Congratulations Matt on having built your perfect car. You've done a nice job, made the right decisions, and it's looking great. This is the notion younger generations of automotive enthusiasts lack. Everyone chasing numbers, and more numbers, no matter the cost, or what you lose out on. Sacrificing steering feel for electric rubbish, or sacrificing the control you get with a manual transmission, for a fraction of a second faster shifts with paddles. That's not what building a perfect car is all about, yours is what it's all about. Just things you want to make it fun, memorable and a joy to drive, for YOU, not for numbers, or anyone else. Keep it up. Hopefully this kind of mentality can trickle down to younger generations of enthusiasts, and continue the lineage of what it's all really about, and not the direction things are going currently.
This might be random but I have a math teacher that looks and sounds like you and while I'm in class, all I can think about are one takes and what car you are going to do next.😂😂😂
Low 12s possibly dip into 11s is my Bet. 385hp to the Tires, don't know the Tq specs but with all the weight reductions and crazy suspension work done 11s wouldn't surprise me.
I once built a Fox Body 89 hatch GT. Bought it for $2,000, put about $18,000 in it. Motor rebuild, Kenne Bell supercharger, IRS, 275 in the front 315 in the back, cooling system, new rear end, built 5 speed, gutted interior, and all the other goodies. Every three months that fucker still broke every three months. I just think they are cursed man. Best of luck though!
+XenomorphLV426 what do you mean by better? that's like asking does chocolate ice cream tastes better than strawberry ice cream, its not that any of them is better they just are totally different...some r34 fan boys might say that R34 is the best handling car, some BMW owners want their cars to bit tail happy in certant way when exiting corner and might say that they are the best handling car etc. U just cant compare RWD fox body to a fiesta they are both great.
+XenomorphLV426 It's certainly going to put up a faster lap time but it doesn't handle "better" Anyone that thinks a stock fiesta ST is going to outrun a mustang on r comp 295's has never driven a car before.
+XenomorphLV426 Yes, it will. Fiesta has a lot more engineering of its vehicle dynamics than the Fox, especially compared to aftermarket parts. Thank 25 years newer computers.
+nezerac Hearing the parts list made this worth the wait. You literally have EVERYTHING that EVERY non-hipster wants to toss on their car. It sounds frickin amazing, it looks amazing going through those canyons. I'd say after you get the bugs out you'd have an ideal foxbody for those of us who like driving just as much as racing. Question is now when are you taking it to the track to compare it to the "prebadass" mods?
tommyboy1two Are you a sub? I've had an update video that I've been sitting on for a minute but I wanted to go through some little fixes that need to be filmed. Are you FEOA?
5:22 - '80s Trans Am car".... and the low information side of UA-cam probably thinks you are referring to a Pontiac F-body, or K.I.T.T lol.... you know, fellers that believe NASCAR and Drag Racing are the only forms of motorsports lol. Seriously though Matt, absolutely amazing 5.0 Mustang buddy. You have transformed this little Fox-body LX/SSP coupe into a dream car for sure. Thumbs up!
+nedaCFilms / Mustang-Town hahaha i was just searching for someone who thought he meant an f-body. Trans Am cars are some of my favorite, aesthetically. the racing wasnt half bad either.
+nedaCFilms / Mustang-Town 1ST enjoy your videos. As to Matts fox notch usually not a fan of them or black cars this one cross the line on both counts cool and badass car if ever there was one. I think I understand where he's going with this build and it's almost exactly the path I would take.. I say stay the course the end and fun are in sight. The good times are about to roll. Have never gotten a project this close to achieving the goals set forth in the begining. A little envious of the good times to come in this mean machine. Hope you run the wheels off it. Good Luck My Man!!...
Personally I don't care a lot about this mustang, but congratulations Mr. Farah. What I'm interested in is your Vanquish. When will you recieve it with the manual conversion done? Thank you!!
+TheSmokingTire I still prefer the Kentucky Porsche... ;) Cool car. One question... what's up with the headliner... I mean it's nice in all... but it ruins it for me... jk... don't you hate pedanticism... Seriously though... that's a sweet car... especially with your irs setup...
+jeadelmann90 It's the original headliner from when it was a police car back in the 80's and 90's the marks on it are burn marks from the barrels of hot shotguns. I like when you keep little pieces of the original car in a build, and that headliner stays.
TheSmokingTire I hadn't thought of that... admittedly I made my comment before having completing the video. The Mustang seems like a winner... I'm more of an Fbody guy (I like plastic that deteriorates and steering columns that have no business being in a sports car)... but I wouldn't say no to that car... What are your thoughts on LS swaps into Fox bodies... blasphemous cross-pollination?
+markstoys11 fuck no it isn't. not for me. I installed the exhaust myself on this car. It took hours, I was filthy, my back hurt, my hands hurt, I had to cancel dinner plans with my girlfriend, and at the end of the day, I could have done any number of more enjoyable things with my day. I work as hard as I work making videos so I can afford to pay an expert to install parts so I can spend my time doing what I enjoy doing: driving the car.
Well, I really enjoy the build process. But I know what you mean. If I had the money to pay someone to do the work I probably would - so I could spend more time driving too.
+TheSmokingTire I can co-sign Mr. Farah on this. I have been building my car for almost a year and I have all the tools I need and experience, but it does suck the life out of me sometimes...especially the setbacks :(
I run a square setup on my M3 and I know that feeling when the tires start to follow the road. :/ And nothing wrong with riding European. They sure as hell know what they are doing!
Matt have your headers brazed instead of tig'd you are much less likely to have the braze fail than a tig weld on a header. Companies like Hooker have used brazing on their header flanges forever. When welding dissimilar thickness metal (thin tube to a thick flange) it's hard to get a strong penetrating weld that isn't going to leave the thin tube weak so it's better to go with a surface area weld that leaves both pieces intact. If you look at any of Hooker's competition flanges they sell they are all brazed. I'd also have all 8 tubes brazed over just to make sure it doesn't happen again.
