I kind of don't think I'm going to get the targa top. I'm just thinking I'll be saving $350-$390, plus the $400 for the cage and $200 for the sub-frame braces. Also, if I feel like it later, I'm sure one of my friends in auto body could probably help me out with doing a custom one; I'm d**m good with fiberglass, I'm thinking a fiberglass top would do nicely lol.

In other news, I might have an OEM GT rear sway bar on the way (24mm I believe)... if that's the case, I'll be painting it bronze to match everything else next week. Right now I'm trying to work out a deal with a guy selling one; he wants $45 shipped, I'm trying to get him to come down to $40 shipped. If someone else buys it, I have another guy selling one for $60 shipped that I'll probably try to talk down to $50 shipped and take care of the paypal fees for him. Jeez I'm so cheap lol

*edit: I'll also have the 3rd piece for my grille delete on the way sometime this week... then you won't be able to see the paint in my grille. Anyway, after I get the rear sway bar, shocks/struts, and brakes, I'm done with the mustang for a while (probably until I graduate). I really shouldn't be spending all this money, and to be completely honest, I feel bad about spending money when I shouldn't be. Pretty much as soon as I get my tax return, it's going in the bank, same with my future rent/living checks, as well as the $1,000 my friend's giving me (assuming he keeps his word).

*edit #2: I was actually thinking about the brakes today... I realized if I got the new rotors, I'd be replacing them within a year with Cobra brakes all around anyway, so there's no point in getting the new rotors; I'll just have a shop turn my stock rotors so I don't have to deal with them being warped... it should hold me over until I get the Cobra IRS and front brake swap... my rotors are definitely thick enough to machine, and it shouldn't cost much to get them turned, so I'll be saving around $150.

 

Okay, I'm triple posting like the postwhore I am

I sent the money for the sway bar I'm buying... the $40 one didn't work out (guy with 49 posts wants me to send a money order? No thank you), but one of the older members was selling one for $55 shipped, so I bought it off him; he said he'd be able to ship it out friday-ish. Also, I should have a shipping quote for the grille delete piece tomorrow, so it should get sent out wednesday, meaning it'll be at my house thursday or friday. Also, the tips should be sent out soon. Now I just need to email StangMods.com and find out what the h**l is going on with my headers; my site account says "shipped" but I don't have a shipping number.

Unfortunately, the sway bar probably won't be here in time for me to paint it and install it when I'm doing all my other work, but oh well... I can throw it on the next time I go home. Also, for those who don't feel like reading all my edits, I decided against the cross-drilled & slotted rotors in favor of having my oem rotors machined for 1/4 the price since I'll be upgrading to cobra brakes in the next year (why buy new rotors twice, right?).

 

Good to see some progress on the stang. Any plans for more power/ well updated plans?

 

I try to keep the front page as updated as possible

So far, it's just going to be the long tube headers for now; I'll get a new tune once I get the headers on the car, but as far as power, that'll be it until I graduate. Next up will probably be the stroker kit.

Also, I'm debating whether I should wait to lower the car or not... I'm thinking maybe wait until I get my tax return and use the money to buy new shocks and struts... right now I can spend $300 on it, but it's probably not the best idea... I'm probably either going to cut the springs on stock shocks/struts and deal with riding on blown shocks/struts for a month or two or just wait until I have the money for new ones.... I'll probably end up waiting.

 

i know im new and nobody knows me here yet but as a hardcore mustang guy, been building and racing them for going on 10 years i have a couple inputs if i may....yea dont ride the blown shocks, you hit a huge hole with a blown shock then your looking at damage to the shock tower....plus cutting springs on a mustang is insane, there are so many CHEAP springs out there just get a 2 inch drop set and be done... the targa idea is great but i agree with the above statements, if not done right will forever have issues, sometimes you have issues from the factory, (my case in point i have an 83 mustang with factory t-tops). for v6 performance there are alot of new options out there pm me and i will give you some links and stuff if you want..

 

Yeah, I don't necessarily plan on running the stock shocks when I lower it, I just get impatient sometimes lol. As far as cutting the springs, I have several sources I can quote, including two seperate automotive performance books rented from the library here at Wyotech . And nothing's cheaper than free, right? For the targa, like I said, I have quite a few friends that do auto body, and I trust most of their work.

But for v6 performance, I'm an active member or Mustangforums and 3.8mustang, and I'm not exactly new to the performance game, but if I have an questions I'll let you know.

 

thats cool man just 2 cents worth, ive done alot of things too being new i wasnt sure how well my comments would be tolorated......been around the block a long time with v6 and 4 turd mustangs this is my first honda so im learning as well.....

 

No problems... you're trying to help, so I don't mind the comments

As far as learning about hondas, they're pretty simple... if you know how to build a v6 or a 4cyl mustang, you pretty much know how to build a honda... and the aftermarket is pretty much just as big as the mustang aftermarket


Anyway, update on the build... the tips were shipped out yesterday, and the headers were apparently shipped already; I'm exchanging emails with customer service at stangmods... apparently they tried sending me the tracking number but I didn't get it. If it's been shipped, it should be here tomorrow or saturday (the stangmods warehouse is in MD so shipping's fast)... so in other words, my car might not be misfiring by the time I can replace them.... because the exhaust leak is before the o2 sensors, the o2 sensors are reading lean. Because of that, it's dumping fuel into bank 1 to compensate for the false lean condition. Thanks to that, I'm not only throwing a p0171 (lean on bank 1), but because of the rich condition, I'm sure the plugs are d**m close to fouling. If they foul, I'll misfire and probably end up toasting some of the exhaust valves... I'd rather not tear the head for bank 1 apart to replace valves.


*edit: w00t, just got the tracking number from customer service. As it turns out, my headers have been at my house since monday. In other words, tomorrow the car's going up on jack stands as soon as I get home (spring break w00t) and I'm going to start tearing it apart... hopefully it'll be done by sunday lol

 

All right... I have the passenger side header on currently (figured with the EGR system and whatnot, it would be the harder side to do, so I decided to tackle it first). It took me about 3 hours, about a 3rd of which was spent loosening and tightening the header studs, a 3rd of which was spent on trying to get the d**m EGR tube out, and the final 3rd was spent on things that were actually productive. The way I figure it, I should have the driver side header on sometime around noon or early afternoon tomorrow. Then I'll be running open headers for a few days until I finish modifying my h-pipe to accept the Magnaflow cats and play nice with the full-length headers.

Also, the exhaust tips should be on the car next wednesday; they shipped the other day from TX, and are scheduled to arrive at my apartment on the 31st, but I'm at my parents' house for spring break until wednesday, so they'll have to wait to be put on.

Hopefully my sway bar will have shipped today, I'm waiting on an email back from the guy I bought it from to find out what's going on with it... and I'm still waiting on a shipping quote for the grille delete piece.

Anyway, header pics up in about a half hour... I have to eat then dig through all my stuff to find my phone's memory card adapter so I can upload the pics.



Pitchers!!!!

Yeah, I was a bit excited to see the box when I got home



LTs and high-flows



The old leaky-a** header is finally off



VICTORY IS MINE!!!



Wonder which ones flow better...



Shiiiiiiiinnyyyy.... too bad the intake tube covers it up... at least you'll be able to see the one on the driver side.

 

dam your fender area looks bad there!!!!!!!!
wtf is holding the fender on silicone?

not to be a d*** but dam someone did a horible repair job with spray paint and silicone!
id fix that first before id move into a targon top or other cobra kit.