1985 CHP #E408395

[28HopUp]

RE-CAP
Back in October 2008, I picked up a 1985 SSP Mustang from the gym teacher at school. He said the car used to be a California Highway Patrol car (1 of 155 Mustangs the CHP bought that year). He had it for about 10 years having bought it from his brother in LA. The car was slightly modified, and needed paint, body, and interior work.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749a8207607649.jpg

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749a9c2924c0ca.jpg

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749a9c29293528.jpg


The seller had zero verification that the car was what he claimed, although I was fairly certain that it was an SSP. The 2nd Buck Tag was missing, but the trunk release button was moved to the right of the steering column, the a-pillar trim had holes for spot lights, it had the 140mph speedo, and it used the single key for all locks. The 6-digit DSO on the door tag was consistent with other CHP Stangs. After purchasing it, I found the CHP unit number ghost-written on the side glass -

http://users.erols.com/hopup/chp8395.jpg

[continued]

[28HopUp]

Joining the SSP forums was a great resource for learning more about SSP's in general, and my car in particular. I'm still learning!

Locating the unit number was the first step in finding out more about this car. As everybody here knows, SSP's are rich in history, and doing research is a huge part of the attraction of these vehicles. Knowing the unit number, I contacted the CHP via several methods and was VERY LUCKY to get a copy of the CHP Assignment Card directly from CHP Motor Transport:

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a9d3e779bb24.jpg


I learned that my car served at Quincy, California Station #165 for about a year and a half. Afterward, it was repainted silver by the CHP and sold at auction for $4,650.00. The history afterward gets a little fuzzy, but along the way it was repainted "Toyota Gray". By the time it came into my custody, the car's specifications/modifications included:

- Carbed 5.0L with 5 spd (tremec)
- Hurst shifter w/ stock handle
- Centerforce clutch
- CARB-legal JBA shorties w/ full cats and 2.25" dual 3-chamber Flowmasters
- 93 Cobra 8.8" rear-end w/ disc brakes
- 87&up 11" front disc brakes
- Racecraft suspension with KYB shocks and aftermarket springs
- Aftermarket panhard bar
- Subframe connectors (welded)
- 225/60R15 (front)
- I painted the rims black, and added larger 255/60R15 BFG's out back.

[continued]

[28HopUp]

MOVING FORWARD

I had a REALLY hard time deciding how I wanted to repaint the car. There are so many colors to choose from! I have no intention of restoring the car to its in-service condition. I've spoken with several members here, and their experience helped me decide that my SSP would be ALOT more fun to have as an unmarked driver. So the decision was made to go black, although I seriously considered stealing Marcos's idea for #8302 and going with a white top and inside door edges with the rest black. But I think I will enjoy all-black, and it gives me the option to paint the white on later if it ever is decided to take it back to its in-service condition.

In the middle of February 2009, I put the car into John's Body Shop in Wilmington, DE. I knew they wouldn't be able to start on the car for about a month due to a 1962 Autocar fire truck slipping in ahead of me. I will post up pictures once they tie into it.

Here's a pic the day it went into the body shop (note the silver paint under the removed side molding)

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749a82075c51b4.jpg

As stated, the plan is to rebuild it as a fun driver that looks like an all-black, unmarked Fox cop car. Authentic CHP lights and antennae are in-hand, and I will post up pics of them soon. I will also update this thread as progress is made and new parts arrive.

[28HopUp]

Well, I knew my CHP Mustang had lived a hard life. The Assignment Card listed that the car had been wrecked while in-service, but the car was not sold as a wreck. They repaired the car prior to it going to auction.

As most of you know, when the 85's were originally equipped by the CHP, they would cut a hole in the bottom of the plastic front bumper cover for the loud speaker, but my car had no such hole on the driver's side. Turns out the nose had been replaced. Once the bodyshop removed the nose, they saw that the metal bumper and the driver's side impact absorber were damaged from an accident.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749d22dc90bf4e.jpg


It's tough to see in the picture, but the bumper and absorber ARE bent. Replacements are being sourced currently. There was also damage on the hood in the front driver's side, which was apparent when the paint was removed.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749d22df35c9aa.jpg


In this shot, you can see the original white paint under the removed side sail panels -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749d22dc9b5d4a.jpg


So as of today, this is how my SSP Mustang looks at the body shop with much of the trim removed -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749d22dc970c2b.jpg


I plan to stop by again on Friday, April 3rd to take more pictures of the car's progress. There is evidence of additional body damage on the passenger side rear quarter panel, so it will be interesting to see what is found as the paint is removed.

[ChrisL]

Can't wait to see more progress! It's going to look very slick in all black.

[ImEvil1]

Great post....nice to see your assignment card, too.

[jarhed123]

WOW!! Car is coming along just fine. Can't wait to see it fininshed.

[28HopUp]

I stopped by the body shop today, but didn't have my camera with me. That's OK, because I left the shop with a small momento.

Neal (one of the body shop guys) removed the rear bumper, and had difficulty reaching one of the bolts on the passenger side. This is the area with the known body damage. He started probing the area just under the gas cap with a screwdriver, and was able to pop off the following slab of Bondo from the rear 1/4 panel -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749dabd82985f8.jpg


Once I got the slab back to work, I weighed it on a postal scale - it's over 2.5 lbs of body putty!

[28HopUp]

Here is a picture of the 1/4 panel where the slab of body filler was removed -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749db6373aaec5.jpg


The other quarter panel is where the CHP whip antenna was mounted. Here, you can see where the CHP braized the holes closed -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749db63734eaa6.jpg


Here are two shots where the spot lights were located on the A-pillars. Note how rough the holes are -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749db63953f00a.jpg
http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749db639581e09.jpg


I will bring the spotlight brackets into the body shop by Friday so they can determine how much work will be needed on the A-pillars to make them look good. Not pictured is where the hole in the roof was re-opened for the shorter CHP roof antenna. The headliner was removed, but a new replacement is in-hand.

[28HopUp]

Here is a shot of the bottom edge of the door where they removed the rust under the caulk. The rust wasn't as bad as it looked, and hadn't gone through to the outer door skin. Parts of the door have already been treated with POR-15. The other door will receive the same work -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749db6374187ad.jpg


This shot shows where they removed the small dent from the driver's side front fender -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749db6394f0c1c.jpg


Here is the new replacement front passenger fender -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749db64a9531d5.jpg


And here is a shot of the car as it sits this morning -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749db67215508e.jpg


So as you can see, progress is being made on the car.

[28HopUp]

There is a gentleman at the CHP named Robert Read who privately sells some of the obsolete CHP parts that were on many of their SSP's, depending on vintage. I know other members have bought parts from him for their CHP restorations. These parts were not inexpensive, but highly necessary for an accurate build-up.

Below are the a-pillar spotlights. California law still requires that their police cars have a steady-burn red light as part of their emergency lighting. The red spotlight meets that requirement, and will again be mounted on the driver's side post using the original hole. I probably will not make the red one functional, as my car will be a driver and I do not want to be hassled by the local police for having emergency lighting on my car.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749a9a1fe1cf41.jpg


The rear emergency lights sit atop the rear package shelf inside the rear window. These also will not be wired up, in order to keep the local police from being concerned while I drive around. I also plan to buy some off-road light covers to keep everyone happy. Here is a video clip of an SSP Mustang with these lights (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QOIDfV8YK8).

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749a9a1fe72dd9.jpg


The final CHP parts (for now at least) are the spring-ball base for the long whip antenna on the passenger rear 1/4 panel, and the shorter roof antenna.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749a9a1fec2ad1.jpg


Down the line, I will probably purchase the original radio equipment and locking shotgun rack. I figure the CHP-specific parts will only become more difficult to find as time goes on, so I will pick them up as opportunity and funds allow. I do not want to put Mr. Read's contact information on the internet, but he his agreeable to me forwarding his information along to anyone interested in buying parts. So please send me a PM if anyone wants to contact him.

