nibbs

Hey all-

Forgive the general and non-descript post, but figured that this may be the best way to see exactly what i may be getting myself into...

I've always wanted an older mustang- yeah, i've got my favorite years/styles/etc, however, not important right now... so let's just say a '65-'68 range for these purposes.

I love the idea of restoring my own car- both for the experience of it, the "fun" working on it, as well as the intial "start up" cost. I'd also be just as happy if i had the funds to find the car of my dreams and purchase it even if was worked over from the ground up and I didn't have to do anything. I guess the real question, is what am I really getting myself into with a restoration project. Yes, i understand I can make my life a little easier/much harder based upon what I start with- so let's go with middle of the road as far as that goes.

As far as my mechanical levels- in auto repair/work- a novice. I've tinkered around, can figure things out, and have done more than just changed oil and rotated tires in my days. With that said- i wouldn't be boring out engines or rebuilding carbs with the experience that I have- however, i'd be trying to do as much as i could on my own, or to learn how to do as much as possible for that matter. (I do have some back-ups with experience i'm sure i'd be calling in for some favors- but not planning on this turning into me paying someone else to do all the work...)

So- any suggestions/advice/experience/wish i dids/wish I didn'ts would be greatly appreciated. and no... this will not be a fancy of an idea for 5 years and turn into a giant paperweight...

my apologies for the long drawn out first post- but wanted to make sure i tried to cover all the basis- if not for you, then in my own head as well...

thanks

pass1over

I say go for it, dont get one thats a heap of rust and everything has to be fixed or replaced. On the flip side, dont get one thats already been restored, unless your lo0kin for a driver, which it seems maybe like your not.

With the wealth of information on the internet these days, you can find at least one person somewhere thats done what your doing and is willing to help out with info, pictures, experiences, etc. Take it slow and learn everything you can before and during whatever process your working on.

My only advice is, when you start restoration, go slow, dont bite off more than you can handle. Its real easy to get discouraged and leave it alone for a long time if its sitting in pieces undriveable.

chris66dad

Be honest with yourself about the time, effort and money you want to invest. Skills can all be learned if you WANT to. Get a good factory shop manual and use it as a reference for your work. ASK LOTS OF QUESTIONS HERE
It can be done and turn out good if you put the effort into it. Our father son project took a little over 2 years and he is driving his car now. It was a good learning experience for him and me also.
Good Luck and Be Safe
Ron

Take a look at our build on our website

wareagle

first off, welcome. Id say go for it. owning a classic is a owning a piece of history. Like the others said, start with a close to rust free one as you can find. the more rust the more money and more time you will have to spend getting it sorted.

post pics and ask questions. There is not a problem that you will encounter that many in here have already had and know how to advise you on correcting. the ole rule of thumb on restoring a classic is, it will take twice as long as twice the amount of time you initally figured it take. good luck and post lots of pics

nibbs

Thanks all so far for the replies and "pushes" ha ha ha... chris66dad- great website, browsed around quickly for a bit, but i'll have to go into it more and more.

Yeah- i'm thinking/figuring my best bet would be looking for a "no rust and it runs" ad... where mainly cosmetic stuff (including body work) will turn the look of the car around quite well- while i can still take it out "for fun." As time goes on- well, we'll start playing more with all the nuts and bolts... just to help clarify my thoughts with this entire project...

Flash70

nibbs I was just like you until I joined this forum! I did not know anything about the mechanical stuff but could change my own oil and brakes etc. I bought a few Mustang restoration books because it seemed like something that would be fun and keep me busy. I read the books then bought a book on how to restore the actual car. I finally purchased my own project car. I have come from changing oil and brakes to rebuilding and doing just about everything with the exception of some engine areas! I learned how to do upholestry, body work, welding, some mechanical stuff like rebuilding carbs, and SOME electrical work.
If I had to go back and do something over it would be definitely do A LOT of research on the specific car you find if you want to buy it. Say you want a 68. Research on this forum and online for typical problems and when you go and look at the car look for those problems. Also if you have a friend that knows a little bit bring him along.
Once you get the car DO NOT just start taking it apart. That is what I did and it is hell to pay later on. Label EVERYTHING. Take PHOTOS and lots of them! Save BOLTS and other pieces even if they are bad. Choose one thing to do and do that then move on to the next. Else like pass1over said you will turn a short project into a long one by becoming discouraged
GOOD LUCK!!

orange88

I bought mine about a month ago. My dad completly restored a 66, and since he passed away I've always wanted one of my own. Since then I havent been able to get working on it off my mind! In this short time I have completley replaced the floors seat brackets etc., as well as begun many other smaller side jobs. Its something that I love, and from the sounds of it you will too.

If you are worried look for one that doesnt need to be fully restored. You probably dont want to rebuild an engine or anything so look for one with a solid engine and so on! But definetly go for it!

vineman

I got mine with only little experience myself. I had rebuilt an engine before and could do usual maintianence (spelling) and knew that if my want for a classic was strong enough then I would have no problems learning what I needed to get the job done. I bought a cheap but very good welder and taught myself to weld. I re-did my suspension myself. And now that I've gotten into it, I've taken the plunge and dove into doing an EFI conversion with an AOD into my 72 as well. That means I've had to sit and learn and go over wiring and different schematics from 1972 to 1987 inorder to get my car to except all the new wiring for the EFI (sometimes I sppent hours sitting and studying those diagrams. And now I'm inches away from having a running mustang. Just need a new starter really. It can be done and if you want it bad enough, it will be done.

1965fastback

Don't be afraid to work on it yourself, these older cars are fairly simple compared to the new cars.

THUMPIN455

These cars are some of the easiest cars to work on ever. Very simple and inexpensive provided the rust isnt too bad. If you dont have a burning desire to learn how to do what you dont know, chances are you will give up if you find yourself faced with something along the lines of my 71 Mustang. Click the link to feel good about nearly any other car.

Buy one that runs and isnt torn apart. You can learn as you go keeping it running. The one thing that takes the longest to complete is paint and body work. Its still pretty cool to have it running around in a coat of flat black enamel until you can get to the body work. Learning to do body and paint work is much like learning an art form, you see someone else do it, then you do it yourself until you get better. If you tear it down to nothing and make it a bare shell the learning curve is much steeper.

Life gets in the way quite often. The Cougar in my sig was my first car. I started the paint and body work in 1986. I finished shooting paint on it last fall and put most of it together over the winter. Life happened and it got pushed back because it needed a lot more than just shiny paint. It needed the front end, engine, and transmission rebuilt along with a dizzying amount of electrical repair. So it sat for 20 years until life let me work on it again. This happens quite often, so keep it running and learn as you go rather than jumping in with both feet only to find the water is WAAAAAY over your head.

That being said, good luck finding a decent car and welcome to the most fun and frustrating nightmare/hobby you will ever encounter.