Need some advice - to restore or not to restore ...

[iveka 10]

I have a 1969 Mustang Coupe, 302 2v V8 Coupe, C4 Automatic.

 

I got this car about 5 years ago in a settlement for some work I paid a guy to do that never got done. I took it to a garage and had them get it running and make it safe for the road (new brakes and any critical suspension items fixed or replaced, new carb). Dropped about $2000 in repairs.

 

It has been sitting in my garage and no longer starts - but I know I can fix that much.

 

The floor pans are entirely rusted through on the front passenger side and up under the dash on the drivers side. Almost every quarter panel and fender need repair or replaced. There is a good bit of rust to the frame and I suspect some frame damage from what I can see with the car on the ground and not taken apart.

 

The interior is very nice. Black vinyl seats are all very clean and in great shape. Dash and all look good, door panels, etc. I ripped out the carpeting to get to the floor pans, it was nasty.

 

The frame is what scares me. I know that can get into some big $$. I would like to get this car running and looking decent to use as a driver that I can actually put my son in (he is 4 and can't ride in my corvette since it is a 2 seater).

 

Is it even worth attempting to get this thing back on the road? Would I be better off trying to sell it as is (I've tried in the past and have not gotten any takers at $3500. Some tire kickers that said it was more work than they wanted to do.)

 

Or would it be a good opportunity to learn about working on cars by tearing it down and seeing what all is wrong/right with it and maybe part out items that someone else might need?

 

I'm just kind of stuck with what I want to do with this car and could use a little feedback.

 

Thanks for your time!

 

 

[dlinebar 2]

Well......

 

Depends on how deep you wallet is or how much labor you want to put it...I took a car that was worse than that and restored it in my garage. That included replacing a lot of parts like frame rails, shock towers, engine, tranny, fixing panels, floor pans....basically everything...I documented it all for guys just like you (me) so you can see what you are getting into...I have been driving the heck out of the car and it was worth it for me.....

 

Good Luck,

Dan

[69RavenConv 286]

+1 on what Dan said -- a restoration is a major commitment of time and money. It's really rewarding if you have the desire and even temperment to attempt it though.

 

Looking at your pictures, I'd say yours is a definite candidate for a resto. Browse thru the on-line catalogs -- CJ Pony Parts and National Parts Depot have nice ones -- and you'll get a feel for the cost and effort, and if it is worth it to you.

 

You can repair all that damage; replacement parts and sheet metal is readily available. You'll need the the mechanicals (brakes, suspension, etc). Then of course there's the radiator, gas tank, shocks, exhaust, and on and on.

 

If you're mechanically inclined, have the tools and space, and can deal with adversity and frustration it's a great hobby.

Edited September 24, 2010 by 69RavenConv

[maxum96 32]

Be aware if you decide to fix your car up and then try to sell it later on, you're gonna lose a ton of money. If I'm lucky, my car might be worth 2/3 of what I'll have into it when I'm done and mine's a fastback with new everything, 600hp 351w stroker, modern 5 speed, and bullet proof 9" rearend

[rangerdoc 22]

If you're wanting to use the car as a means to learn some new skills it is a great candidate since it is a plain coupe where mistakes don't hurt so much as they would on a Shelby or Boss 429 (plus less expensive). It's still going to cost you a ton of money, even doing the work yourself.

 

Is it financially responsible to restore it? Absolutely not. Very few of our cars really are unless they are unique in some way. You almost never get your money out of what you put into these cars, but that shouldn't be the reason to do it IMHO.

 

My car is exactly like yours but it was relatively straight and rust free. I wanted to mod it my way and have fun. I've spent more on the paint/body alone then I'll ever get out of the car, but I also don't ever plan on selling it.

 

FWIW, I'd pay around $1,500 for it with the rust issues you described and the pictures.

[69RavenConv 286]

Great point about the money guys. Do it for love, not money, like guys in the previous 2 posts said.

 

I have a buddy who restored a '69 Corvette using only his checkbook. He farmed out everything. I shudder to think what he spent on it. But he's ok with it, because he saw one sell on Barrett-Jackson for $100,000 once so he figures he's in the money. Don't fall into that trap...

[Jurisd 10]

My two cents is that if you like the idea or working on a project car and learning about it, but don't want to make the time commitment required to restore what you have, I would recommend trying to sell or trade it for something without rust issues. I spend a lot of time on my car, but I'm only fixing things and upgrading.

 

Take a look at Dan's website (an inspiration to me before I bought my car) and you will see just how much work the rust repair is. If you can skip that step, you will start much closer to a driveable car, and every hour you spend you will be able to see noticable improvement/reward.

 

JD

[BuckeyeDemon 211]

if you aren't full of excitement about doing the work yourself and learning then sell it. i think it takes a lot of drive and enthusiasm to complete a job like that when it's a hobby (and you are in the learning phase)

 

if you're willing to take a larger financial loss, then have someone else do all the bodywork and repairs.

[iveka 10]

Thanks for all of the great advice. I'll keep the ad on Craigslist and see what happens. With a 4 year old, time is not on my side to work on it very much.

 

We'll see.

[Max Power 74]

You could buy a pretty damn nice one for under 10 grand. If you are just looking toward the end product, with coupes, you are still better buying nice than restoring.

[Jurisd 10]

With a 4 year old, time is not on my side to work on it very much.

 

I'm in the same boat with 3 little ones. I can tell you that the most enjoyment I get is in working on it, but driving the little ones around in it (and all of the attention it and they get in their carseats) is a close second.

[iveka 10]

I'm in the same boat with 3 little ones. I can tell you that the most enjoyment I get is in working on it, but driving the little ones around in it (and all of the attention it and they get in their carseats) is a close second.

