FORCED 4D (RIGHT HAND DRIVE '80 NOTCHBACK GHIA)

June 05




Feb 04

Go to Page 5...Semi Started Again...awaiting parts.

Welcome to the home of FORCED 4D. (no motor in car at time of photos)

Two stickers waiting to go on

I NEED A CHEAPER WAY TO EXPORT PARTS FROM THE USA OTHERTHAN USPS...ANY INFO EMAIL JOHNNIE@IINET.NET.AU

Being from Perth,Australia,we don't see many,infact,i may have the only one of these cars in my state.
I personally didn't know Mustangs came with a 4 cyl motor at all,we only see the classics here and they are all privately imported.Ford Australia have only just started to sell Mustangs from the dealers in the last 3-5 years.So this little car is not only very unique here,but it also has the capability of beating V8's.....for both of those reasons,(and for sentimental reasons) i chose to buy(keep) the car even though i knew the rebuild will go waaaaay over budget....For the time i have had it, people are both impressed and amused,impressed by it being a mustang and how it looks but amused that it only has 4 cyl engine....even i call it a baby mustang....but only till a few mods gives it enough street credit to earn a place side by side with any V8 Mustang over here.(EDIT: told the guy at KEC about Huber 10sec car,didn't believe me)It'll happen....it all takes belief and time...oh and money....please GOD,raise the Aussie Dollar :)

The car costed me AU$2000 in about AUG 2003,i was involved in a major car accident and hadn't driven 18 months prior to buying the car.I love cars that are different and this fitted that bill perfectly,it appeared in a local car trader mag www.Unique Cars at a time when when i was having Councelling sessions for my fear of driving.(it was a bad accident)
It was unregistered and needed paint and panel for rust and roof rack holes filled in the roof,This was done locally,they did a good job but AU$1,500 was abit much.I sent it in for repairs to a local mechanic to get it upto registration standard,the bill was over AU$1000

A week later armed with a permit to drive home i picked the car up.It was the first time i drove the mustang and was the first time I drove in 18 very long months.I knew this car would tempt me to drive again,now the car has great sentimental value to me.It was registered two days later.The police had no idea what they were registering,they didnt know it was a Mustang either...lol
The car went well but at 4000 rpm it pinged like crazy(hence the slow 1/4 time).I was hoping it was timing but it ended up being the head gasket,more on that down the track
I was in and out of that car for the next couple of months,cleaning and tinkering,doing what i could,back and neck problems slowed me in the end,but i did manage to replace the rear springs,changed the wheels from the metric TRX alloys it came with to the mags off my old Mitubishi Scorpion (redrilled to suit, AU$50)and install the cd/stereo from the scorpion(that was painful).OK,so that isn't major mechanics in anyones book but i was in pain and working on adrenallin and pain killers,i'm sure someone out there has pushed themselves with back and neck problems and can sympathise...lol
Almost everything has to be done by a mechanic,which really sucks.I couldnt put and engine back together but i can remove and instal one,take out gearboxes and replace or diffs,but that was pre-accident days.Now i have to pay for the basic stuff to be done and combined with the cost of new parts and postage,i have fallen in love with a costly car :)

By the way...This is me :P

1979 Escort after the accident

Go To Page 2 Motor
Go To Page 3Suspension
Go To Page 4Suspension and motor
Go To Page 5 UPDATE MAY 05
Go To Page 6 AUSSIE CARS