Spotless Washing?

It’s known that I’m a bit of car cleaning weekend warrior. Not just my Mustang at car shows, but my daily drivers too. There is a problem with wet washing which drives me mad, hard water. In my area of the country the water is notoriously bad. I will explain this in a bit more detail as I have been looking into various water filtration options, so this post and an article all in one. Hope its not to long.

What Exactly Is ‘Hard Water’?

In simple terms, hard water is the stuff that comes out of your mains water supply with a high mineral content. While rain water is naturally soft, as it percolates through the ground into our reservoirs and aquifers, it picks up bits of calcium, magnesium, and sometimes even chalk or limestone. By the time it travels through the pipes, get treated at water plants and add chlorine to that as well, it then travels down miles of pipes and reaches your household taps and your garden hose, it’s a mineral cocktail.

While some minerals might be fine for you, they are the absolute nemesis for a clean car. When you spray that tap water onto your paintwork and let it dry, the H₂O (water) evaporates back into the air, but the minerals stay left behind. They can bond to the surface, creating those stubborn unsightly “water spots” or “limescale” marks that we all dread as car detailers, or even the weekend warriors who just want a shiny car. This is a reason why car detailers carry their own water around to make their life easier and avoid those water marks. Sometimes these marks looks like a small octopus has climbed over your car, the rings look exactly like that, but whitish. Most people think water spots are just an aesthetic nuisance, a bit of white dust that can be wiped away. The real danger lies in what happens when those minerals from the mains water are left to bake in the sun. Calcium and magnesium (also bird mess) are alkaline. When they sit on your clear coat (or your single-stage paint if you’re still running an original classic paint), they begin a process called etching. It’s like a tiny, slow-motion chemical burn taking place. The minerals actually eat into the surface of the paint. If you run your finger over a bad water spot, you might feel a slight indentation. That’s not dirt sitting on the paint; that’s the paint itself being damaged. Once it reaches that stage, no amount of washing or polishing will fix it.

Damage Control: Removing Water Spots Without Killing Your Wax

If you’ve found your pride and joy covered in these white rings, you need to be careful before diving into removal. Most people reach for household remedies, but if you’ve spent all Saturday applying a high-quality carnauba wax or a high-tech sealant, the wrong “fix” will strip that protection off in seconds.

1. The Chemical Route – The Professional Way

Before you start rubbing the paint, try a dedicated Water Spot Remover. Products like CarPro Spotless, Gtechniq W9, Chemical Guys Heavy Duty Water Spot Remover Gyeon Q2M water spot remover etc. are all specifically formulated with mild acids that break down the bond between the mineral and the paint while being as gentle as possible on the underlying surface.

2. The Vinegar Dilemma

A 50/50 mix of white vinegar and distilled water is the classic “old school” fix. The acetic acid in the vinegar is great at dissolving calcium.

The Catch: Vinegar is an acid. While it’s great for the spots, it is brutal on car wax. If you use vinegar to clean your spots, you are effectively stripping away your wax protection. It leaves the paint naked as such and vulnerable to the next lot of hard water or UV rays. If you do use this method, you really should re-wax the area immediately.

The “No-Go” List: Chemicals That Destroy the protection of your wax and sealants while fighting hard water, avoid these like the plague:

All-Purpose Cleaners (APC) & Degreasers: Many people use these to “boost” their wash. Don’t. High-alkaline cleaners are designed to break down oils and waxes. They will leave your sealant patchy and ineffective.

Dish Soap (e.g., Fairy Liquid or Dawn Ultra etc.): These are an ultimate sin, yes they clean, but often have elements of salt as a stabilizer. We know what salt can do cars – rust! Dish soap is designed to strip grease from pans, it will strip every bit of wax off your car, leaving the paint dry and prone to more severe water etching. Addition of salt that could be left behind, you are making things worse.

Bleach-Based Cleaners: Never let anything containing bleach near your car. It will dry out your rubber trim and chemically attack the clear coat.

Aggressive Household Limescale Removers: Products meant for your bathroom tiles are far too acidic. They won’t just remove the water spots; they can stain the paint and permanently dull the finish.

Alcohol-Heavy Sprays: While Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) is great for prep, using it as a “quick fix” for water spots, it will also instantly dissolve any wax or polymer sealant you have on the car. Good for starting from scratch if you want to rewax your car to remove old tired layers of wax or sealants.

Abrasive Pads: Dish scouring pads or bathroom cleaning pads, you know the sort with the sponge and a layer of plastic nylon to get seriously aggressive with stubborn cleaning jobs. They will destroy your paint and can even lead to having a respray, DON’T do it. Polishing pads used by professionals are virtually always foam, sometimes lambs wool for deep cutting or heavy paint correction. I don’t need to mention steel wool pads either do I? That is obviously, down to bare metal stuff.

All of this now leads into what I’ve just bought to save me time and effort to remove water spots; ‘Prevention is better than correction’. I have been looking into the ‘Spotless’ washing systems. This is treatment of the water that you put on your cars which will stop the water spots appearing in the first place. My purchased was a Spotless water system by ‘SpotBye’ and I’ve used it to create a review. I have created that page here, or click the link below for the complete setup guide, and a review of the results. Spoiler alert, it’s a game changer!

https://onemanandhismustang.com/spotbye-water-deioniser-system/

If like me you’re stuck with hard water from the tap, you have to change your strategy. You can’t really just drench the whole car and then dry it at the end, well you could, but it won’t be a great finish. This is especially true on my black cars that shows the world and his mate for any marks what so ever. Try working smarter, not harder with a couple of tips from me:

The Sectional Wash: Work on one panel at a time. Wash the roof, rinse it with the hose, and dry it immediately. This prevents the tap water from sitting long enough to evaporate and leave minerals behind. Move onto the hood, then the fenders and doors etc. Work your way down the car, the dirtiest part of the car is always lower down.

The “Sheet” rinse: Take the nozzle off the hose. Let a steady, gentle stream of tap water flow over the panels. This “sheeting” effect leaves much less water on the car than a high-pressure spray which will leave droplets on the surface of the paint.

Drying Aids: (A useful process I often use). While the car is wet, spray a product like Chemical Guys After Wash, Gyeon Q2M WetCoat, Meguiar’s Hybrid Ceramic Wax, Dat Wax Hydrophobic Protective Sealant or a quick detailer etc. These products lubricate the surface and help neutralise the minerals, making them much easier to wipe away before they can bond or dry out on your paint.