[ImEvil1]

Nice pics. :)

I also have a contact for NOS spotlights if anyone needs them. They are (or were) $50 each. The shafts are incorrect (length), but you can't beat NOS, especially at that price.

I've also bought from R. Read before and he has a ton of hard-to-find parts.

[FHP813]

Man they really messed up those pillars. I can't believe what was under that bondo. Good thing they found that before it was painted and it popped out later. :)

[28HopUp]

Man they really messed up those pillars. I can't believe what was under that bondo. Good thing they found that before it was painted and it popped out later. :)

I could see that slab of Bondo falling off from hitting a pothole on a highway and then going through the windshield of the car behind me. Scary!

[28HopUp]

After seeing so much body filler behind the passenger rear tire, I wasn't sure what the rest of the 1/4 panel would look like. The initial sanding showed putty all the way up to the door jam, but more effort revealed that there was in fact Ford steel under all that Bondo. The C-pillar and roof were slightly flexed from the accident, so that's why you see body filler there. Notice the 4-lug rear disc brakes...

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749e74aa5a1ec6.jpg


This shot shows the car as it sits today. The roof is sanded, and the antenna hole was reopened. The driver's side 1/4 panel is being massaged around the area of the CHP whip antenna mount.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749e74aa60e6f0.jpg


The removed body panels are being prepped for cut-in. New taillight lenses are enroute, which I will install into the light panels next week. A Ford NOS headlight header panel is enroute to replace the busted one behind the bumper cover. The old one had been damaged and very poorly repaired, so a new one was needed. New weatherstripping and doorchannel strips will be installed.

I decided to return the original window trim back to its polished state, however I will be straying from stock by painting the roof rail trim in body color. Dark colored 4-eyes just look too cluttered IMO when all the trim is left bright on the car. Below is a comparison that shows Marcos's car on the top (prior to restoring) with the bright roof rail trim, and Scott's car without it:

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749e75155adccf.jpg


It's a subtle difference, but it reflects my personal taste. As a point of reference, my car when finished will look ALOT like Marcos's car at the top, with the spotlights and antennae. The most obvious difference between his car in the above photo and my car when done will be that I am keeping its non-original blacked-out 10-hole wheels because the car has the larger '87-up front brakes.

So that's all for now. I will post up more pictures next week...

[predator20]

I decided to return the original window trim back to its polished state, however I will be straying from stock by painting the roof rail trim in body color. Dark colored 4-eyes just look too cluttered IMO when all the trim is left bright on the car. Below is a comparison that shows Marcos's car on the top (prior to restoring) with the bright roof rail trim, and Scott's car without it


Great progress.

You're not really straying from stock just the year. The '86's roof trim is charcoal. This pic below is the best I could find to really see it.
http://www.specialservicemustang.net/Gallery/images/FHP/1986FHP.jpg

Do you plan on doing the moldings in charcoal?

[28HopUp]

Great progress.

You're not really straying from stock just the year. The '86's roof trim is charcoal. This pic below is the best I could find to really see it.
http://www.specialservicemustang.net/Gallery/images/FHP/1986FHP.jpg

Do you plan on doing the moldings in charcoal?

I guess you'd call it that. I was figuring on a matte black finish for the rubber moldings, but charcoal is probably a better way to describe the color.

I'm getting REALLY stoked about getting this car back from the body shop. Once it's home, I'll peel the window tint, install the lights/antennae, replace the dash pad, speedo, carpet, headliner, package shelf, and install the new seats. The seats still need to be cleaned - the cloth is pretty dingey. I thought about contacting a local auto detail shop to see if they could professionally clean them up. I also have an Insignia (Best Buy in-house brand) radio/CD/Ipod unit for the dash. I bought that one mainly because the backlighting is orange like the dash lights. I picked up four new speakers right before Circuit City went outa business.

[YellowMurci]

where can I get pair of Unity lights for a CHP car? I would like the red and the clear - thank you guys!

[28HopUp]

where can I get pair of Unity lights for a CHP car? I would like the red and the clear - thank you guys!

PM sent :)

[jarhed123]

The top trim on '86, moldings, and sail panel should be SEM Trim Charcoal Gray.

Top Trim panel chrome, sail panel same color as roof, and moldings SEM Trim Charcoal on '85.

Top Trim chrome, sail panel same color as roof, moldings SEM Trim black on cars up-to '84.

I two like the top trim and sail panel in SEM Trim Charcoal. I might go that route even if it is not correct.

[YellowMurci]

Get a GMP model of the chp car! look way cool with your car!

[28HopUp]

...or so I thought. When I came into the back of the shop today, Bacon wasn't there (yes, Debbie named my SSP "Bacon").

The rough-in bodywork is finished, and they moved the car up to the final prep area. This is where the detailed finishing of the car will take place. The car is nowhere close to being ready for primer (yet), although most of the body panels that have been removed are prepped and primered.

Here is the driver's door awaiting prep & primer -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749f9db7847e53.jpg


Here is the view from the back. It's nice to see the car sitting back on all four tires!

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749f9db8f5789f.jpg


Here is a shot of the much-massaged passenger 1/4 panel -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749f9db776e86a.jpg


And here is a picture of the car sitting in the new bay of the shop -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749f9db3573d67.jpg


There is still quite a bit of detail work to be completed, but Bacon has at least moved into the next phase of the body work.

[jarhed123]

Looking good!!

[28HopUp]

Sidewayz6.0 is a Site Moderator at Mustang Forums where I am an Administrator, and he posted that my SSP looks alot like another famous police car -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/27749f9db3573d67.jpg
http://www.famouscars.de/images/bluesbrothers/dodgewrecked.jpg


We Got a Full Tank of Gas, a Half a Pack of Cigarettes, It's Dark and We're Wearing Sun Glasses

[YellowMurci]

Lol! the Blues Brothers Mobile!

[28HopUp]

Progress is evident!

After several weeks of the car only making minor progress, the shop had some time available to hammer out some work on Bacon. When I came into the shop today, my SSP was no longer in bare metal - it's now black! My first thought was "Shoot - I didn't even get to see the car in primer!"

The car was in the process of being rubbed out, and all I had in-hand was my cruddy camera phone -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a116c514897e.jpg

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a116c521e0f2.jpg


I will be bringing in the side moldings tomorrow, which will be painted along with the bumper moldings. I have to install the new taillight lenses into the stock housings tonight I guess, since they are getting so far along now (that's a good problem!).

Next time I will bring my better camera!

[MOstang]

That's looking nice!

[sspanthony]

Coming along very nice....

[28HopUp]

Thanks guys!

Space was tight today, and my camera batteries died after only 3 pictures. Strong backlighting and direct sunlight made it difficult to get good picture quality too. But here are a few more shots with a better camera showing the car all rubbed out -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a12b7814522a.jpg

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a12b7818ce40.jpg

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a12b781ed4c1.jpg


It's nice to finally see paint on the car that actually reflects an image (the old gray was dull). I am very happy with their work thus far. I did notice a couple of very minor things, but nothing worth having them re-do the car. They are now prepping the removed parts, and should have them painted soon. Most of the window trim has been stripped and polished too. The side moldings were dropped off today for prep & paint (best described as matte black). The windshield cowl panel and side mirror buckets will also be painted a matte black.

It's so nice to see the car coming along!

[jarhed123]

The car is looking great!!!

[FHP813]

Looking awesome! and it didn't take a year to paint.:whistlin:

[jarhed123]

I too am jealous!! Mine still need a ways to go to finish doing time.

