Price; Running Gear - Factory Five Racing Mk4 Roadster Assembly Manual

Hide thumbs Also See for Mk4 Roadster:
Table of Contents

Advertisement

Specialties
USA West Coast
All Mustang
Performance
Phoenix, AZ
Mustang Village
Fontana, CA
Cypress Auto
Berkley, CA
Mustang Depot
Las Vegas, NV

Price

Whether you're buying a complete salvage yard car or a bunch of parts, it's important to remember
which parts are worth money to the salvage yard and which ones are of little or no value. The drive
train, body panels and interior are of the most value. The other pieces such as the steering shaft, pedal
box, and other miscellaneous pieces usually are very inexpensive for the yard to include. When
negotiating the price from the parts yard, you might get a better deal if you promise to let them have the
parts you won't be utilizing. Look at the donor parts list again and you'll see that the glass, body panels,
interior parts, and doors are not needed. We believe it is usually better to take the parts off yourself; you
will inevitably do a more careful job. If you are using parts that are already taken off, you gain the
advantage of being able to cherry pick the best of those that are available. It is not hard to buy a
complete donor car from a salvage yard for less than $3,000.00.

Running Gear

In order to make a wise choice on running gear, there are several things to look for. First, make sure that
the VIN numbers on the transmission and engine are present and match the numbers on the vehicle title
(if available). If the numbers don't match, (let's say the transmission was replaced) make sure the parts
yard records the new numbers on their bill of sale. In the unfortunate event that these components were
stolen, you need to have documentation on the origin and sale price. Check the numbers twice. The
VIN numbers are located on the back of the engine block, on a flat spot between the heads where the
bell housing meets the block. Some solvent or WD-40 can usually clean this area off enough to see the
numbers. The VIN numbers on the transmission are typically stamped on the side of the main
transmission housing at the lower front edge of the passenger side, near the seam of the bell housing.
Check these numbers against the codes listed in a Chilton's manual to find out the year of manufacture.
Here are some tips to follow when checking out running gear.
 Examine the engine mounts. Some small splits in the rubber area of the mount are normal, but any
serious splitting should be avoided. Aftermarket engine and transmission mounts are cheap and an
excellent alternative to donor car ones.
 Check the steel sections of the engine mounts for damage since these are areas that can bend.
 Mileage is not the most important aspect of selecting a donor Mustang. The 5.0L drivetrain is one of
the toughest things about these cars. It's obvious however, that the lower the mileage the higher the
chances of avoiding additional expenses down the road.
 The rear end assembly should be free from oil leaks. Oil leaking out the sides of the 8.8" rear end
near the brakes, or around the pinion snout (drive shaft connection area) is an indication that there
may be more than 100K miles on the rear axle, or that it was abused. One way to check the rear end
is to grab the rear wheel at the top and rock the car back and forth (by pushing and pulling in and
out). This will give you an idea of free play in the axles. Some play (about 1mm) is OK. What you
are looking for is a large amount of movement side to side within the housing. Avoid cars with bent
Tommy
800-454-8387
Thompson
909 823 7915
Scott or Tom
510 451 3034
Mike Percy
702 281 4517
27
www.factoryfive.com
508-291-3443
www.ampperformance.com
www.mustang-village.com
www.cypressautorecyclers.com/factory5.html
www.mustangdepot.com

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading

Table of Contents