ascMcLaren Enthusiasts

ponydude · Joined: 26 Dec 2004 Posts: 108 Location: Hickory, NC

As we progress with the salvation of this car, I will have many questions. Right now I have one. All of the Ford facrory plastic parts seem to have been grey originally, or have changed colors due to the flooding. Has anyone else had this experience? I'm talking about the kick panels, sill plates, and even the dash pad. All of the ASC parts have retained their original tan color.
We have stripped down and parted out several Fox body Mustangs and as we continue to disassemble and clean this car, we have found some interesting things. The inner doors have had several braces and panels welded in for whatever reason. Today, we found two additional braces on the toeboard on both side of the ASC "spine" going diagonally from the very front of the spine up to the firewall. These braces and the transmission tunnel have been covered with a material labelled "SOUND DEADENER". Also, the rear mounting area for the driver's seat, only, has an additional brace welded on top of the floor pan.
Sorry, but this car has become a passion for me, my sons, and many of their friends. I'll be quite for now.
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'78 King Cobra
'84 GT Turbo
'85 McLaren 5.0 SC Convertible
'81 T-Top Coupe
2-'84 1/2 GT 350's 5.0 5speeds, 1 T-Top
'95 Mustang GTS
'83 Black Magic

Sandy · Posted: Mon Jan 03, 2005 2:33 am Post subject:

Message
Sandy

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Most of those bracings that you have uncovered are lacking in the 1987-1990 Mustang version. Unlike other things that I have told or posted in the past, this is my opinion. Everything else in the past was fact.

I believe that the Mercury Capri 5.0SC 2-Seat Roadsters that ascMcLaren made were "overbuilt" by ascMcLaren, and were also a learning curve for them. I have driven a 1986 Capri 5.0SC 2-Seat Roadster as well as my own 1990 Mustang version. I find the integrity, roadability, quirks and general overall body/chassis dynamics to be extremely close. My cars do not have the "spine" down the center, nor the other bracing, and they perform very well. The convertible roofs eek & creak & squeek and there's the occasional Kaaa-glunk from the convertible top at the windshield header, but with the top down, that's all history. I am really addressing the body integrity, excluding the roof frame.

Regarding the plastic pieces. Many of the ford ones were dyed, while the ascMcLaren ones were made in the colored plastic, thusly there was no color to lose. For 84 & 85 there were only 2 interior colors used on your convertible: Sand Beige or Regatta Blue. Charcoal-Black joined them for 1986.
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S A N D Y
Two 1990 ascMcLarens (Final Car & 4th of 12 Silver Anniversary Models).
1986 Coupe Full Pkg'ed # 109 of 115. 646 miles.
_________________
Sandy passed away in 2012. He will be forever missed.

1990 Final Car prior to the 12 Silver Anny Editions
1990 Silver Pearl Anny Edition
1986 Coupe Full Pkg #109 of 114.

http://public.fotki.com/ascmclaren/ascmclaren_capris/sandys_mclarens/

lightning95sc · Joined: 05 Sep 2004 Posts: 327 Location: Detroit,MI

Hey, Ponydude, thats a very nice,eclectic collection of cars you have. My kinda guy. Don't be sorry about the car becoming a passion for you. I'm sure a bunch of us are VERY interested in your progress. OK! I"M INTERESTED. I wanted to buy the car but have entirely too many things going now. So, at least I can enjoy the car vicariously through you Laughing

. If you need help, moral support, a shoulder to cry on or a sounding board to rant, if nobody else will listen, I will. (though, I'm quite sure the rest of the crew is just as curious). Just my pennys worth. Chuck Wink

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"They gon' talk about you anyway, just let it roll off."

Tom S. · Joined: 28 Aug 2004 Posts: 264 Location: Farmington, MN

mustang marty · Joined: 28 Aug 2004 Posts: 274 Location: Seattle

Yes, it is the seat reinforcement used on the 85 and later special service (Police Package) Mustangs. All Mustangs and Capris are prone to cracking in this area. Good call for ASC to have this installed upfront.

My kick panels had faded from blue to a yellow-ish gray. Funny thing was nothing else was faded... and the kick panels a pretty far down in the car.

