LatemodelRestoration.com Blog

Long Live Mustang.... and Lightning

scott s — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:35:00 GMT

Those of you who know us and watch our site may notice some recent changes as to our product offering. As of today, we are now solely focused on our 1979-2013 Ford Mustang and 1993-2004 Ford Lightning product lines.

Veering Off...

You’ve seen some deviation from this in our 12 years of business. We saw need along our path to veer off, and explore other models. 88-98 Chevy truck came first. We saw parallels between these trucks and our beloved Fox body Mustangs based off the popularity of the platform, ability to customize and availability of parts. Next, we explored the resurgence of the contemporary pony cars from other makes, in form of the all-new 2008 Challenger. Then more trucks, then the new Camaro. We then slimmed back on our truck offering to just CK and Lightning (because, you know, a Lightning is basically a Mustang with a bed) and were left with a final offering as of yesterday of Mustang, Lighting, CK, Challenger and Camaro.

Back to the Basics

Well, as of today, it’s just Mustang and Lightning. Our hearts have always been with Mustang. Lightning, although a smaller component of our product offering, just fits us, as well as the Mustang community (I can’t think of a Mustang owner that doesn’t desire to own a Lightning). We’ve elected to concentrate our efforts on these two faithful brands.

Mustang & Lightning Enthusiasts at Heart
When you get down to it, we are Mustang people through and through. We know these cars like the back of our hands. Many of us know exactly what sizes of sockets it takes to disassemble a fox body. We’ve owned every year and iteration of these cars, and installed and tested virtually every product in our inventory. We’ve performed at least 5 mod motor conversions, restored countless fox body Mustangs, changed more 4 lugs to 5 lugs than we could count, and we’ve raced, showed and modified them all. Our employees own and drive late model Mustangs daily. Our current crop of Coyotes in the parking lot is 6. We’ve got a couple of new 3.7 Mustangs, a couple of 05-09 S197’s, at least a half a dozen Cobras of all years, scores of 87-93 coupes and a plethora of SN95’S. Some of our Mustangs get passed around like the peace pipe between employees (look at project Six Appeal, for example), and personalized to their respective owners over and over again.

Experience... 535 Mustangs Owned
We boast 250 years of combined Mustang experience. Although this is a huge number, maybe we should alter that to reflect the number of Mustangs we’ve owned. That number is 535; we’re erring on the conservative side, as some of us have owned cars we can’t remember. As of this writing, I alone currently own 12. Of the 12, 11 are newer than 1990 (number 12 is a 70 Fastback), plus a 99 Lightning. You get the point. We eat, sleep and breathe these cars. Lightning guys, don’t worry, at least a dozen L’s have hauled our employees’ loads.

Expect Great Things
Selling parts for the other models has been an experience. We’ve learned about other cultures within the car community, and had the chance to step out of the Mustang bubble. In doing this, though, we’ve sacrificed our reputation as Mustang enthusiasts at times. We realize that we are best at Mustang because we are Mustang people. We relate, we’re enthusiasts, and we know the cars. We’re just like you are. We are fortunate enough to be surrounded by our loyal customers, enthusiasts like us, every day we come to work. We look forward to continuing to grow our Mustang and Lightning communities. Expect great things to come. We want to be your first choice in Mustang and Lightning restoration, styling and performance parts. Thank you for your continuing support and patronage.

Long live Mustang! (and Lightning!)

Free Shipping!

DBirkes — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:38:00 GMT

Latemodel Restoration Supply is proud to announce FREE SAME DAY SHIPPING!!!!! Now, not only are you getting the largest selection of Latemodel Mustang parts at industry leading prices, we’ve decided to take this a step further and ship your order for FREE!!!! Absolutely NO HIDDEN CHARGES, we’re not talking about free shipping on “select items” or residential charges to ship to your house. When we say FREE, we mean it! Place your order before 4 pm CST Monday through Friday over the phone or on the web within the contiguous 48 states and it will ship the same day, FREE!

Check out our transit map, our centralized location means your parts arrive at your door faster!

UPS Ground Transit Times

Top Quality Parts and Expert Staff
Here at Latemodel Restoration Supply, we pride ourselves in our ability to offer you the largest selection of Latemodel Mustang parts available. From complete Mustang interior screw kits, to Mustang Weatherstrip Kits, Mustang Exhaust, Mustang Wheel and Tire Kits, we have scrutinized every part available on the market, compiled an offering of “top quality” merchandise on an easy to navigate website, and oh yea, did we mention we’re going to ship it all for FREE! Latemodel Restoration IS your one stop shop!

Free Truck Freight Shipping!
Tired of paying those nasty truck freight fees for items too large to ship UPS ground, we’ve got you covered on that as well. All items that ship via Truck Freight, from Mustang Fenders, Mustang Hoods, Mustang Short Blocks, etc... All of these items ship to your door free of charge within the contiguous 48 states. There are no hidden fees, we don’t make you add the item to your cart only to find a “residential fee” to ship to your residence or to find that the part you wanted doesn’t “qualify” for Free Shipping. We find those fees unacceptable, and we know you feel the same. All Truck Freight shipments placed before 11:00 CST will be shipped out the same day, see shipping terms.

New Seasonal Phone Hours!
Also new for 2012! Extended seasonal phone hours, our phone lines will be open from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm CST Monday-Friday starting January 30th. With over 250 years of combined experience in the mustang market, there is no question we can’t answer. Our customer care sales representatives are standing by to take your call.

