88 GT Convertible - Restore Info.

Ok...I got flack on the regular ford NG for posting this in a manner
which didn't use the correct lingo so here it goes...

I have a 1988 Mustang GT Convertible and live in the Ottawa area. I'm
looking for general information about restoring the car to showroom
like condition with some modification to the drive train (I would like
a little more HP).

So what I'm looking for here are some ideas/opinions about where this
can be done in the Ottawa, Ontario area. I would also like to know how
much I should potentially budget (I know this may be a big range and
that's ok, please be realistic).

A little about the car:

1988 Mustang GT (COBRA - they all were that year in Canada)
convertible.
Red exterior (fading in places)
White/Red interior
White top (in great condition)
Orginal 5.0L engine with 155,000km on it.
Automatic

The car is in pretty good shape. I just put on a flowmaster exhaust
(not too keen on how loud it is though).

The drive door seems to "hang" a little and when changing the trim I
see someone put rivets so it may need to be changed. The car needs a
really nice paint job too (ground effects are faded to an almost pink
color). I would also like to change out the seats and put some newer
ones in (front/back). The interior otherwise is really nice so I
wouldn't change that other than the stereo. The trim has quite the
wear so I think that needs to be done.

I want the car to essentially look like it did coming out of the
dealer in 1987/88 with the exception of getting a little more under
the hood. Any information would be great.

Thank you,
Marc

On Oct 26, 8:26 am, "88 Mustang GT Conv." >
wrote:
> Ok...I got flack on the regular ford NG for posting this in a manner
> which didn't use the correct lingo so here it goes...
>
> I have a 1988 Mustang GT Convertible and live in the Ottawa area. I'm
> looking for general information about restoring the car to showroom
> like condition with some modification to the drive train (I would like
> a little more HP).
>
> So what I'm looking for here are some ideas/opinions about where this
> can be done in the Ottawa, Ontario area. I would also like to know how
> much I should potentially budget (I know this may be a big range and
> that's ok, please be realistic).
>
> A little about the car:
>
> 1988 Mustang GT (COBRA - they all were that year in Canada)
> convertible.
> Red exterior (fading in places)
> White/Red interior
> White top (in great condition)
> Orginal 5.0L engine with 155,000km on it.
> Automatic
>
> The car is in pretty good shape. I just put on a flowmaster exhaust
> (not too keen on how loud it is though).
>
> The drive door seems to "hang" a little and when changing the trim I
> see someone put rivets so it may need to be changed. The car needs a
> really nice paint job too (ground effects are faded to an almost pink
> color). I would also like to change out the seats and put some newer
> ones in (front/back). The interior otherwise is really nice so I
> wouldn't change that other than the stereo. The trim has quite the
> wear so I think that needs to be done.
>
> I want the car to essentially look like it did coming out of the
> dealer in 1987/88 with the exception of getting a little more under
> the hood. Any information would be great.
>
> Thank you,
> Marc

What you're asking is very, very, broad. I'll give my opinion, but
I'm sure others' opinions will vary quite widely. I'm working now on
my third Mustang (all 5.0 Fox - bodies like yours), and it seems like
you're starting with a similar approach to mine. My goal has been
what they call a 'resto-mod'. I wouldn't want to do a pure
restoration, because I also wanted better performance and creature
comforts, especially audio. I guess what I am attempting is to
restore everything that needs it, but enhance where I feel it's
appropriate. Realize that exhaust and audio will detract from a pure
restoration. Next, if you change wheels, suspension, ride height (aka
lowering springs - to improve handling), chassis bracing (aka shock
tower, K-member bracing, subframe connectors), braking or other
things, you also take away from restoration. I guess it's all
judgement, the extent to which you favor restoration or modification.
I look at it like a sliding scale.
My approach has always been to address induction (ie cold-air intake,
air meter and throttle body, exhaust, then audio. Somewhere along the
line, I add the upgraded higher amperage alternator, and move to
stereo. Possible next steps include suspension, braking, further
engine work, and wheels / tires. I personally wouldn't do body kits,
or drastic interior changes. My goal has always been to keep the body
work and interior trim as close to stock as possible, with the
possible exception of billet interior dress-up. There are a bunch of
good resources. My favorite is Late Model Restoration supply (www.
50resto.com), but there are dozens of others. In my opinion Maximum
Motorsports are the kings of suspension and handling, but Eibach is a
good, proven commodity, too. For braking, there's a guy who has more
tech info than you could use, at http://mjbobbitt.home.comcast.net/~m...tang/4lug.html.
I can't answer budget for you. I've done mine as I can steal money
away from a family budget including private school and college tuition
for two kids. As a result, my work has been slower and more modest
than it might have been otherwise. As another extreme, you could open
the bank, and contract a shop to build a custom stroker motor, and
custom engineer each of these systems. Your answer will lie somewhere
in between. I could go on for pages. If you have specific questions,
ask the group, or drop me a line.