[28HopUp]

The word from the body shop today is that they hope to paint the rest of the body parts next week, and then finish the assembly the following week. So I MAY have the car back by June 12th. It's gonna be a long couple of weeks. Once it is home, then I'll need to:


Install new dash pad
Install new speedo (mine's broken at 140 mph)
Install new stereo and speakers
Clean the new seats and install with new carpet
Install new rear package shelf
Install new headliner
Remove all window tinting (without damaging the rear defroster)
Install CHP rear deck lights
Install CHP spotlights
Install CHP antennae
Complete a minor detailing of engine compartment

[28HopUp]

Nothing glamorous to report today, but I did replace the tail light lenses over the weekend.

I popped out the old lenses, removed the 5 retaining clips, and scraped out the tar strip that sits inside the channel of the tail light bucket. In addition to getting new lenses, you need to also order a new installation kit with a fresh tar strip and new clips. After a thorough clean up of the buckets, I popped the new lens in for a test fit and compared it to the old lens. The one on the left is the factory lens, and the right one is the new lens -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a23cbe2d26f0.jpg


I installed the new tack strip around the bucket, and then inserted the clips. Pressing down on the lens with the bucket on the workbench, the lens clipped into place. However, each lens needs a little motivation to stay in place while it is setting up, so I taped each lens with duct tape while pressing the lens tight in that area. I will let them sit like this for about 48 hours -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a23cbe36e0c4.jpg


I see a problem with these. The lenses are so nice looking that the buckets now look cruddy. If I had it to do over again, I would have painted the top edge and inside of each bucket near the license plate area prior to installing the lenses. Once I remove the tape, I may mask off the lenses and paint the visible edges of the buckets. It would just be easier to do had I not already installed the lenses.

[86NeSSP]

The only step that I do that you didn't is that I normally spray the inside of the buckets with a chrome spray paint to give the light more to reflect off of. It makes the hole tail light look brighter when it goes back together. I think the finished products works better because there is a better reflective surface to work with too. The old normally looks as though there is hardly any reflective surface left from all the years.

Yours still look pretty good though! Keep up the good work.

[28HopUp]

The only step that I do that you didn't is that I normally spray the inside of the buckets with a chrome spray paint to give the light more to reflect off of. It makes the hole tail light look brighter when it goes back together. I think the finished products works better because there is a better reflective surface to work with too. The old normally looks as though there is hardly any reflective surface left from all the years.

Yours still look pretty good though! Keep up the good work.


That's a great idea! My buckets weren't all too shiney, but not too bad either. I considered doing that, but decided to proceed with assembly. I'll remember that trick on the next SSP I restore (did I really say that???).

[ImEvil1]

That's a great idea! My buckets weren't all too shiney, but not too bad either. I considered doing that, but decided to proceed with assembly. I'll remember that trick on the next SSP I restore (did I really say that???).


It's an addiction. :yes:

[28HopUp]

Things are moving forward at the body shop! :yes:

The rear bumper is being prepped. It doesn't look too pretty at this point -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a2959f2d55ae.jpg


The doors, the rear decklid, and the hood were being placed into the paint booth while I was there. They'll be painted black today -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a2959f331833.jpg


On Monday they plan to paint the bumpers and side sail panels. The matte black trim paint will be done right after that on those remaining parts. Unless something sidelines their schedule, they plan to start the reassembly on Wednesday, June 10th.

:thumbsup:

[28HopUp]

Getting closer!

I stopped by today, and the body shop was prepping the front bumper for primer and paint. The rear bumper is ready for the black topcoat, and so are both front fenders. The side sail panels need prep, but the fuel door is ready for primer.

They decided to reshoot the driver's side door - something messed up the finish so they are going to re-do it. The passenger door was hung on the car -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a2d424eaa3bc.jpg


I'll bring the good camera on Wednesday, 6/10 to capture the progress.

[88stang]

Looking good Bill. :yes:

[28HopUp]

The driver's door and rear decklid have been mounted to the car. The hood was laid in place, but it still needs to be buffed out. The roof and cowl are still covered in dust, compare to the rear decklid and door.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a3103b36ed36.jpg


The front fenders, nose, rear bumper, side sail panels, and gas filler door were in the booth, but none of those pics were worth posting. All of the rubber side moldings have been painted, and the stainless trim is staged to be put on the car soon. I plan to go in again on Friday, 6/12/2009 to take more pictures, but the car should be finished in the body shop very soon!

[mac88chp]

Get some pics of the fire rig in the background while you're at it.

[28HopUp]

Get some pics of the fire rig in the background while you're at it.

I will!

6/11/2009 Update

The hood was mounted, and the window moldings were installed today -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a318cac360cd.jpg

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a318cad03b28.jpg


Yes, I will be removing the weathered purple window tint! The bumpers and fenders are painted and buffed out.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a3197d73eef1.jpg


I'll get more pictures tomorrow afternoon.

[MOstang]

That's looking real nice!

[CHP8336]

Bill, your car looks great! I am curious as to where your car served in service as a CHP. Do you know the office location? 8336 is still looking for a good paint shop. lol

[jarhed123]

Bill the car looks great and at a good pace.

[28HopUp]

Thanks guys!

Bill, your car looks great! I am curious as to where your car served in service as a CHP. Do you know the office location? 8336 is still looking for a good paint shop. lol

Yes, from the assignment card I knew the location number (#165). With that, I went on one of the California government websites (forget which one) and randomly search CHP stations for the matching number. My car served in Quincy, CA, which is NW of Reno, Nevada.

[CHP8336]

Bill,Here is a link to the chp office that your car was assigned to. Just some history you might want to view. That area of the state is very nice.

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.chp.ca.gov/depts_divs_offs/images/101_image.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.chp.ca.gov/depts_divs_offs/101.html&usg=__Y8SneV6QOVVrWYzzaCZqv0OULY0=&h=340&w=300&sz=11&hl=en&start=5&um=1&tbnid=hyWpS7B_BvaZ5M:&tbnh=119&tbnw=105&prev=/images%3Fq%3DQuincy,%2BCA%2Bchp%2Boffice%26hl%3Den %26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1

[28HopUp]

Get some pics of the fire rig in the background while you're at it.

As requested -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a37dbc5d3739.jpg

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a37dbc63f650.jpg

The truck is a 1962 Autocar, and is no longer at the body shop. It was back in for detailed touch up of the rough body work, and will be painted by another benefactor who is donating the paint to the Elsmere (Delaware) Fire Company.

[28HopUp]

I took a few pictures today, but they didn't really come out that great. So I only hosted one picture to save on space.

The gas filler neck and door are mounted now. The side sail panels are attached, and the rear bumper is back where it should be. The tail lights were test-fitted for the picture (hence the tape still attached), but the rear is shaping up nicely.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a37dfdf19950.jpg


The trim color on the bumper and side moldings isn't 100% correct for my 85. It's actually the correct 83 color, which is more matte black than the slightly grayish color on the 85/86's. I like it better this way.

[NoDrama43]

Thanks guys!



Yes, from the assignment card I knew the location number (#165). With that, I went on one of the California government websites (forget which one) and randomly search CHP stations for the matching number. My car served in Quincy, CA, which is NW of Reno, Nevada.


i would love to get my hands on the assignment card for my 82 chp car. !!!!

[28HopUp]

Bacon is making daily progress in terms of looking again like a real car. The trunklid was remounted after being taken off to wire up the trunk light. Here you can see the side sail panel, side window trim, the rubber side molding behind the tire, and the spring-ball mount for the 66" CHP whip antenna.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a3a803cc660e.jpg


I was surprised to see that they mounted the antenna base, as my intention had only been to provide it to the shop so they could make sure the opening was properly sized. Had I known that, I would have left them the a-pillar spot lights too :rolleyes:

In this shot, you can kinda see that the driver's side front fender has been put in-place (but not secured yet). Neal had just lifted it into position when I walked in.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a3a803d1de62.jpg


I told them that I need to have the car completed by June 26th, which is next Friday. Neal said that's do-able, but he'll know for sure by early next week. There's only about 2 days left of work to finish, but he is working on other cars too.