 

I bet. By the time I'd finish it though, he'll be on his way to college haha.

[iveka 10]

Here is what has been done to the car back in 2005.

 

• Replaced Spark plugs and fuel filter
  
• Repaired wiring
  
• replaced front shoes, wheel cylinders, brake hardware, brake hoses and LF drum
  
• Replaced rear shoes, wheel cyls and hardware
  
• Repaced idler arm
  
• Installed Holley carb and new choke cable and new air cleaner
  
• Installed coil blaster
  

 

I may mess around with it and get it started this week.

 

If I decide to start tearing this thing down to fix the frame and such, where is the best place to start. Is there a checklist available on here that would help or a certain posters progress report that would point me in the right direction?

 

Thanks!

[foothilltom 33]

There are lots of guys here that have documented their restorations...I think you can find them in "The Garage" or "Project Progress Forum".

 

Think twice (or three times) before you get started "tearing this thing down" as you can get to a point of no return pretty fast. This is one expensive hobby and -- as the guys have said -- there is no return on investment other than satisfaction and knowledge (which is awesome).

 

If it were me, I'd get the coupe running as best you can and road-worthy, then stick it on Craigs and hope some local highschooler gearhead finds it. The kind of rust you described would scare the beejeezus out of me for a first-time project. There are lots of pretty great coupes out without all the rust and would make a better basis for your first experiment.

 

Just my $.02.

Tom

[rwcstang 201]

even if you do a full restore you may cough up more than 15k+ that if you let a shop do it if thats the case you might as well buy a whole new 69-70 shell from dynacorn for 15k and start fresh or look for another coupe and use the one you have now as a donor for parts etc.

 

but find out first though tare the whole car apart and see what you have to work on.

[dzahm 10]

Many good points were made- BUT one jumps out at me.You want to learn about cars, mustangs are one of the easiest in terms of parts/online help. You have a child, and could make this a GREAT learning experience for him/her and make a ton of memories, and maybe a first car for him/her. Sure at 4 they might be only helpful picking a color, but soon he can get tools for you, learn to take pictures, troubleshoot, and before long he'll be welding, "tinkering", and enjoying the skills Daddy taught him. Food for thought.

[LoneWolf2U 136]

Not wishing to rain on the parade here but, If your tire kickers say its too much for them to take on then its prob too much for you to take on with limited knowledge and tools.

Metal work requires space time and a good working ability to do correctly.

If your looking for a learning project then find one with minor to no rust issues to use as a starting point.

[maxum96 32]

Not wishing to rain on the parade here but, If your tire kickers say its too much for them to take on then its prob too much for you to take on with limited knowledge and tools.

Metal work requires space time and a good working ability to do correctly.

If your looking for a learning project then find one with minor to no rust issues to use as a starting point.

 

 

Ditto

 

I have a MIG welder, plasma cutter, and some metal working tools. I had some minimal metal working knowledge. My car had rust comparable to what your car has. I was very nervous at times when I cut my car apart. If you don't have those tools, welding skills, or any metal working knowledge, you'll be in over your head very quickly. Just to give you an idea how far you'll need to tear your car down, here's a picture of mine back in Jan 2009. If you think you can tear the car down this far and put it back together, than go for it. Remember, you'll never get the money you pour into the car back when you sell it. You'll be doing it for the love of it.

 

Edited September 28, 2010 by maxum96

[iveka 10]

I think what I am going to do is get the motor to start and run and then hope someone with more time than I have comes along looking for a project. I know the running motor will help the sale big time and it started 5 years ago. Then the cellinoid fizzled out and i haven't replaced it.

 

Or should I advertise it as a parts car since there is a good bit of salvageable areas on the car like the motor and the interior? Just trying to figure out what the best audience is.

[foothilltom 33]

That's a dang fine question: to part out or to sell. I don't think there's much of a market for a 41 year old stock 302, but if your interior is pristine, I'm sure you could fetch a good price for your seats, dash pad, door panels, etc.

 

If your title is clear (not Salvage), I think you could get more for a running car. The old-timers here know I bought a Salvage title coupe that had great interior but otherwise a rusty mess. I wound up taking the interior out, replacing it with crappy interior from my son's coupe and selling it for $2K to a local gearhead. I saw that he put it up for sale about a year later and somehow got the salvage title cleared (another story).

 

Good luck whatever you decide.

Tom

[iveka 10]

I'll take some more thorough pics to post on here. If it is not out of the garage by the time snow starts to fall, I'll start removing parts to investigate what is right/wrong with the car. That can be my winter project.

 

Who knows. Wish I had more space (and $$$!!).

[iveka 10]

Trying to get the car started. Last time I tried, I had to use a set of pliers to jump past the solenoid. I don't know if that is the correct phrasing, but I had to touch the two bolts on the solenoid with the pliers to get it to turn over. The PO had this problem too because I found a ton of boxes for replacement solenoids. Is there a more heavy duty solenoid I could use to make this car start without this thing blowing out on me all the time? Any ideas to correct this so I can start the engine normally when I have a potential buyer in my garage?

[foothilltom 33]

It sounds a lot like an improperly wired solenoid or a bad ignition switch. Clearly you shouldn't be doing this with a pair of pliers. I would be concerned about electrocuting yourself. The box full of solenoids should serve as a reminder. If they short out during this experiment, you could be next.

 

I would strongly encourage you to take a methodical approach to this problem: take photos of how it is currently wired, get help with the proper wiring, and further diagnose. It could be as simple as a bad ignition switch.

 

Be careful.

Tom

[iveka 10]

Thanks Tom. I'll take some pics tonight and post them.

[iveka 10]

Below are some pics of the engine compartment.