Fox Mustang Magazine | Issue 10

JASPER 5.0 ENGINE REBUILD

ISSUE 9 5.95

’81 T-TOP RESCUE

DIY

BRAKE OVERHAUL • COYOTE-POWERED ’84

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Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 3

ISSUE 10 TABLE OF CONTENTS

12

16

36

REBUILD JASPER 5.0 ENGINE

ISSUE 9 5.95

DEPARTMENTS ’81 T-TOP RESCUE

6 EDITORIAL

16 NEW PARTS

8 YOU GOTTA SEE THIS #1

20 EVENTS DIY

12 THE MARTI REPORT 14 FOX NEWS

70 FIX MY FOX

ON THE COVER We’re rolling back the clock to early in the Fox era with Frank Paty’s fine, four-eye ’81 T-Top. Photography by Frank Paty

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E-POWERED ’84

BRAKE OVERHAUL • COYOT

COVER STORY 28 COVER-CAR RECOVERY Judy Neely wanted a Mustang like the one on the brochure. Thirty years later, so did Frank and Jean Paty

34 POSTER 1981 T-top

42

FEATURE

36 CALL OF THE WILD

Mark Cuomo introduces the old 5.0 Mustang to the new 5.0 engine

RESTORATION

54 42 JASPER’S 5.0 ENGINE RENEWAL PROGRAM The prolific remanufacturer’s step-by-step process can make your Ford 5.0 factory fresh again

54 DIY BRAKE JOB

The familiar brake job takes a restoration turn

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 5

FROM THE EDITOR

FOX APPEAL by Tom Shaw Fox Mustangs have their own personality.

They have their own appeal. They are their own creation. The 100.5-inch wheelbase is its own — shorter than the ’65-’73 (108 inches) but longer than the Mustang II (96.2 inches).

They span the crossover from carburetor to fuel injection, and from hydraulic cam to roller lifter.

Styling was its own thing too. Fox Mustangs were neither a retro throwback to the 1960s nor an attempt to go Japanesey.

The basic car was versatile enough to excel as affordable transportation, or it could take on an uptown persona as in the Ghia. On the Mercury side, it was the Capri, and went dramatic as a specialty model known as the Black Magic.

There just wasn’t much the Fox Mustang couldn’t do.

But it was the engine that endeared it to a generation. The cast-iron 5.0 was a jewel. The foundational architecture dated back to 1962 when it was released as the 221 V-8. It grew from there, becoming a 302 in 1967 and getting another round of improvements with the return of the Mustang GT in 1982. It hit its stride in 1987 as the 5.0 H.O. It was the hot ticket across the United States, and an entire industry of aftermarket parts sprung up around it.

Stock, the 5.0 Mustang was good for mid14s, more if you could really drive. Add a few goodies and you were in the high 13s. The 5.0 H.O. through Flowmaster mufflers is a

6 FOXMustangMagazine.com

signature sound unlike any other car. In the short-wheelbase Fox Mustang, it’s easy to hang the back end out with a blip of the throttle and a yank on the steering wheel. The live axle gets complaints from those who think it should be more Euro, but the live axle is very predictable, fun to drive, and keeps the price point low.

Turns out that the transmission was the weak link. The T5 could take only so much slamming around before its internals went on strike.

Just about everybody modified their 5.0 Mustang. They all had wheels or a body kit or exhaust or trick electronics. The only stockers were secretary cars. Today, a well-preserved Fox Mustang is a rarity. But it’s something we beat the bushes for here at FOX Mustang Magazine.

Our cover car is a very sweet ’81 hatch, ordered new to duplicate the one on the ’81 Mustang brochure. It was driven a while, then stored away, only to be recovered recently by Frank Paty.

Also in this issue, Mark Cuomo repowers his ’84 with a state-of-the-art V-8.

We take you inside the Jasper plant for a close-up look at how they breathe new life into tired 5.0 engines, and we rebuild the factory disc/drum brakes with an eye toward originality.

So however you like yours — stock and original, or built like a bodybuilder — Fox Mustang is your car, and FOX Mustang Magazine brings it to you.

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 7

YOU GOTTA SEE THIS MUSTANG COBRA While we’re turning the clock back to 1981 this issue, we thought you might enjoy a look at the top Mustang in the lineup, the Cobra. Wearing jazzed-up styling and TRX wheels, the Cobra offered a bit of visual spice but not much real muscle. The biggest engine was the 255 V-8. If you ever drove one, well, ’nuff said. The landscape would change the next year with the arrival of the “Boss is Back” GT, but ’81 would go down as a continuation of the low-performance ’70s.

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PUBLISHER

Curt Patterson - curt@pattersonpublishing.com

EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR COPY EDITOR

Tom Shaw - tom@themustangmagazine.com

ART DIRECTOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Philip Pietri Daniel Barcelo

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR

Jason Jacobs - jason@pattersonpublishing.com

WEB MARKETING

Brandon Patterson - brandon@pattersonpublishing.com

ADVERTISING SALES TEAM

Curt Patterson, Jason Jacobs, Brandon Patterson

OFFICE MANAGER

Deb Patterson

COLUMNISTS

Matt Highley, Kevin Marti

CONTRIBUTOR

Mark Cuomo

PUBLISHED BY PATTERSON PUBLISHING

Curt Patterson, Jason Jacobs, Brandon Patterson

Brandon Patterson - brandon@pattersonpublishing.com

Laura Burke

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths.”

-Proverbs 3:5-6

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|| Satisfaction Guaranteed! || Exciting variety of interior & exterior styling upgrades! || Over 30 years of automotive manufacturing excellence. || Unrivalled quality, engineering & fit for 1979-1993 Fox Body Mustangs.

Call Toll-Free For a Dealer Near You:

1-855-372-5362 www.DrakeMusclecars.com

A Division of

130 CASSIA WAY • HENDERSON, NV • 89014

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 11

ADVANCED MUSTANGOLOGY

THE MARTI REPORT by Kevin Marti SOMETIMES IT’S GOOD TO BE AT THE END OF THE LINE “We’re number two! We’re number two!”

Somehow that just doesn’t resonate with us, does it? We’re interested in who’s the best or the first at something. A rental-car company decided to play off of it though. Avis managed successfully for 50 years with the pitch, “We try harder,” because they were always second behind Hertz in car rentals. It didn’t elevate them to the number-one spot however, and they quietly discontinued the slogan in 2011.

With cars, people pay attention to the “firsts.” Some like to say Ford built the first car, but the Duryea brothers really built the first gasoline-powered car. The first car was built in 1871, or 1860, or 1769, or 1335, depending on how you want to define a car.

When it comes to Mustangs, most of us know the story of Captain Stanley Tucker, who bought the ’64½ Mustang with serial number 5F08F100001. Or Bob Fria who owns the first hardtop assigned a serial number, 5F07U100002. For Fox-body Mustangs, we’re familiar with Jim and Rick Schmidt (of National Parts Depot) owning 9F04W100001.

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Maybe you remember gathering with your friends on a Saturday morning to play stickball. The two most popular kids got to be captains (somehow everybody just accepted who they would be). They’d start choosing their teammates, and you know what went through your head: I hope I’m not the last one picked.

Well, this time we’re celebrating the last Mustang of the Fox era. There were 2,598,133 Mustangs produced from number one for the ’79 model year to the closeout of the ’93 year with a convertible. The sales volume for 1979 eclipsed the sales of every model year preceding it other than the first three years of production. During the Fox-body run (15 years — the longest of any generation), sales averaged over 173,000 units per year. These were impressive numbers, ones that Ford wishes it could duplicate today.

Let’s look at some other lasts. Once Ford decided 1973 was to be the last year for a convertible (at that point in time), a replacement for that open-air feeling was

needed. It led to the flip-up open-air roof and the T-roof. With the resurrection of the convertible Mustang for the ’83 model year, sales of both of these options dropped precipitously. The T-roof saw the end of production with the ’98 model year, while 1993 was the end for the flip-up roof.

