ProblemHouston

I have done so many searches here on individual parts of restoring a mustang and have learned so much. I just wanted to start a thread that I could talk to you guys about my specific car and what I want for my car.

I have a 1965 with a 2 barrel 289. I bought the car over 12 years ago and it has sat in the New Mexico desert until about a year ago. I will post pictures of her once I get into my photobucket account again. Goals for the car are: driven 100+ days out of the year, drag strip a couple times a year and maybe one road course event. Most of the suspension parts (upper and lower control arms) have road grime built up on them and I am not sure how much of a benefit it would be to completely replace them with new parts or just rebuild what I have.
So what are your thoughts on starting with the suspension and what are the first pieces I should get? My suspension budget is about $1,000.

groho

If its been sitting for 10+ years, you best do a very close examination of the car BEFORE you start a wish list. If your sheet metal is toast from rain and weather, you have new issues to deal with. SO..check the car thoroughly, then create your TO-DO list. At a minimum, you can count on ALL the rubber being shot; weather stripping, tires, bushings, seals, door and trunk seals, seats, etc, etc. The electrical wiring probably made real good lunch for mice and critters. Determine what needs to be done, then create you list, starting with structure and subframe, then suspension.

ProblemHouston

Car is pretty solid. Had the drivers rear quarter replaced (previous owner tore a hole in it using a fire hydrant) and dents and dings taken out about 3 years ago. Sat in primer since. Its been garaged since last February. Got the interior out and found tiny pin holes in the driver side footwell from the window being down and the vent window being open. Door panels and drivers seat also show signs of water. You can only see the pin holes if you shine a light under the car. I will be patching that. I traced the car being in New Mexico where i live since the 80's. Body shop had it running while working on the car so my plan is to get it running again and replace the motor with a stroker later.

So my plan was to start with suspension/disc brakes then move up from there.

ProblemHouston

Here she is...

ProblemHouston

Here are some things I was looking at getting on Opentracker.

Upper control arms - $225
Shelby drop template and drilll bit - $50
Lower control arms - $160
Roller purches - $200
GT/GT 350 - 1" lower springs - $90
Spring pads - $10
1" front sway - $100
Front and rear KYB - $180
4.5 leaf mid eye rear spring - $200

That has me at 1,215.00
Am I missing anything?

The front disc conversion is a given, I will be going with the CSRP kit. I think they are going for $524.00.

ProblemHouston

This weekend I rolled her out of the garage and pressure washed some of the dirt and grime off of her. I see some surface rust on some suspension and steering parts but nothing major. Also removed the fuel tank and radiator and will be taking it to a radiator shop to have them both flushed. I am going to try and reuse as many things like the fuel tank and radiator as possible because I think I am going to need to replace the wiring on the car. I found a lot of splices and wires that go no where. Any ideas on what harness I should get and how much it might cost to have a classic car shop do the work?

Suspension wise I may end up going with one of the kits from Mustang Depot or Mustang Plus. I know their parts are just like factory but I have to find some savings for the wiring somewhere.

groho

harness runs from $500 up through $1000. Take it in sections. Since the interior is pretty much out, it will be much easier to replace. Look around, but plan on spending money. Let me paint a picture for you, crappy wiring means burned car and all your hard work up in smoke. Your back to where you were, list the problems, and prioritize them, hit the safety issues first. My opinion, if you're not going to drive it immediately, wiring can wait till after paint.

ProblemHouston

That sounds like a good plan of action. It looks like when they were repairing the rear quarter they took/cut out both of the rear tail lights leaving wires just hanging with no ends. Same thing with the headlights. I feel confident I can run new wiring for all the lights but am worried about the dash and some of the stuff under the hood. So I figure if I get stuck I can pay for one area instead of the whole thing.

Thanks for your input groho.

groho

BTW, looks like you've got a good solid car. Remember, you're own labor is free, and you can screw it up 2 or 3 times before you expensive the cost of a shop doing the same work. Know your limitations and what you're willing to do and not do. Limitations can be personal lack of knowledge (thats what books are for), lack of tools (thats what harbor freight is for), specialized work (thats what shops are for). You can do 80-90% of the work yourself, if you're willing, so most of the cost comes down to the parts. Have fun, enjoy, and be patient! Good luck! I've been working on my coupe for 2 or 3 yrs, trying save money for paint (something I can't do)

ProblemHouston

You are 100% correct. I am going to do as much of the work as I possibly can in an effort so save some cash and maybe make a couple of parts upgrades.