OtisENGINEuity I checked out the one where you took it in the dirt. I skipped through a lot if it. If it was shorter I'd watch the whole thing. lol. Seems like it's a real champ! I was getting 14mpg highway with mine. I'm a leadfoot though so street mpg was like 7. lol It was higher with a bit of courtesy to the gas tank though :D
nezerac mine's completely stock other than a K&N air cleaner in the stock box and E3 plugs.. yet it gets 10.3-11.3mpg with the 4spd overdrive E4OD.. If it made 350hp I'd be fine with it but making maybe 200 is just stupid.. Welcome to commifornia that you aren't able to put good vcats on it or get rid of the egr or anything that's killing the power and mileage. If I ever get the money I'm going to do a Coyote swap in it. Double the power and mileage at the same time.
OtisENGINEuity You should use motorcraft plugs. Fords do good with Ford parts. Trust me I went through the e3, iridium, etc, etc, with my 96 thunderbird lx. It's a complete waste of money. As far as the cali smog rules go you have to remember something. We have a denser population and literally a larger population that Australia. You ever see countries where their skies are always nasty looking? That's because they're either weak on smog regs or neighboring countries have poor smog regulations and their skies always look icky. Lastly california's smog regulations came about because we NEEDED it. We don't have a crap ton of mountains and trees to clean our air so in the 60's, prior to smog regulations we used to have OXYGEN TANKS!! LITERALLY!! Downtown LA had oxygen tanks on every corner because people were passing out from all of the smog waiting on lights to change. As far as 200hp...you need to look at something with the Bronco. 200hp is not the figure that matters for that truck. The 300+lb-ft of torque is what makes it a good truck. Not only that she's pretty lively for her age. I smoked Nissan titans with my 93 as long as we were rolling. Not only that the dog gears in the back make it to where her performance on the dirt is SUPERIOR. She doesn't spin tires when you floor it she just goes. I've played every scenario you're talking about through my head with my 93 and every time I had a friend with a beefy dodge or titan that would run me on the street, I'd murder them in the dirt. Keep her stock and happy bro. Trust me. Mine had 280k on it and ran like a dream. Not only that if you keep her at 70 on the highway you'll get pretty close to 14mpg which isn't great but when you compare it's offroad ability to how comfortable she is on road. It makes sense to have to sacrifice something somewhere. I told my ex gf that she only gets 14mpg hwy...but she also gets 40 smiles per gallon offroad. So it's plenty worth it.
I do like the spoiler look and I think it would go well on Matt's Stang, but I actually prefer the fox body in bone stock trim with no spoiler. Put some black mag wheels, a ride height similar to Matt's and some thick rubber to give it the stock car racecar look.
+NoBrakes23 I agree unless they are wide body or widened like this one. 6 inch wider wheel base and fender flares make it look goofy and squatty without a spoiler, IMO.
I love that you decided to keep the headliner. Every car has a story, and it's really awesome to be able to see little bits of that story left over in builds.
Wow he built a car to his personal tastes and people are bitching about it. It's his personal car people he can damn well do what he wants with it since he is the one paying for it. Given how much he paid for the paint I wouldn't want rock chips but I understand the more you drive they are inevitable.
NEED MORE POWER... Lose that intake and heads. If you dyno tune that car you will make around 250rwhp and thats not enough power. Time for a S trim and snow stage 3 meth kit. Then its good to go. IMO
I have nothijg but love for a grown up who konws how to piece together a real world working car, goes balls to the wall. This project have seemed SO exiting from the get go. Especially all that focus on handling and feel. That's what makes a great car! I hope it ends up as fantastic as you're trying to make it. Judging by the video alone, it seems to down a road very well already:)
sounds like you fulfilled your picture of a driverscar. you should get more satisfying cars like these, I hope you will be able to afford some more, you deserve it, and you're a decent driver. expensive cars seem well placed in your hands but I like how you built your own with a personal view on what a car should be. enjoy
Matt, I was an intern at HRE while your wheels were being made, I helped design them LOL. They were tough I remember cause you wanted the overhang over the edge of the rim, but needed it to fit within the fender well. Love the vid and I love the car, I like it better than the vette!
Great stuff. How the car makes you feel is the most important thing Matt. Great to see you "living the dream", as they say... Looking forward to more updates on your build! Cheers from Australia.
Two must have parts for your engine... Bigger mass air meter and an adjustable fuel pressure regulator. Good choice on the exhaust. Two chamber flowmasters with an H-pipe is how it was done back in the day. Classic 5.0 sound from the 90's. I got an X-pipe for my stang back in 1999 and no one even knew what it was. Funny how times have changed.
Matt, any idea the weight? I liked what you said about right size. I was driving along a Fox and couldn't believe how small it was. Real sports car size unlike the Ecoboost Stang I rented recently.
+TheSmokingTire I'd love to hear more about the engine and power. 385hp won't impress the Internet. I find that's a lot for a road car that's about the weight of your Fox.
18 month build? You must have a tight budget. Your not doing the work yourself, so that means whoever is doing the build is taking their time or like I said you got a tight budget. The Fox wasn't even in bad shape. If it was a ground up restoration, I could see it taking 2 years or longer !
18 month build? You must have a tight budget. Your not doing the work yourself, so that means whoever is doing the build is taking their time or like I said you got a tight budget. The Fox wasn't even in bad shape. If it was a ground up restoration, I could see it taking 2 years or longer !
I cannot wait until I get my Skyline to even 3/4 the level this car is at. I like these late 80s early 90s era cars like this. Building them up is fantastic. This car would be my high school hero as well, lol.
Yeah. Back when I was in high school, from 1998-2002, one of my classmates drove a red 1993 Mustang GT with the louver rack on the back window. At the time that was my dream car but far from reach. He always picked on me in math and science class. An asshole my entire HS career. Anyways, I Ioved that unmistakable Mustang sound as he left the school parking lot. At the time I was driving a 1985 Crown Victoria LTD(also had a 5.0 V8). Now I have a modern interpretation of that Mustang he had but now. I bought a brand new Red 2012 Mustang GT/CS and fitted it with a MRT rear window louver and I love driving it.