With the advent of EEC systems on Mustangs, we saw the last of distributors with vacuum or mechanical advances. And 1983 saw the termination of eight-track tape players in Mustangs (that was a good thing).

When Ford decided to cease convertible production with the ’73 model year, it cast a pall over the Mustang community.

Convertible had always been synonymous with Mustang. This was not generally true with the other cars in the ponycar universe. As customers realized they would not be able to get a convertible for 1974, sales skyrocketed.

Then there was nothing for nine long years.

There were companies that did aftermarket conversions of the Mustang, but these were woefully engineered. I personally went to

FOX MUSTANG PRODUCTION NUMBERS

a Ford dealership in 1981 to look at a new Mustang that had featured a convertible conversion. When I crawled underneath (to the chagrin of the salesman), I found a couple of inadequate bars with over an inch worth of washers as spacers in some places trying to stiffen the weakened chassis. I walked away.

But the end did come. The dry spell was over when the ’83 model year reintroduced the Mustang convertible. Convertible Mustang production has been continuous since then. Usually it has been the numberone seller of all convertible models each year. The percentage of sales of Mustang convertibles each year they were available on

YeAR

hARdTOP

COnVeRTIBle

hATChBACK

1979

213,019

0

156,981

1980

152,555

0

118,809

1981

90,880

0

91,672

1982

51,145

0

79,273

1983

33,177

23,438

64,258

1984

37,681

17,600

86,200

1985

56,781

15,110

84,626

1986

83,775

22,945

117,690

1987

43,262

21,447

94,444

1988

49,795

35,500

125,930

1989

50,560

42,244

116,695

1990

22,503

26,958

78,728

1991

19,449

21,514

57,774

1992

15,716

23,470

40,094

1993

24,852

27,300

62,076

the Fox-body was even higher than the firstgeneration sales.

In 1969 Ford built the last of the GTs, supplanted by the popularity of the Mach 1.

But even the Mach 1 disappeared from the option list as performance Mustangs yielded to government smog regulations. The end of this dearth came with the reintroduction of the GT with the ’82 Mustang and has been with us ever since. Like the convertible, year after year, the percentage of Mustangs ordered with the GT package was higher than even the first-generation Mustangs.

With the return of the GT, Ford also brought back the 302ci engine, oddly

marketed as “The Boss is Back.” Now more commonly referred to by its metric designation of the “5.0,” it was a welcome sight that fortunately saw the end of the 255ci V-8 Ford had introduced with the ’80 model year. At first the GT was available with any engine, even the four-cylinder, but soon only the 5.0 would be available when the customer opted for the GT. So, we’ve looked at the end of the line, and as we reflect on over 2½ million Mustangs, we see there are plenty more stories to be told. Sometimes it’s good to be at the end of the line. Just look at all the great stuff you get to see in front of you.

Marti Auto Works produces The Marti Report and is licensed by Ford Motor Company with all of their ’67-later production records. This information is available as various reports. Marti Auto Works also has original invoices for millions of Shelbys and Mustangs. Visit www.martiauto.com or call (623) 935-2558 for more info.

Email Kevin at kevin@martiauto.com. Not all emails will receive a response.

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 13

FOX NEWS

NOS PARTS BLOWOUT AT NATIONAL PARTS DEPOT What does your car need? What’s your Fox Mustang missing? National Parts Depot has just posted a big batch of NOS stuff for sale online at www.npdlink.com.

They’ve got oodles of parts like connectors, brackets, bolts, clamps, clips, anti-rattles, springs, handles, and even bigger items like fuel injection parts, electric motors, switches, and some body parts — 14 pages of stuff.

If you’ve got an upcoming job, it’s not a bad idea to get what you need ahead of time.

More info: National Parts Depot www.npdlink.com (800) 874-7595

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ETHANOL-FRIENDLY FUEL PUMP It’s hard to go green if your green car won’t go.

Ethanol-laced fuels have been promoted as an eco-friendly way to reduce oil imports and improve emissions. Not everybody likes ethanol fuels, especially owners of older cars designed to run on ethanol-free gasoline. Ethanol is hard on fuel systems and seals. As long as we have to live with the stuff, it makes sense to use parts designed to hold up under ethanol’s corrosive state.

If you’re in the market for a fuel pump, Summit Racing has this high-flow in-tank pump from AEM Electronics rated at 84 gallons per hour at 43 psi that’s specifically designed for ethanol and methanol fuels. The pump comes with a wiring harness, pre filter, internal fuel hose and clamps, end cap, and rubber buffer sleeve, and is compatible with ethanol fuel up to E100, methanol fuel up to M100, and all types of gasoline. Price at press-time was $122.

More info: Summit Racing www.summitracing.com (800) 230-3030

FOX MUSTANG IS HAGERTY INSURANCE’S DIRT-CHEAP COLLECTIBLE CAR You knew it and I knew it — the Fox Mustang is a great usedcar value. Now it’s on Hagerty Insurance’s list of 10 Dirt-Cheap Collectible Cars too. Hagerty defines dirt cheap as under $5,000.

That let’s in a lot of car enthusiasts who are not high-rollers. As regulars on Craigslist and eBay, we can testify that, while you can certainly spend more, $5,000 will buy you a nice ride, maybe two, if you shop carefully. Hagerty pegs an average price of an ’85-’93 at $3000.

Other dirt cheap collectibles making the list: ’75-’80 AMC Pacer – $4,300 ’74-’80 Triumph Spitfire 1500 – $5,000 ’75-’78 Datsun 280Z – $5,000 ’89-’91 Ford Taurus SHO – $3,400 ’77-’83 BMW 320i – $3,900 ’68-’76 Volkswagen Beetle – $5,000 ’86-’88 Pontiac Fiero GT – $5,000 ’79-’81 Fiat Spider 2000 – $5,000 ’56 Buick Roadmaster Sedan – $5,000

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 15

NEW PARTS

PRODUCT SHOWCASE REBUILT FORD A9L AND A9P COMPUTERS Fox Mustang Restoration offers rebuilt, tested, and completely inspected computers. Send in your old A9L or A9P computer and get a store credit of $100. These are mass-air computers used only in the 5.0 five-speed cars.

Fox Mustang Restoration www.foxresto.com (704) 271-4178

BLACK LEATHER KEY FOB New from Scott Drake is their black, genuine leather key fob with emblem blank. This key fob can be customized to use the emblem of your choice. Weight is 0.05 pounds, width is 2.75 inches, length is 4 inches, and height is 0.25 inch.

Scott Drake www.drakeautomotivegroup.com (800) 999-0289

GARAGE-FLOOR TILES

FOX-BODY INJECTOR HARNESS

Transform your garage with Swisstrax interlocking floor tiles. A licensee of Ford and Shelby, Swisstrax can reproduce any of the logos for their customers. They even have Ford Blue as one of their colors because Ford uses their flooring for all of their events.

Ron Francis now offers Fox-body injector harnesses for ’87-’93 5.0 Mustangs. The harnesses match factory dimensions for easy, troublefree installation. They are also wired with factory-correct connectors and terminals.

