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87 GT 2v build

I picked up this 87' GT from a coworker for $600. It had been neglected, and had sat in a parking lot for the last 7 years or so, but the body was straight and it was rust free. 3971
Once I got it home, priority #1 was to get rid of the 1990s wheels. I decided a proper 5 lug swap was the only way to go about this. Of course, once I started tearing into this thing, it seemed like for every 1 thing I fixed, 5 more broke or needed attention. I ended up replacing pretty much everything in the suspension... control arms, 95GT spindles, 99+ calipers, struts, shocks, tie rods, etc. The wheels are 18x9 & 10" SVE series 1.
Don't let that before pic fool you, the white paint was in terrible condition. I had to replace the door molding and rear hatch. I also decided to do a full LED conversion to all the lights. Since the paint was garbage, and the car now 3 different colors, I decided to try my hand at plasti-dip. I've painted cars before, but thought this would be cool to try. I was really happy with how it turned out.
The engine was just a stock high mileage 302/T-5. Only mods were shorties and a throttle body. It had a rough idle and the T-5 would grind in every gear. I had been chasing the rough idle issue for months, and just when I think I had figured it out, the oil pump took a dump. I saw this as an opportunity/excuse to do something different and drastic. Coyote swap was out of the budget, so it was between an LS swap, 4.6, or an EcoBoost 2.3.
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Either way it was time to pull everything and sell the old stuff. I hit up a junkyard and grabbed a K-member out of an 04' v6 and a complete hydroboost setup out of a 98' GT. I also went with a MM hybrid solid steering shaft and 99+ rack. I then came across a complete 4.6 out of an 02' Mountaineer. I thought this would be a cool engine to use since it's all aluminum. I honesty thought the hydroboost conversion was going to be the most challenging part of this swap, but it wasn't bad at all. The factory 98' GT lines weren't a perfect fit, but they worked fine. I also used the MM brake line kit to make that part of the swap easy.
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The engine only had 30,000 miles on it and everything looked good. I swapped out the oil filter adapter housing for a mustang one, which made it apparent that the timing cover could not possibly work. There would have been no possible way to mount the power steering pump. I picked up a mustang one and got it bolted up, but one of the bolt holes near the water pump didn't line up. I just made sure it had a good seal and then plugged the bolt hole with a plastic plug and RTV. The intake manifold could have worked, but it had one of the heater hoses on the front which would have been in the way, so I picked up a mustang one. I then got all the pulleys on, new valve covers, 6 bolt flywheel, clutch rated for 500ft/lb, and decided on some BBK shorties. I also had to grab some fuel injector adapters since I was using the Mountaineer ones , and a 98' GT fuel rail so I could re-utilize the fox fuel lines. I didn't trust the coils that were on the engine, so I picked up a set of MSD ones.
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Dropped right in like it was meant to be there. Pulled it back out though to attach the T-45 and drop it all in together.
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Test fitting everything. I re-used the fox radiator with 99-04 hoses. The heater hoses required some rigging to work. I'll also have to sell my Autometer speedo since it's mechanical, and pick up a GPS one at some point. I have the engine harness, ecu harness, battery/starter harness, and dash harnesses out of a 99-04 mustang. Still figuring out the wiring of a few things, but getting close. Still need to bleed the brakes and hydroboost. I also still need to hook up my driveshaft and exhaust. I'm hoping to be able to fire it up sometime in the next week or so.
 
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