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History / OriginalityGot a question about 1982-1992 Camaro or Firebird history? Have a question about original parts, options, RPO codes, when something was available, or how to document your car? Those questions, answers, and much more!
As many of you know, I bought a one owner, survivor, '82 Mustang GT from New Mexico several weeks ago. I bought it because I remember test driving a new '82 5.0 HO back in the day and was impressed, remember them on the street and...when was the last anyone saw a 1982 Mustang GT, let alone a rust free, unmolested, original paint survivor.
So how does this car compare to it's 3rd gen competitors, especially the early LG4 and LU5 variants it competed against in the early '80's?
First off, as much as we like to poke fun of our 3rd gens' build quality, they are better than a Fox Mustang. In some ways, MUCH better. On our 3rd gens, paint is higher quality and thicker. Better, more modern feeling switch gear. Sheet metal is thicker and more substantial. In comparison a Fox feels like a tinny beer can. Handling? Well, that's obvious. 3rd gens by a mile.
Where does a Fox have an advantage? The motor. Ford put a nice little package together with the original 5.0 HO, (as a response to the '82 Z28), 351 Police Package dual snorkel air cleaner, bigger 2 bbl carb, 351 "Marine cam", free flowing exhaust, etc. All were 4 speed SRODs with a 3.08 tractionlok. While LG4s and LU5s of the day hit a brickwall at 4500 RPM, the 5.0 HO spins freely and willingly to 6,000. The HO motor is the product here. The same HO motor that made GM develop the L69 the following year.
Yep - 3rd gen vs an 82 Mustang GT that may be true -
BUT....now do a comparison on a 3rd gen to an 89 Mustang GT.....
I actually rented a 1990 Mustang GT 5 speed for a week, while I was out of town back then. It was a fun car, mostly because it was a rental and I beat the living snot out of it all week. But at highway speeds, it's chassis felt a bit squirrelly to me compared to my '89 IROC.
Very nice GT Charlie. I would love to have it in my garage also! I always raced against them but I do like them and almost bought a 93 GT 5spd last summer myself. Good friend of mine wanted it more than me. Now we go to a lot of shows together. It has a built 351.
F Car with LU5 and 3.23 ratio was generally even or slightly faster in the quarter mile. On the track the F car would kill it, and in the braking department especially when equipped with RPO (J65) .
F Car with LG4 was about 5 tenth's slower in the quarter, again same outcome in the other areas.
2.73 rear ratio simply killed the F car for acceleration/performance. 2.73 in either configuration and the 2V Mustang wins at the drags big each and every time.
L-69 was the logical outcome for GM because they knew Ford was going to put a 4V on the mustang next.
As I recall the sleeper car that nobody saw coming in 1982 was the stripped out 5.0 Mercury Capri's. High 15 second car all day long on the street.
Wow, a discussion about performance I can participate in! Back in the day, I bracket raced my '82 a lot because it was so consistent. I could make one test pass, and it would run the same all day. It was stock except the cat was removed, advanced timing, and richer secondary rods in the Q-jet. It would run 15.5-6 during the day and 15.3-4 at night, mostly at 88-89 mph. Best ever was 15.10 @91 in cold weather beating the snot out of it. The car is LG4 4speed/3.23 with no power options except AC. The way I remember it, most of the stock ish 5.0s were about the same, with lots of modified ones hung up in the mid 14s.
Wow, a discussion about performance I can participate in! Back in the day, I bracket raced my '82 a lot because it was so consistent. I could make one test pass, and it would run the same all day. It was stock except the cat was removed, advanced timing, and richer secondary rods in the Q-jet. It would run 15.5-6 during the day and 15.3-4 at night, mostly at 88-89 mph. Best ever was 15.10 @91 in cold weather beating the snot out of it. The car is LG4 4speed/3.23 with no power options except AC. The way I remember it, most of the stock ish 5.0s were about the same, with lots of modified ones hung up in the mid 14s.