Swiss Tracks www.swisstracks.com (866) 748-7940

Ron Francis Wiring www.ronfrancis.com (800) 292-1940

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Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 17

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Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 19

CALENDAR EVENTS JUne 6.11 – 6.15 TUlSA, OK 40Th AnnIVeRSARY MId AMeRICA fORd And ShelBY nATIOnAlS www.midamericafordmeet.com

6.12 – 6.15 STeAMBOAT SPRIngS, CO 26Th AnnUAl ROCKY MOUnTAIn MUSTAng ROUndUP www.rockymountainmustangroundup.org

6.12 – 6.15 nORWAlK, Oh 11Th AnnUAl nMRA fORd SUPeR nATIOnAlS www.nmradigital.com

6.14 gRAnd RAPIdS, MI 33Rd AnnUAl MUSTAng & All fORd ShOW www.westmichiganmustangclub.com

6.14 MeRIdIAn, IdAhO 31ST AnnUAl “SATURdAY In The PARK” CAR ShOW www.treasurevalleymustang.com

6.14 – 6.15 PeTeRSBURg, VA fUn fORd WeeKend

www.funfordweekend.com

6.15 SUPeRIOR, WISCOnSIn 14Th AnnUAl All fORd-POWeRed fATheR’S dAY CAR ShOW https://sites.google.com/site/ twinportsmustangfordclub/

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6.20 – 6.21 SelleRSBURg, In 19Th AnnUAl MUSTAng & All fORd WeeKend www.fallscitymustangclub.com

6.21 CUPeRTInO, CA 37Th AnnUAl VInTAge MUSTAng OWneRS ASSOCIATIOn CAR ShOW

www.vintagemustang.org

6.21 gReenSBORO, nC 32nd AnnUAl MUSTAng And fORdPOWeRed ShOW Jeff Pruett, 336.932.5645 jepruett@embarqmail.com

6.22 ClARenCe, nY 38Th AnnUAl All fORdS dAY & MCA RegIOnAl MUSTAng ShOW www.wnymustangclub.com

6.22 denVeR, CO fUn fORd WeeKend

www.funfordweekend.com

6.22 lIVeRPOOl, nY 37Th AnnUAl SYRACUSe ShelBY All-fORd ShOW www.syracuseallford.com

6.22 COlUMBIA, MO 32nd AnnUAl All fORd CAR ShOW www.centralmomustang.org

6.28 JOlIeT, Il WIndY CITY SAAC ShelBY ShOW www.autobahncc.com

6.28 OlAThe, KS 30Th AnnIVeRSARY CeleBRATIOn www.mustangclubofgreaterkc.com

6.28 – 6.29 WeST CheSTeR, Oh QUeen CITY MUSTAngeRS-MUSTAng & All-fORd ShOW www.queencitymustangers.com

6.29 dAnVIlle, CA POnIeS & SnAKeS ’14

www.poniesandsnakes.com

JUlY 7.5 flAgSTAff, AZ 50Th MUSTAng BIRThdAY PARTY www.babbittford.com

7.10 – 7.12 dUBlIn, OhIO ARThRITIS fOUndATIOn ClASSIC AUTO ShOW www.arthritisautoshow.com

7.10 – 7.13 JOlIeT, Il nMRA/nMCA BOWl Of STReeT-legAl RACIng AT ROUTe 66 RACeWAY www.nmradigital.com

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 21

CALENDAR 7.12 KIngSTOn, nY hUdSOn VAlleY MUSTAng’S 32nd AnnUAl CAR ShOW Tim Cassell, 845.473.7329

7.12 AlTOn, Il 37Th AnnUAl MUSTAng ROUnd-UP & All fORd CAR ShOW www.soilmustang.org

7.12 VAnCOUVeR, WA PedAl TO The MeTAl All-fORd ShOW www.nwmustangsandclassicfords.com

7.13 leVITTOWn, nY 2nd AnnUAl MUSTAng ShOWdOWn www.mscli.com

7.13 MARTIn, MI fUn fORd WeeKend

www.funfordweekend.com

7.13 WInOnA, Mn SUgAR lOAf fORd MUSTAng gAllOP Joann Moham, 507.454.5170

7.13 elYRIA, Oh 8Th AnnUAl MUSTAng & All-fORd ShOW www.ncmco.org

7.17 – 7.20 BelleVUe, WA 34Th AnnUAl MUSTAng ROUnd-UP & All-fORd PICnIC www.mustangsnorthwest.org

22 FOXMustangMagazine.com FOX

7.18 neW CASTle, Tx ShelBY RUn AMeRICA

7.26 OAKVIlle, OnTARIO, CAnAdA MUSTAng 50Th YeAR CeleBRATIOn

7.18 – 7.19 ST. lOUIS, MO fUn fORd WeeKend

7.26 PACIfIC JUnCTIOn, IA MCCI @ MAM13

7.19 fT. WAYne, In Old fORT MUSTAngeRS 32nd AnnUAl MUSTAng And fORd ShOW

7.31 PhelPS, nY MUSTAng RAllY Of The fIngeR lAKeS

7.19 RAPId CITY, Sd RAPId MUSTAng And fORd ClUB All fORd CAR And TRUCK ShOW

AUgUST

www.events.r20.constantcontact.com/register

www.funfordweekend.com

www.oldfortmustangers.com

www.ghma.on.ca/wp/

www.mustangclubofcentraliowa.org

www.mustangrallyofthefingerlakes.com

www.rapidmustangford.org

8.1 – 8.2 SPRIngfIeld, MO 25Th AnnUAl All fORd CAR ShOW

7.19 hAlfMOOn, nY MUSTAng 50Th BIRThdAY CeleBRATIOn All MUSTAng CAR ShOW

8.2 MAnAWA, WI MUSTAng ROUndUP 2014

www.nyasmc.com

7.20 MARlBOROUgh, MA 30Th AnnUAl MUSTAngS & AMeRICAn IROnS SUMMeR ROUnd-UP www.mccne.com

7.20 KelOWnA, BRITISh COlUMBIA, CAnAdA All-fORd ROUnd-UP AT ORChARd fORd www.okmustangsandfords.com

7.26 PORTSMOUTh, VA AnnUAl MCT MId-ATlAnTIC CAR ShOW www.mustangcluboftidewater.com

www.gomc.org

www.manawamc.org

8.2 ST. ChARleS, MO ShOW-Me STAMPede

www.showmemustang.com

8.3 BOURBOnnAIS, Il A dAY AT The PARK

www.northernmustangcorral.com

8.3 gIRARd, PA 25Th AnnIVeRSARY MUSTAng ROUnd-UP www.lemoc.com

THE Fox Mustang Brake Source Track 4

Starting @ $1,395

• Baer started with the FOX car, and 20+ years later still offers all systems in 4 lug configurations • • • • • • • •

Available for SN95 spindles, or completely Pre-assembled on modified stock Fox spindles Baer’s most popular system, designed for 17” and larger wheels Features a 13” 1pc directionally vaned slot, drill, zinc plated rotor Fox spindle systems feature 4 or 5 lug aluminum hubs (assembled with bearings,races,studs) Hubs will have SKF or Timken bearings, and packed with Redline synthetic grease Master cylinders available as well (3 port to 2 port bolt on conversions) Direct bolt on systems Made in the USA

www.BAER.com 602-233-1411

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 23

CALENDAR 8.9 elKhART, In 31ST AnnUAl MUSTAng & fORd ShOW www.michianamustangs.com

8.9 IndIAnAPOlIS, In 35Th AnnUAl RACe TO IndY

www.mustangclubofindianapolis.com

8.9 hARRISOnBURg, VA 20Th AnnUAl MUSTAng And fORd-POWeRed ShOW www.valleymustangsunlimited.com

8.7 – 8.10 lInCOln, ne MCA nATIOnAl ShOW

8.17 AUBURn, MA 36Th AnnUAl All fORdS & AMeRICAn IROn CAR ShOW

SePTeMBeR

8.17 deARBORn, MI MUSTAng MeMORIeS All fORd CAR ShOW & SWAP

www.negeorgiamustangclub.org

www.mccne.com

www.mocsem.com

8.23 SCheneCTAdY, nY 23Rd AnnUAl deAleR dAY CAR ShOW www.nyasmc.com

www.hoofbeatoflincoln.com

8.23 OAK hARBOR, WA 20Th AnnUAl ShOW And ShIne

8.10 TACOMA, WA 22nd AnnUAl MUSTAng & All fORd ShOW

8.28 – 9.1 RIChMOnd, BRITISh COlUMBIA, CAnAdA 35Th InTeRnATIOnAl MUSTAng MeeT

www.piercecountymustangclub.com

www.islandclassicmustangclub.com

www.gvma.org/

8.16 SCheneCTAdY, nY 23Rd AnnUAl deAleR-dAY CAR ShOW

8.29 – 8.30 BRISTOl, Tn fUn fORd WeeKend

8.16 COlUMBUS, ne 23Rd AnnUAl All fORd ShOW

8.30 CARlISle, PA MUSTAng ROUnd-UP

8.16 – 8.17 ARlIngTOn, Tx 25Th AnnUAl YellOW ROSe ClASSIC CAR ShOW

8.30 – 8.31 SOUTh hAVen, MI SPeedU

www.nyasmc.com

www.pvmustangs.net

www.yellowrosecarshow.com

24 FOXMustangMagazine.com FOX

www.funfordweekend.com

www.pamustang.org

www.hookedondriving.com/mcafullweekend

9.5 – 9.6 MAggIe VAlleY, nC 41ST AnnUAl fAll RegIOnAl ShelBY, MUSTAng, And fORd MeeT 9.6 MUSTAng, OK AnnUAl WeSTeRn dAYS STAMPede OPen CAR ShOW www.okmustangclub.com

