“Aerodynamics is for those who cannot manufacture good engines”
– Enzo Ferrari.
Author: One man and his Mustang
I'm just a man with a Classic 1966 Ford Mustang Coupe and an ever increasing collection of car detailing products to keep it clean.
I bought the car as a non rolling project in 2011 which had been neglected, set fire to, rusted and abused. As a result of all that the car needed a bare metal strip down, a nut and bolt restoration.
Four and a half years later the car was completed, on the road and shown at the UK's premier Classic Car Show, everything that was done to my car is documented here.
I now have the privilege to drive one of America's most recognised cars and a true Icon, the Ford Mustang.
Snowed in (again)
Losing valuable Mustang time.
Another weekend with rubbish weather. It’s snowing pretty hard today so there is no way I was going to get to do any thing either on the car or in the man cave. I wanted to get that wheel off and get the slow puncture fixed. I could push her out to get access to the wheel, the problem would be trying to push her back in again in the snow. One false slip and the trunk would have a new rear spoiler in the shape of my two front teeth. Not good!
I did get out to the man cave for a little while to have a tidy up again. I decided to have a rearrangement of my tool chest with the new tools I got for Christmas. They all have a new home now and lined up like soldiers. Am I the only sad person that does this to make their tool box nice and neat, or do I need help? While in my man cave I noticed some birds looking for food and not having much luck. I must admit I tend to spoil my little feathered friends, I do an extra slice of toast in the mornings and break it up for them if I have toast before I go to work. Given the choice of plain bread or toasted, the toasted bits always goes first. As it was so cold I came in and done a couple of slices of toast, broke it up and put it on the bird table for them. It soon went, I do worry about them, as we have this little understanding, I feed them and they don’t try and use my cars for the local avian cesspit, sometimes they breach this understanding, so the next day they go hungry, they know the rules!
As I couldn’t do much I decided to finish up my heater plenum work write-up. I had taken some photos but that was before I decided that I was going to do this blog. The pictures still shows what a bad way it was in and then the finished results. You can see the process and why I had to do it all under the “Photos, Heater Core Issues & Repairs” or click here for a quick link. There is also a mini review in there for the heater case seal kit.
Lets hope the weather improves so I can get out there and do some worthwhile work on my car again. If I hadn’t of got my Coupe in the garage when I did it may have looked something like this!
The fact I have posted for the third time this weekend shows just how frustrated I am, in an automotive way of course.
Articles
Articles Idea
I was surfing the net looking for pictures and I stumbled across a web site that had some good articles and background information on a variety of cars.There was nice article on a 1965 Shelby GT350. I have added a new menu called Articles on the right hand bar. I have placed the article in there, or click here to read it.
I will keep an eye out for more good stuff and acknowledge its source, I’m not that bad a person to claim others work as my own. However it deserves to be read, if this gives them a couple more links then I hope they will be pleased.
The basic principle of this site is my journey with my Mustang, the good and not so good. If I come across good outstanding articles that take my eye I will share them with you. But I don’t intend on making this a library of articles, that has been done to death on other good sites. Enjoy the read and I expect there will be some more. If you want me to add some specific pages to my site let me know via the “Contact me” on the home button. I always try to respond asap to all emails.
The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
The good,
As I have cleaned out the garage to my car in stuff has been moved from there into my man cave. Now my man cave is 10 x 8 foot so it’s not to bad size wise. The down side is it has rapidly filled up with stuff I didn’t want in there, garden tools, seat cushions for our swing seat, hose pipes, ladders etc. I appreciate we have to store them somewhere as a compromise for my Mustang taking over the garage. Over Christmas I was treated to my front and rear bumpers. They were stored safe and sound in the garage. As we moved stuff out and dumped stuff the bumpers were moved to the shed, aka – man cave. This wasn’t a problem until A) I wanted to work in there but there isn’t room to stand. B) the bad weather arrived.
So in the minus 300c or what ever it is outside and snowing, I decided I needed to sort the bumpers out. Earlier in the week I purchased a set of six wall mounted screws £1.57 from eBay that hold bikes etc. bargain. I have 3 bumpers now, the original, which has virtually no chrome, rusted and pitted. Then the two replacements for Christmas, front and rear. I drilled the holes where the bolts go and screwed them in the wall. Lifted the bumpers onto the hooks, job done. They have plenty of room and don’t need tying as the hooked end holds them in place. Now they will be dry and out of harms way. 🙂
The Bad,
While I was at it I thought I would check the transmission leak. Although it has definitely slowed down, there was about a desert spoon full in the drip tray. This sort of put me in a not so good mood shall we say. I could go and tweak a bit more to see if that helps. Perhaps her nose runs like mine does when I am freezin’ my dip stick off. I’m not to sure what to do about it now, if anybody has any ideas give me a mail or post a reply here. I have a direct email now which is under the Home button. I will have to put her back on axle stands and have a good look again. I got a Blue Point inspection mirror & magnetic pick up set so I will use those to a better effect I think when the weather goes back to normal and not arctic. Also my left front slow puncture has gone down again, I guess I will sort that out when she is back on axle stands 🙁
The Ugly,
The weather is certainly ugly, tiny flurries of snow all day, but nothing major yet. That is to come tonight. Anyway, as I was putting the brackets on the wall a neighbour was walking past with his wife and their old-timer of a dog who didn’t seem phased by the cold at all. The guy stopped to look at my car and started asking me questions about her. I love talking about it so we struck a good conversation up. He told me while he was in France a couple of weeks ago for a wedding, the groom turned up in a 66 fastback which was his fathers pride and joy. He told me that it was the first time he really heard one for real and has since fell in love with the v8’s. How nice was that from a real nice bloke too. The flip side of that was another woman who was going out came past, she couldn’t help but stare at us and gave me the most filthy and ugly look, just like a mole that had burrowed its way into a sewage farm! What was that all about and why? 👿
Once I got back to my man cave I tidied up and made space again. Now that I can work in there again, I just need to work out a way to sneak the garden tools into the utility room and hope the wife won’t spot them, yeah right! If I did that I reckon I might get a rake stuffed somewhere that the sun don’t shine. Perhaps that not such a good idea after all, reason being I am after some wheel cylinders next. Lol.