The same Mods were done in the 9/82 Issue of HOT ROD where they modified an LG-4 and improved the ET by 2 seconds in the quarter. titled "Shadow boxing unleashing the Z28's hidden punch".
Pretty much right on the money with my experience. Fords are kind of garbage, but they're easy, cheap, and ok in the same way a Happy Meal is an acceptable substitute for food.
My first thirdgen was an 85 LG4 Coupe and it would run 15.3 to 15.4. That was with an Edelbrook performer intake and carb and the air pump/ ac removed. Still had the factory exhaust and manifolds. I believe it had a 3.23 rear gear in it. It actually was a really fun car to drive. It was also a stripper car. Crank windows, manual locks, manual hatch release, no rear spoiler.
Even with the the air pump removed it actually would still pass emissions.
Yeah, I was pleased with it at the time. One thing to remember, the 82 T-10 has a 3.42 first gear- Even with 3.23s, that gives the torque multiplication of a more typical first and 4.10s. I frequently beat much faster cars to 60 feet. Also, the 82 pellet type converters are terribly restrictive. Not that it made it any faster, but I put a quality double roller timing chain/gear on it, so the cam timing wasn't flopping all around. Should have put a cam it, but I was driving it to work every day at the time! I had also read the "Shadow boxing" article, it seemed like it was pretty easy to wake up an LG4 a little, especially a 4-speed car.
Yeah, I was pleased with it at the time. One thing to remember, the 82 T-10 has a 3.42 first gear- Even with 3.23s, that gives the torque multiplication of a more typical first and 4.10s. I frequently beat much faster cars to 60 feet. Also, the 82 pellet type converters are terribly restrictive. Not that it made it any faster, but I put a quality double roller timing chain/gear on it, so the cam timing wasn't flopping all around. Should have put a cam it, but I was driving it to work every day at the time! I had also read the "Shadow boxing" article, it seemed like it was pretty easy to wake up an LG4 a little, especially a 4-speed car.
Anyone have a link to the Shadow Boxing story. I haven't read it in 36 years and the thought of going through boxes of my old mags to find it is unappealing.
Pretty much right on the money with my experience. Fords are kind of garbage, but they're easy, cheap, and ok in the same way a Happy Meal is an acceptable substitute for food.
This T-Shirt would sell..
also, I like seeing a bone stock Mustang.. Looks great chazman! It is a rare thing to see an unmolested Mustang like this and I do appreciate it. Even more so because they were such cheap cars with easy mods made to beat on.. The fact that the P.O. resisted the urge Is impressive. It makes it special.
also, I like seeing a bone stock Mustang.. Looks great chazman! It is a rare thing to see an unmolested Mustang like this and I do appreciate it. Even more so because they were such cheap cars with easy mods made to beat on.. The fact that the P.O. resisted the urge Is impressive. It makes it special.
Thanks. Very tough to find an '82 that isn't a rust bucket or beat to shnot - or just find one, period! I had a long conversation with someone who checked this car out before me. He was a Fox guy and gave me a rundown from A to Z. He passed on it because they couldn't agree on price
Charlie are those the funky rims that had a strange size?
Yes, it came with the 390 mm, (15.35") TRX wheels. There is only one tire on the planet that fits on them and that is the Michelin TRX tire. Only Coker has them available and they are crazy expensive and pretty crappy tires. There is a company called LMR which reproduces TRX wheels in a common 16 x 7" size with modern tires. It costs less to order those wheels with tires, mounted, balanced and delivered to you, than it is to just get the tires from Coker. So I went the LMR route.
You know, I'm Mr. Originality, but I just couldn't justify the cost of reproduction Coker tires. Now I can drive it over 40 mph and not worry about decades old tires. The modern ones don't light up as easily as those skinny old Michelins, though.
For cars that were going head to head for so long, it seems they really had slightly different purposes and maybe people should have owned one of each..
For cars that were going head to head for so long, it seems they really had slightly different purposes and maybe people should have owned one of each..
I have been amazed at how many 3rd gen people also own a Fox, and visa versa!