Check Us Out on the Web!
Find us on the forums or check us out on Facebook. We have a specialized team dedicated to servicing our customers active in the mustang community. So drop us a line, we love to hear your thoughts and comments. Don’t forget to sign up for our e-Newsletter for all of our sales, latest product offerings, and current project Mustangs.

1979-1993 Mustang Coupe Trunk Tension Bar Fix

Lee — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:36:00 GMT

If you have a 1979-93 Mustang Coupe, it's possible that at some point you may have had one of the tension bars, that holds the trunk up, pop out of the hinge. We had a customer ask us how these tension bars are supposed to look while in the proper location, so we thought we'd take a few pictures showing the proper position. Luckily, we had two fox body coupe Mustangs in our parking lot. One had the rod in place, the other didn't.

This is what it looks like when the tension bars are out of place.

When you are getting ready to put them back into position you will need to twist them in this direction.

Once you have them twisted enough, you will need to put the rod into this hole in the hinge.

Here is what it should look like once the bar is in the hinge.

It takes quite a bit of strength to get these bars twisted back into place and you need to be careful that the opposite side does not come out while you are twisting it into place, and that you don't slip and hurt yourself. A pair of vice grips will help in getting good grip and leverage on the bar.

We are here for you! New Seasonal hours.

jarrod — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 16:38:00 GMT

With spring time right around the corner, it's time to bust out your wallets and start buying all of those much needed parts. We had a great year in 2011 thanks to all of you guys and girls out there. We want 2012 to be a BIGGER and BETTER year. We felt that the time has come to extened our weekly operating hours.

So! Starting January 30th, we will begin our new seasonal hours.

Our Call center will be open Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. CST. This will give you more opportunity to contact us during the week. The extended hours also lets you spend your time eating lunch. Hey, if you rather order parts during your lunch we are happy with that as well. We will be closed on Saturday & Sunday. *These are the days for all the wrench turning you'll be doing with all those new parts*

This will allow our customers TWO more hours to make a phone call. If the phones are ringing, we want to be here to help out in any way that we can. Remember, customer services is our #1 goal.

Pick up hours: Wednesday through Friday 8:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m. CST. Closed on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday.

This change is one of the biggest. For the local guys, you can call and place your orders on Monday and Tuesday just like anyone else. No more having to rush in on your lunch hour and having to wait. You will be able to swing in and pick up your parts on any of those 3 days.

Business office hours: Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m CST. Closed Saturday & Sunday.

No changes here that will affect any of our customers.

Distribution hours: Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. CST. Closed Saturday & Sunday.

This is a big change as some of you know. Our deadline was 2:00 p.m. for same day shipping. We have also extended it a full TWO hours. We want to get your parts out the door, and to your house as soon as we can. With LRS being centrally located in the USA, this is a huge advantage for us and for you as well. We are only 3 to 4 days from anywhere in the contiguous 48 states.

So now your asking yourself "Why is Latemodel restoration supply making these big changes"? Like i said earlier, we are here for you! We want to be able to help out all of our customers when it's convenient for you. We don't want you to have that rushed feeling about making an order, or calling in and getting advise from the best sales team in the business.

This is a busy, and exciting time for us. With the new seasonal hours, we want to make sure no phone call is missed, and each order is processed. Other than the few changes that you see posted here, stay tuned. The best is yet to come. It is something you DO NOT want to miss.

Transforming our 1989 Mustang LX Coupe........a little at a time......

jmartin — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:11:00 GMT

As many of you out there know, owning a Mustang isn't just about having a car to drive back and forth to work, school or to a car show on a Sunday. All of us here usually can't keep our hands out of the parts "cookie jar" we call our warehouse. One of our top sales guys, Lee C., has been daily driving his 1989 Mustang LX coupe for a couple of months now, after selling his Lightning, and is ready to take the ole LX coupe to the next level.

One of the first things you may notice about Lee's Mustang coupe is that it does sit a little lower than stock. It's sporting a set of 1979-04 Mustang Eibach Pro-Kit Lowering Springs that give the Mustang a slight drop while still retaining stock style ride qualities. While we were in there, we went ahead and installed a 1987-93 Mustang Tokico HP Series Shock and Strut Kit. We finished up the rear suspension with some 1979-98 Mustang UPR Upper and Lower Control Arm Kit and buttoned her all back up. All of these parts are relatively inexpensive and deliver everything we needed. This not only helped the Mustang out on track, but also helps get us more towards our finished product of a street/road race machine.

As you can see the Mustang appears pretty stock right as far as appearance goes. We have added a few resto parts to get the Mustang driving and looking just a little better. The first couple of changes are mild, but they make a difference. Simple changes like a 1987-93 Mustang 6-Piece Headlight Kit, 1979-09 Mustang 8" Black Shorty Antenna or a pair of replacement 1987-93 Mustang Outer Door Belt Molding & Weatherstrip Kit can completely change what a simple LX coupe looks like. We also added a set of New 2011 Mustang 5.0 Fender Emblems and a new 1979-93 Mustang Black Door Handle Kit to put a couple of finishing touches on the outside of the Mustang.

