1989 SC-Restore? Junk???

greenehoosier

Registered User
A quick intro. I am a 34 YO Teacher (Poli Sci, Econ, USH) from Southern Indiana. Married 12 years, three kids. Coach Basketball. I have a Berrien Warrior Sandrail with dual carbs and all the toys. A 1953 Ford Victoria, 1966 Mustang (2 owner,cali car) and the 1989 SC. I have built drag cars, road racers (SCCA) and customs for almost 20 years now. I just bought this car (the SC) from a former student ($500). It is an AT car that he had the tranny replaced in, it shifts weird now, though. I plan on doing the TV adjustment this weekend. It runs good- hard brake pedal, though ( will replace solenoid first thing). It has a crappy Cervini style hood (broken corners-anyone want to trade :) )
and the bumper covers are crap. Interior is not too bad- cracks in dash are the only real problems. I feel odd considering restoring a late model like this, but there are many pluses to this car. Modern, comfortable ride, disc brakes, power everything. Smooth, quiet. EFI, OD and a supercharger. I loved these cars when they came out back when I was in high school, restoring one would be nice. Are the pieces readliy available to return this thing back to a nice stock (mostly) car? The car is a bit rough, but the body is straight and there is no rust. Are all the suspension-brake-chassis parts still available? Are bumper covers (sc in middle) readily available new or used? This car seemed to be a good starting point, but, sometimes I am thinking I should part it out and use the engine in my rail. I would rather restore this car,but, there does not seem to be much aftermarket support for these things. I wonder how many have done a real restoration and how difficult it was as far as parts availability? Thanks for any direction.
Randy
 
I have a nice steel hood on my 90 SC. would be really intrested in a cervenni hood even if it needs work. Tim
 
Tim, this hood is a mess. Every corner is broken. Looks cool, but, If I keep this car it will be going back to stock. Either way I do not need/want this hood. For a trade I would meet you if it is not too far. I am in Bedford, IN 47421. 2 hours south of Indianapolis. Where are you located?
 
Hey, it’s good to see other teachers on this site I teach algebra and whatever else needs to be taught that year (major was Anthropology). I'd say keep it and restore it to its former glory. A new hood can be taken from any lx or base bird from 89-93. The Trans problems can just be the TV cable or might have been rebuilt incorrectly, hope for the TV cable or it can give you a great excuse to give supercoupeperformance a call. You can find most everything you'll need by searching these forums. Some have had problems finding brake parts and converted to a non-abs system. The auto-adjustable shock replacements seem to go soft after 10k-20k according to some but there are plenty of alternatives to these if you can pull yourself away from the auto-adjust feature. The SC bumpers are harder to find but it has been noted on here that they can be found new and are found used on eBay quite often. I can't help with a full restoration because I have had my 89 since 1990 and have probably slowly replaced over the years the same amount as a full restoration except for the body. The parts are out there you just have to look.
 
JUNK .>>>>

I had this delima a while and it came down to this a V8. If the SC was a V8 instead of a V6 I would have kept it oh yeah also the Electronic AOD is far better than the shift by wire AOD in the SC. The SCs don't keep their value and parts for the SC cost more then the cars are worth.

You can't deny that the 89-90 were the best years of the SC and the best looking T-birds ever made until the recent edition. Wow! I saw NEW style a blk on blk with a hard top SO COOL!

If you can do it restore it.
 
Randy I've been doing just what you're thinking about for 4 years now, not the cars fault its taking so long its just that life keeps getting in the way. Alot of parts are now obsolete from Ford and you cant get them, however check the parts for sale section on this board and you will find alot of stuff.
Should you want a stock hood the reg. 89-93 TBird hood is the same hood as the SC. The front and rear bumper covers are SC specific so you would have to find them for an SC. Not all SC front bumper covers have the SC in the middle like that, mine does as well but not all.
I really dont know what to tell you because my intended restoration has turned into a love hate relationship. I love the car for all the reasons you stated but hate it because of the junky ABS brake system they put on it, the gimmiky adjustable suspension and several really stupid things they did under the hood. All those things can be overcome pretty easy but you may not have planned to do all those things. I know I did'nt, once I started tearing things down I just kept finding things that were wore out or just plain did'nt make sense. I can go into alot more detail if you like, but I'm just trying to prevent writing a book here if you really dont want to hear it because I'm not a fast typer. :)
 
MIKE 38sc said:
Randy I've been doing just what you're thinking about for 4 years now, not the cars fault its taking so long its just that life keeps getting in the way. Alot of parts are now obsolete from Ford and you cant get them, however check the parts for sale section on this board and you will find alot of stuff.
Should you want a stock hood the reg. 89-93 TBird hood is the same hood as the SC. The front and rear bumper covers are SC specific so you would have to find them for an SC. Not all SC front bumper covers have the SC in the middle like that, mine does as well but not all.
I really dont know what to tell you because my intended restoration has turned into a love hate relationship. I love the car for all the reasons you stated but hate it because of the junky ABS brake system they put on it, the gimmiky adjustable suspension and several really stupid things they did under the hood. All those things can be overcome pretty easy but you may not have planned to do all those things. I know I did'nt, once I started tearing things down I just kept finding things that were wore out or just plain did'nt make sense. I can go into alot more detail if you like, but I'm just trying to prevent writing a book here if you really dont want to hear it because I'm not a fast typer. :)
i like reading :)
 