9.6 MCdOnOUgh, gA 9Th AnnUAl MUSTAng & All fORd ShOW www.taramustangclub.org

9.6 – 9.7 BAKeRSfIeld, CA fUn fORd WeeKend AT AUTO ClUB fAMOSO RACeWAY www.funfordweekend.com

9.7 MAnCheSTeR, CT 35Th AnnUAl MUSTAng POWeR ShOW www.mccne.com

9.7 SOUThOld, nY lUCAS fORd’S 8Th AnnUAl All fORd STAMPede www.mscli.com

9.7 MAPle ShAde, nJ 34Th AnnUAl MUSTAng & fORd fAll CAR ShOW

http://sjmustangclub.squarespace.com

9.13 AMSTeRdAM, nY fAVORITe fIfTY Of fAll CAR ShOW www.nyasmc.com

9.13 AShlAnd, VA 30Th AnnUAl MUSTAng & fORd ShOW www.centralvamustang.com

9.13 ReAdIng, PA fUn fORd WeeKend AT MAPle gROVe RACeWAY www.funfordweekend.com

9.14 fReehOld, nJ 17Th AnnUAl fReehOld All-fORd ShOW Bob Barranger, 908.451.580 barranger@cornerstoneag.com

9.19 – 9.20 JUPITeR, fl fUn fORd WeeKend AT PAlM BeACh InTeRnATIOnAl RACeWAY www.funfordweekend.com

9.20 BOSSIeR CITY, lA 21ST AnnUAl MUSTAng ROUndUP And fORd ShOW www.rrcmc.com

9.21 SAgInAW, MI gReAT lAKeS STAMPede - All fORd & MUSTAng CAR ShOW www.mustangclubmidmichigan.com

9.29 WIlMIngTOn, de fIRST STATe MUSTAng And fORd 31ST AnnUAl fAll ShOW www.firststatemustangandford.com

OCTOBeR 10.2 – 10.5 BOWlIng gReen, KY 16Th AnnUAl nMRA All-fORd WORld fInAlS AT BeeCh Bend RACeWAY www.nmradigital.com

10.4 MYRTle BeACh, SC 4Th AnnUAl gRAnd STRAnd MUSTAng STAMPede And ClASSIC fORd ShOW www.carolinamustangclub.com

10.4 fRAnKlIn, VA fRAnKlIn fAll feSTIVAl CAR ShOW

10.10 – 10.12 SAVAnnAh, gA MCA nATIOnAl ShOW

www.mustangsinhistoricsavannah.com

10.12 hOT SPRIngS, AR 33Rd AnnUAl RegIOnAl MCA ShOW www.centralarkansasmustangers.com

nOVeMBeR 11.8 ennIS, Tx fUn fORd WeeKend AT TexAS MOTORPlex www.funfordweekend.com

11.15 PORTSMOUTh, VA AnnUAl VIRgInIAn PIlOT JOY fUnd CAR ShOW www.mustangcluboftidewater.com

www.mustangcluboftidewater.com

10.4 InVeRneSS, fl 5Th AnnUAl All fORd POWeRed CAR & TRUCK ShOW www.naturecoastmustangs.com/events.aspx

10.5 WARWICK, RI 34Th AnnUAl MUSTAngS & AMeRICAn IROn fAll ROUnd-UP & SWAP MeeT www.mccne.com

10.9 – 10.10 BlOOMIngdAle, gA MUSTAngS In hISTORIC SAVAnnAh – hIgh-PeRfORMAnCe TRACK dAYS www.hookedondriving.com

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 25

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Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 27

COVER•CAR RECOVERY 28 FOXMustangMagazine.com

Judy Neely wanted a Mustang like the one on the brochure.

Thirty years later, so did Frank and Jean Paty

by Tom Shaw and Frank Paty • photography by Frank and Jean Paty

on’t judge a book by its cover, they say. Then why do they put so much effort into the cover? Fact is, everyone judges a book by its cover — how else would you know if you might want to pick up that book and take a closer look?

Judy Neely knows about the power of the cover.

She was shopping for a new Mustang at Boone Ford in Olympia, Washington, back in the spring of 1981, early April to be exact. To find the right one, she picked up a brochure in the showroom and began to go over it, carefully examining colors, models, engines, and options. Is there anything better than planning your new Mustang?

After carefully considering the many choices — the performance Cobra, the basic coupe and hatch, and the luxury Ghia (remember those?), Judy decided

she liked the one on the brochure’s cover, a Bright Bittersweet hatchback with T-tops, TRX wheels, and a smiling girl behind the wheel. She instructed the salesman to order her up a Mustang just like it.

He was only too happy to oblige. Thirty days later, the San Jose plant finished building her Mustang, and two months and one day later, she got the call from the dealership — her car was in. Judy and her daughter, Jean, returned to Boone Ford to close the deal.

Judy had checked off some nice options, running the grand total up past the five-digit mark, a sobering threshold back then. After all, she was driving the car from the cover of the brochure.

Driving the dream was rolling along beautifully, until a road trip in 1982 took them through Butte,

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 29

Montana, and into the path of a deer. The Mustang got a new hood, fender, and front fascia, and was returned to service.

The deer wasn’t.

Judy enjoyed 10 years of driving her orange T-top Mustang, but in 1992 it went into a barn where it stayed for the next 20 years.

In 2011, Judy, now an empty-nester, was approaching retirement. Her daughter, Jean, had married in 1994 and relocated clear across the continent in Florida. After a trip back to the Olympia area for a visit, Jean mentioned the neglected Mustang in the barn to her husband, Frank. Frank, a Ford enthusiast, began thinking about the car. Its situation had gone downhill.

“The Mustang hadn’t moved since 1992, was still in the barn, covered in dust, and sitting on four flat tires,” Frank says. “After looking at pictures, it was clear that the car had little or no value as it sat.”

But Frank, a true car guy, saw the diamond in the rough.

Perhaps the Mustang was a unique survivor that might be worth saving. After some discussion, Judy gave the Mustang to Frank and Jean as a gift, and the recovery of the brochure cover car began.

“The first call was to John Benoit of Cascade Classics,” Frank says.

John was tasked with extracting the Mustang from the barn and restoring basic function to be transportable. That required a new battery, fuel tank, brake cylinders, and carb rebuild. The tires, flat for so many years, actually held air.

After starting it for the first time in 20 years, a hidden mouse nest not only blew out of the tailpipe but created enough back pressure to blow a hole in the muffler. John replaced the muffler; then Bat’s Motorsports transported the Mustang

30 FOXMustangMagazine.com

T W O

’ 8 1

M U S T A N G

B R O C H U R E S

Ever see the disclaimer that “specifications are subject to change”? In 1981, Ford made significant changes to the Mustang during that model’s production — changes important enough to do a revised, second printing of the ’81 Mustang brochure.

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 31

T H E F E E L B E H I N D T H E ’ 8 1 ’ S LEATHER - WRA P P ED S P ORT STEERI N G

WHEEL

You have to pick your merge windows a little more carefully. The acceleration is just not there for a jackrabbit launch. As you demand more power, you can hear the two-barrel open up fully, but there is little to no seat-of-the-pants difference in how it pulls, just more noise. With the Overdrive, the ’81 is happy at highway speeds, with 70-75 mph being no issue, but beyond that you’re pushing it. Cruising with the T-tops out really makes it feel like a time machine.

