ron70062

<FONT color=blue size=3>Hi everyone. My name is Ron and Im a newbie. Im in the market for a 68 coup.Something that needs some restoring and TLC . This will be my first time taking on this challenage and I dont want to make any big mistakes. What I would like to hear from you is any advice on what to be on the lookout for as I dont want a lemon.What trouble spots ect. I look forward to hear from you. Keep those ponys roaring...Ron</FONT></P>

Tach9

Hey Ron,

congrats on deciding to go the resto route on a early Stang!!! I have done several restos and mods and the first thing I always do is ask myself how much money am I alotting to do what I want to accomplish with the resto. Now that incluedes purchase price, labor, parts and mods. I come up with a close estimate and budget myself to that $ number. Once I have the $ figures, then it allows me to buy a Mustang that will be the least amount of $'s to accomplish my goals. If I have allotted a small budget then it dictates that I might spend more on the cost of the stang (for a stang in better condition) and then cut back on the resto or mods. I think you get the picture. I also take a realistic view on what I can do myself and what I cannot. Labor cost a lot and if I can do it myself, that gives me more $'s to allot for mods etc. I am quite an accomplish mechanic of sorts, but am a lousy body/paint dewd, so I usually look for a Muatang that has a shot drive train, but has a good body with no rust etc. that way I can spend the bulk of my resto/mods on fun stuff like performance building the motor <img border="0" src=smileys/smiley1.gif border="0"> Anyways sorry for the long post, but I wish someone would have told me this info when I did my first resto ..it would have saved me a lot of time and pain...

USAMuscle

Hey Ron, welcome. I'm a huge afficiando of restorations, and am in the middle of a couple at the moment. Some things to look out for when buying a classic are large areas of rust on the body and frame, and definitely make sure the frame is straight. Frame straightening is so expensive you would not believe. Chances are if you're looking for a '68 project, the engine will have to be rebuilt, or will have a lot of miles on it, unless it's a fresh rebuild, so try to find a car with the engine you want already in it, since you'll probably have to work on it anyway. Find out how much work, if any, has been done by the previous owner, such as body work and such. You'll find a lot of people think they know what they're doing when they really don't. Run a magnet all over the body to detect bondo spots under the paint. If the magnet falls off the body, there is bondo there. Watch out forlarge areas of bondo. Bondo isn't meant for replacing metal work, it's meant for filling small imperfections. The kind of car you want to buy willl depend on your skill level as a mechanic and/or body man, and how much work you want to do yourself, if any. For the most part, the interior can be done by anybody with some common sense and a book that will aid you through the process. Other than that, most other things I can think of can be fixed, so it's not a big deal. The main things you want to worry about are the body and frame, and rust. Good luck finding your project!