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Non performance upgrades for foxbodies

47K views 256 replies 53 participants last post by  triple-s 
#1 ·
So I'm wondering if anybody has and non performance minded upgrades they've done to their foxes. I mean non power adders really. I'm looking for things to make my car better. I have the power I'm looking for but just to simply update the car. I'm putting in a sn95 dome light today and was thinking "what else is cheap and easy and would make my car more of a well rounded every day driver?" So here I am asking the gurus here what have you done to make your fox better.
 
#3 ·
i swapped out my gauge and Hvac control lights with LED's. i used super white and it changed the teal tint to a much more modern blue color....i get into economy honda's and toyota's and feel like there interiors are WAY better then pre-2005 fords. i like foxes but cannot stand the interior, it looks very 70's to me. without going crazy, i would do the lights, a stereo, seats and a steering wheel, assuming you want to get into all of that.
 
#4 ·
In 5 or 10 years, whatever you do will be "old". JMO
 
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#6 ·
I converted my old sealed beam headlights to H1/H4; also replaced the stock harness with one using relays. Huge difference in output and load on the system. Swapped my stock mirror for an auto-dimming with compass. Converted the stock braking system to ABS. Added power lumbar to both front seats. Of course, upgraded the sound system with head unit, components and subs. New weather stripping all around. Converting the water based cooling system with Evan's non-water products.
 
#28 ·
I laughed when I saw the title of this thread, but damnit there's some pretty good ideas in here

I converted my old sealed beam headlights to H1/H4; also replaced the stock harness with one using relays. Huge difference in output and load on the system.
Do you have a thread about this? I picked up some repro's from LMR, but they're still pretty bad.
 
#7 ·
I did some parts swapping from other fords.

T-bird visors, with mirrors and lights. They filled up the gap between the stock visors.

Factory cruise control with steering wheel.

Intermittent wipers.

Brake pedal from an automatic. And moved clutch pedal.

Newer AC compressor, tied into original system. [also did complete AC installs in other vehicles.]

Newer brake swap, twice.

And lots of re-wiring.
 
#34 ·
Newer AC compressor, tied into original system. [also did complete AC installs in other vehicles.]
Do you have any details for this swap? I checked your website and didn't see anything about air conditioning. I'm going to resurrect the AC in my notch this spring, and I'm looking for ideas.
 
#8 ·
Gentex rearview mirror, the one with temp and compass built in. I prefer the auto dimming model, helps with glare from those people that drive pickup trucks with drop-in HID kits in non-projector housings. The mirror also helps to make the car feel/look more "modern", if you will.

CUP HOLDER! Why did they not incorporate it to begin with?? (search this site for cup holder)

Brakes. The 4 cylinder cars and all pre-87 cars had really sorry front brakes. GT brakes (87-93) will go right on but you'll need the spindles and everything from the GT. Not a performance modification, but a safety mod! For the rears, the cheapest is to use a thunderbird turbocoupe rear end (87-88), comes with discs.

Sound deadening!

Subframe connectors. Weld-in (bolt on are worthless). Firms up the entire car. Helps with rattles and squeaks inside the vehicle
 
#10 ·
Gentex rearview mirror, the one with temp and compass built in. I prefer the auto dimming model, helps with glare from those people that drive pickup trucks with drop-in HID kits in non-projector housings. The mirror also helps to make the car feel/look more "modern", if you will.
Any tips on selecting a Gentex mirror? I see quite a few models listed on eBay at various price points. OR do you pop for a new unit via Amazon? Thanks for your assistance.
 
#9 ·
I recently freshened up my interior. New carpet, sound deadener from the tail lights to the firewall, LED dash bulbs, and replacement of various interior trim that was worn. What a difference!

Going on an under hood cleaning spree is nice too. It is amazing what a little polished aluminum, chrome, wiring cleanup, and repainting can accomplish.

Cleaning. Lots of cleaning. Everything. A friend once told me it doesn't cost anything to be clean. It is amazing what you can clean with Simple Green and a pressure washer...
 
#11 ·
Great thread Guys

also interested in which Gentex rearview mirror for a foxbody you used , 88 in my case.
 
#13 ·
This is the one I used:
Robot Check

At the time, they didn't offer the one with the camera screen on it, nor was it available with HomeLink.