I am doing a 2003 Brake Conversion on my '88 Hatch GT. I'd like to upgrade the steering next. I am wondering what parts you used. 03-04 Cobra rack? Is that all? Does everything else bolt up? I know you said you added a PS cooler... Thanks Matt @thesmokingtire
This is one of my fav One Takes I gotta say.... I've always loved the notch-back fox body mustang since high school, and always wanted one. I'm not a mustang guru, but the main downfalls of mustangs isn't power but, cornering ability and suspension, and this was fine tuned perfectly to perfect those issues. Driving a mustang that handles like an import/euro car is phenomenal... Thanks for sharing your project, I love this complete build. I surely cant wait to see more of this car....
Not enough power for today's standards. I do realize it is a small car, but still 200 or 300 more HP (naturally aspirated) would be preferred to make it more unique, fun and exciting weekend driver, occasional track car. That is what I would choose when building a similar one, but tastes differ, of course.
I'm of the opinion that when you can spin the rears shifting into third, you have enough power.maybe down the road I'll add more, but it was important to overbuild the chassis up front
+kris7822 Like he already said, it's enough power for a lightweight track car. I believe he's also said in the past that he wants to be able to drive it around for doing errands and whatnot, so a 500-600hp car would not be ideal for that.
+kris7822 You may or may not have a high horsepower car yourself, and are just caught up in the trends of today where having a 1k+ hp car is the definition of fun. Whether or not that's the case, I'm sure Matt has thought out his build very well and decided what would be the most fun for him. I have 2 cars that make gobs of hp, but am going to get a new Miata just because its impossible to fully enjoy my cars unless i'm on a high hp road course or half mile event. A lower hp car that handles well is alot of fun. I personally think giving Matt's fox more power would ruin it
Any chance of a ballpark figure of how much all of that cost? You have one of the best racecar Mustangs. The only thing I'd personally change if it were mine would be the 18's, but it still looks and sounds amazing just the way it is. Makes me want to actually do some work on my Fox.
+TheSmokingTire You couldn't get a better deal than what you have on a new car, even for 50k. Looking forward to track videos! We've been waiting for this since you bought it! Glad it turned out even better than you expected so far.
I feel your pain matt. 11 years and I still tweak the tune and suspension setup in my mustang on a weekly basis. It's a never ending project. Really bad luck on those BBK headers though. I've had my BBK shorties (non ceramic) for about 6 or 7 years and the only problem I ever had was one time I was working on the car and one of the bolts just fell right out. I put it back in but other than that I never had another problem with those headers. I hope everything else comes together for you soon.
I had a bright red 5.0 87' GT 5peed as my first car in high school..and IT turned ME into a pussy gettin mother f'er... and started my love affair with fast cars... I hope to one day do what you have done here... just not with the IRS.. not for me.. Awesome none the less Matt..
I had 1 7/8" long tube BBK headers, No clutch cable fitment or reliability issues. Just wanted to put it out there. Thanks for the ride Matt.. Still sounded good thru my Note 3.
deadly job, matt it's about fucking time a few of us have been waiting a while on this video. i've seen so many straight line fox bodies, it's nice to see one that can do more than a dragstrip competently i don't blame you for being so damn stoked. if i had coin i'd love to see what you could do with a t bird turbo coupe from the 80's or 90's... love them fords, bro
Alright, so any chance on you taking it to Willow Springs and running some hot laps when it's all said and done. So far I love what you have done with the old F-body!
im thinking if the header welds are cracking you may need to support the x pipe better? Like too much weight and vibration is pulling on the headers up to the heads. Youre probably on top of it, just thinking out loud.
Man, the guy drives the car so well while he is doing the explaining, it almost got me hypnotized and feel like i'm right there on the passenger's seat, and in some moments, even as if I'm behind the wheel, listening to him on the radio and just tripping! Awesome clip!
Matt, i know ive dogged on your reviews in the past for leaving things out, lol. But its to help you improve, lol. This review however was excellent! You should use it as your templet for all reviews. Now let me pick on the car a little, lol. Why on earth did you do the following: buy a crate ( stock block? ) 5.0, when you could of spent a little more and done a built 331 or 347 big bore with either boss block, dart, 4A, 302r blocks. For just a little bit more but well worth it. With 500plus chp NA easy on pump. T5? Why on earth? Tko or t56 or magnum 13in cobra brakes? Again for a little more you could of done the Shelby s 14 or even 15" setup. With a abs conversion. Also should of done good set of long tube headers with 3" exhaust all the way back, 3 or 3.5" tips Needs update video on this car. Did u ever do a after track video?
Im gonna end up with that same set up for my 98 cobra. Sounds exactly what im looking for, sweet ride! Btw STAY AWAY FROM BBK PRODUCTS!! Ive had nothing but problems with them, and matt clearly had one too. Junk parts
Got 2 foxbodies for sale ... Im unable to finsish either want to sell to another foxbody fan. 1 82 mercury capri,non op. Motor has all machine work done , assembled shortblock. Was a daily driver before i began restoring , pulled engine , cleaned engine bay (media blasted and sealed) . 4speed trans, pulled and cleaned. Small rear end (not an 8.8) its factory . 2.83 gears i believe. Other car is 87 GT speed density car . Roller with cowl hood & 4 lug black cobras .no motor or trans , back tags. Both cars are in bakersfield . Need both gone asap. Respond to this if willing to meet in person and pickup or i can help coordinte shipping.