Once we had the junk stock suspension out and cleaned the Mustang up a bit, we moved on to the drivetrain. This included a new 1979-93 Mustang T-5 Z Heavy Duty World Class Transmission, 1986-00 Ram HDX Clutch Kit, 1979-95 Mustang Ford Racing Aluminum Driveshaft and a Mustang PRO50 T-5 Shifter. Most of these upgrades weren't necessary needed, but with the mileage and the years of use on the Mustang we figured better safe than sorry.

All of this restoration and modification came over the period of about 2 years. Lee has stayed loyal to his foxbody Mustang and is ready to give it a huge upgrade! Within the next couple of weeks stay tuned to see our transformation of Lee's 1989 Mustang Coupe with a Mustang 5-Lug conversion kit, New SVE 10th Anniversary Cobra Style Wheels, SVE 13" Cobra Style Brake Kit, and a Mustang rear disc brake conversion. With the new wheels and brakes, along with the suspension mods, this is one Mustang that will be a blast on the road course. Make sure to follow along as we take this normal everyday Mustang and turn it into a great daily driver and competitive road race machine!

Project Six Appeal. New owner. New mission.

Karson — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:12:00 GMT

Those who keep up with our project cars are acquainted with Project Six Appeal . Justin bought this car roughly a year ago to show that the V6 Mustang is no longer the girl next doors car. We did this successfully by doing various cosmetic and mechanical upgrades that turned the car into a track carving terror on wheels as seen in our Youtube video. To be honest, alot of us were quite surprised with how this car turned out, including myself. I have owned ALOT of cars in the last several years ranging from countless Mustangs to Corvettes and yes, even a BMW(puts on flamesuit!). When I got the several opportunies to drive Project Six Appeal, I was blown away at its balance and all around practicality especially compared to these past cars I have owned. Its a bargain at the pump, a force to be reckoned with at the road course, and very practical and comfortable for my day to day driving. This got the wheels turning in my head. How about I buy Project Six Appeal and make it my own? Yes the car looks awesome, but this was Justins creation. I decided to buy the car and leave it mechanically with what it has already, but show the versatility of these cars by doing some minor cosmetic changes that will completely change this car. Think of it as Dr. Jekyl and Mr Hyde.

Here is the canvas I started with. A heck of a car no doubt, but time to make it my own!

First things first, I know I will probably get some heat for this, but I have decided the Boss 302 Laguna wheels have to go. Do I like them? Heck yes I do, but wheels are the single biggest thing towards the cars personality, and if I left these on the car, my plans come up short. Ever since we came out with our SVE Drift wheel, I have thought it was the perfect design, perfect width and offset, and an awesome value to boot. Several of us up here have put the Black SVE Drift wheel on our personal cars and I decided to do the same. The results make this thing look sinister!

My next step in this mission has RTR written all over it. The first time I laid eyes on an RTR Mustang was at the 2010 Mid America Shelby meet. Everything about those side splitters, chin spoiler, and rear diffusers seemed right to me. Am I wanting to make a clone? Well no. Honestly, Scott has his red RTR Mustang, and Shannon has his Kona blue RTR Mustang, so I felt I needed to toss things up a bit and also keep with the V6's personality. My first addition to the car was some 2010-2012 Roush/RTR Side Splitters. These alone transformed the look of this car!

The next is a super easy, yet effective one. Lets protect the paint with some 2010-2012 Mustang GT500 Rear Mud Flap Spash Guards. No these were not on the RTR Mustangs, but I think they compliment it nicely and they are indeed functional.

With a couple hours time, and a handful of simple mods, Project Six Appeal looks like a completely different car. Now here comes my question for you guys.... I plan to put the RTR rear valance on in the next week or so. Should I keep the V6 front end with the Stillen chin spoiler so this car doesn't lose its identity as a V6'r from a distance, or should I go all the way and put a GT bumper on the front that would allow me to finish with the RTR front Chin Spoiler? The car will always sport its 3.7 chrome fender emblems , so those who see the car will know, but what about when you see it coming in the rear view mirror?

So here is the new 2013 Mustang!

btaylor — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 14:38:00 GMT

So here is the latest press release on the 2013 Ford Mustang, compliments of Mustangsdaily.com

Complete 2013 Mustang Lineup Overview

14 NOVEMBER 2011

After months of anticipation Ford has finally unveiled the 2013 Mustang just ahead of the 2011 Los Angeles International Auto Show. Featuring numerous design changes, new options, new technology and additional features, the 2013 Mustang represents a significant refresh ahead of the all new Mustang that will debut as a 2015 model. The updates don’t stop with the standard Mustang V6 and GT, though. Ford has also updated the track-ready Boss 302 with a new look and upgraded the the legendary GT500 to be the most potent muscle car on the planet.

To give you a better idea of the updates for the Mustang for 2013, we’ve put together a concise overview of all the significant changes and new features of the entire Mustang lineup below.

Mustang V6/GT:

New Aggressive Design

The Mustang last received a styling update in 2010, and Ford has followed that up new aggressive design with a more prominent grille, body-colored rocker panels and a high-gloss black panel that connects the taillights. The taillights themselves now use separated LED elements, complimented by new standard HID LED headlights. The Mustang GT is set apart with new functional heat extractors on the hood and an aggressive front splitter. Finally, Ford is offering a revamped wheel lineup from the standard 17-inch wheels on the Mustang V6 to new optional 19-inch wheels on the Mustang GT.

