Value of modded '86 GT?

Folks,

I am thinking of selling my modified '86 GT, but I have no idea what it's worth. I'd appreciate a few honest opinions.

The car has 3,000 miles on a fresh 302 with trick flow heads and cam, cobra intake, pullies, roller rockers, headers, MAF, injectors, etc. Exhaust is stock H pipe and cat back with Dynomax mufflers. Fuel pump is 190 lph.

The suspension is completely brand new with new FMS stock replacement control arms, bushings, all steering components, etc up front. MM CC plates, solid rack bushings, MM strut tower brace, and a '87-'93 brake upgrade with Lincoln master cylinder top it off. Brake system has been flushed completely and filled with Castrol DOT5.

The rear is MM lowers and FMS heavy duty uppers. Shocks are KONI. Wheels are refinished 5-stars with new Dunlops. Car has been lowered and is very stiffly sprung. Paint is stock canyon red, slightly faded, with a few chips here and there. Kenny Brown double cross subframe connectors are welded in. Rear end is 3.55:1

Interior has Corbeau Targa RS seats, new grey carpet, Kenwood CD with 3 amps. The interior has been changed from red to black, inluding the headliner. Accents are grey (seat belts, sun visors, etc.). The rear seat has not been recovered and in currently out of the car. There's also a MAC shifter and Cobra shift knob. The center console has been eliminated and a stock stripper Mustang e-brake cover has been installed to keep it looking clean. Aluminum pedal covers and Autometer sport comp gages are installed for oil pressure, voltage, and water temp.

The car is not perfect. The rear main seal is leaking, which means the Centerforce dual friction clutch disk probably also need replacing. There is a small exhaust leak at the right rear where the header gasket has blown out a chunk. There is no custom chip, so the car runs on the rich side. It could use a custom tune.

There's more detail than I can remember. Overall, the car is about 90% done, mostly because it could use new paint, but what's there would look pretty good with a polishing and touch-up of the black pieces. The rear seat also needs to be re-upolstered to match the fronts.

Thanks in advance.

Brian

Reply to
BDM
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about $500 from someone that needs a running car.....

Reply to
jim

20% below Kelley Blue Book for private-party...

Dana

Reply to
Dana Myers

Unless you find someone looking for a gearhead car already done.

People shy away from modded cars because you're buying someone else's problems. You don't know what they changed and what they might have done incorrectly.

JS

Reply to
JS

Whatever you do, don't listen to or sell to this guy.

Reply to
WindsorFox[SS]

Thank for the worthwhile comments. You've confirmed what I feared. Looks like I'm going to be the proud owner of this car for quite a while, or I'll part it out.

Morale: Make sure you really want an old, modified Mustang before you open your wallet.

Brian '86 GT

Reply to
BDM

Brian, I'm tellin ya... you can find someone to buy it... you just need to find that person who "needs" that car.

You'll never get out of it what you put into it. If you get half, you'll be lucky. But... if you need rid of the car for whatever reason and do have some time to search out the right buyer, then you'll be ok.

Personally, the car sounds like it's just about done. I don't know... how much are you looking to get out of the car?

JS

Reply to
JS

JS,

At this point, I'd like to get $8k out of it. I just don't see it happening, but I guess I should try. I need to put some more hours in to it and get it ready I suppose.

Brian

Reply to
BDM

I guess it depends on where you live. I don't know that you could talk someone out of $8k around here (SW PA, Pittsburgh area), especially as is, but you never can tell.

I would think that number would be more realistic if you got the car properly tuned. It sounds like you have quite a nice car there, but without a proper tune, you are probably running nowhere near what you could be. I'm taking it that you've done the MAF conversion (as you list MAF as one of the thingss you added/upgraded), but even so, it probably wants a nice tune.

The stripper console (or lack thereof) is a nice touch, and the black dash (in a canyon red car) and interior would look much better than the red.

I think if you finished the car off (tuned up, fixed the rear main and exhaust leak, and either put in the back seat or put in an elimination kit so you don't need to have it to look clean) and buffed the paint out a bit, you could probably walk off with your number. It's just finding someone who has that kind of money and wants *your* car.

There are Mustang trader magazines where modified cars sell all the time. Could always try E-bay and set the reserve to your lowest settling price.

What is your reasoning for getting rid of the car, if you don't mind me asking?