I also put one in my dad's LATE '93 (Aug 1993 build date), but his is a CIPA, compass and temp only. It's a little cheaper than the Gentex that had the same options.

Be aware, though, that either the Gentex or the CIPA they are both heavier than what the fox body came with, so when you're installing a new one, follow the instructions to the "T" when adhering the wedge to the windshield. I like to put the wedge further up on the windshield; IMO all cars have them mounted too low, I guess for short people. I'm almost 6'8" so I have the opposite problem.

Other non-performance enhancing mods: OD "off" button, if you're installing a valve body in an AOD, I like to be able to turn OD off and on via button. Nice to have in certain instances, like following a slow driver on a back road right at the point where the trans wants to shift to OD, but not quite fast enough. it shifts in and out constantly in a 5 mph window, on my car, right around 40 mph. I hate it. I turn the OD off. ('04 V6) On my Fox (stock AOD with epoxy mod) you can't turn OD off and at certain speeds it SUCKS.

03-04 cobra rack & pinion. Again, not so much a performance enhancement, but sure makes the car drive better! The stock fox rack is really sloppy feeling, IMO, even in great condition.

PMGR starter. More confident starts. I also like to update the starter cable. I'm in the process of doing that on my Powerstroke as we speak (3/0 welding wire).

Gears. Consider it a performance mod, but especially on AOD cars with more or less stock engines, a 3.73 really wakes the car up even at low speeds. Feels a ton better than, say, the 2.73 or 3.08. Mine was a 2.73. I absolutely hated it! 3.73 also gets better fuel mileage, go figure...but then you'll have to deal with the speedometer gear issues. 3.73 or 4.10 will make the car "feel" 1000 lbs lighter.

Shifter on 5 speed cars...get rid of the stock rubbery shifter! I hate that thing.

Cleaning. Just cleaning the interior of my '92 made a HUGE difference. Not just in the "look" but also my confidence in driving it. You just don't feel good about driving a dirty car, at least I don't. Mine was owned by a smoker before I got it, so I had to clean it with a toothbrush. Removed seat upholstery, wash it by hand in a garbage can, replace seat foam, wipe everything down 4 or 5 times, replace headliner, hand wash the a/c and heater ducts, put it all back together and it almost looks brand new. I still had to run the ozone several times. But I'm really sensitive.

Shocks/struts. "cleans" up the car's feel. Bushings also make a big difference, but I don't care for poly bushings in the front control arms, combined with retaining the stock springs and their location. You feel EVERY crack in the road. Handles better though.

Stereo system. Stock fox speakers are old, even if they're not blown or broken, they still suck. Replace them with newer stuff; and I like to also put in an updated head unit unless I'm going after the all-original look. I don't use the radio that much but when I do, I hate the sorry sound quality of the stock system.
 
#21 ·
3G ALTERNATOR! A MUST!
Electric Fan
these!

also, I grabbed a rearview mirror out of I want to say a mountaineer. Its got map lights on it and has the temp sensor which is in front of it and sits on the glass so I know outside temp.

sn95 dome light.

all new suspension bushings, new shocks. just did the cobra rack and wow so nice!

new rag joint. sound deadening (dont care if it adds weight I love the quiet cabin and doors that close not sounding like tin cans).

better stereo. cup holder. heck, pretty much what everyone else is doing. remote start, etc.

mini starter from explorer.

I basically go to the u-pull and look around and say "hmm I wonder if I can put this in my car"
 
#18 ·
You want a cool upgrade and add virtually everything in one swap?

App-Tronics, Smart Nav 5r

I sell these at work & they are very cool for an upgrade to older cars. Gives you touch screen navigation, blue tooth, front and rear camera capability, built in DVR for those kill video's, built in radar detector, FM transmitter, etc.

Just by swapping out your mirror, leaving the rest of the interior stock appearing. That's paramount to me. I'm in this business for a living and the first thing I did was re-finish my center console and put an OEM stereo back in.

BTW, if anyone has any non premium sound original Fox 6x8 speakers that still work, I'm interested. I took out the aftermarket ones and put the original connectors back in, just trying to get it all back to original inside, and that is all that's left.
 