Use a good quality microfibre cloth: A plush “twisted loop” drying towel is essential like Chemical Guys Woolly Mammoth or Slim’s Drying Towel. These towels are designed to pull the moisture and the minerals from the surface of the paint in a single pass rather than dragging them across the surface.

My new setup:

There are multiple ways to soften the water, that will save you time and effort in the long run. There are canister style, an inline tube, wall mounted, dual filters all the way up to the professional pumped options.

Before I show you the setup and use, this is NOT a sponsored post, the product was purchased with my own hard earned money. I have been trying to talk myself into this for a couple of years now. As I now have two black daily driver cars, this turned out to be a quick discussion and I didn’t put up much of an argument with myself after struggling to keep the cars presentable. I did my research and I bought ‘SpotBye’ canister system. Depending on your needs this may not be for you, but from what I have seen, its a great purchase.

These next few steps shows a quick setup guide for the equipment. The FULL setup details and downloadable manuals are in the link here or the link above.

SpotBye is a basically De-ionising Resin vessel. It’s a cylinder that connects inline with your hose. They remove 100% of the minerals.

The setup was quite simple, although the instructions are dire to be honest. After unpacking you need to add a resin into the canister carefully so the resin doesn’t get into the centre tube. The centre tube which passes the treated water out the canister is removable. Open the vacuum packet resin packet (5ltr) and carefully fill the canister, this is the media that filters the water. SpotBye does supply a rubber cap to prevent the resin going into the tube.

Screw the cap on and attach the standard size fittings for your hose.

The supplied water testing tool shows just how bad our water is. The classification level for hard water is anything over 120 ppm (parts per million). From my tap drinking water tap it was 309ppm!!

Attach the garden hose (yellow) to the ‘In’ and another shorter hose to the ‘Out’ fitting (green) for the water spray attachment you want to use. Allow the water to run a couple of minutes to flush the hoses through and get the resin working. The reading after a couple of minutes was astounding, 20ppm in this picture, but even went down to 18ppm. However, it’s noted that the filtration should be 0ppm according to SpotBye. But, an improvement of 96% was good enough for me. The green hose was all I have left which is sometimes use for syphoning a water feature. A new one is on order as I write this up.

I deliberately left my car to get dirty (such is the sacrifice I make for these reviews)! It was bad as there has been some ‘Sahara’ sand which was mixed in with the UK’s famous rain which leaves this nasty mess which looks even worse on my black cars.

Close-up view of a black car hood with visible dust and dirt, reflecting the sky.

A close-up view of a dirty, wet surface reflecting the sky, with droplets of water and specks of dirt.

Washing the car was a breeze, even on a warm day in direct sunlight and on a hot car, all of which are big no-no’s by the way for cleaning a car. There was copious amounts of suds from the car shampoo which lasted a long time on the car, something I haven’t had before, to this degree anyway.

With the car cleaned it was rinsed of and again deliberately not dried to see what happens if the dreaded water spots showed up. There was some light sheeting marks which dried of wit h a drying towel without any effort.

The pic below left of the door mirror shows what I mean, the rinsing ran of the car instead of sitting on the panel on the right pic.

The image here is dotted to show where I half dried the door in the sun.

Close-up of a black car door showing water droplets and a reflection, with a red dashed line marked along the surface.

Once dried there was no water marks even in this extreme scenario of hot weather, hot panels and in direct sunlight. From the image below in the shadow on the left there is no water marks. The white bits you can see is in fact the paint pearl effect glinting in the sun, you can also see the pink, green, blue, red and yellows of the pearl paint. The phone was having trouble to trying to focus but settled on the reflection of the fence.

Close-up view of a shiny car door reflecting sunlight and the surrounding environment, with some dirt and smudges visible on the surface.

With the car dried the car was literally ‘spotless’ as this type of washing technique is referred to. I was also interested to see what it would be like after a quick detailing. Why? Just because I could. The results were even better than when I picked the car up from the showroom.

Close-up view of a black SUV parked on a gravel driveway, showcasing its shiny exterior and black rims.

Here are some close ups of the paint with no water marks, the bottom right is the reflection of the house taken on the hood looking forwards, which is why it looks upside down!

To get a great finish the paint needs to be smooth to give a uniform reflection of light. Having no contaminates on the surface goes a long way to help with the desired reflective gloss. All of this comes at a cost though, to keep the water pure as it can be the resin which decontaminates the water needs to be replaced, around £35 for 5ltr which is what my canister holds. The harder the water the quicker the resin will need to be replaced. The recommended output is 520gallons at 200ppm. The fact that the car wash literally took half the time and was so much easier that cost is worth it to me.

At the end of the day we spend a lot of money on fancy shampoos and waxes to keep our cars looking their best. It seems a bit mad to ruin all that hard work by drenching the car in liquid limestone from the garden hose.

I hope that gives a little insight to the finer points of detailing. Yes its over kill for some, but saving time back for myself and saving physical effort in order to get that good result is worth the small amount of money per car wash. I even save on not having to by products to correct a problem. Buying a few bottles of products to overcome these problems would outweigh the cost of the system I just bought.

Share my Content

Wallpapers

Everybody likes a customised wallpaper either on their home desktop PC, Laptop or mobile phone. With that in mind I have selected a few I use and decided to share them with you. I have and added to a new Menu option called “Downloads”, click on the link and you will be taken to a page where I intend to add more as I go along. Let me know what I should add or you would like to see on there.

Website navigation menu highlighting the 'Downloads' section.

Once you found what you like, from the Desktop options three so far, or the mobile device options (six so far) click on the ‘Download’ button. They are all free and I haven’t added any watermarks. Lets face it, even if I did, you could remove them with various tools available.

The desktop options are these at the moment, a manor house with a Mustang. Two AI generated scenes, sunset and evening with the cars lights on.

A classic blue Ford Mustang parked in front of a large historic mansion with intricate architecture, surrounded by a gravel driveway and lush greenery.

A vintage blue Mustang parked near an old gas station with a glowing 'GAS 'N GO' sign at sunset, beside an empty road.

The mobile device options are varied, all high quality photos. They are a large sized images which should allow you to move them around and zoom in and out depending on you device. You could use them as your main screen or maybe just a lock screen.

A blue vintage 1966 Mustang parked on a dirt road surrounded by trees.

Interior view of a vintage car showing the steering wheel, dashboard controls, and air conditioning vents.

Side view of a blue classic Mustang car parked on a dirt road, surrounded by greenery.