“Racing burns….”
Snug in the garage
The weather has taken a mental turn for the worst.
I tried to get a train this morning and nothing running, so I came home and worked from there. Before I done that I had to check on my car to make everything was OK. I opened the garage and I swear I saw her shivering in the cold, to be exact that was -9deg C, to be fair it was more like teeth chattering, sorry, crashing together rapidly that gave the illusion of everything moving. That temperature is mental cold for round here, and I can’t remember the last time it was this cold. I am a little worried, in my shed there are two chrome bumpers I got for Christmas and I don’t want them ruined due to the freezing temperatures. To help with that, I ordered some hooks for bikes to be mounted on the wall but I will use them to store the bumpers on. Looks like the bumpers will be a bit big for them though, as they are only going to be on there temporally, I will tie them to make sure they don’t come off. This weekend I will put the hooks up as a number one priority. While I was in the garage I checked the fluid leaks under the car, nothing so far. Brilliant, but as its so cold everything could have shrunk and there is no gaps to leak from. Fingers crossed and I will double check the weekend. We are expecting blizzards this weekend and 10 inches of snow so I have been told. Will it be that heavy? Only time will tell if I will be able to open the garage door or not. I can’t begin to tell you how pleased I am that she is tucked away in the garage before this lot hit us and ground the country to stand still.
I have also added my review of the Draper 5 piece circlip pliers. You can find them under the tool review button, or click here to go straight there.
Drive carefully
Eau de Mustang
It’s freezing, and small flurry of snow flakes which didn’t come to a lot, but I know it was cold. The down side is that the work I wanted to do more work on my bumper stone guards, it’s looking like I will have to wait till the slightly warmer weather. I doubt that the Dinitrol body filler will set very well in -2degrees let alone trying to put rust treatment on or spray some undercoat. The tins of spray were sold cold the balls inside didn’t want to move, I know that feeling all to well today. (Sorry ladies, but it was cold). Nevertheless I still went out to play cars. I took a selection of sockets out with me and opened the garage. Then it hit me; Eau de Mustang. That unmistakable odour of old metal, slight hint of super octane petrol (due to the fact I have no exhausts at the moment) & underseal coating. Perhaps I should approach these plug-in air freshener people to create a mans version, Mustang, BBQ, Fry Up and Pub. I’m sure it would be a big hit. That classic car odour is the smell that all petrol heads love, it’s loved almost as much as the delicate smell of perfume from a loved one once they have left the room. (Did I really just say that? Note to self: Must man up on these posts!) It also means that I have to put a ventilation brick or three in my garage wall in the summer and nicer weather decides to arrive.
I digress, I went out to look under the car a tighten up anything and everything that looks like it needed tightening around the transmission without going mental of course. The garage floor was almost as cold as me, I managed to find a couple of nuts that needed quarter turn to nip up properly. There was the return ATF connection coming from radiator that needed a turn as well, that was after I had to go and get some spanners.
Yesterday I posted that I had a new oil/drip tray, that was put in place as well under the transmission to see if there are any more episodes of my Mustang scenting her ground. Time will tell. My slow puncture has slowed a little, but it will need taking to me ol’ mate Will to have a little look for me.
I have posted my swaging tool review here (or look under the Tools Review in the header bar). From my stats on this blog, I have had searches for, how to use swaging tool and review of swaging tool etc. So as it was cold and I had done what I wanted to do today on the car I thought I would write-up the review. Hope you like it or find it useful.
Come on Summer!
What a Drip!
Old classics don’t leak, they just scent their ground.
Today was the day that I needed to get a drip tray. The reason is my little ol’ girl has decided that she wants to scent her new home. As the garage floor is unmarked I wanted to keep it that way as much as possible. So I bought a clever little drip/fluid change tray. The drip tray has a nice pouring spout, but the clever bit is the removable grill as I tend to call it. It’s perfect for engine oil changes as its big enough to hold a fair amount of oil, just about the size of a washing up bowl but squarer.