[28HopUp]

Both front fenders have been mounted, and the side moldings have been attached. In this shot, I test fitted the 66" CHP whip antenna, which is visible to the left of the green line.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a3ba91bca225.jpg


I didn't leave the antenna on because it would hit the overhead lights. As most of you here know, the CHP used a retaining clip mounted in the doorjam by the top drip rail. I am in the process of recreating the clips using the same non-conductive phenolic material, but I need the car back to properly shape the aluminum bracket to the countour of the drip rail.

Here is a shot of the side moldings mounted to the car. They came out great IMO.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a3ba91c2f146.jpg


When I asked Neal if he was still on target for getting the car completed by Friday, June 26th, he smirked and said "should be". Ahh, nothing like getting a definite maybe to a question! But the car is coming along, and it is looking like it will be out of the body shop by the end of next week (knocks on wood).

[28HopUp]

Here's a shot of the underside of the hood. You can actually see the reflection of the air cleaner!

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a4125ef762d4.jpg

I'll need to remove and paint the hood prop rod, don't ya think? The engine compartment will need a thorough detailing once it is back home. I will probably get some touch up paint and go inside the recessed areas of the hood to make sure those areas are black.

The front bumper should be going on the car this afternoon, so as it looks now the car will be ready to drive home this Friday!

:2thumbs: :yes: :2thumbs:

Assuming I have the car back Friday, I will be wrenching through my To-Do List Friday night and all day Saturday. Jack (our 13yo) is supposed to go to Hershey Park all weekend with the Boy Scouts, but he said if the car is back he wants to stay home and work on it with me. [good boy!] I need to get the car assembled ASAP because it was selected to be featured as the July Stang of the Month on a Mustang forum. The picture session will be within the next week, so I'll have no time to waste.

[mac88chp]

Have fun when you get it home but I'd resist rushing it too much trying to make a single deadline. Big "oops" potential with that plus you'd miss out on some of the satisfaction factor that comes with the project being in the final assembly "payoff" phase.

[28HopUp]

Agreed. My To-Do List is too long for me to try and rush through things, so I plan to start with mounting the CHP lights. Anything after that will be a bonus.

[CHP8336]

I find it ironic that all three 1985 CHP unit numbers 8302,8336,8395 are all getting restored at the same time. Bill your car looks great! My car is still getting estimates for paint. I did not think that getting your car painted in Ca you had to refinance your home to pay for it. If I can not find a paint job for a fair price I will show the car this year in its black paint job.

[28HopUp]

I stopped by Diver Chevrolet today (no, not to pick up a new Camaro!). I had them clean and detail the replacement seats.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a43ab4a7ade6.jpg


They are still a bit wet. I know they aren't the original pattern for my 85, but they are a lot closer to original than what is in the car now. These look better too, despite some color fading and a small tare on the driver's seat. I'll keep an eye out for better, original seats. If I have to, I may get these recovered.

I will find out later today whether or not the car will ready tomorrow. If not, then it may not be done until Monday or Tuesday.

[28HopUp]

Here's what the driver's side bumper absorber looked like yesterday -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a440cca206bf.jpg


And here it is this afternoon -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a440ca3502d6.jpg


The new NOS headlight header panel arrived today, so the bumper will be going on tomorrow. The hood needs to be buffed out, and some trim needs to be installed. But the car MAY be ready to come home tomorrow evening.
:D

[FHP#1357]

I just went through the same thing with my NCHP/CHP Clone, it all worth it in the end!

[28HopUp]

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a453a14c28af.jpg

Needs to be cleaned up. Now the fun begins!

:yes:

[jarhed123]

Looking nice.

[CHP8336]

Looks great Bill ! Looks like a really good paint job. Please keep posting pics.

[MOstang]

Congrats!

[NoDrama43]

looking good Bill. keep the pictures flowing.

[jpargo]

Bill, the car came out great!!

[CHP8336]

Hey Bill, 8336 is waiting for CHP official door emblems and still trying to get a fair price for paint. I changed my sig so you can see what it looks like when your cars lights are installed. Your car looks Great! Another 85 CHP Saved.:2thumbs:

[ChrisL]

Looking great! Can't wait to see more pictures!

[28HopUp]

Thanks guys!

Can't wait to see more pictures!

More pics will be coming soon. I need to wrench on the car today. Yesterday I successfully removed the purple window tint with a heat gun, single-edge razor blade, and 409 Spray Cleaner.

[28HopUp]

Here's a teaser shot of the newly-installed CHP lights -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a4bd7a80065d.jpg


The shot was taken in a remote industrial complex, and the lights were uncovered for the photos. Once Jack & I were done, the KC covers went back on.

More to come...

[NoDrama43]

now that is a nice photo.....and looks like a very nice car !!

[MOstang]

Me too...great photo and car is looking awesome.

[28HopUp]

Thanks guys!

In a previous post, I mentioned the KC Light covers. They are the 6" soft covers that come with the KC logo. Using acetone and a rag, I was able to wipe them clean.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a4ca406653e8.jpg


I bought two pair, and while driving I cover the three rear deck lights and "The Ruby" red spotlight.

[28HopUp]

Here's a better look at the car -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a4ca801912f9.jpg

[MOstang]

What a great looking car and photo!

[28HopUp]

I returned the car to the body shop in mid-July. This was planned, because I had rushed the car out of the shop at the end of June to having pictures taken for a July feature on a Mustang forum (what a cool honor!). As it turned out, they needed to fix a few things. The hood had some imperfections that looked like specs of primer showing through, and the passenger 1/4 panel behind the door had a ripple in the clearcoat that looks like something had dripped on it (this was noted prior to me taking possession in June). I stopped by the body shop today, and they were detailing and cleaning the car for pick-up. It's done (well, at least as far as they're concerned - I have work to do still). The car looks great! They installed the new headliner and little trim items that had been left un-done, they repainted the hood, and ended up taking the passenger 1/4 panel down to metal again. Whatever caused the clear to ripple was actually down through the paint, so they went through and fixed it properly.

Since the weather here is cruddy today and the forecast for tomorrow is better, I will be picking her up tomorrow! We have family coming into town this weekend, but as time allows I will install the new dash pad and put in the new sound system. A new exhaust is also in the near future. I already installed the new carpet and seats, so it looks much better inside now. I am SO looking forward to grabbing gears again in it - what a fun car to drive! I'll post up pics soon.

[28HopUp]

Well, I have her back now. YES! It's so nice driving the car again. Here are a few quick pics. The first one shows off the new front license plate, which is a duplicate of the original license plate the car used while in the service of the CHP -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a7d7829251fd.jpg


The interior shots didn't come out as well as I had hoped, so I'll try again. Here's a side shot, where you can kinda see the new seats.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774a7d782887501.jpg

[ImEvil1]

Lookin' sharp...

[MOstang]

Car is looking great!

[FHP813]

Looks great Bill. That goes to show that you don't have to do an in service resto to have a very nice SSP.:thumbsup:

[NoDrama43]

very nice Bill !!

[88stang]

Looks great Bill! :yes:

[28HopUp]

No new pictures worth posting, but I have made some more progress on the car.
A new steering rack went in, so now the car doesn't gush power steering fluid when I turn right! A new PS pump and lines were installed too.
The badly cracked dash pad was replaced with an aftermarket piece from Fox Mustang Resto. Generally speaking, I am very happy with it, but the lip does curl up slightly at the middle of the dash. But it looks 10x better than the cracked and faded pad.
A new exhaust is going on the car today. According to the previous owner, the car had a "CARB-legal" non-85 exhaust system consisting of 4 catalytic converters, cross-over H-pipe ahead of Flowmaster mufflers, going back into pitted stainless tips (now with rusted, broken pipes). [post #74 shows the driver's side tip hanging loose] I will be replacing the exhaust in pretty much the same fashion, except that two of the cats will fall off the car.


