Planning to order parts from a local parts store. tips and advice needed.

[2jzinsider]

Getting a good deal at a local parts store as my brother is letting me use his body shop account to order parts

I'm going to order a Base kit and plans are for a ls1 or coyote.


Brake list:
-1995 mustang front spindles
-1995 mustang 5 lug front hub
-1995 mustang 5 lug rear axle "not sure if this will work out not with my fox body 8.8 21spline"
-1995 mustang rear caliper brackets "axle to caliper bracket' --- will this work or do I need to order the 5 lug fox body brake disc conversion bracket
-new reman 1995 mustang cobra front calipers with brackets/loaded
-new reman 1995 mustang cobra rear calipers with brackets/loaded
-1995 mustang cobra rotors
-off the shelf brake pads


Will my brake setup work? or do you prefer a different year mustang to base my brake part numbers off.


random parts that I will need LIST:
-1993 mustang gas tank " Is this the correct year to order and do I need to order the pick up tube with fuel pump also?
-1993 mustang power steering rack "should I use a 1993 or 1995 rack? and whats the difference between sport and non sport?" I'm planning to make my own custom lines
-1993 mustang radiator
-off the shelf hayden heavy duty electic radiator fan/control unit.
anything I should add to this?





If you guys can chime in on my part list of what to add that I might be missing for major parts to keep me going with my build or what to change for something else. Your advice is highly appreciated as i'm pretty noob here but I have the chance tomorrow to make one decent size order from any mustangs any year/model all at one time.





Thanks

[edwardb]

I can only offer a couple comments, but will provide FWIW. 94-95 spindles are considered the best Mustang spindles for these builds due to the dog leg (jog) in the arm that connects to the tie rod end. But the Factory Five spindles are vastly superior to any Mustang spindle. No adapters, better geometry, SAI mod, little/no bump steer, etc. I've had both and the difference is dramatic. There are few things about your build that will have as much impact on the driveability of the car as this one. Strongly suggest you consider this for your build plan. Cut back somewhere else if you have to, IMO. The rest of your standard Mustang parts will work with the FF spindles.

For the tank, yes 1987-1993 5.0 Mustang is the right gas tank. You will need a sending unit. Ford E7ZZ-9275-A or equivalent. You probably don't want a stock fuel pump/pickup. Depends on the requirement of the engine you choose, and also the fuel lines you're going to use and how you're going to hook them up. Lots of good choices in the aftermarket for hangars with the right connections and proper sized pump.

[tirod]

I'll second the FF5 spindles from another perspective - most chain parts stores don't inventory or carry spindles at all. For the most part they are a special outside purchase and it also has a much higher cost than simply getting some from a wrecking yard or pick and pull.

Buying new has it's advantage in getting a clean part, buying used means you get a serious discount on one that just needs some cosmetic cleanup. Both will be rough cast with machining and no further paint or finishing, at least with spindles. Calipers and such, reman units from a parts store already have been derusted and assembled, with good seals, usually for a third to half off brand new parts. Any further finishing would still need to be done. For a street driven car there would only be one significant difference to assimilate in the finished car - the much higher cost of purchasing new.

It's why some cars approach $90k when others exercising resourcefulness in repurposing parts can do it for half.

In terms of a kit there are some things that frugality can rule the decision making process and others that enhance the final product - spindles are one for the reasons Edward outlined. It's entirely the reason F5 has them available - it fixes most of the issues of the donor spindles which are not optimal in many respects. The Mustang has some great driveline parts that are reasonably affordable for use in the kit, but it by no means justifies them all.

Which touches on the issue of having a balanced brake system - and for a car with 49/51 weight proportions, using donor calipers set up for 61/39 bias creates issues that are not easily resolved until the rear calipers are increased in size to nearly equal the fronts. There's a long thread on it but the principle is easy, a car with near equal weight needs brakes with near equal size front and rear. The kit has 10% more weight in the back and small rear brakes from a nose heavy car leave it less than optimally equipped.

[videodude]

I think you need to do some more reading and research, and I say that will all due respect. Are you planning on power brakes and steering? It makes a difference. What is your build budget? Looks like you plan on spending a ton of money; the forum will help you spend your money, believe me. From a practical standpoint, I'll address your list from my viewpoint, which is that of a cheap guy who doesn't want to spend 90K to build his car:

-1995 mustang front spindles * Get them from your local wrecker, 94 or 95 will work fine. Buy the FFR ones if you have deep pockets.
-1995 mustang 5 lug front hub * Get them from the wrecking yard, same car as the spindles
-1995 mustang 5 lug rear axle "not sure if this will work out not with my fox body 8.8 21spline" * 94-95 axles are NOT Fox length, they are longer, meaning a wider track. If you are planning wide rear wheels and tires, this will be a problem. Use axles from a Ranger or Aerostar (search the forum for "Fox width axles") for a proper fit, or buy aftermarket ones.
-1995 mustang rear caliper brackets "axle to caliper bracket' --- will this work or do I need to order the 5 lug fox body brake disc conversion bracket * The 94-95 rear caliper brackets won't work, the spacing is wrong for a Fox width housing. Call Richard Oben at North Race Cars, he will set you up with brackets and axles for Fox width.
-new reman 1995 mustang cobra front calipers with brackets/loaded * Depends. Power or Manual? If manual, go with the Wilwood as the stock Mustang brakes will be too small. If power, no problem.
-new reman 1995 mustang cobra rear calipers with brackets/loaded * Same as above
-1995 mustang cobra rotors * Same as above
-off the shelf brake pads * Power or manual? Search the forum for pad reccomendations for manual brakes

Will my brake setup work? or do you prefer a different year mustang to base my brake part numbers off. * In my opinion, No.

random parts that I will need LIST:
-1993 mustang gas tank " Is this the correct year to order and do I need to order the pick up tube with fuel pump also? * Get one from the wrecking yard; a new fuel pump will come with the pickup
-1993 mustang power steering rack "should I use a 1993 or 1995 rack? and whats the difference between sport and non sport?" I'm planning to make my own custom lines * The 1993 rack is optimal IF you are using power steering. There are 3 versions, all with different ratios. Search the forum for the Autozone part numbers for rebuilts, You will still need a core to turn in, so it's back to the auto wrecker. If manual, use a Factory Five Flaming River rack
-1993 mustang radiator * Just buy a new one. Call 1-800-Radiator for a cheap new stock one or buy a higher quality from one of Mike Forte.

If you want all this stuff new, do yourself a financial favor and buy a complete kit, you're not saving any money by getting a base kit. Order a kit manual, watch the build videos, maybe go to build school FIRST. I've been planning my build for over 10 years, and still have questions (although I have most things dealt with). If you don't have an appropriate donor and are going to have to buy all the needed parts, the base kit will cost you a LOT MORE in the long run. You say you will power your car with either an LS1 or a Coyote: 2 totally different ducks. I think you have a lot of research work to do, do yourself a favor and search the forum and read other builders "build" threads. I think you have a lot of work to do.

The preceding is the opinion of the writer. Flame on.

Video

[clancypm]

I see most people say to buy the complete kit, but my goal was to build my kit for $20,000.00 and I think I will be pretty close to that. I bought a 1996 mustang cobra convertible that had been rolled. It was in perfect mechanically shape with only 65,000 miles and I actually drove it 2 summers. I got the kit during a sale and my options include 3link, wipers and a few other things. Kit was 15,500.00, mustang 3,000.00. So far I have about 19 in it. I will go over a little but not much. As far as taking the mustang apart I feel it was a learning experience and actually enjoyed it. So if you can find a good donor I think its a good way to go if your on a budget.

[videodude]

I see most people say to buy the complete kit, but my goal was to build my kit for $20,000.00 and I think I will be pretty close to that. I bought a 1996 mustang cobra convertible that had been rolled. It was in perfect mechanically shape with only 65,000 miles and I actually drove it 2 summers. I got the kit during a sale and my options include 3link, wipers and a few other things. Kit was 15,500.00, mustang 3,000.00. So far I have about 19 in it. I will go over a little but not much. As far as taking the mustang apart I feel it was a learning experience and actually enjoyed it. So if you can find a good donor I think its a good way to go if your on a budget.

Did you forget about paint? For example, Batman charges $7,500 and is a great value, so unless I missed something in addition, total cost will be close to $30K. Still, not bad considering what you get.

Video

[Jeff Kleiner]

I see most people say to buy the complete kit, but my goal was to build my kit for $20,000.00 and I think I will be pretty close to that. I bought a 1996 mustang cobra convertible that had been rolled. It was in perfect mechanically shape with only 65,000 miles and I actually drove it 2 summers. I got the kit during a sale and my options include 3link, wipers and a few other things. Kit was 15,500.00, mustang 3,000.00. So far I have about 19 in it. I will go over a little but not much. As far as taking the mustang apart I feel it was a learning experience and actually enjoyed it. So if you can find a good donor I think its a good way to go if your on a budget.

Comparing a complete kit which begins with new parts to a pure donor build with used components is kind of an apple's to oranges exercise. Not to say one is right and the other wrong, just so entirely different that they are not comparable either by budget or final product.

Jeff

[Avalanche325]

You can do lots of nice stuff, including Wilwood brakes, Moser rear, 500hp engine, power steering, and lots and lots of other goodies and you will be at the $50k mark. Not $90k. Let's throw around realistic numbers so we don't get the OP off track.

There are a couple of places where getting into your wallet will make the difference between a good car and a great car.
I agree that you should shell out for the FRR spindles.
I think that the Wilwood brakes are one of the best things that you can do to these cars. You cannot go fast unless you can stop fast. They are not cheap, but neither is stopping a foot into another cars trunk. I drove an FFR with the full donor brake setup.....it was scary. Not in a good way.