I think that all the 'verts also received the extra factory T-Top bracing as well. There is some Ford bracing on the floor that is in my McLaren that was not present in my 84 Mustang Sedan. Ford had built all the early Fox Mustangs that were destined to be verts with the addiional T-Top bracing before sending them to Cars & Concepts to be converted. IIRC, all the 87-93 Mustangs received the T-Top bracing as well to help stiffen the chassis in general.

ponydude · Joined: 26 Dec 2004 Posts: 108 Location: Hickory, NC

Thanks to all of you for your support. This car will live again, maybe not as a show car, but as original as it was when it was flooded.
We have found that it has an Alpine Model 7263 radio with an Alpine 3516 Power Amplifier.
This car is no longer a passion for my son and I, but an obsession. I just ordered some missing items from Hank.
Unfortunatley, last night we found that the PA & NY floodwater caused the block to crack, but will replace the motor and continue on.
Please continue your support. We can use all the help we can get.
_________________
'78 King Cobra
'84 GT Turbo
'85 McLaren 5.0 SC Convertible
'81 T-Top Coupe
2-'84 1/2 GT 350's 5.0 5speeds, 1 T-Top
'95 Mustang GTS
'83 Black Magic

EMartin · Joined: 09 Nov 2004 Posts: 52 Location: New Jersey

Hang in there. Glad to hear it's a family project! A good complete 5.0 should be fairly easy to come up with.

Regards,

Eric
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Current McLaren-
89 Paris Blue

Formers-
86 White/Tan/Tan, auto w/Recaros
88 Black/Grey/Black, 5spd w/Recaros

Sandy · Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 2:28 am Post subject:

Any chance that you might be able to post a picture of that Alpine 7263 Model ?
_________________
Sandy passed away in 2012. He will be forever missed.

1990 Final Car prior to the 12 Silver Anny Editions
1990 Silver Pearl Anny Edition
1986 Coupe Full Pkg #109 of 114.

http://public.fotki.com/ascmclaren/ascmclaren_capris/sandys_mclarens/

negusm · Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 4:58 am Post subject:

negusm · Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 5:53 am Post subject:

nm, I pulled it out and shot a pic tonight:

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1985 ascMcLaren Coupe - Midnight Blue
Under Restoration

Sandy · Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 3:29 pm Post subject:

That's not it!
I have a 1/3 picture of the stereo
that was installed in the 1984/1985
Capri SC 2-Seat WITH the wood
background. I was trying to match-up
THAT picture, with an identical picture
in the Alpine Catalog, that I sent to you
- (O.K. Photocopy thereof) ~ with an
identical one in THAT catalog. Having a
very hard time doing so ! Any Idea(s) ?
Has to be an Alpine, as that's what asc was
using at the time....
_________________
Sandy passed away in 2012. He will be forever missed.

1990 Final Car prior to the 12 Silver Anny Editions
1990 Silver Pearl Anny Edition
1986 Coupe Full Pkg #109 of 114.

http://public.fotki.com/ascmclaren/ascmclaren_capris/sandys_mclarens/

negusm · Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 4:04 pm Post subject:

Can you post the picture to see what was in that car?

asc also used Kenwood radios (on coupes)...it doesn't look like this does it?

I wish I had taken a shot of the Alpine 7272 Post style radio (which is not shown in your 86 Alpine radio pamphlet) that Hank had sent me.

I'll email him and see if I can get a picture.

Oh, BTW, I put the faceplate on upside down in that picture I posted above.

-Mike
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1985 ascMcLaren Coupe - Midnight Blue
Under Restoration

negusm · Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 4:08 pm Post subject:

Also, I'll need to go back and search but somebody else mentioned that their 85 vert also had the Alpine 7263.

I'm thinking that again asc used whatever was easily available to pop into these cars. They may have used a few of the 7263s instead of the 7272s. Yeah, I feel your eyes rolling from here. Very Happy

-Mike
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1985 ascMcLaren Coupe - Midnight Blue
Under Restoration

Sandy · Posted: Wed Jan 05, 2005 6:17 pm Post subject:

Identify THIS stereo....I'm 95% sure it's an Alpine.... you have to compare small details

http://images5.fotki.com/v59/photos/4/43979/169646/86zz13-vi.jpg

Looks like a 7159; to me !! What say you ?
_________________
Sandy passed away in 2012. He will be forever missed.

1990 Final Car prior to the 12 Silver Anny Editions
1990 Silver Pearl Anny Edition
1986 Coupe Full Pkg #109 of 114.

http://public.fotki.com/ascmclaren/ascmclaren_capris/sandys_mclarens/

ponydude · Joined: 26 Dec 2004 Posts: 108 Location: Hickory, NC

The radio is now out of the car (mud and all) and that's where I got the numbers for it and the amp. I have to believe that it is the original radio sinc everythig else is so original.
I have found a CFI motor from a '84 Grand Marquis, which we plan on putting in the car.
_________________
'78 King Cobra
'84 GT Turbo
'85 McLaren 5.0 SC Convertible
'81 T-Top Coupe
2-'84 1/2 GT 350's 5.0 5speeds, 1 T-Top
'95 Mustang GTS
'83 Black Magic