Ex-Parts Car "All our times have come..." The original car (I referred to her as POC: Piece Of C---) started as a C-code '65 Coupe with a 3 spd manual trans. She was two steps away from the wrecking yard. Unfortunately... She was unsalvageable. Some time in her past she's been T-boned on the driver side forcing the partial replacement of the driver side quarter, door, and complete rocker panel. The driver side door jamb cracked, was welded and cracked again. A rust belt native, her rear quarters were rusted through, bondo-ed and then hit from behind. The C-pillars were rusted out, due to Santa Barbara's salt air. By the time I got her the front fenders and hood were rumpled as well. Hood and LH fender were DOA. What a mess. This pic was taken after she was stripped but you can see that she doesn't look much different. This is what broke the camel's back. The side impact crumpled the crossmember the rear shocks attaches on. POC was toast. If you ever look at a Mustang for sale, check this location, I wouldn't have bought this car if I'd known this. "Here but now They're gone..." So I found a '65 six cylinder's shell. It literally was a shell. Only the trunk lid and rear window were left. Well, the front and rear suspension were still attached but they're useless unless you have a six cylinder that needed them. I stripped POC of all usable parts include some that were integral to the uni-body. What could be salvage was stuffed on the six cylinder's shell. Some stuff I had to buy new, like the window gaskets and a front windshield. The left fender was Swiss cheese so I used a Chinese made fender I had as a spare. BIG mistake. The Chinese fender didn't even come close to fitting. I had to cut spot welds and captured nuts and re-weld them in their proper location. I had to reshape the fender edges. The fender is still a 1/4" too wide. Anyway, a year after I bought the shell, the car looked like this: Still a little rough but... After Two more months (July of 1999) she had the proper '65 Mustang wheel covers. All that need to be done now is for the carpet, seat belts and kick panels to be installed and the front seats to be reupholstered. Add a new front bumper and she will look like any other Mustang. It took a lot of work to make this 6 cyl. shell a V8 car - so even with a donor V8 car I do not recommend changing a six cylinder Mustang to a V8. It just ain't worth it. Engine Shot (heh-heh, pun!) I started to make this '78 302 look more like a '65 289 but lost interest in the middle. The block and air cleaner are the correct color but the valve covers remain barf blue. The air cleaner and valve covers aren't correct for '65 and neither is the oil filler and how the PCV set up was done - part of the reason why I gave up trying to get it to look correct for '65. "Seasons don't fear the reaper..." (Late) July 1999 She's ALIVE! WOOHOO! Added some gas and turn the key... and nothing. Slapped a remote starter switch, primed the carb, and the beast started but soon quit after using up the gas. Yup, after waiting a year to be started, the fuel pump went bad. New fuel pump later, some adjustment to the trans shift linkage and she FIRED UP and RAN using the ignition key! You have to understand, the shell had no wiring. I had to repair the the previous butchery of POC's underdash, engine, and headlight wiring harnesses and then stuff them all in SPOC. I even modded a '77 Maverick alternator harness to replace the brittle '65 alternator harness. I'm suprised she didn't go up in a ball of flames. She runs, she runs, she runs.... Another vintage Mustang cheats Death! "Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain..." August 7, 1999 The summer sun was very helpful in re-upholstering the front seats. My first time ever and only the passenger seat cushion had wrinkles. I guess you can tell it was the first piece I did. The new carpet is in. I had to beat it into submission to make it lie flat and fit. Seems like carpets used to fit better 10 years ago... I recycled some old kick panels but I may have to use cruddy repos - the recycled pair are broken city. The package tray is in but it doesn't lie exactly flat. Mounted a front repo bumper I stole off my dad's '65 Coupe. Don't worry, I bought my dad a new repo bumper and even installed it myself - aren't I a nice guy. Hopefully the elements won't destroy SPOC's bumper before she's sold. Oh, SPOC stands for Son of POC. I know, I know, but DoPOC didn't sound right. ... "We can be like they are..." August 24, 1999 Nope, no new tires yet. I didn't get much done on SPOC. My dad's Mustang ('65 2V 289 Coupe) decided it wasn't getting enough attention so decided to throw a fit. First it ate anti-freeze to the tune of a quart every 100 miles. Then it doubled to 2 quarts. Twice I took it in but the mechanic couldn't find anything wrong. I suspect from the muddy brown color of the motor oil it blew another head gasket and is leaking into the oil pan. The mech isn't sure since the cooling system holds pressure and the coolant doesn't show signs of oil contamination. He replaced a heater hose clamp to stop the hose from oozing coolant. Yesterday (Monday) I discovered the heater hose had a hole in it. I would change mechs but the guy hasn't charged me a cent yet. I can see his strategy. He's methodically checking the easy and cheap stuff first before he yanks the engine apart. I can live with that. LOOK! a "back" button! back Or, you can go to the Second Verse Let's go to page 2
Ex-Parts Car
"All our times have come..."
