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Author
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Topic: Feel So Bad For This Guy !
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mellowyellow
Gearhead Posts: 5395
From: So. Fl.
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 02-24-2002 06:36 PM
  
Few weeks back, becamae acquainted with a young guy that had recently bought a 68 J code fastback GT. Told him I'd help him get organized as to what to do first, etc. The motor was out, rebuilt. At first glance it looked pretty good. until.... Close look revealed BOTH front frame rails rotted-shock tower forward. Bad doors. That was the Sat. before. Yesterday, we went and got all my EFI stuff 'nother story-good! Went by for 2nd look. The seller had put new pans on top of the old, T-Boxes had been "patched?", inner frame rails, gone! Cowls-toast, cross member-gone. Noticed the battery apron looked good-WRONG! New one put over old and hot wrench cutting visible on back under undercoating! Bottoms of fenders rotted and welded to rocker panel.Jury is still out on the rear rails-started to rain. He got caught up in the romance of having a fastback-wanting a Bullitt. This one's a slug. On plus side, his father can weld. They have gas, arc and mig at their disposal. Spent this afternoon Xeroxing good How- to articles from MMonthly. and am going to get involved. Patch panels on rear 1/4's also. Gently, tried to suggest the possiblity of selling it ang looking elswhere but he's in love! Am running a tape to get the numbers, excluding labor and paint, factoring a ball park in on them, and presenting him with the bad news. To repeat. "Go West Young Man!" Car is repairable but at what cost compared to doing what Steve did with his Mach. This is a hard lesson. Wish He'd consulted before! Imagine pulling thinly mudded drywall tape off the frame rails!!!! SUX!
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70SportsRoof
Gearhead Posts: 465
From: Mesa, AZ...for now....
Registered: Dec 2001
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posted 02-24-2002 06:48 PM
Ouch! This just goes to show that every car should be throughly inspected before cash is laid out for it. Show him those numbers and give him advice on how to take car of his car. It's sad to see a first time owner get him/herself into such a mess, but he'll probably be better off getting a nicer fastback. I wish him the best of luck.------------------
1970 Deluxe SportsRoof (63B), my new toy a '66 fastback 289-4 spd,(2)46 Ford trucks, 47 Ford truck, 57 Ford Fairlane 500 4dr, '72 Olds Vista Cruiser, '88 Bronco II...you can never have too many cars
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SuperDave
Gearhead Posts: 123
From: Tacoma, WA USA
Registered: Jun 2000
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posted 02-24-2002 06:49 PM
A sad tale indeed! The grim reality is that the car is NOT worth saving. I've been in the hobby since the beginning and have loads of experience to substantiate my opinion. What he paid for the car is irrelvant. What is would cost to make it solid is the kicker! The nicest '68 Fastback J code available would cost a fraction of what this car would cost to restore.
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johnmustang
Gearhead Posts: 3107
From: Vancouver Island , British Columbia , Canada
Registered: Nov 2001
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posted 02-24-2002 06:59 PM
I agree with superdave , part it out as best he can , make what ever money he can to put towards another one . It would not be right to dump this trashed  stang onto another mustang enthusiast. I know the old saying is " buyer beware " but , this really sucks. Poor kid I am sure he has now learned a costly yet valuable lesson. The puke that sold him the car, should be horse whipped ,and, made to own nothing but 4 cylinder chebbies from now on  JOHN  ------------------
65 2+2 FASTBACK
68 COUPE
87 TAURUS WAGON
98 F150 XLT TRITON V8 4.6, 4 WHEEL DRIVE
Member:Vancouver Island Mustang Association
M&M #1710
MyPhotoPage
MY TRUCK
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SteveLaRiviere
Administrator Posts: 29373
From: Saco, Maine
Registered: May 99
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posted 02-24-2002 07:10 PM
Yeah, you can replace anything on a Mustang if you have to, but the question is how much time and money do you want to devote?In Popular Hot Rodding there is a series on the construction of a very high end '69 Camaro by a guy named Stiele {sp?}, I don't know if anyone else is following it, but in one of the first installments he writes how important it is to start out with a solid car. I couldn't agree more! Forget the romance and the temptation to get something 'almost' like you wanted. Be willing to wait until you find the right car. Then look at it as hard as you can , and as if you don't want to buy it. With my Mach, I was lucky and I'm happy with it, although I sometimes think I should have waited for an R code, but the thing I like the best is once I finally get my fingers out and get started on it, there isn't really that much to do, and best of all there's no rust to worry about! I don't even call what I am doing 'restoring' it, it's more like repainting it and replacing a few items. If I'm not mistaken, an unrestored car is worth more than a restored car as far as value goes. My advice is always buy as orignal and as good a car as you can afford, right from the start. I think the next time I want to buy a project car, I'll probably gets some cash together, fly out to Arizona and spend a couple weeks hunting. Then I have the car shipped home. The money I'll save on rust repair will be well worth it, and it will be fun, on top of it all! ------------------
'70 Mustang Mach 1 M code 351C 4V/FMX/3.25 open
'72 Mustang Sprint Coupe 351C 4V/FMX/4.30 Trac Lok
'94 F-150 XL 5.8L/E4OD/3.55 Limited Slip
'97 Probe GTS 2.5L DOHC
MCA Member # 47773
Recycle --- Restore a Classic Mustang!