Updated Powertrain

The Mustang GT’s 5.0-liter V8 receives no significant updates for 2013, although Ford engineers have applied some new technology learned from the development of the Boss 302 to bump horsepower from 412 to 420 horsepower.

The significant powertrain update for 2013 is for the automatic transmission. A new SelectShift feature is available, allowing the driver to manually select gears via a button on the side of the shifter.

Track Package

For 2013 Ford is offering a Track Package for the Mustang GT. Available only on manual models with the 3.73 rear axle, the Track Package includes everything in the Brembo brake package plus an engine cooler, upgraded radiator, performance friction brake pads and the same Torsen differential used on the Boss 302.

Track App and Gauge Mode

A new 4.2-inch LCD screen placed in between the gauges will be available for the 2013 Mustang featuring a Track App and a Gauge Mode. The screen will allow the driver to record various performance metrics including g forces, acceleration times and braking times as well as display various types of gauges.

Other New Features

The 2013 Mustang also has a features including optional Recaro seats available in both leather and cloth, hill start assist, and the availability of the Brembo brake package on models with the automatic transmission.

Shelby GT500:

New 5.8-liter Supercharged V8

The big news for the 2013 Shelby GT500 is the new 5.8-liter supercharged V8. Nearly every part of the engine differs from the old 5.4-liter engine with new cross-drilled block and heads, updated camshaft profiles, a new TVS 2300 series supercharger and an upgraded cooling system. The result is 650 horsepower and 600 lb-ft torque, making the 5.8-liter V8 the most powerful production V8 engine in the world and allowing the GT500 capable of reaching 200 mph.

The rest of the powertrain has been updated as well with a new carbon fiber driveshaft, upgraded clutch, transmission and axle. A final drive ratio of 3.31:1 is now standard.

Performance and Track Package

An updated Performance Package is now available for the 2013 Shelby GT500 that includes Bilstein dampers that can be electronically adjusted via a button on the dash as well as a Torsen limited-slip differential. A Track Package is also available with an external engine oil cooler, rear differential cooler and transmission cooler.

Advanced Aerodynamic s

The 2013 Shelby GT500 has been optimized for better aerodynamics. The front fascia and splitter have been reinforced to handle high speeds, and the 2013 GT500 offers 33 percent more effective aero loading at 160 mph compared to the 2011 model.

Other New Features

The 2013 Shelby GT500 also features a variety of new features including a new launch control system that allows drivers to set a desired launch rpm, updated front Brembo brakes with 6-piston calipers and two new sets of 19-inch and 20-inch forged aluminum wheels.

Mustang Boss 302:

Updated Design and New Graphics

The Boss 302 features the same design changes featured on the standard Mustang GT including the new front end, vented hood, revised rear end and LED headlights and taillights.

The major external changes to the 2013 Boss 302 include a new set of graphics akin to those featured on the 1970 Boss 302. New hockey stripe graphics now reside on the side of the car complimented by a triple stripe on the hood. The graphics have been left off the roof, however.

New Heritage Inspired Colors

The Laguna Seca model will be offered in School Bus Yellow for 2013, paying tribute to Parnelli Jones’ 1970 Trans-Am championship race car. The Laguna Seca will also feature Sterling Gray accents for both the graphics and for the rear seat cross brace, and the 19-inch wheels will be polished rather than painted.

Availability of SYNC

SYNC will be available for the Boss 302 for 2013, allowing owners to access features including hands-free connection to mobile phones, control of external USB-connected music players, 911 Assist and more.

1987-89 Mustang Horn Pad Replacement

btaylor — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 13:55:00 GMT

A common failure on a 1987, 1988, 1989 Mustang is the contacts on a factory horn pad wear thin causing horn failure. Over time the foam insulation between the copper contacts under the horn pad becomes brittle and tears or disentigrates. This allows the copper contacts to touch, sometimes, even when the horn button is not being pressed. Does your horn honk at times when you are not even in the car, or not honk at all? If so, this handy Mustang horn pad replacement is what you need. This kit (LRS-13805ARP) includes a new Mustang foam horn contact pad, a scotch-brite pad and some instructions, however we made a short video that describes the whole process.

It is a simple process to remove the factory horn pad from the steering wheel and then peel off the rubber pad exposing the copper plates. Using a screwdriver, gently pry off the upper contacts and remove whats left of the factory foam insulator. Use the scotch-brite pad to the clean the contacts and replace with the new foam insulator. Add the upper copper contact back on and then wrap the rubber horm pad back over the horn plate and reattach to the steering wheel. Check out this video on replacing your Mustang horn pad, it explains it all.

2011 Grabber Blue Mustang 5.0L GT Makeover

mlinley — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:10:00 GMT

Since I purchased my 2011 Grabber Blue GT I have been fighting the urge of throwing parts at it. What I mean is, every time I buy a vehicle I go through this phase of adding part after part trying to give it my own personal touch. This is not new information to most car nuts. It started when I put the Ford Racing Power Pak on it a week after I got it. I thought to myself “ok that is it, you're done, no need to add anymore parts”. When I bought the car I got the upgrades I wanted so maybe this one would be left stock and I would just be happy with driving it for a while. So I thought!!!