I knew that I was doing power steering and Wilwood brakes. I ordered a base kit + fuel kit + cooling kit. You may want to check that out.

95 racks are much better (more precise, better feel) than Fox racks. You will need the adapter / extender kit from FFR.
You will need a filler tube for the fuel tank.
I would NOT run a stock Mustang (225HP) radiator with a Coyote or LS-1.
I would be looking for some serious performance brake pads. Not regular off the shelf stuff.

Sorry if I step on toes here, but this is for the OP. Parts store parts are donor parts. Remanufactured, refurbished, or rebuilt = used. I have pulled 20+ year old factory parts off of cars before and put parts store parts on and had to replace it again in <3 years. Not impressed. I can't tell you how many bad straight out of the box parts I have seen in my day. My father owned 2 service stations back when they worked on cars. I use new parts these days. It is cheaper in the long run.

[GoDadGo]

I ordered the complete kit and glad that I did because it saves time and tons of money.
I also ordered the TSD-500 Moser Rear End with Explorer brakes.
Total finished cost is expected to be around 35-K.
Working with clean new parts is PRICELESS!
Not chasing parts is a plus too!

[Ray]

Getting a good deal at a local parts store.....

Car parts guy.jpgThe look....jpg

Ray

[clancypm]

Video, my plan is to paint it myself. That may change but I am on a budget, and I don't try and explain to my wife why I spent 50K on a car that won't be used as a daily driver.

[videodude]

I commend you for the intention to paint it yourself; that's a skill that I don't have and don't have the space (or inclination) to attempt to perfect. In fact, I despise body work so much that I already asked Batman if I could just bring him the car after doing basic mounting, and have him mount and align everything. He said he actually prefers it that way, so we're both happy. I respect and admire the talent that it takes to do fine body work, I just don't have the patience for it and would rather pay someone once to do it right, than pay someone to "fix" what I screwed up.

All that being said, I'm a much better "wrench" and end up getting completely anal about the mechanics of the build. I've gone back and forth about engine and transmission options, done the whole "manual vs. power brake" thing, and agonized about the wiring (and I'm an electrical engineer). I picked up a 1993 H.O. GT with low mileage and a crunched body years ago, and it's been sitting happily in storage ever since. As time goes on, I've decided to use less and less from the donor: the front spindles aren't as good as the 94-95's so I picked up a pair with hubs from someone on the other forum. I got a pair of front calipers with new rotors from a Craigslist ad. Same goes for the rear calipers; I'll buy new rotors for the rear and get Richard Oben's caliper brackets. Everything is 50% off this weekend at Pick and Pull, so I'll go and pick up the necessary Ranger or Aerostar 5-lug axles from the wrecking yard. Mustang Medic had a deal on a "dieted" wiring harness for an EFI build, which I recently picked up. About all I'm using from the donor is the 302, the T-5, the drive shaft and 3:08 Traction-Lok rear end, and a few little bits and pieces like the fuel tank and filler. Although I've been collecting parts for years, I haven't even ordered my kit yet. I know it will be power steering and brakes, with the stock 302 and T-5. I know I will order the FFR LCA's, as the donor lower arms are a pain in the rear. I will likely do a 3 link rear, as it centers the rear axle more accurately than the 4 link will allow and I want to run 315's in the rear. Originally, I was going to use the donor gauges, but I have come to the conclusion that idea is false economy; I will spring for the Autometers. All in all, the kit will be $13K, options another $3K or so, shipping almost $2K so I will be into the "kit" for $18-19K. I have $800 invested in my donor, and another $300 in parts I have pickup up over the years. So, I'm right at $20K. Jeff Miller (Batman) charges $7,500 for paint; allowing $2,500 for things I forgot and incidentals (like wheels and tires, but I have that covered), I should be into the car for around $30K. My wife is down with that, she's even going to build school with me. My budget is actually a bit higher than that, but I'm going to make a concerted effort to keep it to $30K. No need to explain expenses to my wife; she has a Miata she only uses on the weekends to go to the beach with her girlfriends. The Miata may go once the roadster gets done (that's why the roadster will have PS and PB).

Our build plans may not be all that different.

Best Regards,

Video

[Avalanche325]

Video, my plan is to paint it myself. That may change but I am on a budget, and I don't try and explain to my wife why I spent 50K on a car that won't be used as a daily driver.

I painted mine myself. I had never painted a car before. You have to have patience and be willing to do things to the minutest detail on the bodywork. If you have discipline, you can do it and have a paint job that will stand up to the best of them if you use quality products. It will still not be a cheap pant job. I bought a compressor and a mid range gun. Including that, I was in a little over $4k.

The great thing is that we have a couple of professionals here that are willing to give advice. That is pretty much priceless.