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any winter mods/repair plans

skunk

skunk

Veteran CEG'er
Joined
Sep 27, 2000
Messages
924
Location
massachusetts
Anyone planning anything over the winter for the cars? Great time to hoard money for the toys :laugh:. Well we all know I spent alot of money and time on the Mustang but it's going to be time for Contour to get some love..finally.

Plans are going to be pull the front bumper and strip it down to the bare surface to repaint it ( has a scratch from a bicycle incident and some lower scrapes) strip the rear bumper to bare and repaint it also ( stone chip damage and the black needs to be redone).

4 new tires looking at Michelin pilot PE2 and BAT kit.

My car doesn't need much at all just a few things to get her new again, the tires aren't really worn but they are very old so time for a change. I'm going to have the shop that did the mustang do the bumpers.
 
no plans at the moment. The dd needs new tires, however with looking for a new car I am holding off at the moment. This works since I have snow tires to put on around thanksgiving or so. The other cars are in good shape for now.
 
Already started with winter plans.

Things I just finished:
-alignment
-new tires
-new wheels
-installed 6mm spacers
-removed hood and repaired/painted
-removed front bumper fixed cracks, chips, reinforced back side of molded seam, and painted
-installed new clear fogs
-fixed/replaced side marker lights


To do:
-finally swap over to 19# injectors
-swap my '95 SE LIM over to a SVT LIM
-make custom fuel rail
-dyno tune
-hopefully find someone to program my SCT flip chip :blackeye:
-install post98 dash bezel and Mondeo trip computer or make custom pre98 dash bezel to accept the trip computer
-maybe fix the "right turn" clunk in the passenger rear suspension :nonono:
 
1. Purchase new steelie
2. Install winter tire on said steelie
3. Stock up on coolant to replenish tank is it all leaks out

K done.
 
SVT needs headlights (or maybe just wetsanding). I also have a stock gear stalk with reverse lockout and a pristine shift knob that I acquired free last year and am considering putting in. Car currently has a cut stalk with Momo knob.
Otherwise, saving for some maintenance on the Subaru. It will hit 100k next year and need a timing belt and clutch. While the timing belt is out I might replace the turbo as preventative.

I love the BAT kit... you'll enjoy it.
 
rouar said:
SVT needs headlights (or maybe just wetsanding). I also have a stock gear stalk with reverse lockout and a pristine shift knob that I acquired free last year and am considering putting in. Car currently has a cut stalk with Momo knob.
Otherwise, saving for some maintenance on the Subaru. It will hit 100k next year and need a timing belt and clutch. While the timing belt is out I might replace the turbo as preventative.

I love the BAT kit... you'll enjoy it.
Click to expand...


I'm hoping I'll like the bat kit. I'm just worried about too harsh of a ride and lot of drop ( front bumper already has scrapes on stock height) that is why I didn't go with the Koni kit and I don't want the need for camber plates. The mustang is dropped from the bullitt springs has camber plates and the maximum motorsports suspension so the ride is a little harsh but handles unreal in the corners I don't want both cars to jar the heck out of me. How is the ride with the bat kit ?
 
the BAT kit doesn't lower the car to much. I got mine with Eibach springs and now H&R. the ride has always been firm but its not bad at all. Well I have to take that back, partly. It can get rough over some roads. I really only noted it while in PA and a stretch of highway which was like running over expansion joints every 8 ft. that was not fun.
 
BrApple said:
the BAT kit doesn't lower the car to much. I got mine with Eibach springs and now H&R. the ride has always been firm but its not bad at all. Well I have to take that back, partly. It can get rough over some roads. I really only noted it while in PA and a stretch of highway which was like running over expansion joints every 8 ft. that was not fun.
Click to expand...

hmm. I wonder if the bat kit is any firmer than fords so called "sport" suspension ? I know the early sport 'tours where firmer but I don't remember of the top my head if there was much at all to the later sport tours like mine. I can handle some roughness, the contour right now isn't luxury if ya know what I mean. the mustang will wear you out on a long drive..fine on the highway or smooth roads but killer on bumpy roads. the tires also add to it, stiff has hell side walls, but again I like the killer handling so I'll live with the trade offs and I don't drive it alot but the contour goes on longer trips when I take it out.
 