I understand all the issues as I have lurked here a couple of weeks now. I intend to get rid of the ABS and the adjustable suspension. I want the car to be beautiful and look stock, but, this is not a purist thing for me. I will probably do a few simple mods performance mods and make the rest look factory from the outside and inside not necessarily a '100% stock look'. Just a car that is beautifull, fast and comfortable. BTW....I know it would be interesting reading for you to cover all of the issues you have found in this pursuit. Knowing where you had problems would help so many in making this decision and what to watch for once we begin. I will be back on Monday- B-Ball Tourney this weekend-sooo...I look forward to reading more of this on Monday.
Randy
 
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Keep it dont part it out. If it is rust free than that is a very good starting point to work with. There is a good deal of aftermarket for these cars, but not nearly the market the mustang has. You will just have to monitor the for sale forum for the parts you need to restore it. Be warned, it can be costly depending on how detailed you get. Good luck with your project!

Shane
 
greenehoosier said:
I understand all the issues as I have lurked here a couple of weeks now. I intend to get rid of the ABS and the adjustable suspension. I want the car to be beautiful and look stock, but, this is not a purist thing for me. I will probably do a few simple mods performance mods and make the rest look factory from the outside and inside not necessarily a '100% stock look'. Just a car that is beautifull, fast and comfortable. BTW....I know it would be interesting reading for you to cover all of the issues you have found in this pursuit. Knowing where you had problems would help so many in making this decision and what to watch for once we begin. I will be back on Monday- B-Ball Tourney this weekend-sooo...I look forward to reading more of this on Monday.
Randy

Sounds like you and I have alot in common concerning this car. Just post a list of what you'de like to hear more about because I've stripped my car to the bare shell and have worked on just about everything. Make a list for me and try to be realistic because its gonna be a book. :)
 
I have been battling this decision for years, I too have had Lightnings, drag cars, Lexus, ect.... I still went back to the SC. I know they are VERY quirky cars, the parts are hard to find, sometimes it can seem like 2 steps foward 5 steps back but when these cars are right, they are possibly the best car on the road. Keep the faith, don't part it out...keep it alive. I could have easily bought a 5.0 and dumped 3-4000 into it and had one hellva 11 sec street-drag car but why? I like being different and making(trying) to have a 3800lb, 12 second cruiser.
 
I've owned more than a couple of these cars, one of which I bought in 1990 and still have. I thoroughly enjoy that car still at 195K miles. However, others that I have owned with a lot less miles have been pure headaches. I am also very familiar with the entire car and found myself a couple years ago in the same position as you are now. I found an 89 in relatively nice and clean shape but with a lot of miles and some wear showing everywhere. I started restoration thinking that I would likewise make it a "mostly stock" rebuild.

Shortly after starting I put the brakes on. I realized that just to get the car looking the way I wanted and reliability issues worked out I'd be well on my way to the cost of a pristine low mileage SC. These gems can be had for $4000-6500 with anywhere from 15k-60kmiles on them. I couldn't justify having $4000 in a car that had high miles on it to begin with so I bailed.

I guess my point is if you really want a nice car, there are plenty of them out there that can be purchased for less or the same as it would cost you to do up a neglected one without all the hassles!

But, if it is the challenge and the work that you are intrigued by, there is no problem with parts IMO. Used parts are plentiful and where OE parts are not available, aftermarket or customized parts work just fine. It's a personal decision. One of the best parts about the idea is the resource and support provided by this community. Welcome!
 
I guess this will be a long term project. The tranny is fried, the fluid is brown. He adjusted the TV cable incorrectly. There is no 3rd or overdrive. 2nd gear slips at boost or high RPM's. I am guessing I will go with a 5spd conversion, but, that is not 100% yet. I am getting rid of my 1953 Ford and that will leave only my wifes 1966 Mustang in front of it. This will be the latest model car I have ever "Restored". Thanks.
 
greenehoosier said:
I guess this will be a long term project. The tranny is fried, the fluid is brown. He adjusted the TV cable incorrectly. There is no 3rd or overdrive. 2nd gear slips at boost or high RPM's. I am guessing I will go with a 5spd conversion, but, that is not 100% yet. I am getting rid of my 1953 Ford and that will leave only my wifes 1966 Mustang in front of it. This will be the latest model car I have ever "Restored". Thanks.
I have an excellent auto in oklahoma, at least it was excellent before the fall semester when I parted the car out. It had 180k but a rebuilt trans and it was really tight and shifted well. There is a real good possibility I will be headed your directin in the next few days/week as there is an sc in michigan that I am gonna buy if the guy shoots me a good enough price. I could probably meet you somewhere
 
unclenick said:
I have been battling this decision for years, I too have had Lightnings, drag cars, Lexus, ect.... I still went back to the SC. I know they are VERY quirky cars, the parts are hard to find, sometimes it can seem like 2 steps foward 5 steps back but when these cars are right, they are possibly the best car on the road. Keep the faith, don't part it out...keep it alive. I could have easily bought a 5.0 and dumped 3-4000 into it and had one hellva 11 sec street-drag car but why? I like being different and making(trying) to have a 3800lb, 12 second cruiser.
Amen. I couldn't have said it better.
 
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