A blue vintage car parked on a dirt road surrounded by trees.

This a photo of my phone using the first image which is zoomed in to fill the width of the device (Samsung S26 Ultra).

There’s plenty of space at the top to add your favourite apps.

A smartphone displaying a blue vintage Ford Mustang parked on a gravel road, surrounded by greenery, with app icons visible on the screen.

Next month my pride and joy will be backed out the garage for a pre season clean and service. That’s tends to be a full weekend process. Oil change, air filter clean, fluids and tyres and brakes checked. Once all the dirty stuff has been done, I then remove the old wax, apply base sealer, coloured base wax (blue), first layer with a top quality wax which is allowed to cure for twenty four hours. The final top wax allowed to cure for a further two hours then buffed to a shine. Glass polished, seats, carpets and not forgetting the headliner all given an interior detail. The trunk are is emptied out, as more often than not the odd bit of grass creeps in when putting my chair away. Chrome is polished all over the car. After the service, the engine bay is cleaned out and the engine given a degrease and wipe down. While the car is draining the oil and the filter changed, it’s an ideal time to clean the oil pan, gearbox pan which is chrome, and the suspension a clean. I exhausts me just thinking about it, but it’s worth the effort.

With the current state of affairs around the world fuel has gone up stupid amounts here in the UK. So it will be painful to fill up with the premium fuel, my car only seems to like Shell V-Power, anything else and the car runs rough.

But, it’s all about the smiles per gallon, not the miles!

Share my Content

Flat Pack Mustang

Since I can remember I have a little ritual at the end of the year when i take a few days of from work. I like to make something, no matter how small or big to focus on something completely different. Last year was no different with a little prezzie left on my PC’s keyboard. Thinking it was a voucher of some sort I opened it up to find something unusual, a flat pack of two laser cut sheets of metal to make up a 3D 1965 Mustang.

Packaging for a Metal Earth 1965 Ford Mustang steel model kit, featuring a silver model of the car with details about assembly and age recommendations.

Packaging for a Metal Earth model kit featuring a 1965 Ford Mustang, including images, instructions for assembly, and promotional content.

The kit was no bigger than an A6 sheet and looked interesting. I had never heard of ‘Metal Earth’ before, but after a quick bit of research they make quite a few different kits, something for everybody.

I have completed a full walkthrough and build here, of cut and past this link to your browser: https://onemanandhismustang.com/metal-earth-1965-ford-mustang-model-kit/

My wife was out for the day so I had some peace and quiet to build my model. I put some music on in the background and settled down for a few hours. I won’t repeat everything that is on the walkthrough page, but just some of the highlights and a couple of low lights I encountered during the build. The photos have some random colour tinges to them, but the model is a shiny polished steel, except where some detailing has been added for effects. The kit recommends some tweezers, needle nosed pliers and wire cutters where I fetched in from the garage some of my Snap On tools. The tweezers needed to be top quality in order to create the bends and folds for the models to join together via the tab and slot process.

The instructions were just diagrams which suits me as I’m a visual/kinaesthetic learner. The parts needed to be clipped away from the sheet, this is where the accurate and clean cutting by my wire cutters was invaluable. Pay close attention to the which are the mounting lugs on the sheet and which is the actual tabs for the fitting of the model. You are shown what to bend and where (the red bits on the diagrams), in order to make the parts fit together.

The hood, roof trunk and sides all needed to be linked together for the main shape, the sides added to hold the upper body all together. The tabs slot into openings and need to be bent over to hold the pieces together.

Some of these parts are insanely small which are then built up to create the 3D image. The two images below are the rear lights

With the upper body complete it was onto the chassis, this is where things got a little frustrating, during the bending process which I was very careful of doing, the fold lines snapped while trying to create the wheel arches. The left image shows the broken away section.

You could superglue the parts together but that would need to be a very accurate positioning. Instead I used a ultraviolet setting glue. I didn’t fully set the part together, just enough to hold the position but moveable. You apply the glue, then shine the ultra violet light which sets the glue hard. Only a partial exposure would be a soft set. When I was sure of the position i completed the full light exposure to give a strong bond.

The interior, seats, centre console, gear stick and steering wheel were added to the floor pan to complete. Again a seat back broke as I was bending it up into position, the other one was fine. Lower left image shows the broken seat.

The Wheels and axles was cleaver, two disk to make the front and back with a band to make the tread.

Fitting the rear axle to the floor pan another breakage that need some gluing, lower left image. The top image is complete repair.

The two halves were ready to be joined. At this point I had a good idea where the bends were supposed to be so I could finish the setting of the glue points.

Fitting together was satisfying as the model took shape, Some fettling to bend and align the parts was needed but nothing much. At this point nothing really aligned correctly, I sorted that out a bit later.

The back of the car need the bumper over riders which were only 1mm when folded.

The Front of the car needed the most amount of fettling to get things to fit, the stone guard, bumper and grill all needed to be aligned and was the trickiest part of the build keeping partially completed parts together while trying to fit to the upper body and floor pan.

Once everything was technically attached and in place, I was using the tweezers to hold the part and the other to make the bends to align up correctly..

The finished article was satisfactory.

A detailed metal model of a vintage Ford car positioned on a textured blue surface.

The model isn’t the prettiest I have seen, but by nature of the kit it isn’t bad and certainly something different to make. It took about six hours to complete, including the regluing and taking pictures for the guide. The glued parts was on the inside and can’t be seen from the outside, which is good. The overall size is quite small at: 9 x 2.5 x 3.2 cm.

For the cost of £10 it was a fun way to spend some time and forget your troubles for a few hours. Not the greatest of modelling experiences I have had, but a challenge to create from a flat pack to 3D. I’m just glad it wasn’t an Ikea full sized model!

Share my Content

Merry Christmas

I would like to wish all my readers, followers and casual browsers a very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year. I look forward to bringing you more reviews, memorabilia, walkthroughs and of course lots of car show photos in the coming year.

My little ol’ blog has been evolving into a ‘blogsite’ over the last couple of years with my stats telling me that I’m approaching a truly amazing 1,550,000 views, which I never believed would be possible. I fund this blogsite all by myself with a small contribution from the WordPress adds (sorry) now and then which contributes to the hosting fees, registration and everything else (but doesn’t cover it all) that goes with an online presence. I can only say a huge and sincere “Thank You” to everyone for keeping me encouraged to continue and making this all worth while.

