jdivad

VIN 472 does match 88-0106.

Ship date: 12/31/87

No Comments

First Owner: Michael Sullivan in NM

Contact Team Saleen for more info on this 1988.

http://www.saleen.com/membership_info.asp

As a side note: The Saleen serialization plate was mounted on the driver side apron / shock tower in 1988.

Saleen 88-0554

Hey jdivad and all who are interested,

I actually bought this car back in June and just to answer a few of your questions and give you all kind of an update, it's a real saleen and is registered with Saleen in Michigan. It's totally legit and is a complete car with the exception of 2 of the original Saleen wheels as well as the original radio which is quite a commodity in itself. It has the original Shifter **** which is highly sought after, the original floor mats which amazingly are in decent shape, a 7 out of 10, the original seats and interior which needs reupholstering coming in at a 3 out of 10. It has the original pedals and instrument cluster, badging and insignias that identify it as such.

The car, when I got it was in decent shape for what it was, being that it's a Saleen, I paid 5,300 cash for it which I would have never done if it was a GT or plain LX but given the rarity of the car, it was worth the money. Upon inspection and further driving, I noticed quite a number of problems, most notably the squeaky torque boxes which had been ripped loose as they often do on these fox bodies. I replaced them with the Wild Rides Battle boxes which alleviated that mess. I also had a hard time removing the control arms which had seized onto the bolts within the control arm mounts. I was able to finally break all that free and replace as well as lubricate all the mounts and hardware so the noise went away and the car feel a lot more stable. The transmission connections under the car were damaged, mainly the drivers side from what appears to be curb damage. I'm thinking that a previous owner had been drunk or something and run it up on to a curb because there was severe denting and concrete powder all over the frame and trans mount. Other than these things, there was no notable issue other than a water pump gasket which I replaced in about 2 hours and had no other issue. I drove the car for about 500 miles in this shape and now I'm in the process of restoring it.

I've pull the engine, transmission and all of the interior from the rear as well as the rear end and have begun working my way from back to front mechanical wise. I have the car divided into 5 stages. Rear End, Transmission, Engine, Body and Interior. So far I've redone the rear end completely which includes removal, sandblasing, priming, painting, redoing the control arms as listed above, welding and replacing the torque boxes, 3.73 FRPP Gears, Detroit Locker Diff., 31 Spline Mosers, Master Rebuild Kit and girdle diff cover. The car is now a rolling chassis ready for the body shop which will happen on 12/1/08 and while it's in the body undergoing ding repair and paint, I'll complete the transmission with the Astro Performance T-5 upgrade. As far as the motor goes, I have some time to think about it so I'll get back on here later if anyone is interested.

See saleen554.baeprints.com

Saleen326

Nice. Thanks for sharing all of that information. I've bookmarked the web page to keep track of the progress. It looks like you have a good plan and I can't wait to see the finished project. Good luck and keep us posted.

jdivad

Saleen 88-0554, you might find this hard to believe, but I was Googling (Is this a word, the act of using Google) and came by your work-in-progress site. Neat stuff!

Kinda' cool to read where these vehicles have been, what they did, how they were found, and where they're going as the car plays with the owners imagination.


I can vaguely remember there was an early aero FOX Saleen hatch' on the market the was claimed to have been driven over a curb or maybe a parking lot embankment. It was advertised with the damage you speak of.


Sounds like a great project. Keep MustangForums on your list of "things-to-do" and I believe most Saleen Enthusiasts will check out your build progress. Cause really, the next best thing to having your own project... is to watch someone else. And it's less expensive.

Welcome!

dsmisseri

Hello,

I have a two part question.

1. If I run a carfax on the vin listed below should it say 2000 Ford mustang GT or 2000 Saleen S281
2. Please check this vin & build number for authenticity & any other interesting things??

2000 Saleen S281 convertible (Black on Black)

VIN: 1FAFP45X3YF208536
BUILD NUMBER: 466

Thank You Very Much
Dante

Saleen326

To answer your first question, it should say "2000 Ford Mustang GT" on the Carfax VIN check. The second one I'll answer when I get home and look at my book unless someone beats me to it.

mikebna

jason's right carfax will reveal mustang gt only by the vin#.

part 2- listed in the book as-
last three vin 536, supercharged, tire upgrade 10" rear wheel, chrome wheels, ford leather, black top.

there were 203 convertible s/c cars made in 00.

as always it's ok to call saleen to confirm if you are purchasing said car.

mike

dsmisseri

WOW!! WHAT FAST REPLIES!!! THANKS!!

WHO DO I EMAIL OR CALL AT SALEEN TO CONFIRM??

THANKS
DANTE

Saleen326

Look at this thread:

http://scoatalk.saleenclubofamerica....hp?f=16&t=1110

tobysautos

vin 1FALP42X1VF146797 id 970113 1997 coupe