mbrew2
Well-known member
When I purchased our 73 H code convertible almost 3 years ago I was given a 3-ring binder supposedly containing maintenance and repair records. I never looked at it until last week.
Opening the book you find color printouts and pictures from an internet for sale ad dated 9/2006. The car was advertised as one-family owned since new with 79000 miles and in excellent original condition. No price was shown.
Next was the section titled Maintenance Records. I was surprised at how organized these records were kept with actual work orders and invoices arranged chronologically from newest to oldest. Most records not only were dated but also showed mileage. Looking through the repair records, and remembering that the car was advertised as "1 family owned" rather than as "1 owner, I speculate that the car was passed down/inherited to maybe a son or grandson with no mechanical ability or money. Also that the car had been sitting up for a while. One of the earliest receipts is for a "used" 205/75/14 tire, followed by a service order that said "car won't run". The mechanic's repair notes "bad gas, water and trash in tank and carb" pulled and flushed tank, cleaned out fuel lines, cleaned and rebuilt carb. Few months later another "used" tire was purchased. 2 years later there is a receipt for 2 new tires showing mileage as 75080. While probably not 100% complete, it is clear that every effort was made to maintain the car and keep up with needed repairs. Receipts cover repair or replacement of almost every major mechanical component.
In Feb 2008, the car was shipped from Kennsington Maryland to a new owner in Boca Raton, Fl at a cost of $695. Title records indicate the mileage as 79945. In April 2008, at 80340 miles, the engine was completely rebuilt including an edelbrock intake and carb, mallory distributor and coil, new wires, etc. at a cost of $7149. Other receipts indicate power steering rebuild, alternator, and several minor upgrades. In March of 2011, with 82947 miles, the car was sold to a lady in Fairhope, Al. She added $2246 in receipts to the book. She sold the car with 86177 miles to a lady in Gautier, MS. She added $1641 in receipts which was mostly for a Magnum 500/BFG wheel and tire package from CJ Pony parts. I was coerced into buying the car from her in Oct 2016 with 90150 miles.
2 things jumped out at me reviewing these records: 1. At the time that I purchased the car, receipts show that $31296 had been spent on the car and that in the past 20 years the car had only been driven 15070 miles. 2. there were no receipts for body work.
I did not want to buy this car. When I first looked at the car I went over it thoroughly with a paint thickness gauge and was surprised to find that there was no body filler anywhere on the car EXCEPT for on the front 1/3 of the drivers door about halfway up from the bottom. Not a likely spot for rust repair. Closer examination showed evidence that the driver side fender had been replaced along with the hood. The headlight bucket support on the driver side was slightly bent that put enough tension on the grill mounting points that the the bolts had pulled through the plastic. The car had what appeared to be an older cheap repaint with overspray visibly on the trim. Obviously had been hit on the front driver side but probably only a minor wreck. It got worse when I took the car for a test drive. Transmission was worn out, engine stumbled and was running so rich that it was blowing black smoke out exhaust, serious drivetrain vibration at about 45 mph, dash lights didn't work, A/C didn't work and blower only ran on low speed and only though floor outlets, and the worst is that after a 10 min drive the temp was at 235. I suggested to the owner that she not drive the car until it cooled down and told her it was up to 235 in only a short drive. She looked perplexed and asked me what it should be!! I politely told her I would have to think it over and left.
My problem was that the car was PRETTY, and I had taken my wife with me to look at it. I admit the car was pretty, white with a medium blue top that almost perfectly matched the medium blue interior, shiny new magnum 500s and even with the cheap paint job, the car showed well. I also saw the grin on my wife's face when we were doing the test drive with the top down. We looked at the car on a Friday and over the weekend my wife repeatedly asked me what about the Mustang. As I tried to explain the mechanical problems and cost she would come back with "you can fix that", "That car is really pretty", "I would drive it every day" and finally, when she asked if we could go back and look at it again on Monday, I realized I was doomed to buy her that car.
So now, almost 3 years later, we are the proud owners of a really pretty Mustang convertible and I can add $6917 in receipts to the book. I don't regret it. Even though I think I paid $4000-5000 too much for the car and am probably $10000-12000 upside down in it, we have enjoyed it tremendously and it constantly draws comments everywhere we go. I use it as my daily driver and have put over 8500 miles on after I got most of the mechanical issues taken care of. It still makes my wife smile.
