LOL, I have been asked hundreds of times WHY do you let it sit there?
First off I placed an ad on Craigslist for some energetic young man wanting to learn about mustangs and have two replies in one day for free help.
Now on why it sits there.
I was a member of MCA way back in the 1970's if I remember right. I got married in 1978. She had wrecked every vehicle that she had ever driven. Right after the wedding I parked the car.
Well in 1981 or 82 I decided to take it to Atlanta to the MCA Nationals. So me an my nephew just cleaned it, still had rice in the carpet from the wedding, polished the wheels, put on NOS Goodyear RWL and took to Atlanta. I took on a trailer pulled with my 1969 Ford van with a 240 six cylinder.
I did not clean the underside at all just interior, under the hood and outside. I never was one to wash a car just wipe it off to keep the water out.
Well I got a third place in original un restored. The right front fender had been scratched on a mail box by a friend and he had it painted in lacquer and did not match.
Those that have been in MCA shows know that you receive your judging sheets later in the mail or you did back then. When I got the judging sheets the points I had lost were due to NON FORD or NOT correct items on the car. Everything on the car was from the Ford factory. So I had a little discussion with the man most of you know as Bob Perkins. He was the head judge back then. He told me to do any better I would have to change everything that was noted on the judging sheets. I told him he could kiss old rusty and took the car home, dropped my membership and never went back.
Family and job then took all my time so it just sat there. I bought other cars that also just sat there, lol. There is a 1956 Ford Club Sedan one owner 292 4-V overdrive in the barn, 1957 Fairlane 500 two door hardtop 312 4-V, a 1950 Ford two door one owner and I moved the other 1950 Ford two door with 16,000 miles to the new garage. BTW the 1950 with 16,000 miles sat in a barn in Buffalo New York from 1954 to 1996. Was on blocks to get tires off dirt. When I got it in 96 it started and ran fine. I pulled the brakes apart and no rust in master or wheel cylinders. Looking inside the engine with scope it looked brand new. I drove to several shows with the original tires, belts and hoses that it still has. Long term storage is not all that bad as long as nothing can get into the carburetor or through an exhaust valve from the exhaust.
I will look into each cylinder with a scope before moving the crank. I will pull the hood, front fenders and take the engine out to detail engine bay. Will also pull dash and take air conditioner out I never had the wire mesh in this car so I am sure lots of acorns and mice nests. The interior will be removed cleaned and put back. Hope to find the build sheet never had interior out.
So my biggest obstacle is having the spine surgery in coming weeks. I do hope the two guys are serious about wanting to learn. One says he put his Dad's 66 Mustang back together for him.
I have already put some feelers out about getting some help with the Goodyear tires in trade for ads in the booth with car. I think he told me only room for 60 cars but will see.
The 73 convertible I got that sat for 27 years, 25 in Reno and two here had no issues with engine at all. I drove to the show in the mountains on Saturday. It was bored .050" over and has flat top pistons with a cam and does not overheat. The cylinders looked new when I pulled the heads to correct the backwards head gasket.
When I look back I wonder where all the years went so quick. My job for years put me on a plane on Monday and back home on Friday. Spent 17 months in China and nearly a year in Africa.
As far as the guys in the local Mustang club they pay someone to work on theirs. There is one other member that does his work and his body is worn out also.
So will see how it goes I do have all the tools and equipment to make all of the work as easy as it can be. 2 post lift, A frame, engine lift, clean room, etc. etc..
Plan on lots of pics and video to document the process. I may donate the car to the museum. Once I am gone would be sold at an estate sale and probable turned into a restomod.
Now you know.
