BLAKE

In an effort to help those that are just getting their feet wet in the hobby, lets get together all our best tips and tricks to get the best pony for your money, and not get burned by a shiny paint job that is hiding major problems.

My first suggestion is that you find an experienced Mustanger to inspect your final candidates for purchase. Beg, borrow, or buy his time and it will pay off big time. It not only helps to have that knowledgeable eye to look over things for you, but you have an impartial opinion when the emotions step in (and they will) and start clouding your judgement with excitement. Whether it's the usual rust hiding spots, or decoding help, someone with a few years of Mustang love and restoration experience is priceless. Friendly, experienced local Mustang buddies can be found here and other places online, and at your local Mustang club. Most are happy to advise, and would much rather see someone end up with a great car/project, than watch someone get frustrated with a poor purchase.

Mberglo

I'd recommend we break it down into groups. Decoding, Bodystyle/Year Values, Bodywork/Rust, Engine/Tranny testing, etc.

I'll start with body/rust.

The Ford Mustang is built on a unibody chassis, meaning it has no frame. It has subframes, front and rear, that are connected with the body. So things like floorpans are more than just to keep your feet dry. Inspect these carefully. Don't be fooled by thick undercoating to hide rusty floorboards. If you see undercoating, take a screwdriver and tap around for soft spots. If you're considering a convertible, the floorpans are even more important, since there is no roof to add rigidity to the structure. Convertibles utilized a center set of frame rails called inner rockers. The run along the bottom of the doors on both sides, and are welded to the floorboards and the front and rear frame rails through boxed sections called torqueboxes. If the inner rockers are rusty, walk away. It will cost you thousands to have this car repaired structurally.

Here are some pictures that show replacement of floorpans and inner rockers on my 66 convertible.
Picture 1
Picture 2
Picture 3

I did this work myself at a cost of about $500, and a solid week off work. If you had to pay for this work to be done professionally, you'd spend 10x that I'm told.

Another thing to consider on a convertible is the door alignment. If the doors don't fit, you must ....uh walk away. They don't fit because the car is sagging from lack of support. Don't let them tell you it just needs adjustment. Bull.

Once you've satisfied yourself that the floors are okay, look at the other common rust areas. The front lower corners of the doors are notorious for rust, as are the lower rear quarters, and the lower rear front fenders Use a refrigerator magnet on these areas to test for bondo. You can also look inside the trunk for patches. Metal patches, when welded in properly, are fine. Just beware of folks who slap bondo over the rust, as this "repair" won't last 5 years.

The other source of headaches is rust in the cowl vents just in front of the windshield. These fresh air vents have vertical walls, called hats, that allow air to enter the cabin, but divert rain water away. Over the years, leaves, dirt, and who-knows-what-else accumulates in this area, and rusts the metal allowing water to enter the cabin. This is a significant repair to make. Use a garden hose and direct water into the cowl vents while you look for water dripping from under the dash. Use a flashlight to look up under the dash for pinholes.

jpony645

When trying to determine if one is a 64 1/2 or 65, look at the VIN. The engine codes were unique for the early cars. If the fifth digit is a U,F or D then you have a 64 1/2. A K was also available although I have not seen one. According to Charles Turner, MCA Assistant National Head judge for 64.5-66, "The way to tell the difference between an alternator car and a generator car is by the consecutive unit number in the VIN. Anything less than 250001 at Dearborn is a 64.5, anything less than 125001 at San Jose is a 64.5. "

LMan

Engine choices: I recommend that if you ever think you will want the power of a V8, get a V8 to start with. 6-to-8 conversions are doable but are expensive to do correctly.

A C-code is a great starting point since there are a multitude of other V8s that can go in there and its not like you are altering a rare-code classic....and you will have the V8 brakes, spindles, rear end, etc.
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Mberglo

Pre-Purchase inspection.

These cars are 40 years old, and a lot of parts have been replaced, or need to be replaced. It's well worth your money to pay a professional mechanic an hour or two of shop labor to look the car over. Things he might check are:

Compression - All cylinders should be within 10% of each other. If the variation is more than that, it's time for a rebuild, or valves could need adjusting.

Tranny - Inspect fluid and leaks. Most C4s eventually leak. The solution can be anything from a gasket kit to a total rebuild. Fluid should be red and not smell burnt. Transmission should engage immediately when put into gear. If it doesn't, the piston seals are probably dryrotted, and it's time for a rebuild.

Steering and Front End - One of the most overlooked parts on old cars. Bushings all balljoints get worn and can affect how the car drives. Frontend rebuild kits are readily available, but again, you need to know what you're getting into before you plunk down all your cash.

jpony645

REMEMBER If you think it has NO rust........THINK AGAIN.

http://forums.bradbarnett.net/index.php?showtopic=4112


Sometimes it is very hard to see without a very close inspection. I've owned my car for 11 years. The whole time thinking that the cowl only had some small pinholes in the cowl. When I cut out a section to patch it I found the problem to be MUCH worse than I expected.

One way to test the cowl is to take a gallon jug of water(or water hose) and pour down into the cowl vents then look carefully under the dash for any signs of leaking.