I am trying to sell my '65 Coupe and it seems like everytime I fix one thing, another thing is wrong! I bought this thing for 4.5k with the promise that it had mostly been restored, and from the looks of it it was.. until I get it home. After a long list of things I have fixed I had maybe one "major" thing in the way and that was just to drill out the screws on the head. I take it down to the shop to have it done for cheap and they call me back the next day saying the entire thing is cracked on the inside.. and that it was completely useless - not even junkyard material. Now I have to buy an entire new head and manifold and AHHHHH!! I'm so friggen frustrated because this was supposed to be an easy restore to an everyday car by mid-late September. Now I just wanna sell it and buy one for a little bit more money that I know has already been restored. I am sure other people have ran into this problem of one thing goes wrong, you fix it, and then you find another, but this is my first restoration (will be my dads and grandpas 4492384923th) and it's going terrible. Hahaha.. anyway, anyone else have any stories like this?

 

Kryo, sometimes its better dealing with the "Devil you know, than the one you dont." Sounds like dad & grandpa have the experience to advise Ya, correctly. What'a they say?? If its rust free hang on to it, the mrchanical parts will work out.

 

Well lets see. I buy a "running" v8 65 coupe. I get it towed home and back it off the flat bed tow truck... the brakes don't work and go to the floor. well I had told him to back me up to the garage. Sooo I throw it in park. Fix the brakes for a grand.

now it stops ok but it runs rough, then one day not at all. Soo I replace fuel lines, nope, fuel pump, nope, fuel filters, nope, intake, and carb, nope. The points in the dist. so replaced that as well.

Ok, so now it runs but it's a rough ride. New suspension. Buddy helps take it apart and never shows up to put it back together. week and a half later (daily driver) it's done. Btw I found out a motor mount is broke and that's why it was a bi*** to get the new larger sway bar in.

It started over heating so I take the therm housing out to rip the guts out of my themostat (az weather and kept in a garage) Put it all back together and I break a bolt off. Got the bolt out and put it back together again and it leaks so I look and my bolts are stripped.

Oh, and my headlight chipped my front tooth. (don't ask) If I didn't love this car I'd wreck it for the insurance.

 

amen Jakaru, amen.

You will quickly learn that there is a reason there is a classic mustang forum. Your title of this post is the reason.

I too bought a "running" mustang back in March (holy cow, almost 6 months ago) and I did not drive it until August (or somewhere around there). Now it seems I will be doing a rebuild, or get really lucky. Probably the rebuild though

It's never-ending

 

You win. Hahahaha.. but yeah, now I can't even find a reasonably priced cylinder head.. the only place that I have even seen one is on www.cliffordperformance.com and it's for a grand! Pfft! By the way, it is entirely rust free. Not one inch of rust anywhere on the body that can be seen at least.. and it's never been wrecked or anything. The interior is also friggen amazing for it being original.

 

kryo, where do you live, i no a place down in so cal that will get you a pair of stock heads resurfaced,ported and assembled, for 120 a head i thinks that a good deal.....

 

I'm up in Seattle.. my grandfather and dad have been talking about just converting to a V8 but who the hell knows, they change their minds more then women. []NO OFFENSE TO WOMEN!! :]

 

Man if you have a rust free body then anything else is piddly. Do the mechanicals right the first time. Nothing worse than doing work twice.

Keep your eye on the prize. If you get frustrated working on it, step back and drink about it for a little bit. Think about what you want to do and how you want it to look and keep plugging away.

You will never be "done". At least I'm not. The car has been in my family for almost 20 years and it still isn't "done". It is a sweet driver, but it is not done.

 

oh you have a 6? That head on cliffordperformance (which is probably the same as the one on classicinlines.com) was developed by Mike from fordsix.com. it's not your run of the mill head - it's an OZ head completely cast out of aluminum.

You can take your head and have it port and polished, like eep said. I would do that unless you're really into racing.

 

Kryo - you may want to pour a gallon of tap water into the cowl vent and check for upper floorboard/floorpan moisture. My old 64.5 has very little outside rust but the cowls leak indicating hidden rust damage. If it doesn't leak your cowl MAY be in good shape but it is the rare old Mustang that does not have cowl or floorpan rust.

Regardless, I agree with everyone else - if it has little rust, hold on to it and address the mechanical issues - they are relatively inexpensive compared to body work. Fix it up and keep it - if not for love of the car, then for financial reasons.

The biggest expense of owning new cars is not fuel consumption. Rather, it is depreciation in their value, especially the very second you drive them off the lot.

Classic Mustangs no longer depreciate in value. They slowly appreciate in value (some more than others) making them both a great hobby and a good investment.

Just make sure it is road worthy and safe (consider disc brakes, 3-pt seat belts, headrest, good suspension and tires) if you intend to make it a daily driver. And as you learn more from the great resources on this forum, you will gain an appreciation of the jewel you have in your possession. Most of these forum guys really know their Mustang stuff and are great with helpful responses.