A couple of months went by and I started to get the bug again. Once again I put my best effort forth to talk my self out of it. Of course all of this was after telling the guys around the shop all the changes I wanted to make. Well, the other day Justin comes into my office and tells me we just got a 2010-12 Mustang RTR Rear Spoiler in that got lightly damaged in shipping. It could be repaired but not sold as new. It was on my to do list, so I told him, “I’ll take it”. He also told me we got the 2010-12 Mustang GT Saleen S281Front Grille in stock and we want to blog an install. I said “let’s do it”. So, the plan was to bring the car to work on Friday to install the Mustang Saleen Grille and RTR Rear Spoiler . Who knew by the end of the day it would turn into a complete Mustang makeover!

I brought the car in on Friday and we got started by installing the 2010-12 Mustang Saleen S281 Front Grille part #6-1101-C19520A. First thing you need to do is remove the radiator cover. It is held on by push pins which come out easily with a flat head screw driver. Pry up on the top tab and once it pops up the rest of the pin will come out.

Next go ahead and remove the to bolts on the top of the bumper cover. This allows you better access to the side tabs on the stock grille.

You will have to push the tabs over and pull out at the same time. An extra set of hands can help with this process.

Once you have released all the tabs and disconnect the fog lights the grille is removed as a complete assembly.

Next, line up the 2010-12 Mustang GT Saleen S281Front Grille with the tab slots on the bumper cover and put into place. The Saleen Grille tabs are a little different than the factory grille. You slide the tab into place then install the metal clips supplied with the grille to hold it in place.

It will look like this when you are done.

The Saleen Grille comes with a push pin to hold the center in place. You have to drill a hole in the grille as well as the bumper cover. Yes! The bumper cover. I know what you are thinking but don't worry! The hole is drilled where you can replace the stock grille later if you decide to and you will never know the difference.

With the push pin installed.

Once this is done, reinstall your radiator cover and your 2010-12 Mustang GT Saleen S281 Front Grille install is complete.

Ok! Here is how the entire makeover started to take shape. I got the Saleen grille installed and I have to say it looks awesome. However, I felt like something was missing with the over all look of the front. My mind was racing and I got to thinking, it sure would look good with a 2010-12 Mustang California Special Front Valance Kit on it and I would get my foglights back. Well, lets go for it!!

Next we got busy installing a 2010-12 Mustang California Special Front Valance Kit Part # LRS-17626CS-K.

Yep! You have to take the radiator cover back off so you can access the foglight pig tails. The Mustang California Special Front Valance Kit comes with fog light extension wires.

You will need to plug the new pig tails into your stock fog light harness. The pig tails are different lengths for each side. Short one goes on the passenger side and long one on the drivers side. They also have clips to route them down the sides of the grille so they will not be seen. You will route the fog light wires through the holes in the bumper cover as demonstrated below.

Removal of the stock lower valance will give you this access. To remove the stock lower valance start by removing the bumper cover bolts in the wheel opening.

Also remove the end bolts on the lower air dam.

Let me stop here and give you some additional information. Since we had not previously planned on installing a Mustang California Special Front Valance Kit we only took out minimal hardware to cut down on time. The way we did it you have limited access to certain areas you are working on. The bumper covers are easy to remove on these cars so if you are making a day long project and want to take your time you can remove the entire bumper cover. If you are not comfortable with removing the bumper cover you can remove only the lower air dam. It is held on by eight(8) 7MM bolts and comes off easily. Once the lower air dam is off you have full access to the back of the bumper cover from underneath which helps. Moving on!

Once we got the stock valance off and had the fog light wires routed to the appropriate locations it is time to install the California Special Front Valance. It is installed using the same tabs and hardware as your stock lower. Don't forget to plug in the fog lights before installing.

Before before we were able to zip up the install on the 2010-12 Mustang California Special Front Valance Kit, Brad, our Advertising Manager, mentioned we should install our 2010-12 Mustang Black Bumper Park Light Pair part # SDT-13200E. While we had access to them. They are very simple to replace. Simply remove the two retaining nuts on the back.

Disconnect the wire and unplug the bulb.

Install the bulb back into the new park light and reconnect the wire. Install the new light using the factory hardware.

Brad also recommended a set of Black 5.0 Emblems. So, we decided that was an awesome idea and installed a set of those too. Removing the stock emblems can be a bit hard. I used a piece of dental floss to get mine loose.

I had to use some of our Quick N Easy Adhesive Remover to get the remaining adhesive off the fenders. The new emblems do not have alignment dowels so you will want to use one of our alignment sheets that can be printed from our instuctions and downloads on the web.

Now that we have all of this done, it is time to install the 2010-12 Mustang RTR Rear Spoiler. Pop the trunk and remove the cover panel. It is held on by the same type push pins as the radiator cover. Once removed, you will have access to the four bolts for the factory rear spoiler. Remove the bolts and you are ready to remove the spoiler. It is also held on with double sided tape. Some spoilers come of easily and some do not. Mine did not!!!

Make sure you get all the remaining adhesive off and clean.

Now you are ready to install the 2010-12 Mustang RTR Rear Spoiler. It is a simple install. Start by peeling the covering off the adhesive tape.

Line up the two bolts with the existing outer mounting holes and press your wing into place. Install the bolts and your done.

Now we are done with the make over right? Nope! The wheels started turning once more. It just does not look complete. Although I thought it was an amazing transformation I just was not happy yet.