A classic blue Mustang parked in a snowy landscape with Christmas lights in the background, featuring the text 'Merry Christmas & Happy New Year' in a festive font.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year, see you all in 2026.

Share my Content

TomTom GO 600 Battery Replacement

After some twelve plus years I now have an issue with my most trusted TomTom Go 600, the battery has died. You may be asking why am I bothered as Google Maps is available phones, updated regularly and works, some consider it better than many dedicated SatNavs, TomTom or Garmin to name just a couple. Even my daily driver has an up-to-date SatNav which I use, a lot. This TomTom Go 600 is used in my Mustang and sits on the centre console in a weighted mount setup. I need guidance to virtually any location where I can’t see my own house. I honestly get lost anywhere, even somewhere that I’ve been before, often a standing joke with friends and family. I prefer to use the TomTom instead of the phone with google maps and the smart watch on my wrist for turn by turn notifications which is great, but the phones battery gets drained before I even get to the location. At car shows most of the phones battery is used up with the camera usage and then a little bit of reading while sitting in my chair. I often take a backup charger with me just in case I need to charge the phone, but it’s a pain. It’s often easier to plonk the SatNav on the console, plug it in so there is no battery worry on the phone. Besides, the screen is bigger on the TomTom and the sound is louder for directions.

On this device the battery lasts about one hour when not plugged in, or I can’t be bothered to plug into the cigarette lighter for the shorter trips. The battery no longer holds a charge of any sort, often to the point that even with power from the cigarette lighter, it can’t hold the power so the unit has shut off on me a few of times. Without external power, the device hardly has enough power to show the empty battery symbol and just dies, not even a proper shut down.

After a quick bit of research I found video on YouTube as a tutorial on how to change the battery, it was worth a go. Why go to the bother, just get an up-to-date model? I certainly could upgrade, however this model has free map updates for life! After twelve years, every few months I get a map update. This device owes me nothing, so a replacement battery and some cheap tools from Amazon £20 all in, would be worth a go. The battery arrived the next day along with the tools needed to take these sort of devices apart. I also needed a pen knife, a blunt one which is sometimes used to open packages etc.

Disclaimer: If you attempt this repair, it’s of your own choice and I won’t be held responsible for any damage or loss.

My experience of the practical wasn’t so easy as the video suggested, so I thought I would document what I did to fix it. I don’t know if the models are designed differently after a while, but my internals were a little different to the YouTube video even though it was the same model designation.

The first step was to separate the two halves of the device, this is where the plastic tools came in, well to start with anyway.

Close-up of a person's hand holding a TomTom Go 600 device with a plastic opening tool inserted, revealing the ports and button layout on the back.

The two parts we so well together I had to get the penknife to get between the two halves and lever them apart. As I worked my way round I used triangular picks in various place to stop the device snapping back together again. There are no screws that hold the two halves together. As the device separated I heard a couple of little snaps where the plastic catches has snapped below right. I was not brutal in fact rather careful, perhaps the plastic is getting brittle with age. The face has a little piece of tape which holds the screen ribbon in place just before the connector itself to the main motherboard.

With the screen out of the way the plastic flat ribbon needs to be eased out of the connector by moving the white clamp towards the ribbon which will release the pressure on the clamp and allow the cable to be pulled out.

The two halves are now fully separated, put the screen to one side out of harms way. The below image shows one of the additional sprung connections at the tip of the screw driver. These are delicate and transfer the touch inputs of the screen to the main board. Hence the flat metal plate that is on the back of the screen.

A close-up of a screwdriver being used on the internal circuit board of a TomTom Go 600 GPS device.

Next we need to disconnect the speaker and the battery connections, using the plastic tools separate the two plugs.

Get yourself a nice set of screw drivers to remove the five flat cross head screws holding the circuit board to the back case.

With the screws removed lift the top of the board, the opposite to the connections at the bottom. With the board elevated you can then slide the bottom half of the board out of the case. With the board also put out of harms way the battery is exposed at the bottom. The battery will need to be prized away from the case as it’s stuck in place with double sided tape. As with all Li-ion batteries be very very careful.

A close-up view of a new battery for a TomTom Go 600 GPS device, showing its black casing and attached wires against a wooden surface.

The old battery and the new one side by side. The new battery on the left has a slightly higher capacity which should retain a little longer life. the original battery is on the right.

Image showing two replacement batteries for the TomTom Go 600, one labeled 'CELLONIC' and the other labeled 'TOMTOM', side by side on a wooden surface.

In the box supplied with my battery was fresh double sided tape, which needs to stuck on the back to hold the battery in place. The new battery is slightly smaller but still sits neatly in the area. Make sure that the wires are near the speaker and not the opposite end or they wont be long enough to connect.

Interior view of a TomTom Go 600 device showing the battery and speaker components.

Take the circuit board and align the bottom of the board to openings. Gently lay the fish the two sets of wires through the hole in the circuit board and then lower the board down into place. Align the screw holes and lightly screw into place. This will allow you to pick the device up and make sure the connections are fully located correctly. Once you are happy with the alignment fully tighten the five screws, do not over tighten. Next re-insert the battery and the speaker cables to the back of the board.

Close-up of the internal circuit board of a TomTom Go 600 GPS device, showing components like connectors, a speaker, and metal shielding.

Hold the screen near the main circuit board that will allow the flat cable to fall above the ribbon connection. I couldn’t take pictures at this point as I needed both hands. While holding the screen still gently guide the flat ribbon into the opening evenly. Do not force the ribbon or it will kink, the ribbon should just slot into place. Once the ribbon is fully inserted in place, slide the white clamp away from the ribbon to clamp the ribbon in place. Both the screen and the ribbon should now be connected. Very lightly pull the screen to make sure the ribbon does not pull out.

Lay the screen onto the case to align the two halves again. Make sure that the sprung connectors are not damaged be fully lowering the screen down. Starting at the bottom snap into place and work up the sides to the top. As you snap the case together make sure the connections at the bottom are stay correctly aligned. The broken clips were at opposite ends of the device so it didn’t prevent re-assembly of the unit.

Close-up view of the bottom side of a TomTom Go 600 GPS device, highlighting the various ports, buttons, and connectors. A hand is holding the device against a wooden surface with tools visible in the background.

Now turn the device on.

Now check that the screen is still touch responsive once the unit has fully started.

A close-up view of a TomTom Go 600 GPS device displaying its main menu with navigation options, held in a person's hand.

