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Steve - 17 Nov 2003 00:44 GMT

I'm pretty new around here and posted previously about mods I plan to make
to my '89 GT vert. The responses that I received from that previous post
both to this newsgroup and that I received in e-mail were phenomenal!
Thanks to everyone!

However, since then, a couple of more issues have come up in my
restoration/rebuild process with this car that I could use the group's help
on. I've searched in google for past posts, but didn't seem to get hits for
much on these problems. There's a couple of them and I thought about
putting them in different threads so people wouldn't have to read through
too much drivel, but I figured I'd get beat up for bogging up the newsgroup.

So here goes:

I'm noticing on heavy accelerate/braking that my driver's electric seat
"gives" a bit, as if it's loose. Without pulling up all of the carpeting to
see if the floorpan is cracked, I was wondering if it could possibly be the
seat itself getting loose, and if anyone knows if there are any tightening
adjustments that can be done on the seat. Doing a search in google through
past posts, someone posted that Ford sold a bracing kit that can be
installed in tandem with subframes. Anyone have any particulars on this?

Also, my gas pedal is sticking in the no-gas position. Not a big deal, I
usually have to give it a bit of a stomp to break it loose and then we're
fine; but if the car is still for some time -- either parked or at a long
light (i.e., I'm not punching on the gas) -- the peddle sticks again.
Anyone have any history with this?

My driver side mirror is also cracked and a bottom chip missing. The
mirror's hardware is fine and works well, I just need to buy a mirror to be
glued back in. Everywhere I've checked, though, lists just the entire
mirror assembly. Anyone know of a source for just the glass? I took it by
a glass shop, but they wanted 50 bucks to do a template and custom cut, with
the edge bevel effect -- that's half of what I'd pay for just getting the
whole assembly! Ford doesn't sell just the glass...

Finally, I plan on going the Kenny Brown route to grace the handling of the
car. But it seems like this '89 vert handles much worse on cornering than
my old '86 hatch (both GT's). Is that a vert vs. hatch issue, or did
something change in those years for handling? And, yeah, those bushings
will go urethane as soon as I can swing it.

Right now, I'm typing this covered to my elbows in crud, exhausted from a
weekend spent on the stang, and I'm grinning big! Man, I'm loving being
back on a pony again. Thanks for all of your help, folks!

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Jim Warman - 17 Nov 2003 00:56 GMT

For the seat, your eyeballs are your best ally.... for the throttle, I'd
expect that someone has decided that they know better than the PCM and
closed the throttle plates down. When warm, the aluminum throttle body
expands more than the steel throttle blades.... as it cools, the aluminum
traps the blades that are closed beyond the binding point. Bear in mind that
adjusting the throttle blades to the required position may unmask a problem.
Check with a glass shop..... I have had a great deal of success with
replacement mirror glass for a lot less money than a new mirror head (I'm
talking 50 or 60 happy customers - not "it worked for my sister-in-laws
second cousins best friends exhusbands brother who is now in prison").

Finally, after you install the front end pieces, let us know what the
alignment rack says for angles..... it's one thing to improve handling with
firmer pieces but the icing on the cake can be in the alignment settings.

Jim Warman

> I'm pretty new around here and posted previously about mods I plan to make
> to my '89 GT vert. The responses that I received from that previous post
[quoted text clipped - 41 lines]
> weekend spent on the stang, and I'm grinning big! Man, I'm loving being
> back on a pony again. Thanks for all of your help, folks!

Reply to this Message

Musttanguy - 17 Nov 2003 01:11 GMT

>From: "Steve"

>my 89 GT conv. driver's electric seat
>"gives" a bit, as if it's loose. Without >pulling up all of the carpeting to
>see if the floorpan is cracked, I was >wondering if it could possibly be the
>seat itself getting loose.

