Introducing a project car is one thing. Communicating about a build’s progress is another, more important effort. Although we’re about a month behind the proposed timetable, we’re finally at a point where things are actually happening with our 2002 Ford Mustang GT’s refresh. And with this being the case, we now have something to show you and talk about. Like, literally.
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A mobile detailing service revitalized a 2002 Ford Mustang GT, removing years of debris and dirt. The engine bay and undercarriage were thoroughly cleaned, revealing a refreshed appearance. With the car now clean, further upgrades, including a new fuel system, are planned.
This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article
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This presentation includes a combination of photos that highlight a major preparation measure that was taken before we dove headfirst into Project Black Beauty’s makeover.
Making Black Beauty Clean Again
As we explained in the intro article, the Mustang’s physical beauty has been masked by accumulated debris for almost 10 years. So “blowing the dust off,” literally, was our first plan of action.
Thankfully, Odell Pride of /A/:N’SAIT/ (phonetic spelling is used for saying “On-Site”) Auto Detailing makes house calls. He arrived and performed a multi-step, extensive cleansing of the ’Stang’s engine compartment and undercarriage, which were home to years of dirt, leaves, spiders’ nests and webs, and other obstructions that were in the way of performing any work in those areas.
The process begins with Odell shooting air throughout the engine bay to evacuate loose, non-clinging dirt and such. With that debris removed, the degreaser is liberally applied and allowed to penetrate for a few minutes.
A high-pressure engine bath (with a degreaser) follows. This method of rinsing is very effective because it can remove tough stains, dirt, mold, and mildew from all of the various surfaces that are under the hood.
Once again, the small air blower and ambient temperature are used for drying the engine, which looks a lot better now and makes us feel more confident about putting our hands in the space and working.
Odell applies the car-wash solution with a lower-pressure/wider-spray-pattern nozzle and then thoroughly hand-washes the body using microfiber mitts to avoid damaging the Mustang’s original paint.
Project Black Beauty’s underside is not issue free, as evidenced by these long cobwebs and leaves, which are present for the entire length of the car. /A/:N’SAIT/ is fully equipped with sprayers that can put water, degreaser, soap, or any other cleaning liquid exactly where it needs to be. Our project car is the first vehicle to receive a chassis bath, which was thorough from front to back.
The engine gets a final wipe-down before the cleanup job is considered “done.”
Go back to the top of this report and reference the “before” engine photo. It depicts a space that is definitely not ready to be worked in. This “after” shot presents an engine bay with a ProCharger F-1C-supercharged, 4.6-liter, modular Ford engine that looks like it was just installed.
Odell’s thorough hand wash also brought a deep luster back to Black Beauty’s 56,900-mile body that also uncovered an unfortunate scratch in the driver’s door. We can only speculate about how it got there.
With everything clean, the Mustang can now be worked on. A new Aeromotive fuel system is on deck, and its installation will be covered in our next installment.
Project Black Beauty
I'm definitely a long time car guy. My love of "all-thingsautomotive" dates back to the early 1960s, shortly after I said the word, "car" for the first time. I feel fortunate that I was able to grow up in the Muscle Car era of the late '60s and early '70s. I immersed myself in reading magazines, and learned everything I could about high-performance from that period, and knew that one day I would work in the performance industry in some way, shape or form. Since graduating from the University of Pittsburgh (with a Bachelors degree in Communications) in 1985, my professional career has included work in network radio and television, Internet/online media, Ford Service, BMW Service, Internet/online automotive data, and my current job; Senior Technical Editor of 5.0 Mustang & Super Fords magazine. The constant in my long career has been "cars;" specifically, 1986-to-present, V-8-powered, Ford Mustangs. I have learned a lot about late-model Mustangs (and I'm still learning), and the position I now hold allows me to share the knowledge I've gained with like-minded Mustang enthusiasts all over the world. Owning, building, modifying and writing about late-model Mustangs has become a true passion for me. A great stop, on a very wild life ride.
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