Because Indiegogo campaigns can only run for a finite amount of time, mine has now concluded, but it is still possible to contribute via PayPal.

The Indiegogo campaign raised $5,271, and direct donations to date have raised another $3,510. I am just $1,219 short of my goal of $10,000, and optimistic that I can get there before the project ends.

I am immensely grateful for all the support!

I’ve been spending time, probably too much, designing a logo for the project. It’s gone through a few iterations and I’m not sure which is best. They might all be useful for different purposes as well. First below is the original image, next is the first pass at the logo (the one I think looks the best), then there is the cropped and straightened version, and finally the straightened version in the larger picture.

 

The blog now has a subscribe option, so if you would like to get an email notification every time I make a new post, enter your email in the box to the right and click subscribe!

A few days ago, at the recommendation of Joe Frizell at Joe’s Garage, I took the car in to Carl Zeh Auto Repairs in Watermill, NY.  Carl Zeh specializes in “rear end” work that Joe prefers nor to deal with. I wanted to get a diagnosis in terms of what the car needed mechanically, as well as an estimate of what it would cost.

What I learned was that the brakes are in worse shape than I thought. Two of the four brakes are not even functioning correctly, and the rest are worn down and starting to go. The car also needs work on the power steering and differential. I’m bringing it back in over the weekend to have the work done on the brakes, power steering, and to have the universal joint replaced. I’m going to skip replacing the spider gears in the differential, as it is not 100% necessary, and I’ll save over a thousand dollars.

One other area of concern is that the wheels and lug nuts are worn down to the point of there being a possible risk of them flying off, if the car goes around a corner too fast. I think I will take this opportunity to replace the current wheels – plain steel rims with plastic hubcaps – with some nice steel reproduction rims.

The first delivery of interior parts came in the mail today – the new instrument panel, glovebox door, trunk underlayment and radio. Can’t wait to get started.

 

Dad and I took the car to Carl Zhe’s Auto Shop this morning to meet with them about doing the work on the rear end. We scheduled the work to be done the first week in September, right before school starts back up again. They said I would be able to stop by when they were doing work to take pictures and document it. Also, there were a few interesting cars like a 1930’s Ford Model A, a 1929 Fargo Truck and an ’88 Gruman LLV – a.k.a. a USPS mailtruck.

A few weeks ago, my Dad, Mom and I all took the Mustang to get another “inspection,” this time by Dean Silvera, owner of Aventura Motors in Southampton. Aventura specializes in restoring classics, from British Austin Heelys to German Porsches to American Mustangs. Before even taking a look at the car, Dean took us on a tour of the showroom and the shop in the back. The restored cars on display were just beautiful. There were E-Type Jags, Mercedes SLs and even a Ferrari worth over one million dollars. I would’ve happily pitched a tent and lived there.

Then, Dean took us into the back and introduced us to Tony, his Irish master mechanic. Tony brought the Mustang in and put it up on the lift. I wasn’t expecting that. After all, we were surrounded by cars worth more than ten times the value of mine. Tony took a close look at the underside of the car and glanced sideways at me. “Where’d you get this car?” he asked. I told him it was originally a California car, and he nodded. “I could tell it wasn’t local,” he said. “Not enough rust.”
It was very gratifying to have the purchase affirmed by yet another experienced eye. Dean offered his help when it came time to order parts, and persuaded me to go all original with the replacements, like the interior wood paneling and hopefully the original color, if the paintjob happens. I’m so lucky to have such a great support system in this project.

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.