  The list that I've compiled to this point includes the following:

Center Arm Rest

    A replacement was included but it requires Opal Gray paint

Center Cupholder Console

    A replacement was included but it requires Opal Gray paint

Paint Glove Box Pull

    This discolored relative to the rest of the ash and could use new paint

Replace A Pillar Screws

    These have slight discoloration and some surface rust.  Replacements are cheap.

Fix Center Air Vent

    There is something on one of the center vents.  I need to fix or replace it.

Replace Shifter Lever

    The shift knob is too far forward but I can get a shift lever with more curve to it.

Air Bag Noise

    I'm not sure if I want to just unplug it but it is making random, weird noises.

Floor Mats

    There are no mats.  It would be good to do the carpet but it might be a bit much.

Dash Pony

    The pony emblem on the dash has the chrome coming off and is distracting.

Cluster & Dome Light

    When I clean the gauge cluster, I'd like to take the time to swap to LED lights.

Kick Panel Fasteners

    The little plastic fasteners which hold the kick panels in place are missing.

I'm going to put together an order for these things and send it in tomorrow morning.  If they are open on Saturday, I hope they put together the order and start sending it over the next few days.  They are only about 1.5 hours from here so hopefully they can get it all to me in the next few days.

The Purchase and Where to Start

I met the owner of the Mustang this morning in Richmond at 9AM.  We talked about the car for a while about how he got the car, the work done, the limited use he has had, and his plan to sell it to get a different daily driver and send his son to college.  My wife continued to talk to him as I checked under the car, all the fender wells, confirmed the VINs matched, looked at panel alignment, and then generally looked over the car rather closely.  I don't like the two rust spots I found in the paint but otherwise the car was quite solid.  I expected it to look a little worse in person and it does but not by much.  I was overall generally pleased.  

I asked for a quick drive and he took me on a drive for a couple of miles.  Everything inside the car worked and I didn't see anything concerning.  The car had not been started that morning and started without any delay and without any smoke.  Everything seemed to line up enough reasonably to make an offer.  

He wanted $15,000 for the car which was well over what it was worth.  I honestly expect it was worth about $11,000 or $12,000 mostly due to miles and not necessarily the condition.  However, I'm not super price sensitive right now and offered $13,000 in cash.  After a little hesitation, we made a deal at that amount, signed a bill of sale, and I left with the title in hand.  Within an hour, I made the purchase and was back on the road with my wife driving along behind me.  

As with the '67, I had a pad of paper beside me which I started to list ideas as I drove.  The car drove well and the only major item was that the shifter is about 2-3" a little too far forward and is a little too much of a short shifter for my liking.   

I drove some back roads home through Hempstead and stopped a retro Pizza Hut for lunch. The place is styled just like one from the 80's and has a buffet at lunch time.  It was a quick lunch and then we headed back to hit the road.  The entire trip was uneventful.

Upon returning home, I was rather eager to start on the various fun upgrades you can make to a 1993 Mustang but need to get some basics out of the way first.  Initially, I need to ensure all basic maintenance work has been performed, clean the car exceptionally well, and then perform a slight restoration of anything that is damaged.  The goal being to ensure I have a relatively stock appearing, well preserved and running vehicle.  

The slight restoration mentioned above will primarily focus on the inside of the vehicle.  The outside has been detailed quite well so I don't think I'll need to do much there.  The seats are stained, carpet is old and dirty, it is missing floor mats, and there are things I'd like to change like the door block off plates in black vinyl instead of a color matched OEM style pocket.  A nice interior is a big plus when driving around so this will be an early priority.

There are a few things that might fit into the damaged category which I'm not sure if I will immediately fix.  The one I certainly know I will is that the air conditioning does not work and hasn't since the previous owner purchased the car.  He hasn't had it checked, added any freon, and doesn't know if the system has any dye in it.  He only knows that the blower works and bypassed the header core as a safety measure (didn't leak at the time).  

The second most probable item I immediately fix is an airbag issue where a chime sounds when the car starts and the air bag light is on.  The previous owner hasn't done anything with this but believes it simply involves unplugging something behind the AC.  I researched it a bit and it isn't hard but takes some time.  Removing the box stops the issue but also stops the air bag system from functioning. 

What I expect I'll wait to handle is the loose and sagging headliner.  This will take some work as all the interior panels must be removed to take it out.  The headliner board is fragile and tends to break when removed so many replace it with an ABS version that is over $300.  With the other things I need to handle first, this will probably end up waiting.  

History of Parts Replaced to Date

When I purchased the Mustang, I asked the former owner to share copies of all the receipts for the parts purchased.  The items were all purchased from LMR and are detailed out below.  These parts are all presently on the car except for the negative battery cable, cup holder center console, and the center console arm rest.  The console parts both need to be painted Opal Gray before they can be installed.

