Okay people a have a question and a request. First the question. How many members here have a GT Turbo or know someone who does. Then I was wondering if i could get the build sequence numbers. Here's why. As we finish the 83 I'd like to paint into the driver side head light lower the number of the car in its build sequence of other Gt Turbo's. Like they do with Saleen's. I have recently found the build sheet which says that my car was a late build 83 built on August 13, 1983 very close to the 84 model change over. I bought a copy of the Car and Parts catalog to read the info on the sheet but there is nothing in there about how many GT Turbo's were early build 83's. Marti's can't help me because their info only goes up to 1979. So my only option is to start a Gt Turbo registry and then sequence the numbers for us. I have learned that the GT Turbo was offically a one year model build selling so few that Ford didn't bother to continue more than one year. My car was part of an early build started in late 1983. the letters in the registration prove this. The book Ultimate Mustang shows numbers of Gt Turbos as 104 convertible and 350 hatchbacks. But the Mustang GT registry says they have a number of 604 GT Turbo's being made. If this is true then that means that there were approximately 150 GT Turbo built as 83 1/2 models. and with my car built in the second or third week in August that would place it in the 140's. I'm so close to the actual number it would be great to know it exactly. So can anyone help me here????
Going for 300bhp!
- Thread starter GTNT83
- Start date
Quick up date..... the shop that been working on my car have been dragging out the job. I;ve been hearing all kinds of stories about parts not right, new doors coming with "rolled" corners, etc, etc. I'm not pleased and no longer inclined to recommend this guys at present. but I'll reserve judgement until the car is finished. at present the car has recieved a coat of epoxy awaiting the patches and work to be done on the roof and rear fender. Work I falsely assumed would have been done months ago. I wanted Rail connectors installed and Im told that the guy is having a box section built custom by a friend of his. We'll see. I have seen this guys work and know a finished job in the past was a quality job but I'm thinking his heart may just not be into a big job like this . If that's they case I can't in all good faith recommend him to other members. As I said I'll reserve finally judgement upon seeing the final product.
Well, after a series of excuses I was told in September the car would be done 0ctober 31st. Three weeks later the car still isn't even in paint. E,xcuse this time the guys dog died. Hmmmmmmm! Okay I've had my share of dogs and loved them too. BUT 3 weeks late?????? Come on!!!! My worst fears are being realized with this guy. I was told he was having a customized boxed frame connector made for me. I'll be waiting to see if that happens. I guess the lesson in all this was that I did not research this shop as much as I thought or should have. I had two references, I had seen pictures of at least a half dozen of their projects, that all looked beautiful by the way. But I should have contacted the local BMW club that he said he's done work for and asked what they thought of how he handled their jobs. at least time wise anyway.
Lesson learned I guess. Remember that all of you out there. The more research and references into a shop the better. Now with all that said and this job delayed as long as it has it could (and had better) turn out to be a great job. After the car is done , I'm going over it with a fine tooth comb. Pictures will be taken and posted. Good and or bad and I will let you all be the judge. The final project will be costing about $12,000. We'll see if its worth it or not . Until then......
Lesson learned I guess. Remember that all of you out there. The more research and references into a shop the better. Now with all that said and this job delayed as long as it has it could (and had better) turn out to be a great job. After the car is done , I'm going over it with a fine tooth comb. Pictures will be taken and posted. Good and or bad and I will let you all be the judge. The final project will be costing about $12,000. We'll see if its worth it or not . Until then......
Well after having a talk with the shop owner about my car. finally things are moving forward. The body work is coming along now. A fine layer of filler to make all the lines straight and precise. The car is black and we all know how unforgiving black can be to any imperfections. Stony chip pitting in the hood has been removed and luckily there was no rust through. The hood scope and bumpers have under gone a couple of layers of filler to fill where the rubber cover had developed some deterioration Its getting smoother and looks nearly new.It was a shame i had to get upset with the guy but it seems to have lit a fire under him. Next update I'll add some pictures.
Over the last couple of months I've been doing my research about the consecutive build number on my car. A member over on the FOUREYEDPRIDE Forum has started a registry for Gt turbo, SVO's and Capri Turbo RS's. We have exchanged info and numbers and he has narrowed my car down to number 500 of 556, with a plus or minus error of 6. He has six numbers that he cannot account for and does not know if they go at the beginning , end or somewhere in the middle. The 500 number is close enough for me. It puts my car between 494 and 506. I've decided to split the difference and go with the 500 number. When the car gets painted I will have the number placed within the headlight area like a Saleen car. It may even say No.500 of 556. Needless to say I was very excited about getting this close to the cars actually build sequence number. To anyone looking for this information I recommend heading over to Foureyedpride.com and check it out for yourself. Phil .