Some members may consider the aftermarket exhaust to be a cardinal sin, but after painting my drip rails black I figure there's no reason keep her stock now! ;) New 8.8" gears and LSD are next on my To-Do List.

[ImEvil1]

Do you have any pics of the aftermarket dash pad?

[MOstang]

Bill - Glad to hear of your continued progress...that's a beautiful Mustang!

[FHP813]

Some members may consider the aftermarket exhaust to be a cardinal sin, but after painting my drip rails black I figure there's no reason keep her stock now! ;) New 8.8" gears and LSD are next on my To-Do List.

No "cardinal" sin Bill. As long as you don't try to stuff an LS1 under the hood you should be OK.:stop:

[28HopUp]

Forgive the poor picture quality, but I used my cell phone while the car was at the muffler shop -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774ac280c9205e5.jpg


From the above pic, you can clearly see the sub-frame connectors that were on the car when I bought it. On the pictures below, notice that they had to cut the tailpipes to fish them through each side. The car has a beefy panhard bar bracket welded-in at the top of the frame rails -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774ac280c976870.jpg

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774ac280c9c78f0.jpg


Sorry, but no video clip to post yet.

[ImEvil1]

Do you have any pics of the aftermarket dash pad?

?

[28HopUp]

Do you have any pics of the aftermarket dash pad?

This series of pictures show the new aftermarket dash pad, as well as the "more-correct" seats -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774ac280e90f6d9.jpg

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774ac280e949468.jpg

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774ac280e98b2be.jpg

The dashpad peaks at the center around the bezel, but it's not too bad.

[ImEvil1]

Thanks for the pics...I need one more and I'm trying to decide if I should keep looking or buy a repro from FMR.

[CHP8336]

Forgive the poor picture quality, but I used my cell phone while the car was at the muffler shop -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774ac280c9205e5.jpg


From the above pic, you can clearly see the sub-frame connectors that were on the car when I bought it. On the pictures below, notice that they had to cut the tailpipes to fish them through each side. The car has a beefy panhard bar bracket welded-in at the top of the frame rails -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774ac280c976870.jpg

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774ac280c9c78f0.jpg


Sorry, but no video clip to post yet.

Hello Bill, The exhaust work looks great! Your choice to leave the panhard bar on the car was a good choice. If you were to drive a stock 1985 fox body car you would not believe how the car feels. My Stock 1985 CHP felt like driving a 1959 Caddy lol lol. The way Ford set the cars up for patrol service was really substandard for police use. The 10'' Pinto front brakes were really unsafe as well. Your car has disk brakes in the rear I see as well. I think your car is set up really nice. Your car is now way safer then when it left the factory. Great job Bill!!!......Keep me in mind if your car ever needs a new caretaker lol lol lol Rich

[28HopUp]

Hello Bill, The exhaust work looks great! Your choice to leave the panhard bar on the car was a good choice. If you were to drive a stock 1985 fox body car you would not believe how the car feels. My Stock 1985 CHP felt like driving a 1959 Caddy lol lol. The way Ford set the cars up for patrol service was really substandard for police use. The 10'' Pinto front brakes were really unsafe as well. Your car has disk brakes in the rear I see as well. I think your car is set up really nice. Your car is now way safer then when it left the factory. Great job Bill!!!......Keep me in mind if your car ever needs a new caretaker lol lol lol Rich

Thanks Rich! I have no intention of selling this car. I'd sell our family truckster first - a 2005 Explorer XLT. I think the beefed-up rear is why I didn't have any damage to the suspension after sliding the car over the concrete lane divider (a highly evasive manuever to avoid a car that turned in front of me and stopped as I entered an intersection at 45mph). Glad I serviced the 87-up front brakes last month!

The installer at the muffler shop said he's done alot of Fox Mustang work, and had never seen anything before like the set-up I have welded into the back of my car. I agree with your assessment - I'd like to drive a stock SSP to feel the difference.

[28HopUp]

Ran across the following pic in my picture gallery at another forum.

http://mustangforums.com/forum/members/28hopup-albums-28hopup-s-rides-picture24314-rtj3-23a.jpg

Haven't really had the opportunity to work on the car much with the colder weather. My garage isn't heated, so I have to have a project in-mind to go out there to work. But I do drive it on nice days when the roads are clear.

Future plans call for installing a new radio. The front speakers are mounted and wired up, but the rears need to be installed. I would also like to track down the original CHP radio equipment and mounts. The passenger spotlight needs afix'n too.

[ImEvil1]

I should be getting in one last batch of radio equipment from the CHP guy. Probably won't be any more CC1s or Micor heads from him, but maybe an amp or two and definitely both sets of rear radio gear.

[28HopUp]

My mailman dropped off a box today that I've been waiting to receive for more months than I care to count. Inside were some carefully wrapped CHP parts.

The first item is the CHP Shotgun Rack, which is a locking unit that is wired to the ignition switch. The CHP also had hidden switches for quick access. I believe that some modification(s) will be needed to make the standard CHP rack fit the Mustang, but I'm up to the challenge.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774c5834424c4dd.jpg


The next item is the Federal CC1 controller. According to the seller (who still outfits cars for the CHP), this CC1 is a working unit, so I will be able to use it to control the lights (no siren in my driver).

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774c58344283b2b.jpg


The next picture shows the original CHP first aid kit and bracket, as well as a Regency M100 scanner (an eBay find) that would have been installed in my car originally.

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774c583442a0019.jpg


Not pictured are the two animal snare clips for the rear decklid. I will be getting a PVC animal snare soon. I also will be gathering the other trunk items used by the CHP. Once the shotgun rack is mounted, I will keep a fake Remington 870 shotgun in the trunk, and mount it when displaying the car (rather than driving around with a blue rubber shotgun in the rack). So little by little I am gathering parts for my CHP Mustang.

And the seller also included two CHP Assignment Cards (E408419 and E422920), so I will be in touch with those owners shortly to mail them their original cards. ;)

[ImEvil1]

Bill,

I got a CV rack from him, also. If you end up beating us to the mods, please post them up as I know Jim Y. is in the same boat.

That CC1 has front light cut-out, but should work fine for what you need. I may have another chassis here if you want to switch it out.

I also have a non-working MPA2 siren amplifier if you need it.

Let me know on the antenna clip, too....I think you still have mine?

[28HopUp]

Bill,

I got a CV rack from him, also. If you end up beating us to the mods, please post them up as I know Jim Y. is in the same boat.

That CC1 has front light cut-out, but should work fine for what you need. I may have another chassis here if you want to switch it out.

I also have a non-working MPA2 siren amplifier if you need it.

Let me know on the antenna clip, too....I think you still have mine?

I do! I broke my band saw blade, and need to get another. Once I do I will bang out a bunch of clips for those who have asked, and return yours to you.

[28HopUp]

Here is another pciture of my SSP Mustang, parked next to a friend's take-home work-ride (Summer 2010) -

http://www.mustangcollective.com/imagehosting/2774bc3397db7240.jpg

[MOstang]

Bill - A lot to be proud of there and that black really sparkles! :cool:

[NoDrama43]

very nice Bill. It is always good when you get them painted and back together.

[28HopUp]

Thanks guys! It's a constant work-in-progress. I'll continue to update this thread with pictures as I make headway.

[MOstang]

Bill - What are the items you'd most like to do next with your SSP?

[28HopUp]

Thanks for asking Mike, 'cuz it made me update my SSP To-Do List. :)

Currently, the car is in the body shop after my neighbor backed into it. They agreed to pay for the repairs (it's great having cool neighbors!). I am having the body shop go over the paint to see if there are some areas needing to be touched up. I know it's not a show car, but I'd like for the body/paint to be as nice as reasonably possible.