I just added a lot of black accents to the car, which is ok, because all the trim was black before. Now the wheels just look a little out of place to me. I have to say, I love the Brembo package wheels but the silver just didn't quite match anymore. So I thought to myself, "it sure would look good with a set of our new 2005-12 Mustang Flat Black SVE Drift Wheel & Nitto Tire Kit-19X9.5". That ended up being the final piece of the makover.

For Friday any way!!! Before I left for the day, I bought a set of 2005-2012 Mustang GT Lowering Spring part # SVE-5300SPK. I put them in over the weekend. Here is an after picture. This set of springs will lower your car approximately .75" in the front and 1.25" in the rear. The measurements were taken before the car had very much time to settle. By the time the springs have time to settle it may end up .25" lower all the way around.

The front view.

Side view of the SVE Drift Wheels and Black 5.0 Emblems.

Last one!!

2005-2012 Mustang California Pony Cars Hood Strut Installation

jmartin — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 18:47:00 GMT

California Pony Cars has been around for a while and had always been known for high quality and great fitting parts. We were fortunate enough to get our hands on a set of their new 2005-12 Mustang California Pony Cars NXT Hood Strut Kits for our Kona Blue 2011 Mustang GT Race Car.

At first look, you can see that this Mustang hood strut kit is high quality and uses strong material for a great looking and great functioning part. The best part about the California Pony Cars hood strut kit is that there is no drilling required for the installation like in many of the other name brand kits. This kit uses all factory hood mounting points and hardware for a quick and seamless installation on your 2005-2012 Mustang.

First off, your will need to locate the windshield washer hose and the clips that attach it to the hood. These are located on the passenger side of the Mustang. You will need to remove both of these clips. Simply pop the clip open, remove the hose and pull the clip out of the hood.

Next up, locate the rear 10MM fender bolt. Remove the bolt and install the lower hood strut bracket with the factory bolt. These lower brackets are marked on the back with a D or P for driver's or passenger's side of the engine bay.

Once you have installed the lower brackets, you will need to grab a friend for help. In my case, our new salesman Jay, helped support the hood when removing the (2) 10MM hinge bolts. Be careful in removing the bolts as the hood will shift slightly if not properly supported by your helper. After removing the bolts place the upper hood strut bracket on over the hinge and reinstall the factory bolts. When you are tightening the bolts, make sure your Mustang hood is correctly aligned as close to the factory paint lines as possible. This will help prevent future adjustments.

Now that you have both brackets in place on each side of your Mustang, you will need to have someone lift up on the front of the hood. Once the hood is opened far enough you simply attach the hood struts to the studs on each side by pressing them on. Make sure the windshield washer hose is on the outside of the hood strut to prevent any binding or pinching.

Now if your Mustang is equipped with a factory Interior Sound Tube(IST), you will need to relocate the junctions located on the driver's side inner fender. All you need to do is unbolt the one(1) 10MM bolt from the fender and lower the junction to under the fender lip and reinstall the bolt. When moving the IST junction you will notice that the top of the junction does not meet flush with the fender lip, all you need is a razor blade and a little time to trim it up. In our case we just removed the sound tube all together since our 2011 Mustang RTR Racecar is just a little too loud to need any more interior sound!

If you choose to remove your sound tube make sure to plug off the firewall hole and also cap the tube extension on your Mustang air intake. Some kits such as our JLT Cold Air Kits come with a cap just for this reason.

After relocating or removing your interior sound tube, you can remove your factory prop rod. This is held on with one(1) 10MM bolt and one small tab on the bracket. Unbolt, lift up and you're done!

Now it is time to lower the hood to ensure that your hood is still properly aligned. Slowly begin to lower you hood making sure nothing is left under the hood and the hood-to-fender gaps are the same on each side of the Mustang. Luckily for us, we needed no adjustments at all, and the hood lowered into perfect position right off the bat!

After your hood is aligned and closely properly, you are all finished with your new California Pony Cars Hood Strut Kit installation. Not only will these hood struts clean up the underside of your Mustang engine bay, there is no more dodging the prop rod when working under the hood and also a little more head room to easily access all areas of your Mustang's engine. As you can see the hood opens quite a bit farther than before compared to the prop rod height.

Here is a side shot to show that there was no bulging of the hood where the brackets are mounted on the underside.

This California Pony Cars Mustang hood strut installation takes about 30 minutes from start to finish and only requires one(1) 10MM socket and a ratchet. Quick and simple, for a very noticeable difference under your Mustang's hood.

2012 Mustang Gt Barton Short Throw Shifter and Shifter Bracket Installation

jmartin — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 18:45:00 GMT

With the new 2012 Mustang Gt 5.0L rolling off the production line, we knew someone up here would have to have one. Our receiving department team leader Darrell just couldn't resist any longer and brought this beautiful black 2012 Mustang GT Premium Package back to the shop for a little work. From Brembo brakes up front, to a backup camera in the rear this Mustang has it all. We couldn't wait to start getting new parts on it.

We started out with this Barton Industries Short Throw Shifter, Barton Industries Billet Shifter Bracket and a Barton Industries Shift Knob and Collar. Barton makes some of the most top quality shifters we have ever had our hands on and wanted to get the entire setup to see just how much difference could be made.