Believe it or not, it’s a fuel-efficient car, even with the carb. While I haven’t done the calculations yet, I’d estimate high 20s to low 30s on the highway. Overall, the 2.3L does what it’s supposed to do — it gets you where you’re going with no fuss.

— Frank Paty

3,000 miles from Washington State to sunny Gainesville, Florida.

Upon arrival, Frank rolled the new family member into his shop and ordered a Deluxe Marti Report (www.martiautoworks. com), which revealed all of the car’s original specifics, like: • 2.3L inline four-cylinder engine • five-speed manual overdrive transmission • 3.45:1 rear axle • power steering • power brakes • Special Value Package D • Vaquero leather bucket seats • AM/FM radio • interior accent group • leather-wrapped steering wheel • rear window defroster • left/right remote-control mirrors • handling suspension • wire wheel covers

32 FOXMustangMagazine.com

Meanwhile, Frank broke out the tools and began fixing the many things that atrophy during decades of inaction and those that need replacing after years of regular service in order to become roadworthy once again. The 2.3 received a new timing belt, thermostat, water pump, radiator, complete tune-up, tires, and the steering column got a new rag joint.

With the car once again mechanically healthy, Frank turned his attention toward the Mustang’s appearance.

“After reading the MCA judging rules and examining the car, the decision was made to keep the car as original as possible, unrestored,” he says. “As such, the engine and its compartment were spared the rattle can.”

Conkling Automotive, Classic Car Cleaners, and Gator Paint & Body all helped get the Mustang standing tall again.

Frank’s goal was to have it ready for the midMay show in Jacksonville, Florida.

“After sitting in a barn for 20 years,” Frank says proudly, “the Mustang not only made the road trip without a hitch, but it also won First

Place in the ’79-’93 class, a Gold Award, exactly 31 years to the day it was released from the San Jose plant.”

Frank drives an ’08 GT-500, so the little 2.3 is quite a contrast.

“The ’81 feels small, light, and anemic in comparison. Behind the wheel, the clutch is light and forgiving, but the shift pattern requires getting used to — Overdrive is over and down rather than where Fifth would normally be found (over and up).”

You don’t see many ’81s at Mustang shows these days, so nice ones, like Frank and Jean’s, get noticed.

“The ’81 gets quite a bit of attention from the 35 years-and-older crowd, the T-tops and color being favorite features.”

Everybody has a Mustang story. People reminisce about the Fox Mustang of their youth. One of the key differences with this car is the opinions of the different age groups. The older crowd appreciates it for what it is, an old original car, but few really get how rare it is. The younger crowd just thinks it needs a 5.0.

34 FOXMustangMagazine.com

LEGENDS SERIES #10

1981 t-toP Mustang

OWNERS: FRANK AND JEAN PATY gainesville, fL

photography by Frank and Jean Paty Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 35

Mark Cuomo introduces the old 5.0 Mustang to the new 5.0 engine

by Tom Shaw photography by Mark Cuom o

36 FOXMustangMagazine.com

i

t hit Mark Cuomo immediately. He didn’t have to sit and stew. He liked his Fox Mustangs, and when the new 5.0 “Coyote” engine was introduced in the 2011 Mustang, it was playing his song.

“When Ford came out with the Coyote, I knew I wanted one in a Fox,” he says.

Fox Mustangs and the 5.0 name are inseparable, but the new Coyote, with its four valves, overhead cam, and kicked-up horsepower, adds a whole new personality — one that Mark was anxious to get to know.

He was looking for a Fox project for his wife, Jackie, and saw a nice ’84 T-top coupe at the Smokin’ Stangs event, a new rally in Laconia, New Hampshire. That did it. The hunt was on. Soon after, Mark located an original ’84 T-top coupe in Tennessee owned by Terry and Julie Allen. In September 2011, the transporter dropped it off, and right away it was disassembled.

Mark knew the Coyote-powered Mustang would be long on performance, but he also wanted it to look as good as it ran. So the following month, the body was media blasted and delivered to Dana Lombardozzi and Josh

Issue Issue109 FOX Mustang Magazine 37

38 FOXMustangMagazine.com

Camuso to prep the body. They went over every inch of the body panels, straightening and smoothing the exterior skin, and then smoothing the sheetmetal in the engine bay for a super-clean look. Josh painted the underside chassis black and sprayed the body in Black Purple Metallic, chosen at Jackie’s request. Moldings were also done in matching body color and took many hours of prep time.

Looking at it now, it seems like fitting the engine to the body would be easy, but it was harder than it looks. The Coyote 5.0 engine came from Ford as a crate engine along with a 412hp rating (405 as installed in a new Mustang GT) and an electronic control pack.

To accommodate the engine, the factory

K-member was removed and replaced with a tubular unit from AJ Engineering. It’s a universal part with changeable frame mounts for a variety of Ford engines.

With the bare engine sitting in the engine bay, the transmission — a Ford 4R70W automatic — was connected, and this is where the fitment issues began.

“The shifter linkage was hitting the driver’sside floor, so we had to move the floor in about an inch,” Mark says. With that problem solved, the headers — BBK Coyote engine swap headers — were mocked up to see what kind of obstacles they’d encounter. They hit the side of the transmission. The solution wasn’t quick, but it was what was needed. The

headers were modified for clearance, then sent out to replace the ceramic coating. From there, the exhaust flows into 3-inch pipe and very aggressive Flowmaster Delta 40-series mufflers with 3-inch outlets.

The 8.8 axle was rebuilt around a new Ford Racing differential with 3.73:1 gears.

For suspension, tubular control arms were installed up front, with new Eibach springs, KYB struts, 1987-93 spindles, and a new steering rack. Maximum Motorsports caster and camber plates keep the wheels rolling true, and SSBC SVO front disc brakes with slotted rotors and a show-prepped Hydratch Hydroboost power booster provides a needed upgrade to the brake system. For an extra-

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 39

SOURCES

Fox Mustangs and the 5.0 name are inseparable, but the new Coyote, with its four valves, overhead cam, and kicked-up horsepower, adds a whole new personality.

AJE

(800) 877-7233 www.ajeracing.com

BBK PERFORMANCE

(951) 296-1771 www.bbkperformance.com

CORBEAU

(801) 255-3737 www.corbeau.com

HYDRATECH BRAKING SYSTEMS (615) 449-8261 www.hydratechbraking.com

MAXIMUM MOTORSPORTS

(888) 378-8830 www.maximummotorsports.com

STAINLESS STEEL BRAKES CORPORATION (800) 448-7722 www.ssbrakes.com

40 FOXMustangMagazine.com

clean appearance, brake and fuel lines were routed through the frame and subframe rails.

Dana spent a week reconfiguring the stock wiring harness, removing unneeded wires and connectors, leaving only what was needed for the updated Mustang’s new circuits.

Mark and Jackie tag-teamed the interior. It was trashed when Mark bought it, so after a deep-clean, Corbeau GTS II front seats were installed, and the rear seat was recovered to match. They recolored the stock interior panels in black to carry the exterior theme inside. Other upgrades include a 140-mph speedometer and a Livewire TS Performance programmer and monitor that relays data from the car’s computer to a dash display.

Rather than just an engine swap, this was a total Mustang makeover. Even so, 18 months after the project was started, it was ready for roll-out thanks to much hard work from and artistic input from Tony and Dana Lombardozzi.

Needless to say, the upgraded engine and chassis radically transformed the Mustang’s personality. Now on top is almost 200 more horsepower than a stock 5.0 H.O. pushrod engine, yet with full drivability and traffic manners.

Of the feel behind the wheel, Mark says, “This Fox runs and drives like a new car. The motor is quiet at idle and docile when cruising, but jump on that throttle and the beast inside wakes up and moves the T-top coupe in a hurry.”