I fixed the secondaries. My God what have I been missing! I have had trouble laying off the throttle this past week. The clip was definitely missing since shortly after I bought the car (or even before). No wonder my SVT got 30mpg so effortlessly.

It took three hours, two trips to Autozone, removing the air intake, MAF and battery housing, and two clips lost somewhere in the bay (never recovered) before I realized a piece of tape at the end of a long screwdriver would hold the clip in place while fastening it. Oops.

It has been a while since owning my SE with the sport suspension but I don't feel like the BAT kit is much firmer. It is very smooth on the highways and slightly rough on bumpy roads much like I remember my SE. The only issue I have is my garage entrance which has a 1-2 inch drop between the concrete and asphalt. The body bounces pretty severely even when creeping out.
 
rouar said:
It took three hours, two trips to Autozone, removing the air intake, MAF and battery housing, and two clips lost somewhere in the bay (never recovered) before I realized a piece of tape at the end of a long screwdriver would hold the clip in place while fastening it. Oops.
Click to expand...

thats interesting, the correct clip would just clip into place and then the imrc linkage rod just pushes into place into the clip. well either way good to hear its working correctly.


I would think that its firmer then the sport suspension. But as noted the later models where not as still as say a 95SE. The BAT kit is a good all around choice, imho. As noted tires will effect the feel of the ride quite a bit.
 
It clipped right into place once I got it positioned. But I had inadequate tools and kept dropping the clip, searching for it, locating and fishing, and dropping again. Took five minutes to position when taped to the screwdriver.
 
oh ok, I got it now. the clips you dropped are most likely on top of the transmission down in the webbing now.
 
lol... you guys are funny. complaining about harsh rides... I dont even complain, and I am running intrax springs on konis, with subframe connectors, MASSIVE aluminum rear control arms, every poly bushing i could replace, and Sparco racing seats, and rolling on Kumho Ecstas... i feel a LOT of the road, but it handles AMAZING!!! people have told me that my car does NOT roll at all when cornering hard. REAR st200 strut bar, a floor bar and harness bar, too.. almost forgot about those.. :)

Cant wait to finally install Vortech and get those aluminum front LCAs as soon as they are made... getting tired of bushing crapping out once a year!
 
rouar said:
It clipped right into place once I got it positioned. But I had inadequate tools and kept dropping the clip, searching for it, locating and fishing, and dropping again. Took five minutes to position when taped to the screwdriver.
Click to expand...

Don't be afraid to ask me for help if your ever frustrated, i have quite a bit of custom made/modified tools to make working on the transverse v6 faster and easier.

For me:
1. JS Safeguard + 2 step
2. Suede dash
3. Custom Dash Cluster
 
aircougar said:
lol... you guys are funny. complaining about harsh rides... I dont even complain, and I am running intrax springs on konis, with subframe connectors, MASSIVE aluminum rear control arms, every poly bushing i could replace, and Sparco racing seats, and rolling on Kumho Ecstas... i feel a LOT of the road, but it handles AMAZING!!! people have told me that my car does NOT roll at all when cornering hard. REAR st200 strut bar, a floor bar and harness bar, too.. almost forgot about those.. :)

Cant wait to finally install Vortech and get those aluminum front LCAs as soon as they are made... getting tired of bushing crapping out once a year!
Click to expand...

Don't need 2 cars with an over harsh ride already have 1 my mustang with 2001 bullitt springs, adjustable struts, SFCs and other braces, maximum motorsports suspension, built rearend, built z spec T5, 4:10s, dunlop star specs, etc, etc. that is my corner carver I'll either go bat or just keep the darn thing stock.
 
im installing a 65mm tb on my full 3L. i got a custom tb adapter/spacer made for for the iacv tb function and i will experiment a little with different size iacv holes to see how it reacts. also i will need to swap the shafts and other stuff from my stock 3L tb. hoping for some high end power
 
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