#23 ·
BTW, if anyone has any non premium sound original Fox 6x8 speakers that still work, I'm interested. I took out the aftermarket ones and put the original connectors back in, just trying to get it all back to original inside, and that is all that's left.
why do you want non-premium speakers specifically? regardless, they werent just in fox mustangs. they were in pretty much everything ford put out in the 80s. best bet might be finding some in the package tray (trunk speakers) from an 80s grand marquis or towncar in the u-pull. old people hardly ever abused their stereos and usually parked in the garage so no sun damage. but even then, a paper speaker lasting 25+ years is going to be hard if not impossible to find.
 
#20 ·
The cupholder mod is very nice. I used the Chevy Corado cupholder in my car. Read about it on a couple of the FB Mustang groups. It is also a great time to add aux power points to the console. I added a dual USB charging port and two for 12V.

If you are redoing your interior it is a great idea to buy an interior screw kit from LMR/NPD. You can get rid of all the stripped, worn out, or incorrect style fasteners.

I spent sometime cleaning up all of the wiring that had been added to the car over the years. I'm a fan of Add-A-Circuit's for tapping into your fuse box for extra low amp accessories. Those weren't around back in the day, so I corrected a bunch of my past wiring sins. I also corrected the wiring disaster of my aftermarket alarm system (thank you previous owner and rushed/underpaid installer). I can't believe it never stranded me in BFE. Buy a Ford Service Electrical and Vacuum Troubleshooting manual on eBay. There is no better reference when combined with VeryUsefulTech's online images.
 
#29 ·
Biggest things for me to make my fox a more comfortable drive were:

Better seats, in my case Corbeau A4s in microsuede.
Better stereo/any stereo. I put less than a grand into it for a deck, speakers and a small self powered sub.
3G alternator. 130A alternator made it so the car wouldn't threaten to shut down every time the electric fan kicked on.
Additional sound deadening. Calling foxes a rattle trap is being nice about it.
Replaced headlights with new ones and new bulbs. Mine were so yellowed the headlights were useless.
 
#35 ·
Ashtray is now mouse holder for ECU interface laptop. 2x4 screwed to bottom of plastic dish, fits perfectly in hole.
 

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#36 ·
Now there's a great idea Blown88GT. I should run my cables for the Megasquirt over to that area when I add a cupholder in the spring. Make life easier in general.
 
#40 ·
Wanted to bring this post back up....it's winter time, it's cold out and just plain nasty. I've been doing some of these mods to my '93 LX, which is a 2.3....and I don't plan on changing to a V8 anytime soon. Got all my stuff from the junkyard here that just opened up, they don't have any fox body stuff but there is plenty of other stuff. I want to do the cup holder. I could care less about the factory ash tray and all that.

Did a sound system update this last week, all junkyard stuff (found some brand new speakers, new-ish pioneer head unit with bluetooth, microphone, etc. Also did the Gentex mirror-out of a 2000 Tahoe. Cobra rack is going in soon, just dread getting the expensive MM steering shaft. May do the brakes soon, but I've got 2 too many rojects going on at once, and may have to wait.

I left all the seats intact. I had to repair the gangster lean on the driver's side, and while I had it apart cleaned the upholstery. now it looks so much cleaner that the other side doesn't match....yep...another project. At least I can still drive it without the passenger seat. And I've got 2 more sets of seats in the storage building anyway, none which are really any good but I can plant my tail in it if need be to drive it.

What vehicle in the JY donates the cup holders? I know it ain't a direct swap.
 
#41 ·
Resurrected thread:

On the mirrors, look in the Tahoe's and Suburbans-almost all of them had the Gentex 177's, which is the easiest to install with only a few wire connections. There are a TON of different Gentex mirrors in junkyards, some have compass, others have comp and temp, others have Homelink (garage door opener) with temp and comp, then Homelink without temp (just compass)...options galore. Some of the Chrysler Sebring coupes had mirrors with comp, temp, and homelink in them. If you get real lucky, you can find one with map lights too. Then there's some of the Toyota trucks that had those mirrors but had a "floating" display where the comp and temp just appeared out of nowhere, where the one I have (177) had a little dark square where it displays the comp & temp. TONS of options on the mirrors, BUT the hard part is getting a wiring diagram for them. The GNTX 177's have a 7 pin connector and are easy to find wiring info for those, but the 313's, 453's and newer all have different connectors and there is not a lot of diagrams out there. Ebay has a few pre-wired connectors that aren't expensive and that may be the best route to go.