Opening the book you find color printouts and pictures from an internet for sale ad dated 9/2006. The car was advertised as one-family owned since new with 79000 miles and in excellent original condition. No price was shown.
Next was the section titled Maintenance Records. I was surprised at how organized these records were kept with actual work orders and invoices arranged chronologically from newest to oldest. Most records not only were dated but also showed mileage. Looking through the repair records, and remembering that the car was advertised as "1 family owned" rather than as "1 owner, I speculate that the car was passed down/inherited to maybe a son or grandson with no mechanical ability or money. Also that the car had been sitting up for a while. One of the earliest receipts is for a "used" 205/75/14 tire, followed by a service order that said "car won't run". The mechanic's repair notes "bad gas, water and trash in tank and carb" pulled and flushed tank, cleaned out fuel lines, cleaned and rebuilt carb. Few months later another "used" tire was purchased. 2 years later there is a receipt for 2 new tires showing mileage as 75080. While probably not 100% complete, it is clear that every effort was made to maintain the car and keep up with needed repairs. Receipts cover repair or replacement of almost every major mechanical component.
In Feb 2008, the car was shipped from Kennsington Maryland to a new owner in Boca Raton, Fl at a cost of $695. Title records indicate the mileage as 79945. In April 2008, at 80340 miles, the engine was completely rebuilt including an edelbrock intake and carb, mallory distributor and coil, new wires, etc. at a cost of $7149. Other receipts indicate power steering rebuild, alternator, and several minor upgrades. In March of 2011, with 82947 miles, the car was sold to a lady in Fairhope, Al. She added $2246 in receipts to the book. She sold the car with 86177 miles to a lady in Gautier, MS. She added $1641 in receipts which was mostly for a Magnum 500/BFG wheel and tire package from CJ Pony parts. I was coerced into buying the car from her in Oct 2016 with 90150 miles.
2 things jumped out at me reviewing these records: 1. At the time that I purchased the car, receipts show that $31296 had been spent on the car and that in the past 20 years the car had only been driven 15070 miles. 2. there were no receipts for body work.
I did not want to buy this car. When I first looked at the car I went over it thoroughly with a paint thickness gauge and was surprised to find that there was no body filler anywhere on the car EXCEPT for on the front 1/3 of the drivers door about halfway up from the bottom. Not a likely spot for rust repair. Closer examination showed evidence that the driver side fender had been replaced along with the hood. The headlight bucket support on the driver side was slightly bent that put enough tension on the grill mounting points that the the bolts had pulled through the plastic. The car had what appeared to be an older cheap repaint with overspray visibly on the trim. Obviously had been hit on the front driver side but probably only a minor wreck. It got worse when I took the car for a test drive. Transmission was worn out, engine stumbled and was running so rich that it was blowing black smoke out exhaust, serious drivetrain vibration at about 45 mph, dash lights didn't work, A/C didn't work and blower only ran on low speed and only though floor outlets, and the worst is that after a 10 min drive the temp was at 235. I suggested to the owner that she not drive the car until it cooled down and told her it was up to 235 in only a short drive. She looked perplexed and asked me what it should be!! I politely told her I would have to think it over and left.
My problem was that the car was PRETTY, and I had taken my wife with me to look at it. I admit the car was pretty, white with a medium blue top that almost perfectly matched the medium blue interior, shiny new magnum 500s and even with the cheap paint job, the car showed well. I also saw the grin on my wife's face when we were doing the test drive with the top down. We looked at the car on a Friday and over the weekend my wife repeatedly asked me what about the Mustang. As I tried to explain the mechanical problems and cost she would come back with "you can fix that", "That car is really pretty", "I would drive it every day" and finally, when she asked if we could go back and look at it again on Monday, I realized I was doomed to buy her that car.
So now, almost 3 years later, we are the proud owners of a really pretty Mustang convertible and I can add $6917 in receipts to the book. I don't regret it. Even though I think I paid $4000-5000 too much for the car and am probably $10000-12000 upside down in it, we have enjoyed it tremendously and it constantly draws comments everywhere we go. I use it as my daily driver and have put over 8500 miles on after I got most of the mechanical issues taken care of. It still makes my wife smile.