Awesome car, congrats. MM rules, I just had their CC Plates installed on my 03 Cobra. My 96 Mystic has the full "Road & Track" suspension system on it (with upgraded Bilsteins). I would've loved to go tubular for the k-member, but I don't have the funds for that. It still handles beautifully!:)
You should've kept it. I am building my own version and barring carastrophe I will never get rid of it. My version is 351w, tr3550, cobra irs, brembo cobra r front brakes, foxbody station wagon. I have a lot more planned. Google "daddywagon". My advice... buy it back and finish what you started. I want more engine and more transmission for the daddywagon and a complete cosmetic restoration. I still come back to the "One Take" videos of old because I enjoy the different content. Classic mustangs brought me in, but foxbodys became my focus and made me a true automotive enthusiast.
Ahhhh - my father bought a fully brand new base (no option) '89 LX 5.0 Hatchback. Had a T5 and 3.55 gears. Man, what I lucky early teen I was - father had a "COOL" car! But he ended up getting rid of it before I could drive. But watching these video's, I can say that some day I do want one.... It's a car that I couldn't have - always some reason I couldn't own one.... Ahh, the exhaust note - how I miss thee... Oh sorry - getting too caught up in the memories and now rambling.... Anyways, I do want to ask a question - what I remember is if he was driving the car nicely (rare - and usually because my Grandmother was sitting in the passenger seat), in first gear it sort of had a momentary lurch during clutch engagement. I always thought it was due to his leg and back problems. But when I was looking for my first car, I test drove a lot of Fox Mustang's, and every one I drove had that ever so slight lurch only when driven nicely - exactly like my dad's car. Every 'Stang I drove that lurch would always vanish when driven moderately or harder.... I do want to ask - is this a common trait of these cars when driven nicely? Maybe it's a dumb question though - I don't think many people drive these cars that gently.
It’s come alone way very nice I like it a lot I’m also slowly getting my mustang gt I have and 01 just wanna have it as close as possible to stock with just a few changes to make it my own waif liking it to be
Matt's Mustang is Best Mustang
hahahahahahahaha
+Andrew Cathcart Matt's Corvette si Best Corvette
Where's his toy car?
does he have a motorcycle helmet?
Lol regular car reviews
I've been looking forward to this one-take for a year! looking forward to future video's with the fox body
Congratulations Matt on having built your perfect car. You've done a nice job, made the right decisions, and it's looking great. This is the notion younger generations of automotive enthusiasts lack.
Everyone chasing numbers, and more numbers, no matter the cost, or what you lose out on. Sacrificing steering feel for electric rubbish, or sacrificing the control you get with a manual transmission, for a fraction of a second faster shifts with paddles.
That's not what building a perfect car is all about, yours is what it's all about. Just things you want to make it fun, memorable and a joy to drive, for YOU, not for numbers, or anyone else. Keep it up. Hopefully this kind of mentality can trickle down to younger generations of enthusiasts, and continue the lineage of what it's all really about, and not the direction things are going currently.
This!
+enigmaPL easily done with daddys money
well said.
Music 2015 Selection so is your mother
+Emmanuel Reyes Yes, burn like that takes years of experience
Would be cool to see Matt's finished Mustang on the track with Larry's 911.
+TheCamaro5 and carlos' 240ss
+disorderlyconduct97 240ss is no longer at Carlos
+disorderlyconduct97 they sold it. It was supposed to be under roadkill's supervision
+TheCamaro5
BUMP!!!
+TheCamaro5 Larry's car is a 964.
Awesome Fox, sounding great and the last 5% can sometimes take as much time to sort out as the initial 95%! Best of luck with the fine tuning.
how's the 69?
tommyboy1two Coming along, more updates soon
"I actually want rock chips" until you get that first one and faint...lol
This might be random but I have a math teacher that looks and sounds like you and while I'm in class, all I can think about are one takes and what car you are going to do next.😂😂😂
When the Car is complete would love to see the strait line performance also.
Low 12s possibly dip into 11s is my Bet. 385hp to the Tires, don't know the Tq specs but with all the weight reductions and crazy suspension work done 11s wouldn't surprise me.
In earlier episodes its 385 to the Tires. Im sure he will have an episode when its on a Dyno. Hopefully .
+Zabey Bell 385 at the crank, I never said 385 wheel
Ok. Do you have an option on what you think it might do in the 1/4? Rough guess?
+Zabey Bell If you listen to his mods, he definitely didn't build this for the 1/4 mile...
Love the Fox Mustang updates. Would be awesome to have project car like this.
+Nick Murray hey you! build one!
Is this Matt Farrah's million mile Lexus?
This is not Matt Farrah's million mile Lexus.
+Ross Miller #iseewhatyoudidthere
Foxbody brethren! I love these cars, nostalgia by the gallon.
+Doug Smith gallons and gallons of 110 nostalgia ;)
is this matt farah's million mile lexus?
+RB26 likeaboss Well, of course it is, silly.
oh my bad.
+RB26 likeaboss No.
I once built a Fox Body 89 hatch GT. Bought it for $2,000, put about $18,000 in it. Motor rebuild, Kenne Bell supercharger, IRS, 275 in the front 315 in the back, cooling system, new rear end, built 5 speed, gutted interior, and all the other goodies.
Every three months that fucker still broke every three months. I just think they are cursed man.
Best of luck though!
+MrCarttbone what kept breaking?
Does it handle better than the Fiesta ST?
+XenomorphLV426 I kinda doubt it
Most likely, large square tires and rwd, good combination
+XenomorphLV426 what do you mean by better? that's like asking does chocolate ice cream tastes better than strawberry ice cream, its not that any of them is better they just are totally different...some r34 fan boys might say that R34 is the best handling car, some BMW owners want their cars to bit tail happy in certant way when exiting corner and might say that they are the best handling car etc. U just cant compare RWD fox body to a fiesta they are both great.
+XenomorphLV426 It's certainly going to put up a faster lap time but it doesn't handle "better"
Anyone that thinks a stock fiesta ST is going to outrun a mustang on r comp 295's has never driven a car before.
+XenomorphLV426 Yes, it will. Fiesta has a lot more engineering of its vehicle dynamics than the Fox, especially compared to aftermarket parts. Thank 25 years newer computers.
