If there is one irritant inside an '87-'93 model Fox Mustang, it's that blasted ashtray door that fails about a year into the blissful ownership of your Mustang. Not one Mustang I've had the pleasure of driving, riding in, or working on has been free of this wonderful annoyance. Some show small signs of an impending problem, such as my own '90 5.0, while other ashtray doors flat-out won't open or won't stay closed.
There are many good reasons for fixing the problem. The pleasure of being able to correctly close the ashtray door immediately comes to mind. There are other reasons, too, such as security (if you have replaced your ashtray with electronic controls of some sort for nitrous, stereo, and so on), resale value (that floppy ashtray door really makes the car look cheap and worn out at sale time), and cleanliness (if you are a smoker, the ashtray door can keep ashes and debris from blowing about). With valid reasons such as these, wouldn't you want to fix your ailing ashtray door?
We've shown you how to fix the ashtray door spring and arm a time or two in the past with various home remedies, but now, using one of the available kits from MavroMont Industries, you can easily and permanently repair your ashtray door with just a few simple steps. Follow along as we fix our '93 5.0 sedan and rid it of "droopy door."
If your console has an integral...
If your console has an integral armrest, you will have to remove the armrest to access the upper console mounting screws. Remove the two side panels, and then find and remove the two 8mm bolts (per side) to dislodge the armrest.
If your console came without...
If your console came without an armrest, then all you will have to do to access the upper console mounting screws is pry off the rear ashtray end cap. Once the end cap is free, remove the two upper console mounting screws found underneath.
At the front of the console,...
At the front of the console, carefully pry up the shifter bezel to access the forward console mounting screws. The bezel is different between five-speed and automatic cars, but comes off the same way by simply prying at the corners. Remove the two console screws found here as well.
With the four upper console...
With the four upper console screws removed, the upper console can be raised straight up, and then slid forward to free it from the parking brake handle. Notice our ashtray door falling out as we lift the console top.
Once the console top is free...
Once the console top is free of the parking brake handle, you will have to flip it over and disconnect the plugs for the lighter and the electric mirror switch. Our lighter illumination bulb was dislodged, causing heat damage to the console. We will fix this as well.
Our '93 console has a plastic...
Our '93 console has a plastic ashtray door with a metal reinforcement plate glued to it. Earlier doors were made from pot metal. MavroMont Industries has kits to fix either type of door and the kit we are using is complete enough to fix all the Mustang's ashtray door problems. Notice the heat damage from the light, too.
Our particular problem was...
Our particular problem was a worn-out spring hole and a bent spring mounting tab, but again, the MavroMont kit we are using (ISB-01A) can handle several different repairs-all carefully researched by MavroMont Industries. Our new spring tab reinforcement is aligned here and we are transferring marks to drill out.
Carefully drill out the two...
Carefully drill out the two marks that were made in Step 7 with the proper drill bit specified in the instructions. Drill slowly to prevent making the hole too big, and support the spring tab with your fingers or a pair of pliers while drilling.
Position the support braces...
Position the support braces as shown in the instructions, and then carefully start the small hardware. Work in a well-lit area-not in grass or dirt areas-and in such a manner that if you drop one of the small screws,it will be easy to find.
Using a small screwdriver...
Using a small screwdriver and a nut driver or small pliers, carefully tighten the support brace system to the original spring support. Your repair may differ if the spring tab is completely broken, but the instructions have clear steps for each type of repair.
If the ashtray door mounting...
If the ashtray door mounting stud is broken from the console top assembly (pointing with screwdriver), the MavroMont Industries kit has a repair step for that as well, though ours was solid and ready for more years of use.
Reinstall the ashtray door...
Reinstall the ashtray door and the original spring. A new spring is not included in the kit, so if your spring is missing, you will have to order one from MavroMont or your Ford dealer. The installation of the door and spring together takes a bit of patience and a few tries, but you'll get it.
Our finished repair is ultra-strong...
Our finished repair is ultra-strong and the spring hole will never weaken or wear out in our lifetime. This is an excellent repair for an hour's time, and the attractive price of the kit-under $15.
Once we were sure the ashtray...
Once we were sure the ashtray door worked as Ford had intended it to, we repaired the damaged area of the console with some plastic filler, and then stripped the upper console of all parts and refinished the console with the correct gray from Metro Authentic Finishes. MAF's vast line of interior paints for the vintage and late-model Mustang markets work beautifully every time.