We started off removing the center console top panel. To do this you must first remove your shift knob and pull the shift boot up over the top of the stock shifter to ensure it doesn't catch. Next you will need to open your console and gently lift up on the rear of the top panel the clips will pop out of the lower console. When doing this make sure to unplug your accent lighting, (if equipped), and also your traction control/trunk switch panel from underneath the console top panel. Once this is done simply set the console to the side.

Next you will need to remove the wiring harness for the traction control/ trunk buttons and move them to the side. Remove the black plastic push pin, and remove the insulation from the transmission tunnel area. Now simply pull up on the lower rubber shift boot to access the stock shifter.

Before removing the bolts from the stock shifter, you will need to jack the driver's side of the Mustang up and support it with a jack stand. Slide under the Mustang to access the shifter bracket that is located right above the tail shaft of the transmission. There are two 10MM nuts that hold this bracket on. Remove the 2 nuts and begin to move the shifter bracket down off the studs. There is a retaining clip that holds the bracket on, you may need to get this a slight pry with a trim removal tool or screw driver to easily remove it.

After removing the shifter bracket, hop back up top and unbolt the factory shifter. It is held in by four(4) 10MM bolts. Simply unbolt and set to the side to reuse.

You will need to remove the lower shifter bushing from the stock shifter and then install this part back on to your new Barton Short Throw Shifter. Make sure to lubricate the shifter ball and the bushing before installing your new shifter.

Drop the new Barton shifter into place and bolt it back down with the 4 stock 10MM bolts. Do not over tighten these bolts as it will strip the inside of the factory bolt holes in the transmission.

Now that the shifter is securely installed, you will need to disassemble the Barton Shifter Bracket by removing the 4 hex head screws. Once this is disassembled, you will need to slide the thin back plate onto the tail of the shifter housing, following by the black bushing and then the larger portion of the bracket. The "Barton" on the Bracket should face towards the rear of the Mustang. After you get the bushing pressed into the back of the bracket housing, simply re-install the 4 hex head screws with an allen wrench. This part can be a little tricky, but take your time and everything should bolt together perfectly.

Once you have finished re-assembling the shifter bracket on to the shifter housing, you will need to lift up on the rear of the housing and re-install the two(2) 10MM nuts. After you have tightened the nuts, hop back up top and move the shifter around to ensure there is no binding and that the bracket is flush against the body of the Mustang.

Now you can lower your Mustang back to the ground and reassemble the console pieces. Make sure to install the lower shift boot correctly and plug in all of your harnesses when reinstalling the upper console panel. Slip your stock upper shift boot back down on to the new Barton shifter and reinstall your shift knob.

We choose to use the white Barton Shift Knob and Collar on Darrell's Mustang for a little bit of a classic look. This Barton shift knob and collar simply screws down just like the factory knob does and definitely adds a little classic styling to the interior.

Well you are all finished up with your new Barton Short Throw Shifter, Shifter Bracket and Shift Knob/Collar install. Now get out there and rip some gears with one of the most positive and precise shifters on the market for the new 2011-2012 Ford Mustang!

2012 Boss 302 Engine Rotating Assembly, A Closer Look

jmac — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 19:37:00 GMT

With the advent of the 2011 Mustang GT & the all new 5.0L Coyote Engine, the availability of cool parts from Ford Racing has increased. This is even moreso the case with the 2012 Boss 302 with the RoadRunner 5.0L. FRPP offers many of the standard issue Boss parts as upgrades for 2011-2012 Mustang GT owners. Of that offering, the Boss 302 Forged Crankshaft & Piston & Rod Assemblies offer GT owners a relatively inexpensive option when looking to upgrade their shortblock.

I only have one word to describe the M-6303-M50B 2012 Boss 302 Forged Crankshaft as it comes out of the box from Ford Racing - Shiney. It looks more like something an artist dreamed up instead of a Forged Steel pillar of performance. Tipping the scales at 52.2 lbs, it retains the stock 92.7mm stroke & comes finish machined & balanced for use with the M-6100-M50BR Piston & Rod Assemblies. Use of this crank with another piston/rod setup will require rebalancing. Even though the crank flange has the new 9 bolt design, the GT 6 bolt flywheel goes right on. All you need is new bearings.

The FRPP M-6100-M50BR 2012 Boss 302 Forged Piston & Rod Assemblies are ready to do business. The pistons come from Mahle & equipped with an anti-friction coating on the skirts & are loaded with a 1mm top, 1mm second, & 2.5mm oil control ring package. They are mated to the sinter-forged connecting rod via a full floating pin. The rods are a cracked cap design we became familiar with when the 4.6L modulars were introduced. The rod bolts are 12 point torque-to-yeild. Thes piston/rod assemblies weigh in at 2.5 lbs each & are the standard 5.0L bore size & compression ratio. The Boss Piston & Rod Assemblies are balanced for use with the M-6303-M50B 2012 Boss 302 Forged Crankshaft. Use with any other crankshaft will require re-balancing. Once again, all you need is new bearings.

As you can see, there is a lot of value packed in to this rotating assembly! Make your Coyote catch up with the RoadRunner & forge your Bottom End without breaking the bank.

2011 Mustang GT 5.0 RTR Appearance Package

scott s — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 20:55:00 GMT

It's been a while since you've seen my trusty 2011 GT. In my 1 year, 4 month relationship with this car, I've transformed it from a stock 5.0 to a bolt-on street, strip and track performer. Along the way, I've made improvements to the car's appearance, handling, horsepower and grip.