JESUS CHRIST!! I've been waiting for this for forever.
+nezerac
Hearing the parts list made this worth the wait. You literally have EVERYTHING that EVERY non-hipster wants to toss on their car. It sounds frickin amazing, it looks amazing going through those canyons. I'd say after you get the bugs out you'd have an ideal foxbody for those of us who like driving just as much as racing.
Question is now when are you taking it to the track to compare it to the "prebadass" mods?
+nezerac when I'm confident it will survive a hard hour's worth of canyons. The track is expensive and far away, and I'd hate to waste the time.
+nezerac what's going on with the escort? it's been forever.
TheSmokingTire
Understandable. Any predictions on a time?
tommyboy1two
Are you a sub? I've had an update video that I've been sitting on for a minute but I wanted to go through some little fixes that need to be filmed. Are you FEOA?
5:22 - '80s Trans Am car".... and the low information side of UA-cam probably thinks you are referring to a Pontiac F-body, or K.I.T.T lol.... you know, fellers that believe NASCAR and Drag Racing are the only forms of motorsports lol. Seriously though Matt, absolutely amazing 5.0 Mustang buddy. You have transformed this little Fox-body LX/SSP coupe into a dream car for sure. Thumbs up!
+nedaCFilms / Mustang-Town hahaha i was just searching for someone who thought he meant an f-body. Trans Am cars are some of my favorite, aesthetically. the racing wasnt half bad either.
+nedaCFilms / Mustang-Town Sorry If I am missing what you are saying, but do you mean like Touring car racing? Just wondering.
+nedaCFilms / Mustang-Town 1ST enjoy your videos. As to Matts fox notch usually not a fan of them or black cars this one cross the line on both counts cool and badass car if ever there was one. I think I understand where he's going with this build and it's almost exactly the path I would take..
I say stay the course the end and fun are in sight. The good times are about to roll. Have never gotten a project this close to achieving the goals set forth in the begining. A little envious of the good times to come in this mean machine.
Hope you run the wheels off it. Good Luck My Man!!...
Which do you think handles better, This Mustang or your Corvette?
+xXDahChubChubXx now thats a good question!
+xXDahChubChubXx corvette easily
+Def1led x
nice balanced platform from the get go.
I'd assume his Vette.
Great car Matt! When it's completely finished you should let Chris Harris drive it!
Personally I don't care a lot about this mustang, but congratulations Mr. Farah.
What I'm interested in is your Vanquish. When will you recieve it with the manual conversion done?
Thank you!!
+Antonio Martin at some point. It's been over there nearly a year.
+TheSmokingTire Ok, that's interesting. Thank very much for your time
+TheSmokingTire I still prefer the Kentucky Porsche... ;) Cool car. One question... what's up with the headliner... I mean it's nice in all... but it ruins it for me... jk... don't you hate pedanticism...
Seriously though... that's a sweet car... especially with your irs setup...
+jeadelmann90 It's the original headliner from when it was a police car back in the 80's and 90's the marks on it are burn marks from the barrels of hot shotguns. I like when you keep little pieces of the original car in a build, and that headliner stays.
TheSmokingTire I hadn't thought of that... admittedly I made my comment before having completing the video. The Mustang seems like a winner... I'm more of an Fbody guy (I like plastic that deteriorates and steering columns that have no business being in a sports car)... but I wouldn't say no to that car...
What are your thoughts on LS swaps into Fox bodies... blasphemous cross-pollination?
Not much fun when the car is build by someone else.
+Kristoffer Hansen way more fun than if I had to wrench on it myself. Fuck that.
+TheSmokingTire Building it is just as fun--when you have the skills.
+markstoys11 fuck no it isn't. not for me. I installed the exhaust myself on this car. It took hours, I was filthy, my back hurt, my hands hurt, I had to cancel dinner plans with my girlfriend, and at the end of the day, I could have done any number of more enjoyable things with my day. I work as hard as I work making videos so I can afford to pay an expert to install parts so I can spend my time doing what I enjoy doing: driving the car.
Well, I really enjoy the build process. But I know what you mean. If I had the money to pay someone to do the work I probably would - so I could spend more time driving too.
+TheSmokingTire I can co-sign Mr. Farah on this. I have been building my car for almost a year and I have all the tools I need and experience, but it does suck the life out of me sometimes...especially the setbacks :(
I run a square setup on my M3 and I know that feeling when the tires start to follow the road. :/
And nothing wrong with riding European. They sure as hell know what they are doing!
Matt have your headers brazed instead of tig'd you are much less likely to have the braze fail than a tig weld on a header. Companies like Hooker have used brazing on their header flanges forever. When welding dissimilar thickness metal (thin tube to a thick flange) it's hard to get a strong penetrating weld that isn't going to leave the thin tube weak so it's better to go with a surface area weld that leaves both pieces intact. If you look at any of Hooker's competition flanges they sell they are all brazed.
I'd also have all 8 tubes brazed over just to make sure it doesn't happen again.
+OtisENGINEuity
Nice Bronco, Sir!
nezerac hehe thanks, all 10mpg 200hp 5.8L of it. There's a few vids in it on my page.
OtisENGINEuity
I checked out the one where you took it in the dirt. I skipped through a lot if it. If it was shorter I'd watch the whole thing. lol. Seems like it's a real champ! I was getting 14mpg highway with mine. I'm a leadfoot though so street mpg was like 7. lol It was higher with a bit of courtesy to the gas tank though
:D
nezerac mine's completely stock other than a K&N air cleaner in the stock box and E3 plugs.. yet it gets 10.3-11.3mpg with the 4spd overdrive E4OD.. If it made 350hp I'd be fine with it but making maybe 200 is just stupid.. Welcome to commifornia that you aren't able to put good vcats on it or get rid of the egr or anything that's killing the power and mileage. If I ever get the money I'm going to do a Coyote swap in it. Double the power and mileage at the same time.
