Pony's Page

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Pony's Specs & Modifications

Courtesy of Castrol Syntec, Pony got a free dyno at the Bradenton NMRA meeting on March 8, 2003. This is with her replacement '98 V6 engine and SPEC Stage 1 clutch. Click on the dyno graph image for a bigger version. No HP mods other than a K&N airfilter have been done to her.

I ran into a problem installing the strut. The top hole on the passenger side strut had a problem with the threads. Apparently there was dirt in those. A run through with an 8mm tap solved the problem in less than 30 seconds. You can buy these for a couple of bucks or if you have a good relationship with your mechanic, just borrow his.

I finally found Pony's new wheel. They are Ford OEM 17" 5 spoke machined with charcoal inserts (FoMoCo F7ZZ 1007-AA). Which were an option for Mustangs in 1998 I believe. Took me a while to find them at a price I liked.

But patience and perseverance finally paid of on eBay, when I found a brand new set of 4 still boxed at a price slightly over what the local Ford dealer (and California Mustang) quated me for one. They are wrapped with Dayton Daytona 245/45R17 rubber.

Center caps for thes I had to obtain seperately. I found they are FoMoCo F7ZC-1A096-AA by checking the number on the back of as set owned by a fellow club member.

In January of 2003 unfortunately Pony developed a heart condition (A knocking rod in the engine) so she underwent open heart surgery at the Need For Speed Mustang Hospital in Clearwater, Fl. She's now sporting a 98 3.8L V6 with 47K miles on it when she received it and feel rejuvenated. At that time she also received a SPEC Stage 1 clutch to replace the factory one.

The dark black void behind the Pony emblem irritated me. As well as the fact that the hood release was very easy to reach that way. So I decided to kill 2 birds with one stone. I ordered a stainless 'aluminum hot dipped' mesh grill. Installation only took about 30 minutes. Although the installation instructions where somewhat unclear.

This cost me a few of the plastic bolts that hold the plastic shroud over the radiator. Also they stated I had to remove the airbag sensor. Which was not needed on my '95 Coupe. They only thing in the way was a bracket. But I managed to slip the mesh under it and around it by some snips in the mesh. I used some all purpose double sided tape to hold the mesh in the beginning but this did not stand up to the elements. JBWeld came to the rescue and fixed it in permanently.

Unfortunately, due to the installation of the grille, I no longer had access to the hood release lever (see picture to the right) which on the 94 and 95 model is behind the pony. I now had to open the hood by reaching in above the grill and pushing the latch itself to the right. This worked, but to me was not a satisfactory solution. Then I found that on the 1996 to 1998 model, Ford changed the latch mechanism and the lever went from behind the pony to right next to the latch. Much more to my liking. Unfortunately, pricing one of these at the Ford dealer did not make me happy. So on to my trusty source for cheap used parts, eBay. Sure enough, about 2 months later somebody is parting out a 1996 GT and has the latch that I want. Being 6 years old it of course has a little bit of rust but an hour with some steelwool and rust converter solved that problem. A while back I bought some rustinhibiting paint. Under the fluorescent lights in the store the cap looked black. Unfortunately upon spraying it turned out to be a dark blue. But as luck will have it, the end result was quite pleasing and I'm happy with it.

It only takes about 10 minutes to replace the latch. First disconnect the negative battery cable as you are working close to the airbag sensors. Then remove the plastic radiator schroud. Using an 8mm socket, loosen the two bolts holding the latch mechanism to the brace. Then turn it over, remove the release cable from the holder by twisting the end up and out of the spring and unscrewing the screw holding the assembly. Now connect the cable to the new latch in the same way it was connected to the old one. Put the new latch unit back onto the brace and insert and tighten the two bolts. Now check to see your hood closes and opens properly. Then remount the shroud and reconnect the negative battery cable.

Figuring to continue on the track I started with the brushed aluminum Bullitt fuel door, I obtained a brushed aluminum gauge insert. This one is made of real 1mm thick brushed aluminum with a 3M adhesive backing. Installation took me about 1.5 hours, most of which was seperating the clear plastic lens from the gauge pod. It can be done and is not that hard, all it takes is nerves and some patience. These overlays are available in several materials and colors and allow you to give your Stang a 'personal touch'. I bought mine of eBay for about $11. If you inted to do this mod to your stang, you may wish to read my Gauge Insert How-To on this installation.

I had my sights set on a 'Bullitt' style aluminum shift knob for a while now. But wasn't willing to fork out the better part of $40 for one. I got lucky this weekend (03/08/2003) at the NMRA in Bradenton, Fl. One of the vendors present was UPR who had a very nice price on just the knob I wanted. Installation was a breeze. Turn your old (manual) shiftknob counterclock wise to unscrew it from the shifter handle. Then put on the nex shift knob and turn it counter clockwise to fasten it. UPR includes a little setting screw and allenwrench so you can adjust the knob's rotation to exactly your taste before you fix it in place by tightening that screw. All in all less than 5 minutes work. It took me longer to decide which of the kbobs I liked best. I ended up screwing both on a T5 shifter they were also selling and picking the one that felt best in my hand.

Ever since I purchased Pony I wanted to have a remote trunk release button in her glove box. I ran into this guy parting out a 1996 Mustang and purchased the button, the trunk latch with solenoid and the trunk harness from him. Installation was quite easy. For those of you considering this upgrade, please see my Remote Trunk Release How-To.

All you have to do is run wires from both both terminals on the release switch to a relay. Then connect the 'remote' output of your alarm box to the relay switched part (terminals 86 and 30) as well as either 12v or ground (depending on the output polarity) to the switching part (Terminals 85 and 87). About 15 minutes work.

For my last birthday I was given the funds to get the Stars & Stripes Grill Horse I've been wanting for a while. It's everything I hoped it was and looks very good. Although it comes with a reasonable manual, that one seems more oriented at 99+ Mustangs and is not very detailed. So I described my experiences in a Grille Horse Install How-To. I hope it is helpfull to some of you.

Pony came from the factory without power locks or windows. Both can be added with after market kits but I haven't attempted the power windows yet. It's probably easier to buy two junked doors that have powerlocks/windows and to transplant the innards. I got tired of not having powerlocks though so I used some aftermarket parts and wired it into my alarm. So when I arm, the doors lock and why I disarm the doors unlock. If this is something you'd like to do, you can find what you need in my Powerlocks How-To.

Manufacturing Date:	11/94
Body Style	P40 - 2 door Coupe
Engine	4 - 3.8L, EFI, six cylinder
Exterior Paint	KF - Bright Blue Metallic
Body	BA2
Interior Trim	66
Axle Type/Ratio	2.73 Conventional Differential
Transmission	5 - T5OD