Once everything was working I was able to give everything a clean and full charge. The difficult part was separating the two halves without damage. The YouTube video showed it almost falling apart which wasn’t the case. The plastic tools weren’t quite man enough to separate the halves, hence the use of the pen knife for a little more robust leverage. Once apart it was pretty simple to remove the board, replace the battery and re-assemble.

Total time taken: 40 mins

Difficulty Level: 4 out 10

Conclusion: the only real difficulty was taking apart without damage and re-aligning the motherboard ports to the bottom of the case.

Share my Content

There Is A Difference

I have collected many books and reviewed most of them on my blogsite here. The latest addition to my book collection I stumbled on by accident and decided that I needed to check it out. The book is based on a highly debated topic; was there a 1964 1/2 or just the 1965 model of Mustang. This book goes into great detail about the the 1964 1/2, 1965 and the 1966 model Mustangs. If you thought there was no 1964 1/2 model, then this book will explain why there was in fact a first 1964 model year. The first Mustang was launched to the public 17^th April 1964 at the World Trade Fair in New York, the car had to be developed and built for that launch date early 1964. The first Mustang rolling off the Dearborn plant’s production line on 9^th March 1964. Along with the book below I also managed to bag myself a rare Ford issue workshop labour time book for the Ford production lines. This ‘Labor Schedule’ also proves there was a different process for some aspects of the 1964 cars compared to the 1965 and 1966, the ‘first gen’ Mustangs as they are often referred to. Each of the model years has its own time allocation. If the 1964 and the 1965 were the same then there would only be two years listed, and why would Ford go to the effort of listing three years. In fact there were also subtle differences between the 1965 and the 1966 models as well, such as the grill, dash layout, rear quarter furniture etc. But we won’t be delving into those differences here.

19641/2 Cars

March 9^th 19664: Production begins at Dearborn, Michigan
July 13^th 1964: Production begins at San Jose, California
July 31^st 1964: Last documented build dater for 1964 1/2 cars at Dearborn and San Jose
Production totalled 121,538 units of which coupes 92,705 and Convertibles 28,833

1965 Cars

August 1^st 1964: Production begins at Dearborn & San Jose
February 1^st 1965: Production begins at Metuchen, New Jersey
July 31^th 1965: Last documented build date for 1965 cars at Dearborn
August 13^th 1965: Last documented build date for 1965 cars at Metuchen
August 20^th 1965: Last documented build date for 1965 cars at San Jose
Production totalled 559,541 units of which coupes 409,260 Fastbacks 77,079 Convertibles 73,112

1966 Cars

August 16^th 1965: Production begins at Dearborn and San Jose
August 25^th 1965: Production begins at Metuchen
July 27^th 1966: Last documented build date for 1966 cars at Metuchen
July 29^th 1966: Last documented build date for 1966 cars at Dearborn
Production totalled 607,568 units of which coupes 499,751 Fastbacks 35,698 and convertibles 72,119

Although Ford never officially marketed a “1964½ Mustang.” The term was enthusiast-created to distinguish early builds. By 1965, Ford had standardized the lineup, but the nickname stuck, becoming part of Mustang lore and collector culture. Many owners don’t care, but a lot do. It’s just like owning a first edition book or a second edition.

The first book which has lots of well researched details and pictures in this excellent publication by Colin Date is called “Collector’s Originality Guide Mustang 1964 /12 to 1966“, a bit of a long title, but it explains exactly what this book is all about. This is obviously a very small niche market and will only appeal to die hard fans of the Mustang or those interested in the history and birth of the ‘Pony’ car.

Do you know where the term ‘Pony Car’ come from? After a couple of searches I found these interesting explanations.

‘The term originated in the USA in the mid-1960s which refers to a class of American automobiles that are characterized by their sporty appearance, affordable price, and the availability of a range of powertrain options. The term was popularized just after the launch of the Ford Mustang which reflects not only the mustang horse, which symbolizes speed and agility, but also emphasizes a focus on youthful energy and ‘spirited driving’.’

‘The general idea was to create a compact, affordable, and stylish platform that appealed to younger drivers. The Mustang’s success led to the emergence of similar cars, including the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger, and Pontiac Firebird, all competing in the pony car segment.’

Onto the first book by Colin Date;

The book is now sadly out of print and the first edition hardback version being even harder to find. Some resellers are listing these books for stupid amounts of money to make a quick buck, (check out the screen shot below). You really do need to shop around and you can still pick one up at a reasonable cost from eBay., I got mine for just under £30 including Shipping. Mine has a little discolouration to the cover, but the inner pages are all excellent along with the binding.

Book cover of 'Collector's Originality Guide Mustang 1964 1/2 to 1966' by Colin Date featuring a classic Mustang car.

The book lists many differences from rust protection to hub caps, from dash to fuel tanks, far to many to list here or I may just as well rewrite the book on my blogsite.

Here’s a quick list of 20 differences between the 1964½ and 1965 Ford Mustangs in no particular order;