BBK 1 5/8" Ceramic Equal Length Headers (BBK-15120)
Daniel Carpenter Battery Tray Kit (LRS-10732BK)
Daniel Carpenter Negative Battery Cable (WC8699)
Daniel Carpenter Positive Battery Cable (WC8751A)
TMI Black Pocket Delete (LRS-23942MPDA)
LMR Replacement Door Mirrors (LRS17682PR)
SEM Black Exterior Paint (SEM-39143K)
LRS Headlight Hardware Kit (LRS-13008-HDW)
Daniel Carpenter Sunroof Weatherstripping (LRS-50250)
5.0RESTO Side Mirror Seal Kit (LRS-17682PAD-A)
Daniel Carpenter Interior Side Mirror Trim (LRS-17709KIT)
SEM Adhesion Promoter (SEM-38363)
LMR Opal Gray Spray Paint (MET-FV45)
Daniel Carpenter Replacement Console (LRS-6104490S)
Daniel Carpenter Door Glass Weatherstripping (LRS-21596PR)
Daniel Carpenter Replacement Exterior Door Handles (LRS22404K)
Daniel Carpenter Roof Rail Molding for Doors (LRS-51726K)
Daniel Carpenter Inner & Outer Window Belt Kit (LRS-21452K)
Daniel Carpenter Lower Shift Boot (LRS-7277E)
Daniel Carpenter Shifter Bezel (LRS-04424)
SVE Mongoose Short Shifter (SVE7210AB)
Daniel Carpenter Center Console Arm Rest (LRS-06024TP)
Ford Motorsport Red Spark Plug Wires (M12259R301)
Ford Motorsport Cap and Rotor (DH411K)
Ford Motorsport Spark Plugs (SP479K)
5.0RESTO License Plate Lenses (LRS13550A-K)
LRS Cold Air Intake Kit (LRS-9659CA3K)
FlowMaster American Thunder Cat-Back Exhaust (FLO17213)
5.0RESTO 93 Cobra Wheels - 4 Lug 17" x 8.5" (LRS-1007RSL)
Energy Suspension Urethane Front Bumpstops (ES-46103G)
Prothane Upper Strut Mount Bushings (PT-61213BL)
5.0RESTO Front Strut to Spindle Hardware (HDW-3105A)
LRS Replacement Fan and Clutch (LRS-2733K)
5.0RESTO Fan Clutch Bolts (382132S2)
5.0RESTO Fan to Clutch Bolts (LRS-57632S2K)
SVE Silicone Coolant Hoses (SVE-6052A)
SVE Black Hose Clamp Set (LRS-8693HCK-BLK)
Daniel Carpenter Fan Shroud (LRS-8146B-R)
5.0RESTO Oil Pan Bolt Set (LRS-6675K)
Ford Motorcraft Water Pump PW291 (LRS-38501B)
Ford Motorcraft Pilot Bearing (LRS-7600A)
5.0RESTO Upper Radiator Brackets (LRS-8193k-KIT)
5.0RESTO Radiator Bracket Hardware (LRS-7983HDW)
SVE Urethane Front Spring Isolator Set (SVE-6170K)
SVE Lowering Springs (1-1.5") & KYB Shocks/Struts (SVE-5300AB-K)
    KYB 235009K - Front Strut
    KYB -KB5551-K - Rear Shocks
SVE Urethane Pinion Bumper (LRS-7011BL-K)
McLeod Street Pro Clutch Kit (MCL-75105K)
    McLeod Clutch MCL-75105
    Billet Steel Flywheel SVE-6375A (17.5lbs)
    Ford Motorsport Rear Main Seal M-6701-B032
    Throw Out Bearing
 

Existing Modifications

When corresponding with the owner over the past week, I received some additional history on the vehicle from the time he has owned it.  He indicated all the non-original items on the car were added under his ownership.  In these exchanges, he provided a bit more detail on those changes and who handled the work.

The former owner, Derek, purchased the Mustang in November 2022.  He wasted no time in purchasing a Flowmaster exhaust which was installed on January 23, 2023.  He had that work done by a local Meineke shop which charged him $300.  There was then no other activity until about two years later.

On October 23, 2024 he had a large amount of work done at Dybala's Auto Repair & Custom.  The work that was done is detailed in the following excerpt from the invoice.  The work was done at 81,547 miles for a total of $4,047.90 of which $3,353.99 was labor.  

If I buy the car, I'll need to try to get more receipts from him.  He shared this list of items that he has done to the car in the 3.5 years he has owned it.  

With the exception of an aftermarket radio, I don't see anything else that has been done to the car beyond what is included on his list.  I asked if he kept any of the original parts and he stated that he did not.  The items he has done are more or less the type work that I would have done to the car with a few exceptions.  He has probably easily put $7,000 into the car considering the price of these items and the work done at Dybala's.