MustangGT01 said:
I may be totally off here but from what I understand the hardest thing about a II is body parts. Also, looking for replacement
suspension parts in a salvage yard is a little harder because the II has a good
suspension for other car projects. If I'm wrong tell me.
The hardest, like most 25 year-old cars, is going to be the unreproduced interior pieces. The hard plastic crumbles, and lots of the pieces have been hacked for speakers, etc. Consoles get cracked/burnt by cigarettes, dash pads crack, dash bezels fade/delaminate, seat belts get bleached by the sun, etc etc, etc.
Seatbelts can be rewebbed (although pricey), seat covers are available presewn for standard interiors (a decent trim shop can fix you up, too), carpet is easy, headliners are easy. Cobra II door panels are hard, and any of the other pieces can be difficult to locate in decent condition.
Body panels aren't all that tough, IF you're willing to look other than in one's immediate area.
Front
suspension....I wouldn't even bother looking for used, when you can buy new OE-style
control arms for about $70 each, complete with bushings/balljoint. By the time you buy the used arm, replace the components, blast and paint/coat it, you're just about there anyway.
Of course, the hardest are the "specialty" pieces...spoilers, louvers, V8 bellhousings, etc. Not so tough to find always, but tough to cough up the dough this stuff brings sometimes.
I am becoming more convinced all the time that the hardest part of fixing up an old car to factory appearance is the interior. Unless you're building another "cookie cutter" early mustang, chevelle, corvette, or camaro, the difficulty obtaining quality interior pieces can be trying. I guess you already figured that out with the cvt, though.
3K should buy a decent plain stang II, but the prices being asked for some of the specialty models seems to be getting out of hand for those who know what it takes to get one back "right".
I always figure it's going to take 1000 for a complete interior if you have to buy door panels or change color, 2000 for a decent paint job with minimal repair work, 300 to go through brakes, 300up for
suspension, and drivetrain is wide open. So a $3500 Cobra II that needs interior and paint just doesn't add up to me, and I see it a lot. BUT, there are always more people that want to buy into a project than there are buyers for a finished car (by virtue of the lower buy-in), so the price keeps going up on the rougher cars.
My policy is to never pay for "OK" interior or paint, because you know you're going to want to do it over anyway, and it costs the same to redo "OK" interior or thrashed interior. Same for drivetrain, and just about everything else on the car.
Good luck on the hunt!