66 Project

I thought you guys and gals would enjoy seeing my 66 Mustang Coupe project affectionately known as "project mustang sally". I'm restoring the car for my daughter who will get her driver's license in about 11 months. I purchased the car in March and we're about 8 months into the project. Next month we will pull the engine for rebuild and install a T-5. If all continues to go well, the car will go to paint shop in February 06.

"edited web links on 1/29/06"

Misleading Attachment

I purchased the car locally and it has been stored out of weather for the last ten years. If you looked at the linked photo server, you'll see that it has rust in all the typical places. I'm busy replacing floor pans right now. Both rear quarter panels also had to be replaced. I hope to finish the heavy body workin with the next 60 days. I'm tired of cutting out rusted sheet metal and welding in new

Great Paint Job

I saw your thread earlier tonight and the body work and paint look GREAT! I can't wait to get to the stage where we can start spraying paint.

Staying excited about our project at this stage of the renovation is indeed a challenge. Progress is slow and rewards are small relative to the effort. We depend on sites like this and local car shows to keep us modivated.

Is my daughter excited....yes! You see her in some of the photos on the site. She's investing a little sweat equity in the car and I'm hopeful that this investment in the project will modivate her to drive the car with great care. There's always a story behind a project like this and this car is not exception.

My daughter "Sally" plays fast-pitch softball and one of her travel team member's father has a restored 65 fastback that Sally fell in love with. This father pointed Sally to the car we are restoring. The car belonged to a friend of his who bought the car in the late 70's and fixed it up and then drove it for about 15 years before parking it in his barn with plans to one day restore it. He agreed to sell it to us for a reasonable price ($1500) knowing that I was committed to doing a first class restoration and putting it back on the road.

I maintain a website, (other than the photo server) on which we log the restoration progress, so the previous owner can watch the restoration and Sally can share progress with her friends. I literally have a stream of teenagers regularly dropping by to see the car and restoration progress first hand. Today along, I had two stop in for a look.

By the way, we call the project Mustang Sally because, my daughter's name is Sally and her High School softball team is the Mustangs. On the website you will see pictures of the SEHS Lady Mustangs along with the pictures of the Mustang restoration.

We both look forward to following the progress of your mustang project. I can point to your progress when Sally's spirits are low and say....this is the goal we are working towards.

66 Project Update...picture link included

We've moved into what I consider the fun part of the project. We're now installing new suspension components, brake system components, and preparing to rebuild engine. We're also preping the body for paint. I think I may see the light at the end of the tunnel....or is that a train?

Go Here for project pictures.

Nothing left but trim and accessories

It's been a long journey but Mustang Sally went for it's first trip around town today. See pictures at http://www.fairclothcove.com/cpg132/displayimage.php?album=93&pos=29

New Paint

I was never quite satisfied with the color nor quality of my mustang's previous paint job. That said, I delivered the 66 to a local body shop last Monday and picked it up yesterday. Here's some photos of the new paint job. Comments welcome.

Photo1

Photo2

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Photo5

Cost

Stallionlover:

In this particular car, the base car cost me $2500 and yes, it was drivable (barely) and went into the garage under it's own power. My son, daughter, wife and I have put almost 2 years of labor into the car and although I did not keep good records of the cost (for fear my wife would kill me), I think we have about $12,000 invested in parts and outside labor.

I love to see young people interested in restoring old cars and with this project I tried to cultivate the same interest in my son and daughter, teaching them skills I learned when I was 15 years old, as my dad and uncles helped me restore a 1951 Chevrolet pickup.

My advice is to save your money, pick a solid car as the base for your restoration, set up a list of work to be completed, and then have patiences...lots of patiences. Our mustang seemed to fight us ever step of the way and it would have been easy to quit at anytime but keeping a web journal of our progress helped us not to forget the progress we were making and keep us modivated.

Last but not least, the restoration never ends. We continue to find things day in and day out that we want change or improve upon, thus the new paint job.

Good luck with your project. I'll be looking for photos here on the site of Stallionlover's project car.