To elaborate a little on what I mean by saying that Fox Mustangs are kind of garbage...
When I bought my 86 in 2006, it had just a hair over 40k miles on the odometer, it was already on it's second 2.3L.
After I signed the papers and handed over my cash, I walked out to tape the paper plate in the window, opened the passenger's side door for the first time and the door almost fell off. All but one of the door hinge bolts had sheered off flush at the door pillar. No rust or signs of abuse, the bolts just had just popped off like buttons on a cartoon shirt.
I chased water leaks into the trunk since day one. Finally a few weeks ago I figured out there's a huge unsealed gap between the 1/4 panel and the trunk frame just under the trunk lid. Doesn't appear that it was ever sealed from the factory. Only leaks when the gap between the 1/4 and trunk lid fills with water under heavy rain, so it never showed up when I tried to recreate the leak.
Always had a harmonic vibrating rattle on the interior. Figured out if I pushed on the headliner next to the dome light, it'd go away. Finally pulled the headliner only to find that the support bar (stamped steel) that connects the left and right sides of the roof structure, supporting the roof skin, had never been welded on the passenger's side. Oh they got close to it with a wire feed, because there were a couple chunks of stinger boogered onto the bar, but where it should have been tacked, it was blown out and was never bonded. At least they painted over it. LOL Also they didn't put any kind of stick-um between the support and the roof skin on the passenger's side, just a little on the driver's side.
I could go on about the base model seats that are about as comfortable and supportive as sitting on stolen milk crates, or the E-brake cable boot that has never sealed letting in a jet of hot underbody air and noxious fumes... Or the electric fan relay and wiring that tried to incinerate the car. Or that it's a 1986 with an external regulator alternator from 1966, or a divorced starter solenoid starter from 1966, or the Conestoga Wagon inspired 4 link and visionary quad shock bandaid...
Easy to work on, cheap and effective mods that actually deliver on their promise, and somehow less trailer park reputation even being a much lower quality car... It's weird. I keep hoping someone will show an interest the damn thing so I can get it out of my driveway without sending it to the crusher.
I love how the “more powerful fuel injected version of the Z28 which is only paired paired with an automatic transmission is less suited for road racing than the 5-speed manual..”
I been buying F-bodies since 1985. I bought a few new then. My buddy had an 82 Mustang GT 5spd. He used to give me so much crap on how fast his car was. It was like Charlie's; but he bought it new. A fun car to drive, but I'll take my F Body anyday.
And I'm still trying to figure out how we got associated with the "trailer park reputation." I lived in a dorm!!
I been buying F-bodies since 1985. I bought a few new then. My buddy had an 82 Mustang GT 5spd. He used to give me so much crap on how fast his car was. It was like Charlie's; but he bought it new. A fun car to drive, but I'll take my F Body anyday.
And I'm still trying to figure out how we got associated with the "trailer park reputation." I lived in a dorm!!
3rd gens are fun to drive, even the slower ones. The faster ones, more so.
Yeah, I don’t know if those IROCs are ready for spray paint.. God forbid a decal starts peeling.. (kidding!)
I hope to have a nice thirdgen collection someday.. Chaz has a good show stock there for sure..
I had a decal peeling on the white '89. I considered different options and Abubaca sent me a piece of leftover clear 3M decal material and I made the repair. Even if I pointed it out, you'd still have a hard time seeing it. Essentially an invisible repair.
In regards to Ford quality, it hasn't changed. I was very surprised at the issues I had with my 2014 GT. Water would get into the rear quarter panel and Ford's fix was to drill a drain hole in the bottom, rather than determine where the water was entering. I found the issue was an unsealed area in the wheel well that should have had sealant on it or a weld, so I fixed it myself.
There was also an engine tick that sounded like a gas grill igniter. Ford found the issue as loose bolt at the crankshaft. They said the fix was to pull the engine, so they refused the fix and said it won't hurt anything.
I lemon lawed a 2017 GT due to horrible paint quality that required a brand new car to be repainted and the new paint started to flake off!
