94 ATX Restore Project

[ballinb]

Hi everyone-

I recently acquired a 94 ATX with 35K miles. Vehicle holds a lot of memories growing up and learning how to drive in it as a teenager so decided to undergo a restore project as best as I can with my limited mechanical skills. I found a lot of the info needed to get started through the search function and individuals I met on the forum. Special thanks to Mike at shosource guiding me through the process/supplying key parts and picked up some parts here from the greatbriguy, Irishpride, and John with the spark plug holders. I really wanted to focus on maintenance, braking, and handling given not much options from the performance standpoint/ATX transmission and have other vehicles to fill that need. I figured it would be good to share with the group as I learned so much from the existing threads and wealth of info on this site. I'll keep updating this thread as I progress but here's what has been accomplished so far:

-new radiator and battery
-new serpentine belt
-blue samco hoses and clamps (radiator, heater, cooler set)
-new OEM horn was not working
-ceramic window tints (picture of car is day 1 received will post new full vehicle pics later)

currently being installed on lift now:

Good friend of mine owns a powder coating business so he kindly finished the sway bars, calipers, brackets, along with subframe connectors

-24mm front/26mm rear sway bars/new brackets and bushings
-front and rear tie rods
-front sensa trac struts 71780/moog coils CC 858 (1 coil cut)
-gen 3 subframe bushings
-12" sho source front brake kit with stainless steel lines/bias plugs
-new rear factory size rotors and calipers
-engine strut tower

Few questions:

-Next on my list is to install new rear sensa trac 71781/moog coils CC839 uncut which I have. Does the rear seat and seatbelt bracket need to be dissembled to access the strut mounts?
-I got a set of volvo pegasus replicas for free basically (17x7.5 38mm offset-5x108 bolt pattern). The oem offset of 43mm for these wheels appeared they would not work so went with the replicas. Thinking about getting these gloss black powder coated and new tires, from what I read it looks like this size and offset will work with 225/50/17 tire?
-Fuel gauge is a little erratic showing full to empty on turns. Does this usually indicate a new pump is needed?

After I complete the rear suspension work plan is to install/weld the subframe connectors.

Finally will move on to aesthetics, with a focus on powder coating intake manifold/valve covers (replace all intake and valve gaskets while I'm there)/spark plug wires/(maybe alternator powder coat) and will finally move to a complete new paint job with new weatherstripping seals throughout.

Thank you for taking the time to read and look. If you have any feedback or things worth focusing on for this project would love to hear your suggestions.

 

[excidere]

Amazing work so far, I love stories of keeping these cars on the road! Can't wait for more progress!

Quick question, what was the underbody coated in?

 

[zoomlater]

Welcome! Nice find. Regarding removing the rear struts, if you are able to contort yourself to get the nuts via the trunk, that is how some people have done it. I went through the back seat to get mine done. As far as the gas gauge reading, it might be your float is stuck or the dash gas gauge isn't reading correctly. If the pump sounds fine when priming (not making loud noises), then the pump is probably fine (but it is 30 years old). I still have the original pump in my 94 ATX and it has over 160K on it.

 

[kryptto]

Awesome find! Great looking.

 

[rubydist]

Welcome and best wishes with your project!

Rear struts can be done from the trunk, that is how I always did it. Its not a lot of fun but better than taking the whole rear seat apart imho. I will tell you that I hated Sensatrac struts - they are too stiff on small bumps and too soft on large bumps, imho.

The fuel gauge issue is likely with the anti-slosh circuitry which is in the gauge cluster. I don't recall if that can be replaced separately or if the cluster needs to be changed, but that is where I would start. If you get a different cluster, you can adjust the mileage to match your current reading - I posted a how-to thread on that here on this forum some years ago.

I will also say that I am not a fan of subframe connectors unless you plan to race the car. Subframe connectors will make the car handle like its on rails, but at the expense of much more noise, vibration, and harshness in normal driving. I don't even like aluminum subframe connectors for that reason. I liked the 96+ subframe conversion as the best handling improvement without sacrificing ride quality.

 

[ballinb]

Thanks for feedback everyone! The underbody has a coating to prevent rust since it was originally in a snow belt state.

I'll get to the rear struts next week and report back. Sounds like a complicated issue with the fuel gauge since I checked fuel pressure and was fine/no noise on startup so its not the pump. May just leave it alone for now.

