Project LX
Project LX started out as Project Commuter, a low option Medium Shadow Blue Metallic 1987 Mustang LX Sedan with a Blue Cloth interior. It later became a Black 1989 Mustang LX Sedan SSV with a Tan Cloth interior that was an ex-Florida Highway Patrol Car. That one was a disaster and was replaced by a 1993 Mustang LX Hatchback. The ’93 Hatchback traded places with the Project Commuter ’87 Mustang LX Sedan twice, returning to take up the mantle of Project LX.
The current Project LX car is a Clearcoat Black 1993 Ford Mustang LX Hatchback with a Black Cloth Sport interior, a five-speed and a 2.73:1 Traction-Lok rear end. Although it has nearly 160,000 miles on the odometer, the paint, body and interior are almost like new making it a great canvas to create a serious high performance machine for the track that can still putter around town and take to the road for travel.
Since it is going to take me some time to get to the new chassis, I’m going to go all the way back to the original car and start the Project LX story from there to provide some perspective on the project as a whole.
To see the plan for each stage of the project, click the Stage links below. To get the details of each step in the project, click on the Chapter links. Check back here for updates to Project LX!
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Chapter 1
The Ideal Commuter
It was long about 10 AM on a Sunday morning in February of 1999 when my Mother brought a car ad in the local paper to my attention.
Chapter 2
Upping The Ante
While the original Project LX ‘87 Sedan was a 98,000-mile original that didn’t appear to be driven hard, it wasn’t all roses and sunshine.
Chapter 3
Getting in Deep
It was a gorgeous evening in June of 2000 when the Project LX ‘87 Mustang gave up the ghost.
Chapter 4
Option C
As Patty is so fond of telling me, when asked whether I'd prefer option A or option B, I usually opt for C.
Chapter 5
The Plan
Since I had a working model for my project I was prepared to begin.
Chapter 6
Rebuilding the Transmission
Let me start out by saying – again – that having a model to follow in building one’s ride is necessary, but it is by no means, a plan.
Chapter 7
Building the Engine
When I finally got to the engine, I really felt like things were going well.
Chapter 8
Engine Acrobatics
When I was mired in the middle of this project, I was starting to think I’d never get to this point.
Chapter 9
Making Things Right
If you’ve read Chapters 3-8, then you know I ended up finishing Stage 2 prematurely.
Chapter 10
Getting Low
The 347 I installed during Stage 2 in Chapter 8 was a very enjoyable engine in a car the size and weight of a Fox-body Sedan, but quite frankly, the factory chassis left a LOT to be desired when coupled with it – especially with 131,000 miles on the odometer.
Chapter 11
Going for More
Tepid performance really isn’t my thing.
Chapter 12
Changing of the Guard
So there I was with a car newly arrived from Florida that needed quite a bit of work.
Chapter 13
If It Isn’t One Thing, It Will Be the Next
The heater core needed to be replaced.