Production timeline
The 1964½ Mustangs were built between March and August 1964, while the 1965s began after August. Ford officially classified all as 1965 models, but enthusiasts coined “1964½” to distinguish early cars. This timeline difference explains why certain mechanical and styling updates only appear in later ’65 builds.
Charging system
1964½ Mustangs used a generator for electrical power, while 1965 models switched to a more efficient alternator. This change improved reliability and reduced maintenance issues, marking one of the most obvious mechanical differences between the two versions. Collectors often check this detail to confirm authenticity.
Horn placement
On 1964½ cars, horns were mounted on the frame behind the radiator, while 1965 models relocated them to the engine bay apron. This subtle change simplified assembly and improved accessibility for servicing, making it a useful identification marker for restorers.
Hood design
Early 1964½ Mustangs had uncrimped hoods with beveled headlamp bezels, while 1965 models featured improved crimped hoods. The change enhanced durability and reduced vibration issues, reflecting Ford’s quick response to early production feedback.
Radiator support
The 1964½ radiator support included battery cooling vents, which were eliminated in 1965. This modification streamlined production and reduced unnecessary complexity, as overheating issues proved minimal in later testing.
Engine options
1964½ Mustangs offered unique engines like the 260 V8 and 289 “Hi-Po” V8, while the 1965 lineup standardized around the 200 six-cylinder and 289 V8 variants. This rationalization simplified choices and aligned with Ford’s broader performance strategy.
Fastback availability
No fastback body style existed in 1964½. The fastback debuted in 1965, expanding Mustang’s appeal to performance enthusiasts and cementing its image as a sporty pony car.
Wheel size
Standard wheels on 1964½ Mustangs were 13 inches, while 1965 models upgraded to 14-inch wheels. The larger wheels improved handling and ride comfort, reflecting Ford’s effort to refine driving dynamics.
Interior door locks
1964½ cars had round door lock knobs, while 1965 models switched to tapered knobs. Though minor, this change improved ergonomics and became a quick visual cue for identifying early cars.
Seat belt anchors
1964½ Mustangs lacked reinforced seat belt anchors, while 1965 models included them to meet evolving safety standards. This reflected Ford’s adaptation to regulatory pressures and consumer expectations.
Fuel pump
The 1964½ used a longer fuel pump with a vacuum line for wipers, while 1965 models adopted a shorter pump with a separate wiper motor. This improved reliability and simplified maintenance.
Headlight buckets
Early cars had beveled headlight buckets, while 1965 models featured smoother, standardized buckets. This change improved assembly consistency and reduced manufacturing costs.
Starter motor
1964½ Mustangs used a smaller starter motor, while 1965 models upgraded to a larger, more durable unit. The change addressed early reliability issues and improved cold-start performance.
Carburetor linkage
The 1964½ featured a unique carburetor linkage setup, later revised in 1965 for smoother throttle response. This refinement reflected Ford’s commitment to improving drivability.
Hood release
1964½ cars had a different hood release mechanism, which was redesigned in 1965 for easier operation. This small but practical change improved user experience.
Brake light switch
The 1964½ used a hydraulic brake light switch, while 1965 models switched to a mechanical switch. The mechanical design proved more reliable and less prone to failure.
Windshield wipers
1964½ Mustangs powered wipers via the fuel pump vacuum line, while 1965 models used a dedicated electric motor. This upgrade improved performance, especially in wet conditions.
Exhaust system
Early cars had a unique exhaust routing, revised in 1965 for better clearance and reduced noise. This change reflected Ford’s quick response to customer feedback.
Heater blower motor
The 1964½ Mustangs used a four‑wire heater blower motor, while the 1965 models switched to a two‑wire design. This change simplified the electrical system, reduced potential failure points, and made servicing easier. Collectors often use this wiring difference as a reliable way to distinguish early cars from later ones.
Paint Colours
There were different paint options for 1964; Guardsman Blue, Skylight Blue, Cascade Green, Phoenician Yellow, Twilight Turquoise, Pagoda Green, Chantilly Beige and Pace Car White and for 1965 were Springtime Yellow, Champagne Beige, Silver Blue, Honey Gold, Tropical Turquoise, and Ivy Green.

I also have another link to the differences in a slightly different quick reference format here.

Although I mentioned that Ford never officially marketed the 1964 1/2 model, they certainly did separate them for their production lines purposes. This production line manual which I review and scanned here “Suggested Labor Time Schedules” has some interesting points. There are no diagrams or photos, just categorised production plant specific tasks and how long that particular part of the assembly should take to complete.

I have selected a few instances where the production times are different between the years or not available on the early 1964 cars such as the suspension components.

A historical shop manual page showing labor time allowances for various electrical tasks related to different Ford car models, including the Mustang, spanning years 1964 to 1966.

A close-up view of a vintage workshop manual page detailing labor time allocations for front suspension and steering components related to the Mustang, from various model years including 1964, 1965, and 1966.

This ‘Time Schedule’ shows the various sections of the car and how long it should take to assemble.

These ‘Schedules’ were updated regularly hence the clip folder, the old sections were removed and thrown away in favour of the new updated sections sent to the production plants. These schedules were often discarded once the production lines changed to the new models to be made. Finding one is rare, let alone a complete one with some of the older sections as well as the new sections still in place. To many people this is a nothing document, but to collectors it’s a brief historical glimpse into the past. I have scanned all the 550 pages into a single PDF file here. Be warned though, it’s a big PDF download coming in at some 450mb in size.

Not only does this ‘Labor Schedule’ prove there was a difference, but it also confirms the findings of Colin Date where he has noted the differences, such as the suspension.

Conclusion:

Most of the time many Mustang owners will lump the 1964 1/2 into the 1965 model and leave it at that. But, those that are into their cars will know there is indeed a difference. The many third party books and articles that are out there document the differences (including myself), and there is this official Ford production line schedule. Either way, take it from Ford that there wasn’t an official 1964 1/2 car, or take it from Ford’s very own documentation that there was indeed a 1964 car! My own point of view is that I lean towards the latter point of view.

Share my Content

Reasons why the Mustang is still popular

There are only a handful of cars that carry the same recognition and emotional pull as the Ford Mustang. Since its debut 17^thApril 1964 at the New York World Trade Fair, the Mustang has remained one of the most iconic cars on American roads. Its mix of performance, style and heritage has helped the brand survive changing automotive trends within a competitive market. Even today, collectors, enthusiasts, and casual drivers find reasons to admire and own these classic cars. For some, searching for a wrecked Mustang for sale or browsing junk cars for sale is a way to restore a piece of history and connect with the legend. Dry states in America as we refer to them here in the UK, still contain a treasure trove of cars that are worth restoring or even buying them just for those hard to find original parts.

A row of vintage Ford Mustangs in various states of disrepair, lined up in a grassy area near a building.

A Strong Legacy

The Mustang was introduced in 1964 it quickly gained a loyal following, the demand far outweighed the supply and Ford couldn’t make them fast enough. The Mustang sales had set records that still haven’t been matched to this day. The Mustang represented freedom and individuality during a period of cultural changes taking place in America. With its long hood, endless options of engines and gearbox, short rear deck and the sporty stance, it established a design that influenced decades of vehicles or ‘Pony’ cars. Generations of drivers grew up with the Mustang, making it more than just a car, it became a cultural touchstone tied to movies, music, and motorsports.

Timeless Design

One of the key reasons for the Mustang’s enduring appeal is its design. While the car has evolved over the years, each version retains that unmistakable Mustang character. The bold grille, aggressive body lines, and muscular stance are instantly recognizable. Owners and fans often mention that the later modern Mustangs capture the essence of the originals, we won’t mention a couple of designs during the oil crisis, where styling went slightly off the rails. The blend of nostalgia, performance and modern engineering makes the car attractive to both young buyers and long-time collectors.