Next up - correct wheels and caps. I have a set of four '85/'86 steel wheels in my garage with original Goodyear rubber. The tires would be better suited on a show car due to dry rot, so I will remove and keep the Goodyears, paint the wheels satin black (thanks Jim!), and remount my existing tires on the correct rims. I'm trying my darndest to get a set of correct '85 caps. I have a set of '86 caps, but only two are usable as-is. I have a line on two other sets of '85 caps (I'm high bidder currently on the ebay set). If worse comes to worse I will repair my two bad caps and repaint the set to look like '85 caps.

I'm a bit frustrated on my CHP equipment status. I have many authentic CHP pieces, but I've learned that in some cases they are incorrect for my vintage Mustang. Case in point - spotlights. My spotlights are single wire, but I recently learned that they used two wires to tie into the controls. My CC1 has a faceplate that differs from the original slightly. My CHP shotgun rack is for a later-version Mustang. So I've held off installing the equipment. But I think I will proceed with the equipment install when I get the car back from the body shop, and then replace the pieces I have with correct units as I find them.

In terms of the car itself, the compression is good on the engine, which I was told had been rebuilt as some time. But the engine compartment needs to be gone through and detailed. Underneath, the car has sloppy sub-frame connectors welded in that need to come out.

It's been a fun little car. During the winter I really miss driving it.

[ImEvil1]

Bill,

Spotlights are an easy fix (handles). I think I have a crushed CC1 that you could use to swap internals (and the chassis, which includes the faceplate) over with. I also will have the complete rear radio equipment for you when you are ready.

[28HopUp]

Thanks Mike! I'm ready, and will give you a shout over the weekend. :)

[28HopUp]

I stopped by the body shop today. They buffed out the paint, which took care of the blemishes that had developed over time. They repaired the original bumper, and it was in the booth to be painted. The tail light will be getting a new lens, which was cracked in the accident.

http://mustangforums.com/forum/members/28hopup-albums-28hopup-s-rides-picture38455-getting-fixed.jpg


It's a cell phone picture, and the weather today was dismal outside, but it looks nice. The O D Y ("JOHN'S BODY SHOP" over the doors) reflected in the trunklid kinda captures how it came out.

I'm getting the 5 steel wheels dismounted today (I still had the original spare), and will get three new tires for the front and spare. I plan to re-use the BFG's out back, since they are practically new. I think I will prep the wheels, and then have the tires installed without setting the bead. Then apply the satin black paint. Once that's done, I'll have the bead set and get them balanced with the weights on the inside edge of the rim. Can't wait to get steel wheels and '85 caps back on my four-eyed SSP!

[Griswald]

Not long ago, I read through your build thread, AAAAHHHHHH!!! At least your neighbors are cool. Those 85 wheels are killer, best looking SSP rim IMO.
Are you going to permanently remove the subframe connectors? Handling will feel a lot different without them.

[28HopUp]

Not long ago, I read through your build thread, AAAAHHHHHH!!! At least your neighbors are cool. Those 85 wheels are killer, best looking SSP rim IMO.
Are you going to permanently remove the subframe connectors? Handling will feel a lot different without them.

A previous owner set up my SSP for autocross, so the suspension has been beefed up (it has better Ford brakes too). That's probably when the subframe connectors were installed. I've gone back & forth about it, but I really like how the car handles. So I will probably install a better set of connectors in the car. When I'm dead and gone, I'll let the next owner decide if he wants to keep them on the car or not.

:)

[Mustang Kid]

New Pics to finish off the thread? :)

[28HopUp]

Sam, I don't think this car will ever get done. Aside from me taking forever to complete projects, I don't think an antique car can ever be considered "done". There's always something else that can be worked on to make it better.

:)

[03cobra]

Wow !! That's going to be a beautiful SSP. Congrats!

[28HopUp]

As an update, my SSP hasn't been running right this year. The car had carb issues, but a new Holley failed to fix the bad idling problem (the car would not smooth out). I decided to have the car looked at by my nephew, Kris, who owns a custom (repair) shop and is VERY familiar with 5.0L Fox Mustangs. He came by on Halloween and picked up the car on his flatbed.

So Kris checked the car out, and determined that the harmonic balancer was about to separate from the crank. :No no: It looks as though the off-balance balancer took it's toll on the bottom-end, because the crank now has excessive play. In addition, my oil pressure at speed is only 30psi, and at idle it's around 10psi. Compression ranges from 110-160. So it looks as though the tired old 5.0L is worn out.

Since I am trying to finish up other projects, I will be having Kris yank the engine and open it up to see what's inside. Since I am the 8th owner of the car, I'm not sure if it's the original motor or not. Hopefully the block (if it's original) isn't already .030-over. If the block is shot, then I need to decide how to proceed with the engine.

In terms of the lemonade comment at the beginning, once the motor is out, I'll get the car back so I can detail the engine compartment. The under-hood area was in dire need of attention, so I'll used this unplanned event to spruce things up.

[Rhino]

Bill, if you do have to rework the motor - will be great to have a fresh motor for years to come. And on the bright side, can detail the engine bay.

Sometimes what seems like a bummer - can have positive upside. And...you'll be prepped with a nice driveline to take you out to CA for an 85 reunion. :)

[28HopUp]

Thanks Ryan! I think a west coast road trip would be fun. :) That would take some planning for sure.

Here's a shot that Kris texted to me last night -

http://images57.fotki.com/v1354/photos/1/1804951/10190167/BaconBits-vi.jpg


The car is coming back to me today without the motor (obviously). I will take the opportunity to make the engine bay as close to factory-fresh as possible.

[FoxChassis]

You know where to look to see if the engine is original?

[CHP8336]

Bill, if you do have to rework the motor - will be great to have a fresh motor for years to come. And on the bright side, can detail the engine bay.

Sometimes what seems like a bummer - can have positive upside. And...you'll be prepped with a nice driveline to take you out to CA for an 85 reunion. :)

Ryan, I am trying to see how many 85 SSP's I can round up for Ripon next year. So far I think that Mustang kid and his dad Chris will be there with their 2 cars, along with my 2 cars as well as Rocketscience and your car. I think that Bill needs to bring 8395 home again for a visit.... lol...

[Rhino]

Indeed. I have been talking with Jimmy about (possibly) getting my 85 in and done for paint/body by summer. Will take some work to do it right. And...I need to collect all the gear.

Having said all that. I have 2 WSP cars ahead of the CHP to fix up - so realistically, this may be a "in 2 years" thing. But...and it's a big but <snicker>...wouldn't it be fun to reunite all of them? :)

Bill, keep us posted on the engine build. Hoping it's not too bad.

[28HopUp]

Kris brought back my SSP last night, and Jack & I just pushed it into the garage. It's a mess under the hood...

http://images56.fotki.com/v1298/photos/1/1804951/10190167/839502-vi.jpg

...for now at least :)

[28HopUp]

Judging from the pistons, Kris said it's a stock 93 roller motor. :( That's OK, since the motor is completely worn out. Kris and I are now sourcing engine components for a fairly stock 5.0L rebuild (as opposed to building a 331 stroker with fancy heads and lumpy cam).

[Rhino]

(as opposed to building a 331 stroker with fancy heads and lumpy cam).

What's wrong with that!? Granted, I don't like driving my 85 for long hauls, but sure is fun for short romps on the pedal with the stroker in it...LOL. ;)

[28HopUp]

What's wrong with that!? Granted, I don't like driving my 85 for long hauls, but sure is fun for short romps on the pedal with the stroker in it...LOL. ;)

I hear ya, Ryan! :)

Well, it looks as though the new engine will be ready to install by Thursday, although I am no where close to having the engine bay ready by then.