The Fox Mustang has a lot going for it right out of the box — decent looks, inspired performance, oceans of hop-up parts, and excellent serviceability.

Updating with a drivetrain almost 30 years newer takes those strengths and makes them even stronger.

Mark had an objective for his “Call of the Wild” Coyote project. He says, “The goal was to build a Fox that was unique, reliable, and fun to cruise in. We could not be happier with the result.”

Mission accomplished.

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 41

RESTORATION

JASPER’S 5.0 ENGINE RENEWAL PROGRAM The prolific remanufacturer’s step-by-step process can make your Ford 5.0 factory fresh again by Tom Shaw • photography by Jasper Engines and Transmissions

J

asper Engines and Transmissions has been remanufacturing engines a long time — since Colonel Sanders was a lieutenant and Cap’n Crunch was just a skinny deck hand. For seventy-two years actually. They’ve established a very thorough process for taking in tired, wornout engines and turning them into fresh powerplants ready for many more thousands of trouble-free miles.

When it’s time to remanufacture an engine, picking the machine shop can be ticklish. Unless you’re actually checking each step with micrometers, you take it on faith that the work is up to snuff.

Or you could send your engine to Indiana-based Jasper.

They’ve been remanufacturing engines of all types for

42 FOXMustangMagazine.com

individual and commercial customers since 1942, and their process is meticulous.

We’re following along as a Mustang 5.0 engine gets the full treatment. As you’ll see, the process is very thorough, and it’s the same for every engine. While the quality and attention to detail remain constant, there are several different levels of performance, ranging from a stock, OEM job to one intended for more performance applications. If you have an engine in need of a new lease on life, these are the steps needed for a remanufacture that works right and lasts like the original engine, if not better. If you’d like to have Jasper do the work, contact them at (800) 827-7455; www.jasperengines.com.

PICK YOUR POWER

1

Choose how much performance you need Jasper has three levels of engine performance for Ford engines.

“Stock” is the general production engine offered in a production vehicle. Stock engines receive Jasper’s tried-and-true methods of remanufacturing, including torque-plate honing, valve-seat machining, precision crankshaft machining, oil-passage chamfering and polishing, and computer-assisted live-run testing.

“Class I” is the same Jasper general production engine, but with a mild camshaft upgrade. Class I engines generally produce about 10 percent more horsepower and torque over the standard stock engine.

“Class II” is the engine for the serious, performanceminded person who needs power for a specific application.

These engines receive additional machining to castings such as align boring, square decking, and balancing of the rotating assembly. Special components like performance valves, highperformance fasteners, a double-roller timing set, and highertension valvesprings are selected and matched for most applications to obtain maximum performance.

2

The process starts with an intensive cleanup. Engine castings are baked overnight in ovens at 800 degrees and will be media blasted with steel shot to thoroughly remove dirt, oil, and other contaminants.

Here’s the 5.0 core as it’s received for remanufacturing. It’s inventoried and noted for condition and completeness.

3

The 5.0 after it has been media blasted in automated equipment.

The block will be tumbled to remove residual cleaning media.

The cleaning process is extensive, and it leaves the iron surface spotless.

RESTORATION 4

The 5.0’s heads and block are magnafluxed to detect cracks that can’t be seen by the unaided eye.

6

Each journal is measured with a digital micrometer to assure correct tolerances. This spec is the same for each rod. Each one ends up the same size. Ditto on the crank journals — they’re a consistent size for each one.

44 FOXMustangMagazine.com

5

The stroke of the crankshaft is measured to verify it is within tolerance. This measurement will help to ensure that the piston height will be correct for the rod-and-piston combination used.

7

Blocks, like heads, are magnafluxed to check for the tiniest of cracks. Main caps are also checked for cracks. If cracks are found, they are often in the lifter valley, main saddles, or even on the outside of the block. Cylinder heads can crack between valves.

8

Each main saddle is measured for proper tolerance.

9

The Class II 302 heads receive new brass valve-guide liners.

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 45

RESTORATION 10

Blocks are bored to a uniform diameter. Most blocks will clean up with a 0.040-inch over bore.

12

Head surfaces are likewise resurfaced to assure proper sealing with its block counterpart.

46 FOXMustangMagazine.com

11

Blocks are resurfaced to assure proper sealing with the head.

13

Valve seats are machined to exact tolerances.

14

The 5.0 block is honed with a torque plate installed to recreate the stress on the block and any possible shifting after the head is installed and torqued. This produces the best-possible cylinder dimension and eliminates distortion, a common cause of blow-by.

16

15

After torque-plate honing, Jasper soft hones all cylinders. The soft hone reduces the peaks of the standard honing process while keeping the benefits of the cross-hatch pattern. This improved honing process provides better piston-ring sealing and less blow-by.

17

Oil passages in the block are washed and brushed, and flushed to remove harmful contaminants.

Head castings and blocks receive a final wash after machining and prior to assembly.

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 47

RESTORATION 18

Rods are checked for magnetism to be sure that they do not attract minute metal particles that will be generated during normal engine break-in. If they are at all magnetic, they’re run through a demagnetizer. The same process is used for camshafts and crankshafts.

20

Valve-stem height is measured with a dial indicator during the assembly process.

48 FOXMustangMagazine.com

19

Rod caps are machined to create an undersize rod; then the rods are honed to standard diameter. Rods are then gauged to assure accurate dimensional tolerances.

21

Heads are vacuum tested after assembly to assure correct valve seating and sealing.

22

23

After machining, crankshaft oil holes are chamfered; then the crankshaft is polished and given a final wash.

24

Proper torque is applied to the main bolts.

A profilometer measures the surface finish of crankshaft journals, head and block surfaces, and cylinder walls.

25

Allison Baker carefully begins the process of piston and rod assembly to the crankshaft.

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 49

RESTORATION 26

27

Jasper engines include such accessories as the timing cover, oil pump, and pan for a more complete installation.

Rod bolts are torqued to exact specifications.

28

Allison Baker installs the oil pump.

29

“Tinware� like the pan and timing cover are included on all Jasper engines.

50 FOXMustangMagazine.com

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 51

RESTORATION 30

Joey Voegerl torques head bolts in the top-end assembly process.

31

Popular Complete Format (Jasper’s term for long-block) engines like the 5.0 are live-run tested with inspections to vacuum, compression, pressures, and temperatures.

32

SOURCE JASPER ENGINES AND TRANSMISSIONS (800) 827-7455 • www.jasperengines.com

Black-light inspection for leaks is also part of engine testing. Stock and Class I engines are painted gray. Class II engines are painted black. The engine is now ready for delivery.

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 53

RESTORATION

DIY BRAKE JOB The familiar brake job takes a restoration turn

F

or years, when we’ve worked on the brakes of our Fox Mustangs, it’s been to upgrade to big, powerful disc systems.

These days, with restoration the hot new trend, we’re seeing more and more cars kept stock or even returned to stock.

The time had come for our Project ’93 to get some new brakes. The car shows only 49,000 miles and had original brakes on the rear, and replacement pads up front. For this story, we’re servicing the brakes with the goal being to make them work and look like new. Peter Geisler and Tim Clingler of Orlando Mustang are supplying the handson expertise, and National Parts Depot is supplying the

54 FOXMustangMagazine.com

story and photography by Tom Shaw

replacement parts (shoes, wheel cylinders, rotors, pads, and calipers). This issue, we’re working on the rear drums. Next issue, the front discs.

We’re taking the job step-by-step, so if you’ve felt that brake work is over your head, you should be able to follow along and get the job done. Even if you’re not the mechanical type, you’ll at least know what goes into a thorough brake job. If your Mustang’s brakes are fine, great, but they need regular service, so your time is coming. Hang on to this article, and when the time comes, you’ll know what to do.

Here we go.

1

Remove the wheels, using the softest pry tool you can find. Put a towel or piece of cardboard or plastic between the wheel and the pry tool. These are the same wheels we restored last issue, and we just corrected all the blemishes and damage from everyday use like this.

