1UpAutomotive - 1994 Mustang Cobra to Saleen Project

1 9 9 4 5 . 0 3 0 2 M u s t a n g C o b r a

#		Description
1		The Saleen kit consists of complete front and rear fascias, full length side skirts, and left and right door fillers. The wing is optional, but this GT owner wanted the full look. Saleen graphics perpetuate the image. Maybe a Saleen hood and wheels could finish out the look?
2		The front and rear fascias are made from urethane and require little prep work. Our paint technician makes a once over with some water and a Scotchbrite® pad to pick up any possible high spots and scuff the material for the application of primer. Update: For their 1994 Cobra '1up' decided to have an outside painter do the dirty work for us, but saved some money by sanding and preparing the parts beforehand (Skip 3-7).
3		PPG materials were used for our project, and the epoxy primer was chosen for its excellent coverage and flexibility. We picked up a quart of white, which would help us cover the parts evenly, preventing our '95 GT's yellow topcoat from being a shade off the rest of the ground effects.
4		Filters are a must when mixing paints. As you see here, this mess (arrow) would have gone straight into the gun and onto our parts without a filter.
5		The primer is applied in several light coats, preventing runs or buildup. Extra effort should be taken to get paint in some of the body kit openings. Be patient and try different angles.
6		After the primer has had sufficient drying time, the primer coat is sanded and then a tack rag is run over the surface immediately prior to spraying the Mustang's yellow finish.
7		The yellow paint dries rather quickly, and it doesn't take much time to get several even coats applied. The time-consuming part is applying the clear coat. This part of the project was accomplished on a Saturday afternoon, and with the cool weather, the parts weren't safe for installation until Monday.
8		Monday night, 7 PM, we've just polished off a large pizza with the works and were ready to work. Unfortunately, it as about 45 degrees out and we spent more time wiping our noses than installing body parts. The two large retaining rivets for the front fascia must be drilled out. Update: Make sure to bolt up the center inner flap of the bumper or it will sag down over time.
9		The use of a right angle screw driver, or 1/4-inch socket with a screwdriver bit inserted will be needed to remove the wheel well trim screws retaining the fascia.
10		Though the Saleen technician we spoke to said removal of the headlights wasn't necessary, Saleen handles about a dozen of these a month. We removed our lights to access the fascia retainers. Simply squeeze the clips in and pull the lights out. Don't forget the retaining clip at the top of the lights, and the side marker lights, too. Update: '1up' found by slipping a small spoon or small flathead screwdriver between the rubber and the frame, just below the light you could unhook the rubber notch that holds the bumper in place. This will save you a lot of work in removing and replacing the headlights.
11		Remove the four retaining nuts (two per side) from inside the front fenders and pull the sides of the fascia outwards. Enlisting a friend here will help. After depressing the lock tabs (arrow) and pulling the fascia forward, disconnect the plastic retainers at the bottom of the radiator core support panel and remove the fascia to another work area.
12		The metal tabs with the mounting studs will be needed for installation of the Saleen fascia. Simply drill out the rivets, pull the brackets off and set the fascia aside.
13		While you may think it necessary to reinstall these brackets to the Saleen part, the Saleen fascia is designed to snap over the metal bracket once the bracket is bolted back onto the fender.
14		The only problem we found when test fitting our new Saleen fascia was that the factory fog lights would have to get the heave-ho. Not to worry. If you really do use them, grab a catalog and order some PIAA driving lights that will fit the new Saleen fascia. Otherwise, sell your fog lights to a V6 owner. Update: Same with the Cobra lights.
15		Once the new Saleen fascia is fitted over the bumper support and side brackets (make sure the grille opening doesn't catch while slipping it over the bumper), install the two original screws into the end of the fascia.
16		Since we didn't have large enough rivets, we drilled two new holes and installed two 1/8-inch rivets per side of the fascia grille opening.
17		The installation of the front fascia is complete. Simply reinstall the headlights and marker lights.
18		On late '94 and all '95 models, this end cap for the side moulding was changed. If your end cap is flat, the Saleen side skirts will fit right over them. If your end cap turns up like our '95 GT, then you will have to remove them to fit the Saleen skirts. One screw and a few clips retain the end cap. Update: '1up' found that you will still need to remove the end caps or risk cracking the new side skirts.
19		The side skirts, made of the same Saleen Centrex material as their wings, are the easiest parts of the kit to install. Pull the paper backing off of the adhesive tape and set the skirt in place. Once everything is lined up, apply firm even pressure to the tape areas. One screw goes in the forward end into the stock hole, three screws are installed in the door sill area, and one or two are added at the back of the skirt. Repeat for the other side. Update: This has changed: '1up' found the side skirts needed to be bolted down.
20		The door fillers are side specific, so get the right side before trying to install them. Shawn Downey, the owner of this '95 GT, used paint paddles to make an even gap along the door's lower edge while applying the filler. Don't press down hard on the filler panels until you are sure they are level and clear the other bodywork when opening and closing the door. When the filler is aligned, press down firmly and evenly to stick the adhesive to the door.
21		The side skirts and door fillers work together to make the car more aggressive, unlike the "bulbous" factory rocker panel that it covers.
22		It will be necessary to remove the rear tail lights when working on the rear fascia - not for removal, but for reinstallation of the Saleen part. If you like those '96 lights, now is the time to order them.
23		Inside the trunk you will find six retaining nuts that run along the trunk opening panel, and two on each side (similar to the front fascia), that will need to be removed. There are also seven plastic plugs to remove from the underside of the fascia in order to remove the fascia from the car. The fuel door drain hose simply pulls off the fascia.
24		This shot of the rear fascia shows the side brackets that need to have the rivets drilled out (like the front), and the long steel plate with the six mounting studs that needs to be removed and reinstalled on the car.
25		Once the steel plate (arrow) and side plates were reinstalled, a test fit of the fascia was made. The side gills revealed the stock sheet metal, so we blacked out the area with flat black paint. You could also glue or epoxy fine mesh or cloth behind the openings.
26		Mark the body with a grease pencil or piece of tape to show where the steel plate has solid areas for mounting screws, then mount the rear fascia and drive self-tapping screws through the fascia into the metal support where the tail lights will reside. We also added two extra screws that are only visible with the trunk open.
27		You can easily reinstall the fuel door drain hose by drilling a small hole in the bottom of the fascia and installing the hose nipple and hose.
28		When installing a Saleen wing on a GT, some of the OE wing holes will not be covered, thus bodywork will have to be done to cover them. Shawn swapped trunk lids with a GTS owner (who gladly took the stock GT wing), leaving us an unmarred surface to start with. After measuring the four mounting holes, a Unibit style drill bit was used to drill the four holes. This type of bit leaves a clean, burr-free hole to use.
29		The underskin of the trunk lid has the correct holes in place already. Simply have a friend hold up the wing and insert the bolts. Here's a tip. When painting the wing, leave the bolts in. This will do two things. One, it prevents the threads from being covered in paint, and two, the bolt heads will be painted body color and won't stick out like a sore thumb. Saleen makes their wings out of Saleen Centrex, not fiberglass, giving an excellent surface to start with, and drastically reducing prep time. Finish time, 12:15 AM. Five hours of installation time, and that included photographing the installation and warming the body for proper adhesion. We believe this could be done in about three hours in a driveway with nothing more than a drill, rivet gun, metric sockets, and a screwdriver.

Disclaimer: When '1up' started the 1994 Mustang Cobra Upgrade Project they went to the Internet to find information on how to do it, mainly because Saleen does not provide any information with there kits. During their search they came across this article and saved the information for later reference. But now they can not find the creator of this information or his site to give him appropriate credit.