The original car (I referred to her as POC: Piece Of C---) started as a C-code '65 Coupe with a 3 spd manual trans.
She was two steps away from the wrecking yard.
Unfortunately... She was unsalvageable. Some time in her past she's been T-boned on the driver side forcing the partial replacement of the driver side quarter, door, and complete rocker panel. The driver side door jamb cracked, was welded and cracked again. A rust belt native, her rear quarters were rusted through, bondo-ed and then hit from behind. The C-pillars were rusted out, due to Santa Barbara's salt air. By the time I got her the front fenders and hood were rumpled as well. Hood and LH fender were DOA.
What a mess.
This pic was taken after she was stripped but you can see that she doesn't look much different.
This is what broke the camel's back. The side impact crumpled the crossmember the rear shocks attaches on. POC was toast. If you ever look at a Mustang for sale, check this location, I wouldn't have bought this car if I'd known this.
"Here but now They're gone..."
So I found a '65 six cylinder's shell. It literally was a shell. Only the trunk lid and rear window were left. Well, the front and rear suspension were still attached but they're useless unless you have a six cylinder that needed them.
I stripped POC of all usable parts include some that were integral to the uni-body. What could be salvage was stuffed on the six cylinder's shell.
Some stuff I had to buy new, like the window gaskets and a front windshield. The left fender was Swiss cheese so I used a Chinese made fender I had as a spare. BIG mistake. The Chinese fender didn't even come close to fitting. I had to cut spot welds and captured nuts and re-weld them in their proper location. I had to reshape the fender edges. The fender is still a 1/4" too wide.
Anyway, a year after I bought the shell, the car looked like this:
Still a little rough but...
After Two more months (July of 1999) she had the proper '65 Mustang wheel covers. All that need to be done now is for the carpet, seat belts and kick panels to be installed and the front seats to be reupholstered. Add a new front bumper and she will look like any other Mustang. It took a lot of work to make this 6 cyl. shell a V8 car - so even with a donor V8 car I do not recommend changing a six cylinder Mustang to a V8. It just ain't worth it.
Engine Shot (heh-heh, pun!) I started to make this '78 302 look more like a '65 289 but lost interest in the middle. The block and air cleaner are the correct color but the valve covers remain barf blue. The air cleaner and valve covers aren't correct for '65 and neither is the oil filler and how the PCV set up was done - part of the reason why I gave up trying to get it to look correct for '65.
"Seasons don't fear the reaper..."
(Late) July 1999
She's ALIVE! WOOHOO! Added some gas and turn the key... and nothing. Slapped a remote starter switch, primed the carb, and the beast started but soon quit after using up the gas. Yup, after waiting a year to be started, the fuel pump went bad.
New fuel pump later, some adjustment to the trans shift linkage and she FIRED UP and RAN using the ignition key! You have to understand, the shell had no wiring. I had to repair the the previous butchery of POC's underdash, engine, and headlight wiring harnesses and then stuff them all in SPOC. I even modded a '77 Maverick alternator harness to replace the brittle '65 alternator harness. I'm suprised she didn't go up in a ball of flames.
She runs, she runs, she runs....
Another vintage Mustang cheats Death!
"Nor do the wind, the sun or the rain..."
August 7, 1999
The summer sun was very helpful in re-upholstering the front seats. My first time ever and only the passenger seat cushion had wrinkles. I guess you can tell it was the first piece I did.
The new carpet is in. I had to beat it into submission to make it lie flat and fit. Seems like carpets used to fit better 10 years ago...
I recycled some old kick panels but I may have to use cruddy repos - the recycled pair are broken city. The package tray is in but it doesn't lie exactly flat.
Mounted a front repo bumper I stole off my dad's '65 Coupe. Don't worry, I bought my dad a new repo bumper and even installed it myself - aren't I a nice guy. Hopefully the elements won't destroy SPOC's bumper before she's sold. Oh, SPOC stands for Son of POC. I know, I know, but DoPOC didn't sound right.
...
"We can be like they are..."
August 24, 1999
Nope, no new tires yet. I didn't get much done on SPOC. My dad's Mustang ('65 2V 289 Coupe) decided it wasn't getting enough attention so decided to throw a fit. First it ate anti-freeze to the tune of a quart every 100 miles. Then it doubled to 2 quarts. Twice I took it in but the mechanic couldn't find anything wrong. I suspect from the muddy brown color of the motor oil it blew another head gasket and is leaking into the oil pan. The mech isn't sure since the cooling system holds pressure and the coolant doesn't show signs of oil contamination. He replaced a heater hose clamp to stop the hose from oozing coolant. Yesterday (Monday) I discovered the heater hose had a hole in it. I would change mechs but the guy hasn't charged me a cent yet. I can see his strategy. He's methodically checking the easy and cheap stuff first before he yanks the engine apart. I can live with that.
LOOK! a "back" button! back
Or, you can go to the Second Verse Let's go to page 2