Will need to drive around vehicle with new suspension setup for a while and consider if worth welding subframe connectors. Does anyone on this forum have them currently installed and can share driving experience feedback?

Gathered engine bay materials for next phase-blue vacuum and firewall lines, blue intake couplers, valve cover and intake manifold gaskets, polished valve screws and grommets, spark plugs and clips. I'm thinking I will keep the oem spark plug wires as heard mixed feedback on aftermarket wires. Does anyone have experience with installing vacuum and firewall lines do you simply just pull out line and push new lines back in place is it that simple? Never done it before.

 

[Irish Pride]

Project looks like it's going great!

17x7.5 +38 will fit perfectly. 225/50/17 is the size that I would go with. If they were 8" wide wheels I would go with 235/50/17 which would be virtually identical to the stock tire diameter but too wide for a 7.5" wheel.

I helped develop that Samco kit. SHO Source offered a kit before but it wasn't complete. I sent in some original Ford hoses to be copied to make it a full replacement kit minus the couplers that I offer. I got the first set.

-Chad

 

[Irish Pride]

Thanks for feedback everyone! The underbody has a coating to prevent rust since it was originally in a snow belt state.

I'll get to the rear struts next week and report back. Sounds like a complicated issue with the fuel gauge since I checked fuel pressure and was fine/no noise on startup so its not the pump. May just leave it alone for now.

Will need to drive around vehicle with new suspension setup for a while and consider if worth welding subframe connectors. Does anyone on this forum have them currently installed and can share driving experience feedback?

Gathered engine bay materials for next phase-blue vacuum and firewall lines, blue intake couplers, valve cover and intake manifold gaskets, polished valve screws and grommets, spark plugs and clips. I'm thinking I will keep the oem spark plug wires as heard mixed feedback on aftermarket wires. Does anyone have experience with installing vacuum and firewall lines do you simply just pull out line and push new lines back in place is it that simple? Never done it before.

It appears you are going with a similar blue theme like I did with my 95. I would look into the Blue Taylor wires. I've used Taylors on several cars with no issues.

-Chad

 

[ballinb]

Project looks like it's going great!

17x7.5 +38 will fit perfectly. 225/50/17 is the size that I would go with. If they were 8" wide wheels I would go with 235/50/17 which would be virtually identical to the stock tire diameter but too wide for a 7.5" wheel.

I helped develop that Samco kit. SHO Source offered a kit before but it wasn't complete. I sent in some original Ford hoses to be copied to make it a full replacement kit minus the couplers that I offer. I got the first set.

-Chad

View attachment 93414

That's awesome your set helped me out very much, couldnt find lower radiator hoses and the remainder of set anywhere my plastic hoses were all cracked making the vehicle very unsafe to drive.

These are the plug wires youre referring to correct? They appear sold out or unavailable everywhere any idea where to source them now? Yes going for a similar theme of all gloss black and blue!

Taylor Cable 74668 Taylor Spiro-Pro Spark Plug Wire Sets | Summit Racing

Free Shipping - Taylor Spiro-Pro Spark Plug Wire Sets with qualifying orders of $109. Shop Spark Plug Wire Sets at Summit Racing.

www.summitracing.com

 

[zoomlater]

Here some information on the slosh circuit board, I had forgotten about that, thanks Rubydist. This part was used on other cars so you may be able to track a replacement down.

Gauge issues

Hey guys, So I finally got my 92 mtx home safe and sound. On the car ride home I noticed the speedometer had quite a bit of play along with a noise I can only describe as popcorn behind the dash. And also the gas gauge doesn’t work. Thinking I’m gonna look into a new float or mechanism inside...

shoforum.com

I have had subframe connectors installed on a couple of my cars. It stiffens the ride up, but it's also a nice place to jack up the car since it lifts on side up. Mike (Shosource) was nice enough to weld them on for me, the undercoating needs to be wire brushed off and the connectors clean of paint so you are welding on bare metal. Mike painted them after the welding was done.

 

[thegreatbriguy]

I have worked with manufacturing on some 10mm wires that are available Red, Black, or Blue. These are currently custom order and do have printing on the wire. If anyone is interested let me know. I haven't placed the first order yet but the first prototype has been in use on a daily for a year.

 

[thegreatbriguy]

Here is the prototype set installed in red.