OtisENGINEuity
You should use motorcraft plugs. Fords do good with Ford parts. Trust me I went through the e3, iridium, etc, etc, with my 96 thunderbird lx. It's a complete waste of money. As far as the cali smog rules go you have to remember something. We have a denser population and literally a larger population that Australia. You ever see countries where their skies are always nasty looking? That's because they're either weak on smog regs or neighboring countries have poor smog regulations and their skies always look icky.
Lastly california's smog regulations came about because we NEEDED it. We don't have a crap ton of mountains and trees to clean our air so in the 60's, prior to smog regulations we used to have OXYGEN TANKS!! LITERALLY!! Downtown LA had oxygen tanks on every corner because people were passing out from all of the smog waiting on lights to change.
As far as 200hp...you need to look at something with the Bronco. 200hp is not the figure that matters for that truck. The 300+lb-ft of torque is what makes it a good truck. Not only that she's pretty lively for her age. I smoked Nissan titans with my 93 as long as we were rolling. Not only that the dog gears in the back make it to where her performance on the dirt is SUPERIOR. She doesn't spin tires when you floor it she just goes. I've played every scenario you're talking about through my head with my 93 and every time I had a friend with a beefy dodge or titan that would run me on the street, I'd murder them in the dirt. Keep her stock and happy bro. Trust me. Mine had 280k on it and ran like a dream. Not only that if you keep her at 70 on the highway you'll get pretty close to 14mpg which isn't great but when you compare it's offroad ability to how comfortable she is on road. It makes sense to have to sacrifice something somewhere. I told my ex gf that she only gets 14mpg hwy...but she also gets 40 smiles per gallon offroad. So it's plenty worth it.
You ain't retro without the saleen spoiler bro.
I do like the spoiler look and I think it would go well on Matt's Stang, but I actually prefer the fox body in bone stock trim with no spoiler. Put some black mag wheels, a ride height similar to Matt's and some thick rubber to give it the stock car racecar look.
Mine is for sale
check out the saleen.
forums.corral.net/forums/lounge/1162662-there-ever-coupe-notch-gt.html
+Tyler Luckenbill Fox bodies all look better with no spoiler.
+NoBrakes23 I agree unless they are wide body or widened like this one. 6 inch wider wheel base and fender flares make it look goofy and squatty without a spoiler, IMO.
I love that you decided to keep the headliner. Every car has a story, and it's really awesome to be able to see little bits of that story left over in builds.
Does anyone know if the engine is an aluminum or iron block? I would assume it is iron...
+CarsandCameras iron block with aluminum heads.
TheSmokingTire Thank you sir. It sounds great.
Just played Forza 6, and randomly heard your voice in the game. It caught me by surprise. Very cool!
Those fender flairs are so on point.
Wow he built a car to his personal tastes and people are bitching about it. It's his personal car people he can damn well do what he wants with it since he is the one paying for it. Given how much he paid for the paint I wouldn't want rock chips but I understand the more you drive they are inevitable.
Wow, this turned out absolutely amazing,
Glad it's all coming together. That thing is going to be bad ass, once you get it fully sorted.
That t-5 was built to last..a few years.
NEED MORE POWER... Lose that intake and heads. If you dyno tune that car you will make around 250rwhp and thats not enough power. Time for a S trim and snow stage 3 meth kit. Then its good to go. IMO
My mustang is best mustang because Matt Ferra built it.
"I want some rock chips on my car" said no one ever... wait dammit, nevermind. :-P
seriously right! hahahaha
Brilliant! Im doing track shakedown with my 90 Saleen very very soon. Only one in Japan haha
I have nothijg but love for a grown up who konws how to piece together a real world working car, goes balls to the wall. This project have seemed SO exiting from the get go. Especially all that focus on handling and feel. That's what makes a great car!
I hope it ends up as fantastic as you're trying to make it. Judging by the video alone, it seems to down a road very well already:)
Do you know the curb weight, Matt?
Ha... Ain't watched it yet.. Letting ad run out to help pay for the Fox.. So excited!
sounds like you fulfilled your picture of a driverscar. you should get more satisfying cars like these, I hope you will be able to afford some more, you deserve it, and you're a decent driver. expensive cars seem well placed in your hands but I like how you built your own with a personal view on what a car should be.
enjoy
Matt, I was an intern at HRE while your wheels were being made, I helped design them LOL. They were tough I remember cause you wanted the overhang over the edge of the rim, but needed it to fit within the fender well. Love the vid and I love the car, I like it better than the vette!
+gttoharo thanks for helping make the wheels! They are sick!
+TheSmokingTire what are the wheels called lol i want them
+TheSmokingTire what are the wheels called lol i want them
Man do I love a well built fox. Partial to the earlier 4 eyed fox with the pace car front end myself. Perhaps one day!
All it needs is an evil dovetail spoiler to complete the look. When is the 1st track day for this beauty?
It looks so clean great work Matt, I love the older Mustangs
Awesome! "The Mustang." Great update.
I have never been a fox body fan, but I really like yours it's an excellent example.
I like the rivots on the flares. I't makes it look "tool-like", instead trying to look pretty.
I been waiting for this for A while now. Car looks really nice even with the exhaust leak still sounds nice. Keep it up matt
I'm waiting for a Matt vs. Larry race, TST vs Ammo...
Great stuff. How the car makes you feel is the most important thing Matt. Great to see you "living the dream", as they say... Looking forward to more updates on your build!
Cheers from Australia.
DID NOT SEE THIS COMING. I THOUGHT IT'LL BE A FEW MONTHS LATER
Nothing like a Ford 5.0 with headers and flowmasters :) nice build
All that chassis & motor work, same old trashed headliner.
Matt you REALLY are a gear head, my man. ;-)
Long tube headers and H pipe all the way.
Finally an update! I live for the project vids man! Those tires are meaty as shiz, looks so good!