3

Remove the clips (in the unlikely event that they’re still there), and the brake drum should come off easily. Occasionally, they’re rusted on, or worn to the point where they’ve created a lip that holds the drum on. In that case, on the back side of the backing plate, open the bleeder screw on the wheel cylinder, and loosen the adjuster through the slot at the bottom of the backing plate.

This will let the shoes retract and allow the drum to be removed.

2

Since this article and this magazine are big on restoration, we’re going to pay attention to details like these oft-discarded clips installed at the factory to keep the drums in place prior to wheel installation during assembly. They are unnecessary in normal use and usually thrown away. Even in strict judging, which nobody is doing on Fox Mustangs as far as we know, these are not checked.

But since they are original, we’ll reuse them.

4

With the drum removed, we found the shoes’ lining, originally held on by adhesive, had separated from the shoes and was sliding around inside the drum, making a mess of metal shavings but not doing much braking.

RESTORATION 5

6

We recommend taking a picture of the brakes before you disassemble everything. You might need it for reference when putting it back together. Disassembly begins by removing the two retracting springs from the post. Tim Clingler, restoration specialist at Orlando Mustang, uses an old Craftsman brake tool.

Vise grips and stout pliers have also been known to work.

FACTORY DRUM BRAKE DIAGRAM

Even experienced mechanics will be ahead of the game by disassembling only one side at a time. Leave the other side intact in case you need to refer to it for reassembly. It’s also a good idea to take a couple of pictures of each side before you pull it all apart.

It could very well answer some questions once you tear it all down.

But should you choose to ignore all of our sage advice, here’s a factory diagram of how the drum brake assembly goes together.

56 FOXMustangMagazine.com

Not that it makes any difference mechanically, but the white spring for the rear shoe was on the outside, so it comes off first, followed by the green spring for the front shoe. The innermost item on the post is the automatic adjuster cable. All of it comes off.

CeLeBRaTing

50 yeaRs oF MusTang ouR Fox DeCaDe +

1979 - 1993: A Legacy of “Domination”

Thank you Ford Motor Company!

1964½ - 2014½

“Making the Mustang even better…”

– Jeff Tan, Fabulous MusTangs, november 1987 “In our 700ft slalom… the Bittle car at 67.1mph and Kaufman car at 65.8mph were quicker than the Camaro… The JBA Saleen Mustang felt very solid.”

– Ron sessions, Road & TRack, July 1988 “JBA was invited by John Clinard, of Ford Motor Company, to modify a stock 1989 Fox Mustang, the original Dominator GTA, for Road & Track’s Top-Speed Shootout to celebrate Ford Mustang’s 25th Anniversary.”

– J bittle, JBA Speed Shop, april 1989

VoRTeCh BLoWn

JBa nMRa PRo 5.0

JBa Dominator gTB “The most intense Mustang we’ve ever encountered…

Acceleration (4.2 sec.)… Skidpad (1.09 lateral g)…

That’s not only the top performance in this test, but a new Motor Trend record.”

– c. Van Tune, MoToR TRend, February 1994

25 years of JBa DoMinaToR MusTangs

“Mustangs from which all others can be compared, a multi-purpose, take no prisoners type of ride… even in the quarter-mile at 11.70!”

– Pete Pesterre, PoPulaR HoT Rodding, December 1991 “Best handling car of the day, with the best brakes of the lot.”

– Tom Wilson, suPeR FoRd, april 1992 “At the dragstrip, the Dominator proved true to its name with a 12.2-second/118.3mph quarter-mile best that smoked the nearest challenger by several car lengths.”

– c. Van Tune, MoToR TRend, February 1994

“Originally built in 3 weeks for the 1989 Ford 25th Anniversary of the Mustang.”

– J bittle

Vortech blown 5.0 Jba dominator Mustang gTb Jba/Vortech supercharged 2012 boss 302

www.jbaracing.com • online store: http://estore.jbaracing.com 5675 Kearny Villa Road, San Diego, CA 92123 • 858.495.3395 like us on

Issue 10Fox FOX Mustang Magazine 57 From ‘87 saLeen #R0029 to Dominator gTB #148529, the famous JBa Mustang.

RESTORATION 7

Next, remove the shoe hold-down by holding the pin from the back side. Gripping the hold-down with pliers or specialized tool, push inward; then while holding it in, rotate it 90 degrees in either direction, and pull it off. Remove the spring and pin, too. Repeat for the rear shoe.

9

With the shoes removed, we’ll remove the wheel cylinder next.

Start by removing the line connection. A flare-nut wrench works best, as it’s the least likely to slip. The nut is supposed to turn freely and independently of the hydraulic line, but older lines often corrode together causing the line to rotate with the flare nut and twisting the line apart. Penetrating oil like WD-40 or BB Blaster can help, but if the line is sticking, it’s probably time to replace the lines, too.

58 FOXMustangMagazine.com

8

Pull the shoes off the backing plate. A third spring still connects the shoes at the bottom, and the parking brake cable is still connected to the rear shoe, so you can’t pull it all the way off just yet. The front shoe can easily be worked free; the rear is disconnected from the parking brake arm by removing a clip. Save the clip. You’ll need it later.

10

Two 12mm bolts hold the wheel cylinder to the backing plate.

They’re so rusty in this picture, they’re hard to see, but they’re there. Hit ’em with penetrating oil and work the bolts back and forth with a six-point socket if they’re being stubborn. A couple of well placed hammer blows can help break them loose, too.

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 59

RESTORATION 11

Remove the wheel cylinder from the front side. They can be honed and rebuilt, but there are no date codes on these, and even if there were they wouldn’t be visible with the wheels on. Simple replacement is much easier, so we’re discarding these.

13

Don’t quit until it’s all the way clean. Give it a final shot of brake cleaner.

60 FOXMustangMagazine.com

12

Cleanup is the next phase. A few heavy shots of brake cleaner and a wire brush bust the crud. A drip pan underneath catches the mess before it hits the floor. Although we haven’t done it in this picture, a cap on the open brake line is a good idea to prevent dirt from entering the system.

14

New hardware is inexpensive, but we’re reusing our factory originals. A scrubbing in the parts washer gets them squeaky clean. Afterwards, they’re blown dry with compressed air.

15

Our new parts, shoes, and wheel cylinders came from National Parts Depot. NPD handles Wagner, a top-quality brand, and their four major distribution centers (in Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, and California) make sure your parts arrive quickly.

17

A dab of white grease at the contact points (inset) will help the shoes expand and contract smoothly and quietly. Apply sparingly.

You don’t want excess to get on your new shoes and drums.

16

Reassembly begins by bolting the new wheel cylinders onto the backing plate. Remove the cap on the hydraulic line and thread the flare nut into the wheel cylinder. Snug it up tight.

18

Being sure to put the primary shoe front, and the secondary shoe rear (see “Primary / Secondary Shoes” sidebar), slide the shoe into place, pushing the retaining pin through from the back side.

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 61

RESTORATION 19

Slide the spring and retaining clip over the end. Give it a quarter turn while holding the retaining pin from moving. Tim uses specific brake pliers to firmly grasp the retainer, but normal pliers can do the same thing.

21

Now install the primary shoe just as you did the other one. Keep your hands clean and don’t touch the shoe’s friction material if you can help it. Make sure the parking brake link goes in the correct slots in each shoe.

62 FOXMustangMagazine.com

20

Ford shop manuals call this piece the parking brake link. It moves the front shoe against the drum when the parking brake is applied.

Don’t forget the link spring at the front. It’s a tensioner and an anti-rattle.

22

The same-type retainer clip holds it to the backing plate. Some people who are particularly good with their hands can fasten these retainers with just their fingers.

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www.moderndriveline.com

RESTORATION 23

PRIMARY / SECONDARY SHOES Drum brake shoes are not interchangeable from front to rear. There’s a specific front (primary) and a specific rear (secondary), and they are not to be reversed. The primary shoe goes on the forward side and will have less friction material. It’s made of a higher friction composition and its increased “bite” uses the rotation of the drum to drive the secondary shoe harder against the drum’s friction surface.