So there is my 83 1/2 Gt Turbo finally in paint. They sprayed the black last weekend and then the clear coat over it a couple of days ago. It looks gorgeous and I can't wait to see it all back together and the stripes added. The hood center will be painted matte finish with RED, Black and Silver pin stripes that will encircle the grille and extend to the windshield. Silver girdlle stripes will fill the rubber bumper strips like the original. It breaks up the black. Once the car is back together the pin striper will come in and finish the job. They when the car gets home I plan to start pulling, painting and wire brush cleaning engines components. Like the intake then shooting them with a clear engine paint to hold the finish. At this point I've decided to save the engine rebuild until next year. At that time I'll finish with the larger injectors and the steel fuel lines with the regulator and possibly the ethanol system. I have mentioned here earlier.
AAAARRRRRGGGGHHH!!!!!!!!
This column has been stalled because I made the terrible mistake of picking someone I had no idea of his credibility. The runaround has gotten worse and now I'm trapped waiting for my car. A month ago I called on progress on the car to be told doors were being prepped for paint. A week later upon calling to go see the car i was told that he would be prepping the doors soon. I called him on this. I'd had enough with excuses and got pretty mad.
But when I went to see the car a week later the door where no where to be found. They were supposedly on order From Prestige in Gerogia. He tells me they were $650 each. I called prestige the quoted me $700 for the pair.
It had been 4 weeks between seeing the car and the only difference was a new windshield and the quarter windows were back in. Oh the windshield was a replacement because the idiot tried to repair the "A' pillar without removing it AND CRACKED IT!
Whats worse is that he makes it out like finishing the car which he has had in his possession for a year is losing him money because he won't be able to take in any insurance jobs before its done . This knowing I have a $7,000 dollar balance to pay him. I can't wait for this night mare to be over.
This column has been stalled because I made the terrible mistake of picking someone I had no idea of his credibility. The runaround has gotten worse and now I'm trapped waiting for my car. A month ago I called on progress on the car to be told doors were being prepped for paint. A week later upon calling to go see the car i was told that he would be prepping the doors soon. I called him on this. I'd had enough with excuses and got pretty mad.
But when I went to see the car a week later the door where no where to be found. They were supposedly on order From Prestige in Gerogia. He tells me they were $650 each. I called prestige the quoted me $700 for the pair.
It had been 4 weeks between seeing the car and the only difference was a new windshield and the quarter windows were back in. Oh the windshield was a replacement because the idiot tried to repair the "A' pillar without removing it AND CRACKED IT!
Whats worse is that he makes it out like finishing the car which he has had in his possession for a year is losing him money because he won't be able to take in any insurance jobs before its done . This knowing I have a $7,000 dollar balance to pay him. I can't wait for this night mare to be over.
Here we are in the month of June. Still have not seen the doors since they arrived from Georgia or the hood which was saved. Body moldings have been removed and painted, the hood scoop has been done in Matte Black, rear quarter windows have been installed. Yes, This is progress. Fenders have been painted and sanded to be glass smooth No orange peel lumpiness anywhere. Rear bumper, and the new fiberglass hatch have been painted a long with the three piece spoiler. Sadly i had to decide to forgo the frame rail connectors or the hood and fender stripes that I wanted in silver black and red . Who knows how long that would have taken! I was told it might be done by July 4th...LOL! Anyone want to take bets on this!
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Well car is still dragging along. doors from Georgia arrived in July and have been media blasted. Smoothed and filled AND THE SEAMS GROUND TO NEAR NEW SMOOTHNESS. 5 layers OF PRIMER so far sanded and blocked. New Door brackets have been installed and painted as well. The doors looks like factory new sheet metal!
Now comes the big surprise. I bought new carpeting to go with the new dash pad and the all new seats I did last year. I knew the floor pan on the driver side was weak and planned to use frame rail connectors to bolster it. But once the old carpeting came out the rear floor pan showed extensive rust and perforations. Because this job has taken a lot longer than I was originally told he's going to replace the floor pan panel for free! I was pleasantly surprised. The hood is being finished now and with luck the car will start to come back together in October. As angry as I am about the constant delays getting the floor done will be nice. Incidentally the rest of the floor pans were totally rust free only the rear driver side pan was rotted. With the carpeting added the interior is completely done. The body is and will be glass smooth, the exhaust was redone last year with a simple 2.5 in pipe off the cat. and the boost brothers intercooler added the year before that. Next year we'll get the car on a local dyno to find out where we are power wise with the additions already added. Then the engine gets a massive cleaning and an addition of a fuel pressure regulator and 42lb. injectors. I'm also still considering the ethanol injection system instead of nitrous. The old girl will be beautiful and fast. maybe not a brand new 5 or 600hp monster but plenty fast for me.