Kris found a rebuilt roller motor for sale at the machine shop he prefers using. It's a freshly rebuilt 5.0L with .030-over pistons, ported E7 heads, and a Comp Cams 266HR (http://www.compperformancegroupstores.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=CC&Product_Code=35-308-8&Category_Code=F50CEFIMAG) bumpstick. It was rebuilt to be a mild upgrade over a stock fuel injected motor. Kris will clean up my stock 85 intake and valve covers, and install a new water pump. Although I might have gone a little more to the wild side in terms of having a motor rebuilt, this one is ready to go. It will be a mild step up in performance but will still be reliable, have a smooth stock-sounding idle, and be fun to drive. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I got a SMOKIN' deal on the motor, too! :D

I will tie into the engine compartment this weekend, but it's not going to be a simple undertaking. There's some surface rust under the battery tray, and a lot of clutter from the 7 previous owners that needs to come out.

[28HopUp]

With temperatures in the 60's, I was able to work "under the hood" over the holiday weekend. As of yesterday, the engine bay is cleaned and sanded (60 --> 100 --> 150 --> 220 --> 320 --> 600 grit). I need to pick up some rust converter today for the few areas of surface rust. Then I will mask, prime and paint.

I've already posted up a "before" shot, so rather than post up a picture of the car in its raw state, I selected a seldom-seen picture -

http://images112.fotki.com/v386/photos/1/1804951/10190167/BagOfFasteners-vi.jpg


That's my box of bagged parts, which I learned to do when we took apart Mike's 85 FHP this past July. Every fastener that was removed went into a sandwich baggy marked with a Sharpie with details about where the contents came from. I took plenty of pictures as I went along with my phone so I would know which holes to use again. Not shown in the box are the small parts that will get repainted. My hands/fingers are feeling the effects of the hand sanding this morning, but it's coming together, albeit slowly.

[GSPI]

Motivation for the rest of us Bill!! Thanks!

[28HopUp]

Here's an in-progress shot from today -

http://images44.fotki.com/v301/photos/1/1804951/10190167/839503-vi.jpg



I doubt the car will win any MCA awards, but it sure looks a whole lot better now. Tomorrow I will remove the masked off areas and reassemble the components and wiring. Once that is done, the car will be picked up to install the fresh 5.0L.

:D

[CHP8336]

Looks Great Bill!:)

[Mustang Kid]

Looks a lot better than some of the DIY jobs I've seen on FEP:)
Great job Bill!

[GSPI]

Excellent Bill. What type of paint are you using to do the detail work?

[28HopUp]

Thanks guys! I forgot how frustrating the prep stage can be. I paid a lot of attention to the top of the radiator support, since that what people's eyes tend to see. Just when I thought I had the surface smooth enough, I'd see something and have to sand & re-primer again. :)

Greg, I used Rust-Oleum Satin Black for the major surface areas. I knew not to use a gloss, semi-gloss, or flat black, as I was looking for a matte finish. I hope I do not regret not using a high temperature paint. Those shock towers can get hot down by the factory headers. A few pieces (like the bracket for the windshield wiper motor) will be painted in glass black. Once I have everything buttoned up, I will go back and touch up the fasteners in either satin or gloss black.

I'm not so sure I'll get much done today. Instead of working on the car, I'll be spending some family time with Jack on a Sporting Clays range in lower Delaware. :D

[28HopUp]

Jack & I buttoned up the final items under the hood, and Kris came by this afternoon to pick up the car -

http://images110.fotki.com/v565/photos/1/1804951/10190167/839504-vi.jpg


Kris will install the fresh 5.0L in the next week or so. :D

[chp1982]

Looking good! Very exciting.

[28HopUp]

Here's a blurry picture taken of the fresh 5.0L installed in the car -

http://images39.fotki.com/v1236/photos/1/1804951/10190167/8395motor-vi.jpg


My apologies for the fuzzy picture, but it's all I have at the moment. Kris says that the wiring harness was so bad that I was lucky the car didn't catch on fire! There's still quite a ways to go, but progress is being made, with more (better) pictures to come.

:)

[Mustang Kid]

:eek: Shiny newness!

Looks much better than the old engine Bill:thumbsup:
Can't wait until my engine looks that nice:)

[texunter]

very nice!

[28HopUp]

Thanks guys!

I really struggled with my decision to farm out most of the work on the engine replacement. I have the ability, desire, tools, and facility to do this all myself, but I just haven't had the time. So in 2011 I neglected my SSP. :( I finally got to the point where I realized that things aren't going to get done until I bite the bullet and pay someone else to do the work. My nephew, Kris, is a hard-working mechanic who is trying to establish his new shop, so I am happy to help him out. The project is moving forward, and soon I will have the car back so I can finish working on the details to make my SSP even nicer. My plan is to maintain and enjoy my SSP while it's in my care, in an attempt to leave it in better condition that when I found it in 2008.

I'll keep y'all posted... :)

EDIT: The way I ended that paragraph makes it sound like I may be getting rid of my SSP soon. That is not the case. I just know that the car will be around on this Earth long after I'm gone, so I want to do my best to preserve the car and enjoy all aspects of owning, restoring, and participating in this hobby.

[NoDrama43]

looking good Bill. The wiring harnesses on the 4 eyed cars are an item with me. I have several cars that the harnesses are at a point of needing replaced. They can be taken apart and repaired but it is a fairly tedious, time consuming job for sure.

[chp1982]

What kind of issues with the harnesses did you find Bill and Jim? Deterioration, chafing, both, other? Any tips for what and where I and others should direct our attention to?

[Rhino]

It looks great! Wish my 85 was as nice in the engine bay.

And like you, I have figured out that I need to pay someone to get it done. And it's been a wise choice - allows me to enjoy the build/hobby and have time for family, etc. :)

Keep the pics coming.

[28HopUp]

What kind of issues with the harnesses did you find Bill and Jim? Deterioration, chafing, both, other? Any tips for what and where I and others should direct our attention to?

Mainly wires becoming exposed because the insulation has dried, cracked, and come off.

This picture shows the wires going into the voltage regulator -

http://images12.fotki.com/v335/photos/1/1804951/10190167/839507-vi.jpg


This plug is on the driver's side, which shows the bare wires -

http://images57.fotki.com/v300/photos/1/1804951/10190167/839506-vi.jpg


This one is UGLY, and shows the main harness plug by the driver's side shock tower -

http://images57.fotki.com/v1354/photos/1/1804951/10190167/839505-vi.jpg


Heat shrink is good stuff for repairing the original wiring, were possible. But the wires in some cases are so baked that heat shrink will not work. For those instances, Kris will be harvesting the correct color wires from a newer 5.0L Mustang harness to repair the damaged wires. It's a very tedious job!

[28HopUp]

Two questions came up yesterday when I was at Kris's shop. Assuming that the following item is a factory piece, does anyone have this part that they'd be willing to sell me?

http://images16.fotki.com/v258/photos/1/1804951/10190167/839509-vi.jpg


It's located on the front of the intake manifold, and is for the heater hose. Kris ovaled it during removal, and it's not a part that's readily available.


The second item was more of a question. The following part is attached to the front of the driver's side shock tower, located above the DuraSpark -

http://images51.fotki.com/v303/photos/1/1804951/10190167/839510-vi.jpg


What does this part do exactly?

And not wanting to leave you wanting for pictures, here is a shot of the engine bay taken yesterday -

http://images44.fotki.com/v301/photos/1/1804951/10190167/839508-vi.jpg


Once the wiring issues are addressed, Kris will have to replace the needed vacuum lines/parts that have deteriorated. Then he'll button up the final engine assembly. :)

[chp1982]

Looks great. Thanks for the pics of the wiring.