A quick question. How many times have you dropped the oil sump plug into the bowl followed by the washer? Answer: I think we al have at some point and have had to fish around for the bits in a bowl of grubby oil.
That’s where this tray comes into its own, it has a removable plastic grill that clips just in front of the pourer spout or on the opposite side for a shelf. Pour the oil out and the bits are caught in the grill. Simple but effective. Not quite a review but it’s a good product. No name on it anywhere but it was well under a £10.
What am I gonna do about the drip I hear you ask. Well I’m gonna tweak bolts and gradually tighten it up. The drip is actually from the Auto Transmission. Hopefully it won’t be a major job, but you never can tell.
Fingers crossed.
Still excited?
Oh yes, so I just had to share another photo with you.
As you can see from my previous post it was a big day for me on Saturday, it was the very first time I had sat in my car with the wheels moving. OK, so the car was being pushed, but I still had to steer it! (Let me have my moments to dream for a while.)
As I am still chuffed my car is in the garage, I thought I would share this picture of me sitting on the floor of the car as the seat has been taken out. Why no seat? The seat base had collapsed, so my mate Will made a good job of repairing the seat frame for me, it’s now waiting to be re-upholstered. Anyway, what you can’t see is that damn great stupid grin I have on my face 😀
I enjoyed it so much, it brought memories back to me of my first pedal car as a kid. I was excited then, just as I was on Saturday. The only difference this time is that, my metal pedal car looked like my Mustang when I finished with it, but the Mustang will look like the pedal car when I got it; All nice and shiny, like new and ready to hit the road. Not that I was on the road at that age, if you get where I’m coming from that is.
As promised, the car turning wheels with me in it for the very first time.
Moving Home
My car comes home!
This a wordy looking post but I think it’s worth the read for the fun and games we had!
My car has been down the drive just round the corner from me, where it has remained for the last year and a bit, I can work as and when I wanted to on it so there was no real issues.
As I normally do, I lifted the bonnet to make sure everything was OK and I noticed that the Tuff Stuff chrome alternator is not so Tuff after all! The Chrome has a little pitting on it and I ‘aint happy about it to be honest. I am going to review this alternator soon, and I’m not convinced it going to get full marks, or great marks come to that somehow! The damp has started to cause a few issues so we decided that the will have to go in our garage. There wasn’t a great deal in there to be honest just my old stuff from years of collecting rubbish. The charities had a great day as they got books, pictures and old clothes etc. Hopefully they can get some money in for their causes. Anyway, the car was taken of the axle stands and lowered down, left side tyre has a slow puncture that I will have to sort out. A friend of mine Pete came round in his new car which he has only had for a few days and offered to tow her round to my garage. The reason we decided that it should be towed is because the drive is on a slope and there was no way that with me in the car doing the hard work of driving, (OK, steering the car) that the two hired hands were going to push it without booking a visit to the hospital emergency unit to have a couple of hernias sorted out. Mark was playing lookout to start with to make sure that any would be Nigel Mansell wouldn’t meet two and half ton of American Muscle in the middle of the road. After pulling her to the top there is a slight dip down to the road, bearing in mind I have no brakes at the moment so everything had to be done with care and be legal to push it the rest of the way. We managed to stop the Mustang quite well by using the back of Pete’s nice new shiny new car. Oops! Sorry about that Pete I reckon a bottle of your favourite tipple could be arranged for the trouble. Before you ask yes the car is fully comprehensive insured even though it doesn’t go on the road. I think the fact that I got out to check that there was no damage to my car first was like rubbing salt & vinegar into the wound at the time. The car was not to bad weight wise once we got her rolling of course. As the road is a no-through road we weren’t expecting any traffic, but you can never be too sure. A couple of minutes later we were pushing her onto my drive and into the garage, or so we thought. The garage was wide enough by about 3 inches each side, it will even tighter once the mirrors go on. We managed to push the car in inch by inch, Pete was directing the car to the front, Mark was doin’ the donkey at the back pushing and I was on the wheel now and again sweating buckets panicking that I may just have measured up wrong. Pete found out that car was cold as we pinned him to the wall with the bonnet while trying to clear the trunk into the garage. The garage door was lowered down, very carefully and I have about 4 inches to spare with the door shut. It was close if it was going to go in. There is no way a ’67 on would fit in there. But I was happy, she fits and she is tucked up each night now. Just need to get a nice cloth cover and a heater now to make her snug. Perhaps I should ask the wife if I can have some, perhaps not!! 🙁
So there you have it, my car is at her rightful home at long last, gentlemen I thank you for your help. Ooh, I nearly forgot Staci who collected Mark to take him home before his next shift!
The car was in the garage, so the next thing was to rig up an extension to the solar trickle charger for my battery. (A review for that bit of equipment can be found here.) Hole through the garage wall and it was job done, that’s after we spent after we spent the best part of half an hour looking for the clips to the battery so that we could use a length of good quality speaker cable to extend the wire.
A big day for the man and his Mustang it has to be said. I was out there today having a little fiddle around, as you do of course, to see what the next job is going to be. I have a feeling it will be to revisit some of the work I have already done. Such is life, but she is home!
The next installment I doubt will be as long.