Now comes the big surprise. I bought new carpeting to go with the new dash pad and the all new seats I did last year. I knew the floor pan on the driver side was weak and planned to use frame rail connectors to bolster it. But once the old carpeting came out the rear floor pan showed extensive rust and perforations. Because this job has taken a lot longer than I was originally told he's going to replace the floor pan panel for free! I was pleasantly surprised. The hood is being finished now and with luck the car will start to come back together in October. As angry as I am about the constant delays getting the floor done will be nice. Incidentally the rest of the floor pans were totally rust free only the rear driver side pan was rotted. With the carpeting added the interior is completely done. The body is and will be glass smooth, the exhaust was redone last year with a simple 2.5 in pipe off the cat. and the boost brothers intercooler added the year before that. Next year we'll get the car on a local dyno to find out where we are power wise with the additions already added. Then the engine gets a massive cleaning and an addition of a fuel pressure regulator and 42lb. injectors. I'm also still considering the ethanol injection system instead of nitrous. The old girl will be beautiful and fast. maybe not a brand new 5 or 600hp monster but plenty fast for me.
Happy Mustang Day! Actually I'm not so happy because I'd hoped to join everyone for the Thunder Road day at the track in Watkins Glen N.Y. today but because the shop STILL HAS NOT FINISHED my car I can not. So I have to satisfy myself with this picture of how the hood and the new emblem and stripes came together. This is how I have envisioned the hood since I got the car. I always felt the GT Turbo should have gone on the hood instead of just the GT as on the V8 cars. On top of that the GT on Black on Black cars was painted on in silver instead of just masking off the area and allowing the cars main color to show through.
My answer was to mask off an area to allow the gloss black to show through then place the GT Turbo emblem in that area. Instead of the double silver nose stripe that I never liked , felt it was too much with the girdle stripe, I added a red and silver nose stripe to match the emblems. This is how I feel all Gt Turbos should have been badged from the factory.
My answer was to mask off an area to allow the gloss black to show through then place the GT Turbo emblem in that area. Instead of the double silver nose stripe that I never liked , felt it was too much with the girdle stripe, I added a red and silver nose stripe to match the emblems. This is how I feel all Gt Turbos should have been badged from the factory.
OMG! I have been gone a long time. I'm still not sure there is anybody on this sight but I started this thread ten years ago and I wanted to finish it. Well the car came back from the painters in August of 2016. It was beautiful and the car has garnered a lot of attention for its paint. A lot of credit goes to the son who ended up doing most of the work because the Father kept injuring himself motorcycle racing.
My life took a serious turn. My wife committed suicide and things fell apart. Lots of emotional work done and started to date. I was left with a house that needed work and took a priority. I remarried then covid, life has been pretty wild. I started to look for shops to build my engine. Oddly the first few shots seemed totally disinterested some because it wasn't a V8 and some because it wasn't Japanese or German. Weird huh?!
Final in 2021 I found a shop in Nearby Palmyra New York Called RTR automotive . Father and son Mike and Rob are your typical family owned shop except that besides the daily car work they do there shop bays are filled with dragsters, pro street cars, old school hot rods and several Firebirds Camaros, Corvettes and Mustangs. Though they had never done a four cylinder like mine before but Rob shrugged his shoulders and said sure. But they couldn't start til the following spring. The car went in April 2022 and then sat there for four months while they waited on forged pistons that were on back order. In the mean time they started to research what parts they would need and what was the best way to achieve what I had asked for which was to achieve over 300 horsepower and look as stock as possible. Just as the body work in the beginning of this tread took longer that anticipated the engine work seemed to go the same. But this time I was ready for the long haul.
My life took a serious turn. My wife committed suicide and things fell apart. Lots of emotional work done and started to date. I was left with a house that needed work and took a priority. I remarried then covid, life has been pretty wild. I started to look for shops to build my engine. Oddly the first few shots seemed totally disinterested some because it wasn't a V8 and some because it wasn't Japanese or German. Weird huh?!
Final in 2021 I found a shop in Nearby Palmyra New York Called RTR automotive . Father and son Mike and Rob are your typical family owned shop except that besides the daily car work they do there shop bays are filled with dragsters, pro street cars, old school hot rods and several Firebirds Camaros, Corvettes and Mustangs. Though they had never done a four cylinder like mine before but Rob shrugged his shoulders and said sure. But they couldn't start til the following spring. The car went in April 2022 and then sat there for four months while they waited on forged pistons that were on back order. In the mean time they started to research what parts they would need and what was the best way to achieve what I had asked for which was to achieve over 300 horsepower and look as stock as possible. Just as the body work in the beginning of this tread took longer that anticipated the engine work seemed to go the same. But this time I was ready for the long haul.