Two must have parts for your engine... Bigger mass air meter and an adjustable fuel pressure regulator. Good choice on the exhaust. Two chamber flowmasters with an H-pipe is how it was done back in the day. Classic 5.0 sound from the 90's. I got an X-pipe for my stang back in 1999 and no one even knew what it was. Funny how times have changed.
keep it clean or larry is gonna kill you;)
Looks awesome, but wouldn't it have been alot cheaper and easier to just go for a faster car, rather then do all these mods?
That's not the point. I wanted a notchback mustang. Not a faster car.
Matt, any idea the weight? I liked what you said about right size. I was driving along a Fox and couldn't believe how small it was. Real sports car size unlike the Ecoboost Stang I rented recently.
+Michael Cohen I think it's about 3,1XX
+TheSmokingTire I'd love to hear more about the engine and power. 385hp won't impress the Internet. I find that's a lot for a road car that's about the weight of your Fox.
Can't wait to see those Buttonwillow times!
Matt, O/R H-Pipe or Catted? I had a 95 5.0 w/ the MAC O/R H-PIpe and dual chamber flow catback. Miss that car. H-Pipe sounds better than X IMO
Woohoo!!! An update on the Mustang!! Yay!!!
i want to see those trim tags for that ssp option
18 month build? You must have a tight budget. Your not doing the work yourself, so that means whoever is doing the build is taking their time or like I said you got a tight budget. The Fox wasn't even in bad shape. If it was a ground up restoration, I could see it taking 2 years or longer !
18 month build? You must have a tight budget. Your not doing the work yourself, so that means whoever is doing the build is taking their time or like I said you got a tight budget. The Fox wasn't even in bad shape. If it was a ground up restoration, I could see it taking 2 years or longer !
I cannot wait until I get my Skyline to even 3/4 the level this car is at.
I like these late 80s early 90s era cars like this. Building them up is fantastic.
This car would be my high school hero as well, lol.
Yeah. Back when I was in high school, from 1998-2002, one of my classmates drove a red 1993 Mustang GT with the louver rack on the back window. At the time that was my dream car but far from reach. He always picked on me in math and science class. An asshole my entire HS career. Anyways, I Ioved that unmistakable Mustang sound as he left the school parking lot. At the time I was driving a 1985 Crown Victoria LTD(also had a 5.0 V8). Now I have a modern interpretation of that Mustang he had but now. I bought a brand new Red 2012 Mustang GT/CS and fitted it with a MRT rear window louver and I love driving it.
I wanna see this car pushed to the limit on a track
The car looks simple but menacing at the same time. Badass. Good job Matt!
I am doing a 2003 Brake Conversion on my '88 Hatch GT.
I'd like to upgrade the steering next. I am wondering what parts you used. 03-04 Cobra rack? Is that all? Does everything else bolt up?
I know you said you added a PS cooler...
Thanks Matt @thesmokingtire
This is one of my fav One Takes I gotta say.... I've always loved the notch-back fox body mustang since high school, and always wanted one. I'm not a mustang guru, but the main downfalls of mustangs isn't power but, cornering ability and suspension, and this was fine tuned perfectly to perfect those issues. Driving a mustang that handles like an import/euro car is phenomenal... Thanks for sharing your project, I love this complete build. I surely cant wait to see more of this car....
Not enough power for today's standards. I do realize it is a small car, but still 200 or 300 more HP (naturally aspirated) would be preferred to make it more unique, fun and exciting weekend driver, occasional track car. That is what I would choose when building a similar one, but tastes differ, of course.
I'm of the opinion that when you can spin the rears shifting into third, you have enough power.maybe down the road I'll add more, but it was important to overbuild the chassis up front
+kris7822 Like he already said, it's enough power for a lightweight track car. I believe he's also said in the past that he wants to be able to drive it around for doing errands and whatnot, so a 500-600hp car would not be ideal for that.
+kris7822 You may or may not have a high horsepower car yourself, and are just caught up in the trends of today where having a 1k+ hp car is the definition of fun. Whether or not that's the case, I'm sure Matt has thought out his build very well and decided what would be the most fun for him. I have 2 cars that make gobs of hp, but am going to get a new Miata just because its impossible to fully enjoy my cars unless i'm on a high hp road course or half mile event. A lower hp car that handles well is alot of fun. I personally think giving Matt's fox more power would ruin it
Any chance of a ballpark figure of how much all of that cost? You have one of the best racecar Mustangs. The only thing I'd personally change if it were mine would be the 18's, but it still looks and sounds amazing just the way it is.
Makes me want to actually do some work on my Fox.
I spent over $30k so far. Retail price on the build would be over $50k
+TheSmokingTire You couldn't get a better deal than what you have on a new car, even for 50k.
Looking forward to track videos! We've been waiting for this since you bought it! Glad it turned out even better than you expected so far.
+Shortstuffjo We'll find out when my Focus RS comes in :)
All of that top-shelf work and big-dollar parts, but you chose a cheap, Grip Royal steering wheel? May I ask why?
I feel your pain matt. 11 years and I still tweak the tune and suspension setup in my mustang on a weekly basis. It's a never ending project. Really bad luck on those BBK headers though. I've had my BBK shorties (non ceramic) for about 6 or 7 years and the only problem I ever had was one time I was working on the car and one of the bolts just fell right out. I put it back in but other than that I never had another problem with those headers.
I hope everything else comes together for you soon.
I had a bright red 5.0 87' GT 5peed as my first car in high school..and IT turned ME into a pussy gettin mother f'er... and started my love affair with fast cars... I hope to one day do what you have done here... just not with the IRS.. not for me.. Awesome none the less Matt..
I had 1 7/8" long tube BBK headers, No clutch cable fitment or reliability issues. Just wanted to put it out there. Thanks for the ride Matt.. Still sounded good thru my Note 3.
Finally & I'm not even mad though
18 months of parts and labor - $$$$$$$$$$$$$$
I would make it look full track car and just yank the headliner out.
