Any Young Mustang owners out there??????

I'm 21, but was 16 when i first got the car...just give it some time and the car will transform.....I know mine did...


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Hey guys.
I was 14 when I bought my 65 289 auto. 15 years later I still have it and won't ever get rid of it.

I had the car about 2 weeks before I started tearing it apart. Me and dad spent about 3 years going threw it. I didn't have a lot of money so we did most of it ourselves. Dad was going to paint it, but chickened out at the last moment, so we hired someone to do.

End of my junior year I was forced to drive it. I cut a lot of corners that I wish I wouldn't have. However that point in my life the folks got divorced and I was pretty much on my own. I had to do what I had to.

It got keyed in college, been rear ended lightly, I've raced it, and had a lot of fun with it! However I always took care of it and made sure it would keep going. It finnally ate me up in maintance cost every month. it was cheeper to buy another daily driver vehicle. Now it sits in my shop and I get to tinker on it anytime I want. Still looks pretty good, does need some help. Now I have make decent money so I can afford.

I guess what I'm saying it is, do it right the first time, and enjoy it. I didn't have the web so it was a matter of diving in and figuring it out on my own. So use this site and many others and research!! Ask questions, and don't be afraid to call vendors, and ask about thier products and what the recommend.

Maintance, keep up on it!!! Fix it before it breaks!

Enjoy guys, it's a great hobby

I bought my mustang when i was 17. im now about to turn 20. it s a 68 jcode coupe. i have done all the work on it myself. you can check out my cardomain site for most of it. my sn is paintballtommy there. my rides got a 351w with a t5 and a bunch of other stuff. all i can say to you is when i started out i didnt know anything about cars either. but post here. frequent the forums as i did and you will learn. ive made some lasting friendships here and im sure you will 2.

Im 17. I bought my 66 289 about a month ago and I have been working on it nonstop. I fixed the powersteering leak, oil pump, oil sender unit, tune up, adjusted the valves, and a few other engine stuff. Now it runs great. Im working on the body work right now and have been for about 2 weeks. Its almost ready for paint. It is completely stripped except the drivetrain. That includes all glass, gas tank, and the entire interior, and everything else. I plan on fixing this puppy up and maybe restoring another until I have enough money to hotrod one. I plan on building a 66 shelby gt350r clone in the future. My dad has a 66 convert GT and we use to have a 66 4speed and a 65 GT until we sold them. MY daily driver is a lifted 04 f150.

21 here bought my first 67 coupe when I was 17. I scraped together every penny I had and begged the guy to give it to me for what I had.

i was 16 when i got my 65 Coupe 289. i've done quiet a bit to it over the years. disc brakes being one of THE BEST additions ever. i have all round manual discs that stop better than my dad's porsche.

what i think you should do. get disc brakes, forget power booster, get a monte carlo bar, 20-30 bucks? this will atleast help you keep your shocktowers from sagging any more than they already are, and stiffen up your general ride. i suggest it very very much, it's a very cheap thing that can help your turning, straight line, and general health of your car . btw my system minus the absence of subs kicks harder than most.

I was about 12 or so when my dad bought a 65 mustang and we restored it. Used to be an I6 with a 3 spd. We swapped in a 302 and a toploader. We also left the front I6 springs in for an agressive stance. 10 years later and it's still my dad's daily driver. When I turned 15 we searched for a 71-73 Mach 1 for me, and found one in Sacramento and got to work immediately:

http://myhome.spu.edu/dowdea/CARS/73Stang.htm

Since I repainted it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/randomflickrid/158499928/

I've driven from California to Seattle, WA many times. Only on one trip up did I have problems (lost the brakes in Oregon, thank God for honest shops that are open on saturdays!) So, now I'm 22, and I can't decide on whether to keep or sell. It's definately NOT practical anymore, but it's such an awesome car. Oh, the battles.

Best advice I could give is this: When you get older your idea of what the most important things to do to your car will change drastically. I wish I knew then what I know now. The TOP priorities are SAFETY and RELIABILITY. Then Comfort and Fun. When it comes to restoring a car NEVER EVER SAY: "I'll do a quick fix and then go back later and do it right." Do it right the first time. Just to add to what most others have said... Make sure the chassis is sound, then suspension and brakes, disk. I prefer non power brakes, even with a V8. I do, however, prefer power steering for the quicker steering ratio (I honestly feel safer on the streets with it). For some added daily driver comfort, focus on some good sound deadening, it helps a lot. These are just some of my ideas for ya.

Have fun with it, but most importantly, don't worry about the other cars in your high school parking lot. Focus on building a reliable, long lasting car, and you'll see them at your 5 year reunion and they'll most likely be driving a Ch**y Lumina while you still have your sweet mustang (with many more mods by then!!).

I'm 17, have had my car for about 4 months now. Some of the best advice I got on here was from someone who said to enjoy driving the car for a while before you completely tear it apart. I've been driving it daily for a couple weeks now that the weather is beautiful so I haven't had a chance to really jump into it yet but have been doing small mods/repairs while saving up every penny that I can earn this summer to convert to disc brakes and replace my 205s on a 14 inch rim with some fatty tires (and hopefully 15'' TTDs).

I think that the most important thing that I did for my first mustang was to find a club, with the wealth of knowledge and access to inexpensive parts for a noob, it was just awesome. I'm on my 5th stang now and I get to be the old"er" guy in the club who helps out the noob. The enthusiasm of the hobby that the newer people bring is infectious.

Enjoy the hobby/lifestyle.