Lastly, I was convinced that an F150 was better than the GMC I really wanted. I have had the truck for 5k miles (4 months) and it's been in for service 3x for a total of 19 days. They diagnosed an acceleration hesitation as turbo lag. This is on a 5.0 V8!!. They also diagnosed cylinder 1 and cylinder 6 misfires, but won't fix it because the computer hasn't thrown a code, so they don't know what to fix. I requested a buyback and was denied, because Ford declared that my truck is "normal" because so many other trucks are having the same issues as mine, so it's normal. I have a friend with an F250 that found the sunroof drain hose not connected. Turns out that the forums show this is very common as many people have leaks attributed to the drain never being hooked up.
My Buddy had an 85 GT 5 spd when we were younger. That car was a freaking ANIMAL. It would roast the damn tires off it on 1st-3rd gear. I actually loved the look of that car it was Black with Silver accents.
Now 2 years ago another buddy had an 89 Mustang AUTO, and I blew the doors off t wiith my stock motor IROC 350 TPI.
I have a G Tech timer and ran 14.5s 3 times in a row with my car.
My Buddy had an 85 GT 5 spd when we were younger. That car was a freaking ANIMAL. It would roast the damn tires off it on 1st-3rd gear. I actually loved the look of that car it was Black with Silver accents.
Now 2 years ago another buddy had an 89 Mustang AUTO, and I blew the doors off t wiith my stock motor IROC 350 TPI.
I have a G Tech timer and ran 14.5s 3 times in a row with my car.
Like 3rd gens, there was variation in how different 5.0 Mustangs performed. I've driven a bunch of them. Some were animals, like a light weight LX notch, 5 speed, 3.08 gear car. Some were pretty tame, like a heavy convertible, auto, 2.73 car.
Like 3rd gens, there was variation in how different 5.0 Mustangs performed. I've driven a bunch of them. Some were animals, like a light weight LX notch, 5 speed, 3.08 gear car. Some were pretty tame, like a heavy convertible, auto, 2.73 car.
Strange thing, the Auto F-Bodies (even 305s) seemed to still be fun, but the auto Mustangs were a bigger step down from the manual from what I recall. (Maybe they were equally slow but the styling and quality of the F-Bodies made up for it..)
My friends with auto mustangs never bothered to race anyone.. They just watched..
Those mustangs were daylight and dark when it came to autos vs sticks. I saw LX sticks run high 13s stock. Auto GTs run mid 15 stock. My 91 LB9 auto car would destroy auto Mustangs but stick cars always have me fits unless they missed a shift or smoked the tires. Fun times, that's why I like your car i guess Charlie it takes my mind back to better days. Glad you posted it here.
I love how the “more powerful fuel injected version of the Z28 which is only paired paired with an automatic transmission is less suited for road racing than the 5-speed manual..”
ha ha.. Who shifts faster than an Auto?
Road racing has nothing to do with shifting fast. It's about car control. Automatics suck for road racing(and everything else), unless we're talking about modern paddle shifted units found in the likes of Porsche and Lamborghini.
Road racing has nothing to do with shifting fast. It's about car control. Automatics suck for road racing(and everything else), unless we're talking about modern paddle shifted units found in the likes of Porsche and Lamborghini.
So the 165hp automatic would have been worse than the 145hp with the manual?
I know those old Autos don’t always do the shifting you want, when you want..
So the 165hp automatic would have been worse than the 145hp with the manual?
I know those old Autos don’t always do the shifting you want, when you want..
I just wanted to see the Z beat that Mustang!
Absolutely. I've got some road racing and autocross experience, and I'd chose the 145hp 4spd car over the 165hp automatic car every day of the week and twice on Sunday for work on a road course... Drag racing might play out differently, but for road course use, a manual trans wins hands down in the era of car we are speaking of.
Chazman had an '83 CFI car that I swapped to a V6/I4 5-speed with the deeper 1st gear. The difference from auto to manual transformed the car. It went from laughably slow to spin the tires fun with only that one change.
09-24-2018, 09:18 AM
