The Mustang

I have always dreamed of having a classic Mustang, and a project that I could slowly work on while taking it out on summer evening cruises with the local club. I found this one on Craigslist in San Jose on September 2004, and then picked it up for $7,200.

Make: Ford
Model: Mustang
Body Style: Hardtop
Engine: 302
Transmission: C4 Automatic
Interior: Deluxe Black Vinyl
Exterior: Teal Pearl (Honda?)
Wheels: Cragar Super Stars
Options: Power Steering, Manual disc brakes

Upon the  purchase, the car seemed to be solid, and for the most part in pretty good shape. It appeared to be mildy rust free (So I thought!) and according to the previous owner, had been in a minor accident. The damaged caused from the accident was repaired, but the repair did not look factory, therefore I would also need to repair that by replacing the fender apron and radiator support. There had been previous modifications done to the car that were questionable, at best. Repairs had been performed on the floor boards by torching out areas of rust and riveting steel plates on top. The black vinyl interior was in great condition, the deluxe dash trim was original and looking a little aged, but still in good condition. The drivetrain was stout and put down some great numbers and along with the options included made the overall purchase fair in my opinion.

Long story short, my plans I had for the car had to be put on hold because I relocated out of state to Portland, Oregon. Over the past seven years, the car had been kept in storage in California, up until this past March when finally I've decided that I can once again restart this project. On March 14, 2011, the Mustang was strapped down to a trailed and hauled back up to it's new home in Oregon.

Here is how she sat upon her arrival. I have a small garage (18x20) so the first item purchased was a pair of wheel dollies from Harbor Freight. I scored them for a total of $50 for all four, and they work great. The interior, and fenders were peeled off in this picture to give the car a thorough inspection. The details of my inspection will be in the next post.