I got my 1965 coupe when I turned 16 after I got a job. My dad let me borrow the money only if I had a steady job. I am 19 now and in college with little money. But with my tax returns and weekly paychecks I try and do what I can to it overtime. It has actually come along quite a bit. I have bought a lot of rust inhibitor (Eeastwoods RE) and other restoration supplies, sound insulation, heat insulation, etc. And ripped out my entire interior and replaced the carpet after protecting the floorboards and insulating them. I bought new wheels and tires with my tax return. I have replaced the old 289 with a rebuilt one because I seized the old one. I bought a new Demon carburetor. All work done by myself...a lot of hours...blood, sweat and tears seriously. My parents got me a brand new Griffin radiator for a graduation present and my fan blade chewed the ***** out of it....now that sucks big time. But you learn so much overtime. I have a Chiltons manual and this site to help me out along the way. Here are some pictures of my progress.



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I'll be 19 on the 11th and I bought my '66es right before my 15th birthday.

I was supposed to get a 66 coupe basketcase with tons of parts included in 1998...that fell thru, but my Mustang addiction didn't. Three years later, I found the same type of deal, with another car included for the same price as the car I found in 1998.

We trailered it home, ripping the oil filter off at 65mph on the chase vehicle on the way home.

We Adjusted the valves, rewired and tuned the 289 in my other car and got it running. A solid lifter 289 sounds GOOD thru turbo mufflers to a 15 year old. That car is a rustbucket...never been driven by us and its missing the engine now.

Started in on my 66 on this Christmas, yanked the engine, patched the front rails and put in a new rad support. It should be pretty close to road legal this fall.

I, unlike some people, have been around cars my whole life, and my dad and both my uncles are great mechanics. We dont do transmissions I've also had the pleasure to cut my mechaniching teeth (as in me doing the wrenching on my own) on FWD V6 cars. No wonder people hate the things! I'm good at timing belts on Nissan VG30s and cussing at waterpumps
Enogugh of my rambling!

I don't actually own a Mustang but am restoring one. I have been learning the hobby since I was 13 and am now 17. The repaint of my dad's '68 coupe is what got me interested. This snowballed into full sheet metal fabrication and bodywork on a '49 Ford, a '64 T-bolt Fairlane clone, and '28 Model A. Every weekend and holiday was spent sitting on a milk crate watching an old craftsman work these cars for about the first 6 months. Then I was able to actually do the mig welding, gas welding, and bodywork myself. My dad bought a '66 coupe for me to restore six months ago because he knows how much I enjoy it. Although the work is not new to me anymore, it has been very fun anyway. I am a true Mustang fanatic who hangs out with guys ranging from kids my age to collectors aged 75. The plans are to complete the '66 project and possibly sell it to finally afford a '69 Mach 1. I must admit that this hobby eats money though. I know that I have at least a grand wrapped up in my tools and I borrow the majority of the expensive tools. To all the other young guys, never be afraid of a project. This work is not hard, you just have to keep a clear head, do not become frustrated, and DO NOT rush your work. Be willing to attempt all sheetmetal replacement, bodywork, paint, engine rebuild, the whole works.

One of the big things I would worry about in a 66 is the brake lines and hoses, I had the rear brake hose burst one day on my 67 coupe and I couldnt stop. So I replaced all the lines and hoses, it isnt that hard and can save you from a lot of trouble.

67Dave289,
I appreciate the concern. While disassembling the car my dad and I inspected the brake lines. This car is undergoing a complete restoration so we fully expected the hard lines to need replacing. To our surprise they were in very good condition without and corrosion or rust. They must have been replaced fairly recently. A short line was locked up on the distribution block and it twisted so it will get replaced along with all of the flex lines but the other hard lines will stay. I am also going to replace the stock single cylinder fruit jar master cylinder with the '67 and up dual cylinder unit so I don't lose ALL braking power.

Im 17, almost going to be 18 (in a few days!) and I have a 68 Fastback. It has very little rust, here and there, some on the hood, by the front windshield, and some around the rear quarter panel, and on the reat taillamp panel. all you people have it easy getting all the parts you need for your cars, because you live in the continental US. I live in hawaii, and restoring a car is a challenge. No use finding rust free cars, our weather changes almost everyday. I was lucky to find this car in good conditiion. It was given to me, because the guy that had it didnt know the value of a 68 fastback. Ive had the car for 2 years, andI have only taken the left front end apart, and cleaned up the fender apron, and cleaned up part of the radiator support. I had a plan of building a Eleanor clone, but as I grew older and I started to know more about what was out there, I started to realize the work entailed, and the cost. My family, nor me, didnt have the money to do it, but we had the know-how and resources. Fast forward to 2006.

I graduated from High School, and now I have the time, and the money. I got a job, trying to pay for a few things for myself. Now, Im rethinking my plans, and now, all I want to do is get the car running. Everytime I go to work it makes me pissed everytime I see it under that tarp. I have learned all that Ii could from my dad, helped him with a few of his jobs, and actually starting to get into MIG welding. its a challenge to restore a car in hawaii, because of all the high shipping costs, and the cost of living.


John

Well, welcome to the world of spending money and headaches.

I started with a 66 falcon, ditched the 200, built a 306, added a TCI c4, threw in an 8-inch with a spool. And 3 years and $4000 later, it still needs bodywork. But I wouldn't have done it any other way.

Like its been stated, find someone locally that is into what you want to do.
Buy some quality tools and don't cut corners.

I am sure everyone here has bought "cheaper" or settled for another lesser-known product only to realize they should have gotten what they needed in the first place.

Good luck with your project, and remember build the car you want to build.