[88stang]

Engine looks great Bill! good luck with the project. :)

[28HopUp]

My SSP is back home! The motor installation is not finished, but it is a lot closer to being done than the last picture I posted -

http://images15.fotki.com/v587/photos/1/1804951/10190167/839511-vi.jpg


The wiring issues were finally addressed. The vacuum lines, and some minor electrical stuff need to be finished. I need to prep and paint the windshield wiper motor. The air cleaner body/lid need to be re-done. It needs a new fan belt too. And of course the hood will go back on once we are done tinkering in the engine bay.

But it is so close to being back on the road, I can almost taste it! :cool:

[Mustang Kid]

Looks great Bill! The SSP will be back on the road in no time:cool:

[28HopUp]

It is just SAD that my SSP sat all summer while I worked on other things. I still haven't fired the engine, but I am much closer. I routed string around the pulleys to determine the correct belt length (855K6) since my smog pump was "accidentally" left in my collection of parts. The wiper motor and hood latch are now mounted. Quite a few of the vacuum lines were connected/capped, but there are a few more that need to be finished. Kris and I will re-prime the engine and fire it up this week. Stay tuned...

[svt3434]

This post is so motivational. I have an 85 CHP and am working on it as I drive (see my post 85 Dream Car). I have a freshly built 306 that I will be installing in the next month or two. Of course, stock look with stock air cleaner etc. Love following the progress on this one. Keep up the good work and keep posting pics....very motivational......I am glad I have two sons, ages 5 and nine months....who will one day take over my beloved Mustangs and care for them as I do now....but that day can wait...lets drive em and enjoy em!!

[CHP8336]

This post is so motivational. I have an 85 CHP and am working on it as I drive (see my post 85 Dream Car). I have a freshly built 306 that I will be installing in the next month or two. Of course, stock look with stock air cleaner etc. Love following the progress on this one. Keep up the good work and keep posting pics....very motivational......I am glad I have two sons, ages 5 and nine months....who will one day take over my beloved Mustangs and care for them as I do now....but that day can wait...lets drive em and enjoy em!!

Remember it's addiction.......... 8336 has been here 24 years now. :yes:

[28HopUp]

It...










...runs!









:D

[Mustang Kid]

No pics or video? What kind of site do you think this is?!?!




LOL Just Kidding. :D

I would like to hear it though. Congrats. :2thumbs:

[28HopUp]

Sorry Sam! No pictures or videos of the car running again. Soon though...

My nephew, Kris, came over last night and we buttoned up the few remaining things on the motor. With the radiator topped off, wiring connnected, vacuum lines attached/capped, Kris re-primed the engine and set the distributor. I got in and turned the key - CLICK! I had the battery on a charger, but it wasn't up to the task yet. So I pulled the battery out of the SMPV, and tried again. It cranked about 10 seconds and the motor sputtered briefly. Tried it again and she came to life. Kris adjusted the distributor while I tap-danced on the throttle. We shut it down to address a leaking fuel line at the pump, but then we ran it for a couple of minutes. We were not able to set the timing because the timing marks were not visible on the crank. It was close to 9pm anyway, so I didn't want to annoy the neighbors too much.

We will try again this next week to finish it up. We replaced the electric choke last night, and put the hood back on (it needs some minor adjustments still, but it latches closed). I need to get a battery hold-down for the new tray. We also need to put it up on jackstands so we can loosen the connection at the headers and h-pipe. There is a leak there, so I think we can tweak the h-pipe and tighten it back down. There are more little things to finish up, but it should be back on the road next week. :)

Oh, and I have decided to keep this car and the SMPV! :D

[svt3434]

Sounds like what I was going through last week with my 1985 CHP...I have been driving it daily since Monday and after five days its like a new car....it defnitely looks like its been sitting since 1992 as I have not even dusted it off yet but I dont care since I will be tearing it down and rebuilding it....but I just needed to drive it! Keep the posts coming sir!

[ChrisL]

I'm loving all of these '85 CHP cars coming to the surface right now. Can't wait to see more on the SMPV Bill..

[28HopUp]

Progress has been pathetically slow. Life has been keeping me out of the garage for the most part, but I have had some successes and setbacks with the car. Kris came over to the house this past weekend, and he and I set the timing and tried working with the Holley 4180C carb. Here's a shot where you can see the car is running from all of the black smoke -

http://images20.fotki.com/v502/photos/1/1804951/10190167/ItRuns-vi.jpg


That's Kris under the hood, and me at the wheel to keep it running and restart it as needed (with the garage door open - safety first!). The motor just wouldn't hold at idle, and that carb does not offer much in the way of adjustments. It was too late in the evening to keep working on the car (didn't want to upset the neighbors), so we called it a night. This week I plan to install the Holley from the SMPV to see if that helps or not. I may need to buy a new carb, but I would like to get the old gas out of the tank first (by driving it!). But it is getting CLOSER!

[kapracing]

I know your anxious to get it rapped up so you can get started in the SMPV... LOL

[Mustang Kid]

Need to rebuild the carb if you haven't already. I had the same problem with mine.
Other than that, it's looking good!

[28HopUp]

We installed the carb from the SMPV, which improved things quite a bit. We could tell there was a vacuum leak, but it took a while to determine that the diaphragm in the distributor's vacuum advance was bad. Regardless, I was determined to get the car inspected. I ran it through our state inspection lane, and was not surprised when it failed the emissions sniffer. But having taken the car through the lanes, I was able to get a 30-day temporary tag for the car -

http://images61.fotki.com/v431/photos/1/1804951/10190167/OnTheRoadAgain-vi.jpg


Now I can break-in the motor with a fresh tank of 93, and continue sorting out the few things left to finish. :)

[ChrisL]

What a great looking car Bill!

[28HopUp]

Thanks Chris!

As an update, I installed an Edelbrock carb that was rebuilt to match the mild cam in my motor. Also replaced were: coil, coil harness plug, ignition wires, vacuum advance, cap, rotor, and plugs. The charcoal cannister was connected again, and all of the vacuum lines are connected/plugged. I ran the car through DMV inspection today and it failed again! :( The HC readings were no where close (10x the limit at idle!), but the CO levels were much closer to the required limits. I received another 30-day tag, and I now have to take the car to an approved Certified Emissions Repair Technician to see if they can bring it under the limits. If not, then I must obtain an emissions waiver if repairs are made greater than $810 (which I will be above after this next shop visit). I am not sure if the waiver is perpetual or not. The tags will only be good for 2 years, so I am not sure if I will need to apply for another waiver or not in 2015. Presently, the cut-off for the dual emissions checks is 1981 or newer, but they will likely adjust the cut-off as time passes. Presently, my 1966 Mustang does not need to pass any emissions because of its age.

[Va 5.0]

My dad used to run a can of dry gas in his 69 Chevrolet to pass N.J. emissions back in the early 80's. He would pass every time..... not sure about today's tests.

[John10608]

The car looks good Bill !

[mac88chp]

Ugh, smog issues with stone-age carbs and controls. Been there, done that with my '84 SSP...that's why I sold it. Good luck sorting out your '85 Bill.

[28HopUp]

So I have struggled to get the car's emissions in check these past couple of months. FINALLY, I found a shop who knew how to get these 5.0Ls to pass, and today was able to get the tags renewed for another 2 years:

http://images20.fotki.com/v681/photos/1/1804951/10190167/NewTags-vi.jpg


I was planning to get Antique plates for the car, but after waiting an hour in line today, I got to the counter only to hear that they needed the title in order to process the Antique plates. I decided to just go for the 2-year renewal and be done with it. When the time rolls around in 2015 to get the tags redone, I will just take it into the same shop for them to (de-)tune it for inspection.

Hope the weather holds out this week - I'd like to put some miles on my refreshed SSP. :D

[kapracing]

Pics pics pics :-)