Someone needs to stop this now!

[Alan]

I am the "illiterate" owner of this vehicle. Guess I may ruffle some feathers here....

I'm not going to hack it up. It won't find its way wrapped around a tree or face-planted into a retaining wall at a local track. It isn't going to find its way on concrete blocks behind a trailer. It also won't be a trailer queen...it will see regular street use and some weekend track time.

It will be semi-restored to its former glory, however no black/tan FHP color scheme since it will be a street driven vehicle. I've learned this car is a bit more rare than I had originally thought, so my ambitions may have to be toned down a bit. Anything I do to this car will be completely reversable (with probably the exception of weld-in subframe connectors...a foxbody necessity).

[ImEvil1]

Alan,

Wynne was frustrated, like many of us get when we see one of these cars being destroyed, when he saw your post over there. I think "illiterate" may have been the wrong word to use, but I can certainly understand why he posted what he did.

Check out the FHP Agency Resto section and feel free to ask any questions here. That car is extremely rare and deserves to be restored. Maybe we can get you to change your mind a bit on your future plans with it, or find you a roller to use instead.

Welcome to the board.

[NoDrama43]

as rare as that car is it needs to be restored. no sub frames welded in because with the stock motor that is the LAST thing the car needs. If you want a street/track car PLEASE buy a 4 banger and build away. I know several people that would be very interested in buying the FHP car from you at a profit to you if you would rather sell it than mod it.

the car is very rare.

welcome to the board.

[predator20]

NoDrama43 makes a good point about the sub-frame connectors. Mustang coupes have the stiffest chassis you can get from the factory. While they won't take a 400 horsepower engine, I think they can take a 175 horse one.

[Alan]

Hopefully this won't start any drama...but I need some help understanding this group. I'm curious why the general consensus of this site is completely against anyone doing anything but a purist restoration to one of these vehicles.

When done correctly, upgraded parts won't destroy the value or the collectability (if that is even a word) of the vehicle. Not that it would compare to an '84 Mustang, but take a look at your average HEMI Mopar up for sale/auction. Those with proper upgraded suspensions and mechanicals still sell well into the 6-figure range...so long as the majority of the car is still original. Despite the aftermarket upgrades these cars are highly sought after and considered a collectable.

For a more realistic comparison, take a look at the SVO community. The SVO is arguable the rarest Foxbody built (I had only one of 560-something in Oxford White built in 1986). When I was a part of it we embraced any owner who maintained the spirit of the SVO...whether it was through a purist restoration or building it to go fender-to-fender out on the track. So long as you weren't parting an SVO out for profit we all got along, because we were all working towards one goal: the preservation of the SVO. Curious why that isn't the case here....why can't one preserve an SSP and still have fun with it?

I understand everyone is entitled to an opinion, but the attitude I'm getting here is a bit on the extreme side. The way you talked about me in this thread you'd think I were planning to back half the car and throw a big block under the hood.

[predator20]

Some members don't want you to change anything on the car. Some also don't care what you do, I' am one of them. But when you have a car as original as the 84 FHP you have. You would be better off buying a roller to make a open track car out of it. It seems like you don't plan on changing much to the car now. Since you have been informed of the rarity of the car. It is also hard to find any SSP with the kind of documentation your car came with. It is your car and you can do what you want to it. Also don't let some of the members here, get to you.

[ImEvil1]

Alan,

We're not here to bash anyone who doesn't agree with what we are about, and opinions on cars are as diverse as the membership here is. We as SSP collectors are fanatical about these cars, and I personally hate to see one modded and abused. Multiply that feeling times about 100 with the car you have. Florida only ordered 50 in 1984, and I only know of 2 others (possibly three). That's not to say that more aren't out there, but none others exist that are in the collector circles that we frequent. With that said, I personally have no problem with an SSP that is modded. There are plenty of cars that are missing the original drivetrains, were wrecked and rebuilt, drag-raced when they came out of service, etc. etc. I even thought about buying one that had already been modded to use as a daily driver. I guess what I'm saying is that your car, much like any other 4-eyed SSP, is rare and deserves to be properly restored. ANY pre-87 SSP is fairly rare, but the '82-'84 cars are even moreso.

That was the point I was trying to make over on FEP. That guy took an original, SURVIVOR (much like your FHP car) and ripped out the drivetrain. That car made it 25 years without being messed with, and no one over there blinked an eye about it. If he would have posted that he was doing an aero-conversion, he probably would have been banned. I guess I really don't understand how preserving the outward appearance of the car is actually preserving the car.

There are plenty of fox-body cars to mod....rare, original, unmolested cars, IMHO, aren't the ones to do it with.