Recently, we had the opportunity to offer the popular RTR body components to compliment our ever-popular RTR wheel packages. Vaughn Gitten Jr's "Ready to Rock" Mustang is an exclusive vehicle package designed to improve on the new 5.0's appearance and handling. Until recently, the body components were only available on packaged and numbered RTR cars. Now, the parts can be obtained through us.

The RTR styling package is compatible with any 2010-2012 V8 Mustang. It consists of a unique RTR front lower valance with splitter, side splitters, RTR rear valance with splitters, and RTR rear spoiler. Not available to the public are the stripe kit, fender emblems, faux gas cap badge, interior badging and dashboard authentification plaque. These items are currently held exclusive to serialized RTR-package cars.

Because of our close relationship with the manufacturers of the RTR components, I had the rare opportunity to completely transform my car into an RTR. Since I already had the RTR wheels and stripe kit, I jumped at the chance to complete the package, right down to my very own, numbered and signed dashboard ID badge.

Whether or not your car is an RTR packaged car, or owner modified, RTR components will transform the attitude and appearance of your 2010-2012 Mustang GT. It certainly worked for mine!

Expect to see more blogs coming on my 2011 RTR project 5.0 Mustang. I'm not done yet! More suspension mods are coming, as well as durability measures and more horsepower. Stay tuned! In the meantime, check out the newly availble RTR Body Components and make your very own RTR Mustang!

2005-09 Mustang GT CV2 Chin Spoiler Installation

jmartin — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 13:36:00 GMT

Chin spoilers are becoming one of the easiest, cheapest and best looking way to add some style to your 2005-09 Mustang. We recently started to offer this new Mustang CV2 Style Chin Spoiler and thought what better way to introduce it than to install it on one of our customer's Mustangs. This chin spoiler is made of high grade urethane and molded in black so no painting is required!

Our friend Michael stopped by in his black 2009 Mustang GT for our installation.

First off, we have to say this is one of the best fitting chin spoilers we have installed on the 05-09 Mustang GT. It uses existing hardware and requires no modification at all. To start your installation, you will need to drill out the marked holes on the chin spoiler, they have slight divets in them to show you where to drill for proper installation. As you can see from the picture I sat the chin spoiler in place to ensure that the hole alignment was correct. I also marked the inner fender screw that needs to be removed and circled the extra divet that does not need to be drilled out.

Once you drill out the 2 holes on the inner fender pieces, proceed to dril out the 4 center holes.

Once you have drilled your 6 holes out, you will need to remove the philips head screws located on both sides of the inner fender as shown in the picture above.

Next you will need to get under the front of the car and remove the 4 hex headed screws from the underside of the bumper cover. These are 5.5MM hex head screws so make sure you have the proper tools for this job.

Once you have removed all 4 of the screws, you will need to clean your chin spoiler with alcohol or similar cleaning agent to make sure the double sided tape adheres to it. After cleaning the chin spoiler and your bumper cover, install the supplied 3M double sided tape and place the chin spoiler on the front bumper. Make sure to get everything aligned just right before applying pressure to seal the tape to the bumper cover.

Once the chin spoiler is lined up and the double sided tape is securely pressed down, simply reinstall your two inner fender screws and the four hex head screws under the Mustang's bumper and you are done with your CV2 Chin Spoiler installation. Simple as that! This installation will take only about 30 minutes with the right tools and it will completely change the front end of your 2005-09 Mustang GT.

Our Boss is full of SHIFT!!

Karson — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:37:00 GMT

Our good friend who is the proud owner of a new Boss 302 was getting the itch to do another mod to his hotrod. The new Boss 302 cars already come with a shorter style shifter but with only 600 miles on the clock, he was already noticing a notchy feel from first to second and it also felt a bit strange going into reverse. When he called us up about it, he stated he wanted a similar feel, but without the notchy feel and rough reverse engagement. It was also imperative that he could reuse his stock leather boot and Boss shift knob.

Given the variables at hand, we knew that Steeda had the answer! Steeda has their new Tri-ax shifter for 2011-2012 v6 and Gt Mustangs which allows for the stock shift knob and boot to be reused. It also retained a similar height to the Boss shifter so we knew this is what the Doctor ordered!

When we removed his stock shifter, we immediately saw why he was getting this notchy feel and strange engagement. The stock shifter uses a gate made of plastic to keep you from accidentally shifting into reverse. By design, it forces you to push down on the shifter to allow it to go into that gate. This is a good idea, but making it out of plastic is a problem. With only 600 miles on this car, there was considerable wear and the plastic was burred up causing the ill feeling he was getting. Steeda uses a similar design, but where their design excels is in the material used. Steeda uses 100% CNC Machined Billet for this gate and it is pretty well bullet proof.

You can refer to our previous shifter blog install for removal/installation instructions below.

Shifter Removal and Installation Instructions

With the installation of the new Steeda shifter, you can see the robust structure and design. Too bad we have to cover this beauty back up!

With the bezel, boot, and shift knob back in place, the car looks stock just like the owner wanted.

After buttoning the car back up, we took it for a quick spin and the difference was dramatic! The shift throw was similar, but much smoother and no notchy feel whatsover. He can also feel confident that this shifter will last as long as the car will. Thanks to Steeda, this Boss 302 is now full of SHIFT!!