Electric seat track ? (shouldn't be for 89)
Check the seat tracks where they bolt to the floor, it is quite common for them
to crack/break at this point. You can also check the floor pan at the rear
mounting location from underneath to see if it has torn the floor which is also
quite common.
Another possibility is the front mounting which can and has torn on the cross
piece as well. All of the above can be repaired with a mig welder, Once
repaired A flat plate tacked welded to the floor under the carpet will help
distribute the weight over a larger area and make it even more solid.
As for your accelerator pedal, the cable could be either sticking or be frayed,
I would inspect carefully and perhaps spray with some WD40 or similiar down the
cable.
For the drivers side mirror, I may have a glass available but will have to
check.

>bushings will go urethane as soon as I >can swing it.

I would HIGHLY recommend going with a GOOD set of control arm such as the
Global West, Maximum Motorsports, or the like with the spherical bushings. The
poly bushings will be tighter but not offer better handling due to rear end
binding.

TIM -aka-
MUSTTANGUY "at" AOL "dot" COM
http://www.PonyPerformance.com

Reply to this Message

Ironrod - 17 Nov 2003 04:37 GMT

"> I'm noticing on heavy accelerate/braking that my driver's electric seat

> "gives" a bit, as if it's loose. Without pulling up all of the carpeting to
> see if the floor pan is cracked, I was wondering if it could possibly be

the

> seat itself getting loose, and if anyone knows if there are any tightening
> adjustments that can be done on the seat. Doing a search in google through
> past posts, someone posted that Ford sold a bracing kit that can be
> installed in tandem with subframes. Anyone have any particulars on this?

On my 88GT I just had the front outer mounting bolt tear out on the
drivers side, of course this happens while you're accelerating hard. You
have to remove the carpet from around the mounting points to see the damage.
The mounting location is made of some seriously thin steel and it fatigues
real easy. I used a 16x2.5 inch weld plate bolted to the floor to re-attach
the seat to the floor pan. On your car it should have come from the factory
with the Ford bracing kit. It is composed primarily of two long 'Z' shaped
bars that are pop riveted to the pinch weld that runs between the front and
rear wheels on either side and four stamped metal plates that rivet to each
corner of the floor pan. You have to remove these plates in order to weld
full length subs in place. (You can notch the plates and re-install them
after your done with the subframes.)

> Also, my gas pedal is sticking in the no-gas position. Not a big deal, I
> usually have to give it a bit of a stomp to break it loose and then we're
> fine; but if the car is still for some time -- either parked or at a long
> light (i.e., I'm not punching on the gas) -- the peddle sticks again.
> Anyone have any history with this?

Does your car currently have an inoperative cruise control? The
symptoms sound similar a problem I had. The end of the actuator cable for
the cruise control broke of exposing the cable which would bind the throttle
linkage. This made the peddle hard to push down. It also made the peddle
impossible to lift up one day when it decide to jam at WOT. Had to kill the
ignition and cost to the side of the road.

> My driver side mirror is also cracked and a bottom chip missing. The
> mirror's hardware is fine and works well, I just need to buy a mirror to be
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> the edge bevel effect -- that's half of what I'd pay for just getting the
> whole assembly! Ford doesn't sell just the glass...

Can't help you here.

> Finally, I plan on going the Kenny Brown route to grace the handling of the
> car. But it seems like this '89 vert handles much worse on cornering than
> my old '86 hatch (both GT's). Is that a vert vs. hatch issue, or did
> something change in those years for handling? And, yeah, those bushings
> will go urethane as soon as I can swing it.

The only thing holding the front of the car to the back of the car is
the floor pan and they do tend to flex. Full length subframe connectors
with seat braces and a REAL Roll Hoop are needed to fix this problem. Welded
not bolted, bolted is worse than useless. While you are down there you
should install a lower 'K' member brace and upper strut tower brace.
You really should do the chassis mods first as they make such a big
difference in the way your car handles

> Right now, I'm typing this covered to my elbows in crud, exhausted from a
> weekend spent on the stang, and I'm grinning big! Man, I'm loving being
> back on a pony again. Thanks for all of your help, folks!

I've owned my 88GT (vert) since new, I'm starting to get a little long
in the tooth, but yes it still is fun to crawl under the car and make it
better than it was before. One of the reasons I think is because the
Mustang is such an easy car to work on.

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