On Oct 26, 8:58 am, Jim C > wrote:

Jim,

I agree with most everything you wrote, except:

A larger throttle body isn't needed until you change the intake and
heads.

And I'm not a fan of cold-air kits. A simpler, less costly, and
better IMO approach is to just pull off the stock air intake
silencer.

Patrick


> > Ok...I got flack on the regular ford NG for posting this in a manner
> > which didn't use the correct lingo so here it goes...
>
> > I have a 1988 Mustang GT Convertible and live in the Ottawa area. I'm
> > looking for general information about restoring the car to showroom
> > like condition with some modification to the drive train (I would like
> > a little more HP).
>
> > So what I'm looking for here are some ideas/opinions about where this
> > can be done in the Ottawa, Ontario area. I would also like to know how
> > much I should potentially budget (I know this may be a big range and
> > that's ok, please be realistic).
>
> > A little about the car:
>
> > 1988 Mustang GT (COBRA - they all were that year in Canada)
> > convertible.
> > Red exterior (fading in places)
> > White/Red interior
> > White top (in great condition)
> > Orginal 5.0L engine with 155,000km on it.
> > Automatic
>
> > The car is in pretty good shape. I just put on a flowmaster exhaust
> > (not too keen on how loud it is though).
>
> > The drive door seems to "hang" a little and when changing the trim I
> > see someone put rivets so it may need to be changed. The car needs a
> > really nice paint job too (ground effects are faded to an almost pink
> > color). I would also like to change out the seats and put some newer
> > ones in (front/back). The interior otherwise is really nice so I
> > wouldn't change that other than the stereo. The trim has quite the
> > wear so I think that needs to be done.
>
> > I want the car to essentially look like it did coming out of the
> > dealer in 1987/88 with the exception of getting a little more under
> > the hood. Any information would be great.
>
> > Thank you,
> > Marc
>
> What you're asking is very, very, broad. I'll give my opinion, but
> I'm sure others' opinions will vary quite widely. I'm working now on
> my third Mustang (all 5.0 Fox - bodies like yours), and it seems like
> you're starting with a similar approach to mine. My goal has been
> what they call a 'resto-mod'. I wouldn't want to do a pure
> restoration, because I also wanted better performance and creature
> comforts, especially audio. I guess what I am attempting is to
> restore everything that needs it, but enhance where I feel it's
> appropriate. Realize that exhaust and audio will detract from a pure
> restoration. Next, if you change wheels, suspension, ride height (aka
> lowering springs - to improve handling), chassis bracing (aka shock
> tower, K-member bracing, subframe connectors), braking or other
> things, you also take away from restoration. I guess it's all
> judgement, the extent to which you favor restoration or modification.
> I look at it like a sliding scale.
> My approach has always been to address induction (ie cold-air intake,
> air meter and throttle body, exhaust, then audio. Somewhere along the
> line, I add the upgraded higher amperage alternator, and move to
> stereo. Possible next steps include suspension, braking, further
> engine work, and wheels / tires. I personally wouldn't do body kits,
> or drastic interior changes. My goal has always been to keep the body
> work and interior trim as close to stock as possible, with the
> possible exception of billet interior dress-up. There are a bunch of
> good resources. My favorite is Late Model Restoration supply (www.
> 50resto.com), but there are dozens of others. In my opinion Maximum
> Motorsports are the kings of suspension and handling, but Eibach is a
> good, proven commodity, too. For braking, there's a guy who has more
> tech info than you could use, athttp://mjbobbitt.home.comcast.net/~mjbobbitt/mustang/4lug.html.
> I can't answer budget for you. I've done mine as I can steal money
> away from a family budget including private school and college tuition
> for two kids. As a result, my work has been slower and more modest
> than it might have been otherwise. As another extreme, you could open
> the bank, and contract a shop to build a custom stroker motor, and
> custom engineer each of these systems. Your answer will lie somewhere
> in between. I could go on for pages. If you have specific questions,
> ask the group, or drop me a line.

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> On Oct 26, 8:58 am, Jim C > wrote:
>
> Jim,
>
> I agree with most everything you wrote, except:
>
> A larger throttle body isn't needed until you change the intake and
> heads.
>
> And I'm not a fan of cold-air kits. A simpler, less costly, and
> better IMO approach is to just pull off the stock air intake
> silencer.
>

Agree on the stock intake, no need to change that. Silencer can go first
thing.

Make sure you "read the plugs", and then check compression and the numbers
check out OK (about 50 within 10%) Engine may have some carbon built up
with that many miles. You may have to put in a rebuildt engine which could
impact your bucks to fix everything else.

Going after HP? best to put a blower on it, leave heads alone and get it
tuned at a shop.

I have a 5.0 1993 8# KB, rebuilt engine, about 310 hp. also had a 1987
speed density ex cop car tuned hot, a mover