JS

replacement

Reply to
JS

Great advice. I figure I'd probably have to put another grand in it to get it up to par for a sale. The tune will take the biggest chunk as far as I can tell.

Yes, I did the MAF conversion. It still runs very rich and I've been through the whole thing with a fine toothed comb so all I can think of is tune. There's alot of power lost due to the rich mixture.

My main reason for getting rid of the car is that I just don't have time for it anymore. I've put so much time and money in to it already, and we have two children now, it always seems to come last.

I will check in to the sources you mentioned and see what it will take to get it going. I'm going to have to set some time aside to finish it up and get it looking good.

Thanks for your help.

Brian '86 GT

Reply to
BDM

You'd be surprised. Custom dyno tune might cost a bit, but then you'll have hard numbers with which to sell the car, and you'll know it's tuned up to run as hard as it safely can. You might be surprised, either pleasantly or not-so-pleasantly, but you'll have numbers and a fully in-tune car.

Ok... a couple of questions I suppose.

Whose kit did you use to convert to MAF.. and what wiring changes did you make?

Not saying that it would help the richness, but there were, IIRC...

Adding the MAF cable to the main harness and connector Moving a wire or two in the thermactor wiring section on the connector plug Adding the VSS signal (not necessary but helpful) Adding the fuel pump signal #2 (not necessary but helpful)

The kit that I bought for an '88 GT (non-CA car) didn't include the last three... just how to put the MAF harness into the main connector. Wondered why the cats got so hot that I baked the speedometer cable... the air pump system was stuck in one position.

Also... what size injectors do you have, is the MAF matched, and what is the size of that? Do you have an adjustable regulator or is it a stock piece? Are the O2 sensors new? Do you get any codes (lean limit code would indicate that the computer is running as lean as the stock software will let it but the O2 sensor still says rich)?

A good custom tune would most assuredly help a ton.

That seems to happen occasionally. I don't know - maybe you'll finish it off and then just keep it as your toy, if finances permit and your significant other is ok with that. It doesn't always have to have an upgraded this or a better that... but it does have to be functional and complete to not want to dump more money into it.

If there's anything else I can hep with, let me know. Time is always an issue... I have a severe lack of it myself lately. Good luck in your quest..

Sure thing. Always had a soft spot in my heart for the '86s. I had an '86 Capri 5.0 5-speed... loved that lil car. Had the floorpan been in better condition, I would still have it. I currently have an '85 Canyon Red GT AOD that I'd dig a whole lot more if it was SEFI 5-speed instead of CFI automatic...

JS

Reply to
JS

I did not use a kit. I purchased the computer, harness, and MAF separately. I followed instructions given at corral.net.

I did everything except the VSS and fuel pump signal. I also unplugged vacuum from the MAP sensor to convert it to barometric.

Yes, I learned that lesson also. I ended up moving the thermactor diverter solenoid wire (or whatever it's called...can't remember now..AM1/AM2???) after getting a code. Took me a while to figure out. Actually, you bring up an interesting point. If the diverter valve itself was faulty, it would blow air in to the exhaust ports all the time, not just at startup like it's supposed to. I should disable that completely and see if it helps.

I started with a Pro-M 75 (actually two different ones for troubleshooting purposes) calibrated for 24pph, along with 24pph injectors. For troubleshooting, I swapped in a stock MAF and 19pph injectors. Runs a little better, but still pig rich (12 MPG no matter how I drive it, eyes water if you stand behind it). O2 sensors are new Bosch, regulator has been both adjustable and stock (again, troubleshooting). I don't get any codes at all (except the fuel pump signal, since I didn't run that wire when I did the MAF conversion). Cylinder balance test passes. Everything looks good when I run codes. What else...new vacuum lines everywhere, no vacuum leaks (intake has been off three times since the rebuild), distributor is stock with original TFI module (still works!). The weirdest part is that if I reset the computer, the car runs better at first, then learns bad things as I drive. It seems like a sensor or something, but so help me, I've been through every detail three times over.

I guess one of the reasons I haven't gone for a tune is that I'm afraid it won't solve the problem.

That is probably how it will end up. Heck, it's cheap to register and insure. The real money's already been spent...might as well enjoy it.

Reply to
BDM

Now *that's* thinking clearly.

Dana

Reply to
Dana Myers

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