Still don't know which direction I want to go on the cup holder ordeal.
 
#43 ·
On the mirrors, look in the Tahoe's and Suburbans-almost all of them had the Gentex 177's, which is the easiest to install with only a few wire connections. There are a TON of different Gentex mirrors in junkyards, some have compass, others have comp and temp, others have Homelink (garage door opener) with temp and comp, then Homelink without temp (just compass)...options galore. Some of the Chrysler Sebring coupes had mirrors with comp, temp, and homelink in them. If you get real lucky, you can find one with map lights too. Then there's some of the Toyota trucks that had those mirrors but had a "floating" display where the comp and temp just appeared out of nowhere, where the one I have (177) had a little dark square where it displays the comp & temp. TONS of options on the mirrors, BUT the hard part is getting a wiring diagram for them. The GNTX 177's have a 7 pin connector and are easy to find wiring info for those, but the 313's, 453's and newer all have different connectors and there is not a lot of diagrams out there. Ebay has a few pre-wired connectors that aren't expensive and that may be the best route to go.al.
That's pretty sweet info. I'd like to pick one up with homlink so i don't need to carry the garage door opener with me anymore. Thanks for the heads up
 
#42 ·
I did a wire tuck on my car this fall. I also used this as an opportunity to hide the firewall vacuum tree and remove the inop emissions equipment. It doesn't make the car run any better, but it did clean up a lot of the chaos under the hood.

I also changed out the dome light to the newer '92-'93 style that includes the built in map lights.
 
#44 ·
I put an 03 Cobra shift knob in my car. :)
 
#45 ·
Definitely some good ideas in here. I'll have to look into one of the newer rearview mirrors - like qtrracer, I've got a convertible, so I'll have to pick up one with the map lights built-in.

A while back I did leather shifter and e-brake boots from Redlinegoods.


I always hated the styling of the 2-spoke steering wheel (the pre-airbag, late '80s style). Somewhere I found one of the older 3-spoke style, but it was just the rubber/plastic cheap one (not the $$$ SVO leather version). I sent the wheel off to Craft Customs to get it wrapped in leather. Expensive, but I like it.


Corbeau seats went in to replace the Sparco EVO2 fixed-back seats that I had installed in the early '00s:


No pics, but I also replaced the front seat belts, as they were discolored and the plastic sleeves were all brittle and broken.
 
#47 ·
Something I did last year was put a boost gauge in my '93 coupe. I didn't want a vent pod as my A/C must remain functional and that vent is needed, plus I don't care for "the look". I wanted something more or less "OEM appearing"-or at least as much as possible. So I picked up a 3 gauge radio panel off of eBay (I hate shopping eBay but it was the only place I could find that had one available). As you know, the radio is in the middle and then the 3 gauges go down low. Well on the 5 speed cars, which mine is, the gauges are hard to see with the shifter and it's upper boot being right there. So I resorted to flipping it over, so that the gauges are in the middle and the radio down low. The thing is, though, a CD player-or any stock depth radio-is not going to go there because of it's depth, it'll hit the hump behind it. But my particular head unit is an el cheapo Pioneer unit with bluetooth and no CD player, so it's about half the depth of a CD player. And since it uses bluetooth I can play music from the phone so I don't need CD's. Now I can see my boost gauge. I used a Bosch gauge for it's black face with white numbers, it's cheap, and it's backlight is not great. But it uses a 194 bulb, same as the insturment panel-so I had some extra green LED bulbs and slid that in for a green backlight, which matches the rest of the insturment panel, and looks halfway "stock"-which is what I was after. Sooner or later I'll put two more gauges in so that it doesn't look so weird with 2 empty holes.

Also did a leather wrap on the steering wheel using a wheelskins.com leather wrap. Better than the stock 4 cylinder wheel for sure! Easy to put on too but it is nowhere near the quality of a professionally installed leather wheel cover. Took me about an hour & a half or so, did it with the wheel still installed on the car.
 

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#48 ·
Yeah, before the 3-spoke wheel, I had done a Wheelskins cover on the original wheel - black w/red stitch.



Definitely an improvement over the stock wheel - I have leather wheels in my other cars, and appreciate the feel.
 
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