Restoring a '66 Mustang
Just 24 hours after launching the campaign, I am already overwhelmed by the show of support from my friends and family. I’ll be thanking you all individually in the weeks to come, but please know that I am so grateful for your generous contributions and touched by your comments and encouragement. It’s only day one and I’m already almost 1/5th of the way to my goal. Thank you to all who have contributed!
We’re finally up and running! You can now support the project by donating to my Indiegogo campaign:
http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/mustang-sam-restoring-a-66-mustang-plus-blog-film/
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
I found the coolest site from which I’ll be buying most of my replacement parts, for the interior at least: CJ Pony Parts.
Taken from their website: “CJ Pony Parts is proud to be one of the top Mustang parts and accessories retailers in the world, with over 28 years of experience! Our 36,000 square foot warehouse is located just outside of Harrisburg, PA. It contains thousands of Mustang parts for sale to fit all vintage Mustangs.”
I’ve found everything from trunk carpet kits to a new-yet-retro radio, replacement instrument pannel parts to LED’s that will replace the current backlights behind the dashboard.
Pegasus?
One of the first things we did when we got the car home was call our mechanic and friend, Joe Frizell. I had interned at Joe’s Garage two years ago, so when we zeroed in on this car, we sent the specs, along with pictures and video, to Joe, and he gave us a list of things to look for and questions to ask. Now it was time to get his seal of approval in person, and also get a better sense of what was going on underneath so I could begin to build a budget. It being summer in the Hamptons, Joe was swamped during the week, so he invited us to stop by on a Sunday morning, his day off.
Dad and I met Joe and his son at the garage at 9am. We checked the car outside, and then I maneuvered it onto the lift. It was pretty cool to see my car go up on the lift that I had seen so many other cars go up on.
Under the engine
Inspection confirmed most of the same things we knew from the seller. Power steering was leaking, probably causing the front wheels to be out of alignment, the rear needs work, brakes were leaking, and there were a few minor rust spots. The only real area of concern when it came to rust was the body underneath the right rear seat. You can poke your finger up through some of the little holes and push against the carpet. This is something I’ll be working on.
Overall, Joe said it was in great shape. He said he would help working on the front end, and referred us to a colleague of his for the work on the back end. I’m set to do all of the interior work by myself, which will be fun, but quite a challenge at the same time.
Putting the Mustang up on the lift for the first time.
Some detailed shots of the car.
The first photo shoot of the Mustang
Meeting the Mustang.
We officially purchased the car on Thursday, June 20th. My Dad, Mom and I drove into New York City to complete the paperwork and drive the car home. We had contemplated getting it brought out on a truck, but it turned out to be too expensive. Since the seller had driven it from her country home in New Jersey to NYC, we felt fairly confident it would make the trip out to Sag Harbor, but we planned a convoy, just in case. Dad would drive, as I still only have my Learner’s Permit, and Mom would follow. I would ride shotgun with Dad.
In the city
Driving a newly purchased ’66 Mustang through downtown New York in mid-June was quite the experience. No air conditioning meant windows needed to be down the whole time, and the combination of city noise, and, later, highway noise, was pretty rough on the ears. The driver’s seat is broken, so Dad was bounced around a bit, but once we got through the insane traffic and up to cruising speed on the highway, it was a blast (of wind in the face).
On the highway
I felt a strange mix of nervousness, excitement, and disbelief that the car was actually mine, all at the same time. From time to time, other classics would pull up beside us. We would exchange thumbs up with the drivers, and continue on our way. Clearly, we were now members of a very special club, one that required no secret handshake, but simply a nod or a honk.
It seems like everybody that comes up and admires the car has a Mustang story. The day after we got home, we took the car to Long Beach to give it a photo shoot in the sunset. Every person who drove or walked by stopped to admire it and share their own stories and memories of the Mustangs of their youth. “Iconic” seems to be an understatement when it comes to this car.
Sunset ‘Stang