Performance Options

Performance has always been at the heart of the Mustang. From affordable base models to high-powered GTs, the much sought after Shelby variations and even tuners like Saleen, the Mustang offers a wide spectrum of driving experiences. V8 engines, roaring exhaust notes, track ready with the thrilling acceleration keep enthusiasts coming back for more. Even with recent moves toward more efficient engines like the Eco Boost or the controversial ‘Mustang’ Mach-E, Ford ensures that the Mustang still delivers an exciting ride while keeping the soul of the Pony car alive. This fine line balancing act between tradition and innovation strengthens its ongoing popularity for each generation of car and the generations of owners to come.

An Affordable Entry Point

Unlike some sports cars that remain out of reach for most drivers, the Mustang has always provided a good performance for your buck. Even today, buyers can get into a Mustang without the steep price tag of European competitors. Saying you own a Mustang has element of coolness to it. The affordability for base models makes it appealing to first-time sports car buyers, young drivers, and collectors alike. Many enthusiasts also find older models to restore or customize, often through salvage markets and the vast aftermarket parts available. I know of a couple of owners who have new Mustangs and maintain or are restoring a classic Mustang as well.

A collection of abandoned and partially restored Ford Mustang cars in a grassy area surrounded by trees.

Strong Enthusiast Community

The Mustang community is one of the largest and most active car groups worldwide. Car clubs, forums, and events bring together owners and fans to share their passion. Annual Mustang meets and local shows showcase restored classics, modified builds, and brand-new models. This sense of belonging and shared enthusiasm helps keep the Mustang relevant across generations. Even belonging to a Mustang Owners club of some sort can get you cheaper insurance.

Pop Culture Presence

From the Mustang’s role in Bullitt, Gone in 60 Seconds (both films) to appearances in modern film and television, the Mustang has long been tied to American pop culture. Its on-screen presence reinforces the car’s image as powerful, stylish, and dare we say rebellious brand. The car’s constant visibility helps introduce the Mustang to new audiences who may not have even considered one otherwise.

Conclusion

The Ford Mustang remains popular because it is more than just a vehicle. It represents history, identity, and performance at a price that appeals to a wide range of buyers. With its strong heritage, ongoing legacy, timeless design coupled with a vibrant community, the Mustang continues to inspire. For enthusiasts, owners and daily drivers, even a potential project car from salvage lot (scrap yard this side of the pond), the car still holds a value, proving that the Mustang’s appeal will not fade anytime soon as the legacy is already in the history books and still going strong.

When I get asked at car shows (which I frequently do), why do I like the Mustang or why did I chose a Mustang? Those are just a few good reasons I can think of!

Share my Content

Will Anybody Notice?

Since I had gotten my car back on the road some eleven years ago now, I still try to keep it as original as possible. Keeping the original parts where I can, replacing the parts that can’t be seen with modern reliable alternatives such as the wire loom, LED bulbs, electronic ignition etc. I have collected many things relating to the 1966 Mustang, original printed media, magazines, memorabilia all from that mid sixties era. I like things in my car to look and appear correct for the period the car was on the road first time around. With that in mind I have various eBay saved searches to look for these gems. One such search a few days ago popped up with a Tax Disc holder which I had to buy. A little more on that later after a little history lesson on what I’m talking about regarding the UK ‘Road Tax’, ‘Vehicle Excise Duty’ what ever it’s now called or will be called.

The fist motor vehicles hit the roads in the mid 1880s, by the early 1900s automobiles had increased significantly, where the current UK road infrastructure couldn’t cope. In the 1921 the UK government decided to raise funds which would be ring fenced to improve the roads. They applied a “Road Tax” to each vehicle to fund the much needed expansion. In 1934 the revenue raised from motorists has now gone into a much larger pot of revenue which is used for other things such as housing or welfare.

Since then virtually every year the motorist is targeted by successive governments to raise more money, thus the UK motorist is often seen as the cash cow of the UK. Not only can a road tax, or vehicle excise duty cost be stupid amounts, but a fuel levy is imposed as well so you pay every fill-up. To show just how much that is, if we take it that a litre of fuel costs £1.50, a fuel duty of £0.53p is applied per litre. Then on top of that there is VAT (Value Added Tax) which is in effect a tax on the tax, so that means a litre of fuel costs around £1.875 a litre. The road tax, vehicle excise duty or whatever ever name it’s given now, the way it’s calculated changes to squeeze even more out of you, now it’s based on the CO2 emissions, along with a new showroom tax for a new car. It’s no wonder the UK motorist feels a little hard done by.

As of October 2025 these are the vehicle tax costs and how it ramps up which is now based on the “CO2” emissions the vehicle produces. I can sort of see it because of the environment impacts, but the money raised will more often than not be allocated or wasted elsewhere on other ’causes’.

A detailed table comparing showroom tax rates for petrol and diesel cars meeting RDE2 standards, including CO2 emissions and cost increases for the years 2024/25 and 2025/26.

Anyway, rant over – back to the ‘Road Tax’ disc; to show this duty had been paid by the vehicle’s owner, there was a requirement to place a 75mm round disc in the vehicle’s windscreen to be clearly seen. The tax disc would hold the discs unique ID number, vehicle’s registration mark, the amount paid, class of vehicle and the expiration of the tax either on a rolling six-month or annual basis, the annual cost being slightly discounted. To prevent fraud of these discs there were many changes made over the decades in colour, perforations, watermarks, embossing, holograms and stamped from the issuing location.

The original on the left and the final iterations on the right.

Comparison of an early UK tax disc from 1921 on the left and a modern tax disc on the right, set against a clear blue sky.

All well and good for most people, but they were hated and not really liked. With the evolution of technologies, the requirement to display a physical tax disc in the vehicle’s windscreen was removed effective from 1st October 2014 as the tax information is now stored on a government database. Ironically many people now miss these little discs for nostalgic reasons. There is even a following where the study and collection of these tax discs is called “Velology”. The term was created by combining the initials VED (for Vehicle Excise Duty) with the commonly used “ology” suffix. There is even a little niche market to provide replica discs, exact copies would be seen as fraudulent. Some of the rare older discs can go for high values.

Finally onto my point, these tax discs need to be held onto the glass. Early days there was suction, metal displays, sticky foam or plastic as time moved on, even sticky tape or glue. Motorbikes had a metal fitting which encased the disc from the elements, also on some vintage cars too. There were many fancy designs for holders such as polished chrome, sticky with removable magnetic backs etc. The earlier plastic iterations had a mild glue around the outside (like this one) and were a one time application. Then later on a plastic vinyl-like formula which when moistened would stick on the screen and reusable. As I mentioned earlier, my eBay saved search came up with an original 60’s tax disc, once I saw it, I had to put a bid in for it, which I eventually won some six days later. What made me want this? Apart from the fact it’s period correct, but it’s also a product I have used in the past on my car.