Remember this: The shoe with the least material goes toward the front on both the left and right sides.

24

Parts install in the reverse order they were removed, starting with the anchor pin plate, then the adjuster cable end.

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With both shoes pinned to the backing plate, install the rear retracting springs (white) through the self-adjuster cable guide and into the secondary shoe. A dab of white grease in the guide’s groove will help the cable to move freely and last longer.

25

The rear retaining spring is pulled onto the anchor pin with a long tool. A screwdriver or vise grips have also been known to work, but the right tool makes this job, which can be frustrating, go easier.

DANIEL CARPENTER MUSTANG REPRODUCTIONS

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 65

RESTORATION

PRIMARY / SECONDARY SHOES

We don’t have the decode; we can’t translate what it means; it’s probably different from car to car; and it’s all covered up anyway once the car’s put back together. But for whatever it may be worth to restorers, here are the factory color codes we found on our original ’93 GT.

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On Axle:

Large orange blob in the center of the axle Small white patch, also in the center of the axle Gray numeral 4 between studs

On Edge of Shoes:

Primary Shoe Orange, Yellow, White Secondary Shoe White, Gray, Yellow

26

The front retaining spring goes on next. With everything installed, it should look like this.

28

There’s one more strong spring to hook up, and it goes from the primary shoe to the self-adjusting lever. The lever attaches in three places: the secondary shoe, the adjusting cable, and the adjusting spring, anchored in the primary shoe. Tim uses vise grips and some manual dexterity to hook it up. The adjuster is removed in this shot for a better view.

27

Moving to the bottom, the self-adjuster is installed between the shoes. Make sure to give it some white grease and that it operates smoothly before installing.

29

To get your basic adjustment, start with the adjuster all the way in; then adjust it to where the drum slides on with minimal drag.

The mechanism will take it from there. It ratchets the adjuster out a click at a time to keep the brakes correctly adjusted.

Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 67

RESTORATION 30

Thread the flare-nut end into the wheel cylinder, being careful not to cross-thread it. Snug it up with a tubing wrench. Repeat the job on the other side, and you’re ready to open the bleeder valve, just above the line, and begin bleeding the hydraulic system. Start with the right rear (farthest from the master cylinder). Open the valve and let gravity begin to fill the cylinder. Keep an eye on your reservoir level on the firewall. When fluid steadily trickles from the bleeder valve, close it and have an assistant pump the brake pedal several times, holding it all the way down on the last pump. Open the bleeder valve and repeat until you have a steady stream of fluid with no bubbles.

31

These drums were uncut originals. Both were in good shape, even with the unbonded passenger-side shoes. They needed only a minimal surfacing and a little quality time in the bead blaster for rust removal. Cast into the edge of the drum (inset) is its machinable limit — 9.060 inches. Once past that, there’s not enough metal left to operate safely, so the drum must be replaced. This is not only good sense; it’s law.

32

SOURCES NPD FLORIDA (352) 861-8700 • (800) 874-7595 toll free www.npdlink.com ORLANDO MUSTANG (407) 688-1966 • www.orlandomustang.com

Once de-rusted in the bead blaster, the drums were painted with Por-15’s Metal Mask, a very tough coating that approximates the look of raw iron and is not UV sensitive. This will keep that factoryfresh look for years. Cast Blast is a good spray-can alternative.

Once installed, the wheel keeps the drum in place, so these clips are unnecessary. But this is a restoration job, so we’re putting them back. Maybe years from now some tough show judge will bum out that he couldn’t ding us for five points because they’re missing.

68 FOXMustangMagazine.com

800-343-4261

941-639-0437

www.hydroe.com

FIX MY FOX

by Matt Highley, Fox Mustang Restoration

Q

IN SEARCH OF POWER

Q

LX MAKEOVER

My ’87 convertible has manual crank windows, but I really want power. Do you know who sells these parts?

I love the look of the ’82 GT front end, and I want to put it on my ’86 LX. What is needed to change the front end?

Roger Baker Katy, TX

Vincent Weeks Kingdom City, MO

A

Right now no one is making a conversion kit. Actually, some of the power-window parts are not available new at all. If you would like to do the conversion, here’s a list of the parts you’ll need. The new parts that are available are window switches, switch bezels, and power-window motors. The used parts you will have to source are the window regulators, door wiring harnesses, and armrest assemblies for power windows.

The door, glass, glass guide, and mount are all the same whether you have power windows or not. All of the wiring under the dash should already be there.

A

Since you have an ’86, you will not need to change the wiring harness since all ’79-’86 Mustangs use the same light. That’s the good news. The bad news is that you need to change the hood, front bumper cover with the lower air dam, fender extension, and the header panel. The only thing available that is new is the lower air dam. The rest you will need to find used.

Q Q

GO REST, YOUNG MAN

Why is no one making the white armrest pads for the ’87-’93 convertibles?

Curtis McCowan Columbus, GA

A

Since I do not manufacture these parts, I can only speculate as to why they’re not being made. I assume it’s due to lower production numbers since the white interiors were only being used for some of the convertibles. As far as I know, no one is making or plans to make these pads in white.

I do have a few sets of brand-new, original Ford (NOS) sets left that can be found on my website, www.foxresto.com.

IN SEARCH OF POWER II

I just got a 302 block out of the junkyard and want to make a 347 stroker. I’ve heard modifications are needed to make this work. Can you help me understand why the block needs to be modified?

Tony LaRocca Red Bank, NJ

A

Let me start off by saying I am not a fan of the 347 stroker.

Because of the extended stroke the piston skirt is shorter and the wrist pin is relocated to intersect with the oil control ring. A result is that you get less lubrication control and also something called piston slap.

As for modifications, you will need to bore the cylinder to at least .030 over or more if your block needs it. Due to the extended stroke, you will have to make a small notch in the cylinder skirt where the connecting rod will hit. You can determine this by installing the rotating assembly one cylinder at a time and marking were the rod will make contact.

MEET MATT HIGhLEY As owner of Fox Mustang Restoration, Matt Highley brings years of experience, a passion for Fox-bodies, and a deep knowledge of these cars to Fix My Fox. In 2004, Matt opened Fox Mustang Restoration to help keep these cars on the road.

To have Matt address your Fox Mustang issues just send your question, and a pic if possible, to brandon@pattersonpublishing.com. Put “Fix My Fox” in the subject line.

70 FOXMustangMagazine.com

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Issue 10 FOX Mustang Magazine 73

Restoration Parts available for

79-93 MUSTANG

NPD Exclusive!

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER PRINTED CIRCUITBOARDS

Obsolete NOS

These new 1981-86 printed circuit boards are tooled off the factory style pattern and are designed to be a direct replacement for your old and brittle units. With these units exclusive to NPD we are dedicated to working on more years and more parts to fit your Fox Mustang needs.

79-80 Primary ......................M-10K843-1A $99.95 79 Secondary .................M-10K843-2A $79.95 80 Secondary .................M-10K843-2B $79.95 81-86 ..................................M-10K843-3A $119.95

HEAD LIGHT SWITCH KNOB AND Inventory SHAFT ASSEMBLY

Everyone wants NOS parts and NPD has you covered. These are some of the last remaining “NOS” head light knobs available. They feature the correct bright finish with logo and includes the shaft. Quantities are limited so get yours before they are gone.

79-84 Knob ........................... M-11661-1 $19.95 79-83 Bezel .......................... M-10852-2A $19.95

TUBULAR CONTROL ARM KIT $

129.95

Looking for a great way to not only improve the looks but handling of your Mustang? This quality Upper and Lower control arm kit is constructed from heavy wall tubular steel and includes polyurethane bushings and all attaching hardware. It is designed to improve traction and handling and give your Mustang the performance it needs.

They are available in a black or red powder coated finish.

79-93 Black .............................. M-5A651-2BK $129.95 79-93 Red ................................ M-5A561-2RK $129.95

FREE COLOR CATALOG 65-73 Mustang 79-93 Mustang 55-57 Thunderbird

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