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Dave Gibson
Moderator Posts: 6657
From: Pensacola, Florida, USA M&M#166 MCA#47921
Registered: Aug 99
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posted 02-24-2002 10:32 PM
Ouch!  Poor kid. Been there, done that, found out the hard way. Pete,
Glad that you are trying to help this young fellow out.  Dave & Terri ------------------
Poison Ivy (Dave's)
'65 Fastback Modified 289 4V, C-4, dual exhaust, styled steel wheels, rally pac, A/C
Blue Belle (Terri's)
'66 Coupe, Silver Blue Metallic, 351W 2-V, 4 speed, A/C, future sleeper.
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iamblackjack
Gearhead Posts: 164
From: Magnolia, Tx, USA
Registered: Jan 2002
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posted 02-24-2002 11:22 PM
I'd try to find the SOB that did the butch job to that car and press charges. Sexual Assult! that car (and the kid) got screwed and it wasn't consensual.P.S. When I was in high school, I was big time into Bugs (couldn't aford a Ford [no pun intended]). I looked a '56 oval window one time that had a one inch layer of concrete in the front floor pans. The guy tried to tell me it was to keep the front end from coming off of the ground.  It had a stock 1200cc!!! If I remember right, they were 26hp!! [This message has been edited by iamblackjack (edited 02-24-2002).]
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mellowyellow
Gearhead Posts: 5395
From: So. Fl.
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 02-24-2002 11:42 PM
Steve: Sounds like you're restoring. If you've changed sheetmetal ie fender, taking dinks out of every panel, like you've said, rebuilding the engine, etc., that's restoring. A restored car, if done properly, is worth more than an original that needs paint and whatever. I always laugh when I recall the 67 cv we bought for parts. A friend called it a piece of ****, which it was, but my partner in the deal said, "Did I tell you it has original paint?" I choked on my Diet Coke!!A first specialty car with a person that's never had one is a sure case of throwing caution to the wind. I wish I had known this guy before he bought it. I'd like to see him sell it because he IS in it fairly right and could actually make a profit in selling, thanks to the Bullitt and Eleanor craze!
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Fastymz
Moderator Posts: 8189
From: Reno Nv USA MEM#1240
Registered: Apr 2001
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posted 02-25-2002 02:45 AM
Pete,he's lucky to have you near him.See if you can talk in him into saling it,now before he gets in any deeper.I sure wish one of you guys lived near me. SCOOP ------------------
65 coupe,351w,RPM intake,Carter625,shorty headers,2.5 exhaust, Flowmasters,C4,open 8" 2:80,Big Boss 429 hood scoop,Crager SS,Black Suede.
MEM#1240 https://mustangsandmore.com/ubb/Fastymz.html
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SteveLaRiviere
Administrator Posts: 29373
From: Saco, Maine
Registered: May 99
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posted 02-25-2002 08:19 AM
To me, a restored car has been totally disassembled and every part detailed. Like my Sprint right now.Pam's Probe has had the front sheetmetal replaced, I wouldn't call that car restored, would you? ------------------
'70 Mustang Mach 1 M code 351C 4V/FMX/3.25 open
'72 Mustang Sprint Coupe 351C 4V/FMX/4.30 Trac Lok
'94 F-150 XL 5.8L/E4OD/3.55 Limited Slip
'97 Probe GTS 2.5L DOHC
MCA Member # 47773
Recycle --- Restore a Classic Mustang!
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mellowyellow
Gearhead Posts: 5395
From: So. Fl.
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 02-25-2002 08:24 AM
Whatever. One opinion to another.LOL!
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SteveLaRiviere
Administrator Posts: 29373
From: Saco, Maine
Registered: May 99
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posted 02-25-2002 08:32 AM
Do you change a couple fenders then sell the car as 'restored?'------------------
'70 Mustang Mach 1 M code 351C 4V/FMX/3.25 open
'72 Mustang Sprint Coupe 351C 4V/FMX/4.30 Trac Lok
'94 F-150 XL 5.8L/E4OD/3.55 Limited Slip
'97 Probe GTS 2.5L DOHC
MCA Member # 47773
Recycle --- Restore a Classic Mustang!
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I65Stang
Gearhead Posts: 5799
From: Antelope, CA
Registered: Jun 99
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posted 02-25-2002 05:40 PM
Poor guy, I love California  .I only call my '65 restored to people who arent in the hobby. If you notice I will say my car is "restified", not everything is original although to most it looks restored and original. Take for instance the interior. I used a black carpet and black door panels with the red upholstry and paint to get that '69 Mach 1 look. The engine is modded with the header and the carb but with the hood down it looks totally original. The paint is a Ford color called "antique white". Its not wimbledon white (too umm dirty looking for my likes) and its not bright white, looks just right. A lot of people ask if its the original paint and color. I love looking at cars for sale in the paper that are "restored" yet cost very little Too many people go to Maaco and get a $200 paint job and call the car restored (at least here). To me a restored car is returned 100% original. ------------------
Tim M&M Member #35
1965 Mustang coupe, 200 I6, Holley 2300, Clifford header, true duals w/ 26" Smithys
1988 Mustang GT AOD vert, 15.810 @ 88.871 mph 100% stock w/ no traction
1976 Silverline Comoro 18' trihull ski boat, 188 hp 302 I/O, another toy
http://all.at/mustang
https://mustangsandmore.com/ubb/I65Stang.html
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