1967 Mustang Project, ambitious??

[lewistintin]

For the last few years I have been toying with the idea of getting a mustang and doing the car up from scratch. REcently I saw a completed one at Brands Hatch at the porsche festival and totally fell in love with them.

Finding the car is proving a little more tricky than i imagined, as i want a car not completly ruined but something relatively intact. However I have zero knowledge about cars. I know very little about engines and posses little mechanical skills. Could this be a turning point in my life, or a fools dream??? I would be relying heavily on friends and family and the many books etc out there for advice on these cars. Parts are readily avaiable from the US at good prices, and it seems like a realistic project.

My question I guess is this. Is this something that is possible. Are these cars so difficult to "rebuild" that I should not even bother? Or are they something that to be honest is definatly a realistic possibility. Do you have to be crazy to embark on such a project? And do you think it could be the biggest money pit ever?

As ever thanks for your thoughts

[Pigeon]

Mechanically, Yank tanks tend to be fairly simple, though the components are large and heavy. But Mustang bodies can be a bastard for major rust in awkward places. Not sure of the precise details, but there is some complex structure connected with the firewall/front chassis rails which can rot out entirely leaving no external sign of its disappearance. One of my mates had a Mustang for two years before he discovered this, was horrified at the state he'd been driving the car round in unknowingly, and had to get rid of it despite already having welding skills.

[bikerkeith]

There is loads of expertise on the owners club website, including people who have done major bodywork reconstruction, go to www.mocgb.com

[M3 Mitch]

I'd suggest you get your feet wet by doing something less than a full-on restoration! If your first real car project is this ambitious you are just too likely to fail - the image of a celluloid dog chasing an asbestos cat towards Hell comes to mind....

Maybe take some classes at a local trade school as a first step. Maybe consider buying some cheap but decent older cars, clean them up, and re-sell for a profit? There are, at least in the States, a fair number of neglected cars around, now you have to get into a decently designed car like say a VW Golf that is basically a sound car and not say an old Chrysler K car that will be hell to source parts and no one will want anyway.

You can also start by doing your own car regular service, at least oil changes.

I was able to get some experience as a college student working at a local body shop, I worked for minimum wage, but the owner and I both understood I was doing this to learn, not to make money.

Body rust on a unibody like a Mustang can be a real SOB as Pigeon noted, he's also right that Yank Tank engines weigh a lot. You can learn the ropes on easier cars.

You are going to need at least one garage stall that you can put your projects in, that no one else is waiting to park in. You'll spend several thousand on tools. Pay attention to proper protective gear, eye protection, proper lifting and jacking techniques so you don't get crushed, proper respirators for sanding and particularly priming/painting.