Last time I drove a car with no headliner it burned my head from the heat of the sun. The whole headliner only weighs like 2 lbs so I'll keep it.
+TheSmokingTire keep it to have back reference to car's history and use as chp.
deadly job, matt it's about fucking time a few of us have been waiting a while on this video. i've seen so many straight line fox bodies, it's nice to see one that can do more than a dragstrip competently i don't blame you for being so damn stoked. if i had coin i'd love to see what you could do with a t bird turbo coupe from the 80's or 90's...
love them fords, bro
My first real car was an 88 GT with a 5 speed. Loved that car, until some drunk bitch totaled it in a parking lot.
Sounds sick man. The only thing I'd do differently is a racier engine that can really spin some RPM. Nothing sounds as good as a 302 at 7500+.
Finally! This was a nice surprise to see when I woke today. Love the car and did it the way I probably would have done if I had the funds.
Matt... where's the Mustang?! Show us the Mustang!
Matt any chance in getting Randy Pobst taking it for a few laps around Willow Springs once you get all the fit and finish done?
I don't know randy and he works for a competing media outlet so probably not
Alright, so any chance on you taking it to Willow Springs and running some hot laps when it's all said and done. So far I love what you have done with the old F-body!
im thinking if the header welds are cracking you may need to support the x pipe better? Like too much weight and vibration is pulling on the headers up to the heads. Youre probably on top of it, just thinking out loud.
Man, the guy drives the car so well while he is doing the explaining, it almost got me hypnotized and feel like i'm right there on the passenger's seat, and in some moments, even as if I'm behind the wheel, listening to him on the radio and just tripping!
Awesome clip!
That my friend is the coolest mustang i have ever seen are you ready to sell .
Finally Matt has showed us that mustang! Great to see it's pretty well done now! That's the kinda stuff people want to see from you!
Love me some FoxBody's.. Great Job Matt, your build is definitely out of the norm and it's awesome to see. Keep up the vids man.
Matt, i know ive dogged on your reviews in the past for leaving things out, lol. But its to help you improve, lol. This review however was excellent! You should use it as your templet for all reviews.
Now let me pick on the car a little, lol.
Why on earth did you do the following: buy a crate ( stock block? ) 5.0, when you could of spent a little more and done a built 331 or 347 big bore with either boss block, dart, 4A, 302r blocks. For just a little bit more but well worth it. With 500plus chp NA easy on pump.
T5? Why on earth? Tko or t56 or magnum
13in cobra brakes? Again for a little more you could of done the Shelby s 14 or even 15" setup. With a abs conversion.
Also should of done good set of long tube headers with 3" exhaust all the way back, 3 or 3.5" tips
Needs update video on this car. Did u ever do a after track video?
Amazing to see a well thought out, well executed, good looking Foxbody. Bravo Farah, very jealous
Im gonna end up with that same set up for my 98 cobra. Sounds exactly what im looking for, sweet ride!
Btw STAY AWAY FROM BBK PRODUCTS!! Ive had nothing but problems with them, and matt clearly had one too. Junk parts
Got 2 foxbodies for sale ...
Im unable to finsish either want to sell to another foxbody fan.
1 82 mercury capri,non op.
Motor has all machine work done , assembled shortblock. Was a daily driver before i began restoring , pulled engine , cleaned engine bay (media blasted and sealed) .
4speed trans, pulled and cleaned. Small rear end (not an 8.8) its factory . 2.83 gears i believe.
Other car is 87 GT speed density car .
Roller with cowl hood & 4 lug black cobras .no motor or trans , back tags.
Both cars are in bakersfield .
Need both gone asap.
Respond to this if willing to meet in person and pickup or i can help coordinte shipping.
Matt: It sounds a little off and I apologise.
Dude it sounds amazing.
Awesome car, congrats. MM rules, I just had their CC Plates installed on my 03 Cobra. My 96 Mystic has the full "Road & Track" suspension system on it (with upgraded Bilsteins). I would've loved to go tubular for the k-member, but I don't have the funds for that. It still handles beautifully!:)
+TheSmokingTire love the fox body! Seems like a very well balanced car. IRS is definitely the way to go
You should've kept it. I am building my own version and barring carastrophe I will never get rid of it. My version is 351w, tr3550, cobra irs, brembo cobra r front brakes, foxbody station wagon. I have a lot more planned. Google "daddywagon". My advice... buy it back and finish what you started. I want more engine and more transmission for the daddywagon and a complete cosmetic restoration. I still come back to the "One Take" videos of old because I enjoy the different content. Classic mustangs brought me in, but foxbodys became my focus and made me a true automotive enthusiast.
Ahhhh - my father bought a fully brand new base (no option) '89 LX 5.0 Hatchback. Had a T5 and 3.55 gears. Man, what I lucky early teen I was - father had a "COOL" car! But he ended up getting rid of it before I could drive. But watching these video's, I can say that some day I do want one.... It's a car that I couldn't have - always some reason I couldn't own one.... Ahh, the exhaust note - how I miss thee... Oh sorry - getting too caught up in the memories and now rambling.... Anyways, I do want to ask a question - what I remember is if he was driving the car nicely (rare - and usually because my Grandmother was sitting in the passenger seat), in first gear it sort of had a momentary lurch during clutch engagement. I always thought it was due to his leg and back problems. But when I was looking for my first car, I test drove a lot of Fox Mustang's, and every one I drove had that ever so slight lurch only when driven nicely - exactly like my dad's car. Every 'Stang I drove that lurch would always vanish when driven moderately or harder.... I do want to ask - is this a common trait of these cars when driven nicely? Maybe it's a dumb question though - I don't think many people drive these cars that gently.
So glad to see you making progress. Are you thinking about getting a different set of headers since these have given you so many issues?
+Blake's Garage yes I'm replacing them
It’s come alone way very nice I like it a lot I’m also slowly getting my mustang gt I have and 01 just wanna have it as close as possible to stock with just a few changes to make it my own waif liking it to be