Nuerosis?

[ctlaw74]

Hi everybody:
Quick question for my sanity. How anal is everyone about their cars with respect to the flawlessness of the paint and body. I mean do you freak out about road chips from driving it, or the miniscule stress crack in the A pillar from hard launches? How about the microscopic fish eye in the lower quarter panel?

I have a 66 coupe that was restored in 1996 and was mint then. Attached is a photo taken last summer. there are a few signs of age that really only I can see but drive me nuts. I am currently in the process of putting on Granada disc brakes, relocating the battery to the trunk, and replacing all the fasteners with chrome ones. I am also upgrading to chrome 2005 Bullitt Wheels, 17x8. I also want to put power windows and locks in it.

I have have had the car about 15 years and went through the early 90's with the restore to original attitude and now I'm into the Restomod stuff. I have a young daughter and want to have fun with her driving the car. How crazy do you get with the little things. Like the quality of the paint behind the master cylinder?
Thanks in advance. (Just trying to cut down on the future therapy bills.)

 

[ctlaw74]

more pics to judge my sanity by...

what do you all think?

 

[geordie]

I would like a flawless car..............but I can't afford it.

It's like speed, how fast can you afford to go.

 

[ctlaw74]

FYI technical specs...

289 V8
Holley Street Avenger 670cfm
Edlebrock Performer Aluminum Intake
Edlebrock Performer RPM Aluminam Heads
Ceramic Coated TRI-Y headers
Flowmaster Dual Exhaust
World Class T-5 Transmission (5 Speed)
Hydaulic Clutch and Throw-out bearing (no z bar linkage at all)
3.55 Posi.

 

[geostang351]

Dude, it's beautiful!!! I don't know what u r flipping about unless u need to be 1 foot away to see the blemishes.

I do need to make on comment you may not like. THose white walls DO NOT go with those rims or the car. (my $.02)

 

[ctlaw74]

white walls :-0

I know, everyone is saying "white walls?" Well I was going for that sleeper thing. Looks like grandma's car but sounds like a Nascar when it starts up. I'll tell you, the same people who walk right past it at cruise night saying, ah, another simple Mustang Coupe do such a double take when it starts up and the cam lopes and the exhaust bellows. You'd think they had their wires crossed, "how could that car sound like that?"
I have since decided to upgrade to the 17" Chrome Bullitts though, just waiting on the spacers in the mail...

 

[markstang1969]

what do you all think?

I think your car is filthy, you should be ashamed to own it....and give it to me

Of course I'm kidding (about the filth anyway)

 

[69Rcode_Mach1]

Very nice car. I am paranoid as hell. Maybe it's because I am a poor as hell high schooler who invests every $ he makes into the car. I notice if anybody has left a fingerprint on it. It really sucks just enjoy it and drive it all you want.

 

[65ShelbyClone]

You probably dont want to hear this, but if I had a car as clean as yours, I would sell it to get something I wouldnt worry about driving. I dont think I could handle having a flawless car. Your car will start to show the usual wear if you drive it regularly.

 

[Route666]

My paint, even though it has crappy paint where I had to remove it to slow the rust with bog and spray can paint used to break my heart every time I'd return to it at the car park at the local shopping centre. Tiny little scratches, but just from other peoples' either lack of respect for others or just plain ignorance or lack of care it would piss me right off. Now that I consider the paint f'ed, a ding here and there, it doesn't worry me any more. And you know what? I haven't found another single scratch now that it's already F'ed, leading me to believe it's mostly moronic jealousy that lead to damage to my property.

If I had have found traces of swapped paint on a car next to me, mark my words the owner would have returned to a door caved 6+ inches in. But then again I'm a bit of a hothead sometimes - chip on the shoulder from a romeo and juliet life experience that can never be remedied.

Anyways, that's how anal I was and now how I am about it. If I had a fresh paint job (on a stang, not my car) I would only use the car for driving for a very long time, no parking near other cars, unless they're in my garage.

 

[iamlance]

Cool car. My uncle bought the same car when he got out of Vietnam. Green / black , 289, 3 speed stick and no power steering. He'd let me shift it from the passenger seat!!! If he saw a hitch hiker, he would pull over far ahead of the guy, the guy would run like he!! to get to the car and then Unc would take off when he'd get close laughing like crazy. He said at least the guy was closer to his destination. Agent Orange????

 

[Gud T.B. Blown]

personally if it were my car i'd drive the wheels off of it. i'm assuming that's why you bought it and built it.
i remember reading an article in the late 80's about a big Ferrari show in the East. the writer said that just about every car was trailered in, including the V6 Dino's. there was an immmaculate Daytona coupe with less than 5k on the clock that had 3 full time mechanics assigned to it, yet the car could barely be started and couldn't drive the 10 yards required by the judges. however there was also an original Testa-Rossa that was worth well over 1 million dollars at the time. it was owned by 2 teachers who were giving thrill rides down the local streets. the rest of the Ferrari owners were aghast. the writer of the story asked if they weren't worried about damaging the car or getting the paint chipped. they told him that's what the car was built for an ultimately any damage was repairable, and what was the point of owning such a fine piece of machinery if they weren't going to use it.
my car will probably never be as clean as yours but it will get plenty of use.

 

[Hack]

Your car is too beautiful for me to own. I like having a lot of cosmetic issues with my car. I don't worry about it. I drive when ever, where ever I want. I park where ever I want. I don't really worry about my car getting stolen.

I think if I had your car I would sell it and buy a project car.

I care about the car's appearance, but I would feel foolish paying thousands of dollars to make a car look perfect. To me the main thing is how it runs, and I've got plenty of work to do in that area too.

I like having the projects to plan and work on (upgrading the car). I may paint the car and do body work, if I run out of other things. That should be fun. To me the work (and driving the car) is the most fun of the hobby. Having a perfect car detracts from the fun to some degree, at least for me.

But having said all that, I think I'm a little odd. Most people in the hobby have really nice looking cars. I really like looking at them.

 

[limey66]

Drive it, ding it. It's what they're made for. If you can't accept the blemishes that come from regular use then put it in a museum.

When it gets too tatty you can repair and respray.