This weekend my mother-in-law was going to sell her father's 65 mustang for $800. I immediately countered with $801 and when she realized I was interested in it she just gave it to me. It was bought by her father in 65' driven until 74' then parked in his garage for the last 31-32 years. It is an automatic with a 289. The engine has about 5000 miles on it. The cylinders were filled with oil prior to storing the car for the last 3 decades. What are the chances that the motor will start? Where should I begin on this restoration?

Thanks for any advice.

Matt

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Hey man great find and welcome to the club. I just got a 65 fastback that I'm going to do a restomod on. To say you got a great deal is an understatement. I've asked several quesions about starting a resto and everyone has said start with the bodywork. I noticed the photo w/ some rust in the wheel well. Get all that cancer out of the body and see how things look then. About the engine ? you never know. I would drain all the fluids from the tranny and engine and refil then try her and see how it runs worst case it has to be rebuilt. Anyway congrats on the deal and good luck.

 

In my opinion I'd forego the attempt at starting it. The fuel system will be full of varnish and rust and the time and money spent will be wasted. From the tank to the carb will need repair/replacement and it won't do you a bit of good to determine that it runs but needs a rebuild. We know that after 3 decades of sitting without running there will be a host of mechanical issues to deal with. Please keep in mind that stuck rings , collapsed valve springs , stuck valves etc... will all yield catastrophic failure results. Gouged cylinder walls, a dropped valve or the like will leave you looking for parts. Pull it and tear it down when the time comes to do so. Leave everything together as much as possible so you don't lose anything while it's in storage and take photos of everything BEFORE you remove it. The photos will be an invaluable tool to help you restore the car. OR............. you could do what Boyd Coddington did by finding a nice old pony, dragging it out of the barn and literally torturing the car to failure by holding the throttle wide open until it threw a scrap iron fit. There's some rocket science for you ! Good luck, Dean

 

I found an article on modernizing the 289 motor but it mostly talked about bolt on upgrades. From the last post it sounds like there is a good chance I will need a lot more than just that to get the engine in a decent running shape. I am torn between restoring the engine stock and doing some enhancements to the engine.

I will have to have the cancer removed by someone who has actual experience with body work. I believe after looking the car over the only rust is on the rear quarterpanels, there is a little bit of surface rust but is it very minimal.

I am guessing I will need to replace all of the wire and rubber on the car as that is sure to have deteriorated after all of this time.

 

Good find! You definitely have a candidate for a restoration project there. What you do first is kinda up to you. I would assess the body as to what it is going to need in the long run to get it back to a solid body. Then I guess I would take a hard look at the drive train. 30+ years is a long time for an engine and tranny to sit. Everyone tackles problems differently, but I would at least see if the engine can be rotated - tells you a lot. Pull all the plugs and see if you can turn it over by hand with a socket and breaker bar on the crankshaft pulley bolt. If you can't turn the thing at all, consider pulling the engine out and tearing it open to see what you have. Seriously doubt that just draining fluids and replenishing them, you are gonna get this thing to run. Gas tank is probably a complete mess inside. But to each his own. Again, assess what you have and go from there. Depends a lot on your capabilities and resources. Enjoy the journey.

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Sorry guys I didn't think about the fuel. Now I feel real stupid. As I said I'm new to this too and I probably should have kept my mouth closed. But anyway congrats and good luck.

pwhit

 

I appreciate all of the advice. My wife's uncle had also suggested trying to hand crank it to see if the engine had seized or not. He had already purchased a new gas tank and has it sitting in the trunk waiting to be installed. I guess my real first step is going to be figuring out how to get it home. It is located about 4 hours from me and I drive a Cavalier, not exactly an optimum towing vehicle. I am thinking of renting a Uhaul and car trailer. Is there a better way to do this?

 

Ah us, always a glitch to the plan - someone gives you a classic car and it's located hours away. Helps to have a friend with a truck and a flatbed trailer, but we are not all that lucky - a U-haul car trailer is a good idea, but will either need their truck too unless you know someone willing to lend you their full size with a trailer hitch. Logistics is always a problem and an expense - but at least she gave you the car, saved you $801 right there... I trailered my body from Orlando, Fl to MAcon, GA and then again to the resto shop. Nice to have friends/relatives with trucks and trailer, LOL.

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id say that you should drain all the fluids, see how bad your fuel lines/tank are, change the plugs, check all grounds and make sure you roll you engine over off the crank to get everything primed before even thinking about trying to fire it.

 

Great find bud.... gotta love it when you find a car like that. The engine (in my opinion) is the easy part of a restoration. It's the rust that kicks your ***. Have you checked underneath the car for rust ? I'd suggest you take that into consideration as well. Just take a screw driver and poke around under there. It will give you a good idea of what you are working with. Just don't poke the gas tank . You have a nice candidate for a concours restoration, no doubt. Original everything.

Once you get it back to your place, start to think about a plan of what you want to do. Guys here can help with that as well. Just tell us your goals.

David