These tax disc holders became good sources of advertising and were often given away, or information such as emergency numbers for an insurance company, car dealer’s information or a breakdown service details on the back of them. My new purchase was simple advertising and also useful information, “Duckhams” oil and the weight of oil 20w50 specified for my car, it all ties together.

I currently had a larger holder in my car given to me by Mustang Maniac, which has been on the screen for the best part of ten years. It has been faultless, but this Duckhams purchase on eBay is the only reason to change it.

Close-up view of a vintage tax disc holder featuring a 1966 tax disc, placed on a car's windscreen with a Mustang Maniac business card visible in the background.

I carefully pealed the old holder away from the screen, and placed it on top of my toolbox. Comparison of the old Mustang Maniac holder and the new Duckhams one. The Mustang Maniac holder also had a place to hold their (or any other) business card on the back.

The replica Tax Disc I use is also from Mustang Maniac who have a large selection of discs for many various years and different styles of stamp on the disc, click here for the link.

Circular document titled 'SURRENDER OF LICENCES' outlining the procedure for surrendering a vehicle excise license, with legal references and instructions printed in black on white paper.

The design of the Duckhams holder is a simple slightly larger disc with a sticky outside to hold it on the screen. Before I peeled the backing paper off I checked it for size. Normally I would have put this with my other collectibles, but in this case I was sure it should be used.

Making sure the disc and the Duckhams text were aligned front and back I offered up the holder to the screen.

It was surprising just how sticky the outside was, but I still made sure the holder was evenly pressed onto the screen all the way around.

From the outside the holder isn’t really seen, just the tax disc itself as a minimalist look now.

With the older holder removed I used some Isopropyl Alcohol and a glass cloth to remove the slight residue on the glass which I arrowed below. This also gave a good clean surface for the new holder to adhere to.

Something like this is pretty non-de-script and over looked to be honest, and who really cares? But for me, it just adds a little something extra for the car’s originality. Also in the package there was a sticker from Duckhams which would have been stuck under the hood during a service near the oil filter.

A hand holding an old Duckhams oil recommendation sticker with the text 'Lubricated and protected by DUCKHAMS 20-50' and 'we recommend its continued use' against a light background.

I’m not sure if I should stick this under the hood or not, I’m not a great lover for lots of stickers apart from the factory ones of course. What do you think, should I stick it under there? Currently, I’m using Millers Semi-synthetic 20w50 oil, so technically it’s not actually correct, there again neither is the tax disc holder holder with a replica tax disc. I wonder what else awaits me on eBay to spend my money on which nobody will ever notice!

Share my Content

Classics At Glemham 2025 (part 2)

Continuing on from my last post this is the rest of the Classics at Glemham Car Show. The show had food and drink but like most of the shows now days the costs were expensive. I doubt this is greed of the vendor, from what I have heard the organisers of the events charge silly amounts for the pitch. The vendors are forced to cover their costs. The organisers are now starting to charge significant amounts of money for the owners of these cars to attend the shows. It’s getting to the point where I’m starting to choose quite carefully what shows I attend. However the money goes to a charity then I don’t have a problem. But, just to make money from the car owners and let the public in for free is not on. Perhaps we need to vote with our wheels and not attend the rip off events. Let me know your thoughts if this all round the country (UK) or other countries too.

Back to the cars, after the rows of cars arranged by years of manufacture, there were super cars and general club stands.

A vintage car with a British flag parked next to a Chevrolet van at a car show on a sunny day.

A close-up of a 1969 red Ford Mustang at a car show, showcasing its shiny front grille and sleek design, with people in the background enjoying the event.

This Lincoln was amazing and a huge car.

We eventually got back to the car for a well earned rest and quick bite to eat where we watched the world go by.

Mart’s Car Of The Show: is this wonderful Plymouth, the fins still get me every time!

A couple of the other cars started to move out early afternoon so we decided to follow suit. As we rode over the uneven fields to the dirt track for the exit we stopped of for a quick photo opportunity. I took many photos as did Craig and these are just some from the session. Many are similar but they are all different. I think we started a trend, I have seen a few Instagram posts of similar photo’s being posted similar to ours.

Craig’s photos first.

A classic blue Ford Mustang parked on a grassy field with trees in the background.

Close-up view of a blue classic Ford Mustang showcasing its front design and chrome details.

Then there are these which I took.

A bright blue classic Ford Mustang parked on a grassy area, showcasing its sleek design and chrome wheels under a clear sky.

A blue 1966 Ford Mustang parked on a grassy field with trees in the background.

A classic blue 1966 Ford Mustang parked on a grassy field with trees in the background, captured in bright sunlight.

That completes all of my cars shows for 2025 sadly. I will find things to post about; reviews, books, memorabilia and maybe some upgrades on my little ol’ pride and joy. Thanks for staying with me during some of these recent large posts of the car shows.

Share my Content

Classics At Glemham 2025 (part 1)

Last Sunday was the final car show of the year for me that had booked into. The show was around one hour away at Glemham Hall in Suffolk. I had arranged for my fellow petrol head Craig to join me for the final show, we were ready to set of at eight thirty after packing the car. We had a choice to travel the main roads with a fair few extra miles, or go across country scenic route. We decided on the scenic route where Craig was in charge of the navigation.

We rolled up to the event and showed the printed ticket and was directed to the ’60s section. We parked up and took a couple of quick pictures before the general public and the rest of the cars pulled in. Due to the size of the show and the number of photos I have taken I have split the show into two parts.

A blue vintage Ford Mustang parked next to a light green Volkswagen Type 2, with a car show setting in the background.

I have mentioned in a few posts now I use Craig’s pics, they are so much better than mine and you can just tell which are his due to their superior quality, here’s the first couple. This is one of the few occasions where I wound all the windows down.

A classic blue Ford Mustang parked in a grassy area with its trunk open, surrounded by other vintage cars and event tents in the background.

A vintage blue Ford Mustang parked on grass at a car show, with spectators and other vehicles in the background.

This is a busy show so we decided to take a wander around the show before the public were allowed in. We were parked up around two thirds of the way down the field so we started at the end and worked our way towards the main entrance. There was some regular attendees which I skipped over to avoid duplication of other posts.

Firs up is the general view of the show.