i bought a 65 mustang coupe a couple weeks ago, i've got a good amount of books and old magazines on it but my problem is they usually go over my head. anybody know of any good basic books that can show me basic stuff specifically for an old mustang. also the previous owner put in a temperature gauge and i know old mustangs overheat easy but what is a bad temp. my car after about 20-30 min. of cruising usually gets up to about 190-200 degrees, is that too hot? thanks for the help

 

230-250 is bad, 190-210 is okay.

A Votech class might help you, or you could learn the basics the way some of us did. Trial and error over time and plenty of reading. A good way to find out what parts are called, and what they look like woud be to peruse Summitracing.com or jegs.com. it wont tell you how it goes together, but you can find out what a manifold, camshaft, crankshaft, or timing gears look like..

my book from school is around somewhere, not sure how usefull it would be. I never opened it..lol.

 

I would get a chassis engineering book and a engine building book and a mustang restoration guide

 

Thumpin hit it on the head. Find a local community college and sign up for a basic engine class. You can certainly learn a lot from reading but there is nothing like taking a class that allows you to handle all the pieces, see how they go together and learn all the concepts involved in an internal combustion engine.

 

Find a friend or relative that knows more than you and get them to let you help them on their projects. This past Saturday, I spent the morning helping my Brother-in-law assemble the bottom end of the BB Chevy for his 56 Nomad. IT's not a difficult process but the experience is good for when I get ready to rebuild my Cleveland.

 

I think a votech class is the way to go. I take an advanced auto body class at night and its helped
out in several ways. 1.You gain some useful knowledge. 2.You will meet other people in your area
that have similar interests. 3.Its a brake from the wife and kid once a week.

 

Sometimes it will also get you a nice warm place to work on your car. It works out pretty well, get credit for modding or repairing your own ride..