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Tootal
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 - 08:46 pm: | 
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Check the upper control arms. There's a plug where it was "permanently" lubricated. If they haven't put 90 degree grease fittings in there you might want to! |
Strokizator
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 21, 2017 - 09:06 pm: |
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I'd pass on the Mustang. A '65 six cylinder convertible is a chick's car. Now a fastback 65 with 289 k-code and 4-speed toploader would be fun.
Back in the late 70's I had a 67 GTA fastback. Swapped in a 428CJ and rebuilt the C6 with B&M components. Connected that to 389 gears with traction-loc. Sumbitch ran like a scalded dog. |
Fast1075
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 05:53 am: |
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A buddy just finished a ground up resto on a 68 mustang coupe that his father started on years ago. Painted blue. One of those colors where it looks blue or black depending on the light. 289 with a modern 5 speed, A/C and the works. He drove it to the monthly show in Orlando last Saturday. Won the trophy for best restoration.
Suspension is all new with rack and pinion and 4 wheel discs. Has an X-pipe exhaust. The sound is amazing. |
Ratbuell
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 09:03 am: |
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If you like it
If you can afford it
If it makes you happy...
Buy it.
If it's an "investment"...walk away.
(Says the guy who just bought a restored 1990 Plymouth turbocharged minivan).
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Brentx1
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 11:50 am: |
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Sweet Van!!!!! |
Cyclonedon
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 01:16 pm: |
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Court, I thought you once said you was interested in getting a Smart car? I test rode one of those and really liked it but I just couldn't break my tradition of buying a foreign made car!
As for the Mustang, I bought one in high school and turned out to be the worst car purchase I ever made! It had three major problems and one minor one! The motor, transmission, and rear end was the major problems and the minor one was it was going to rust away! My parents insisted I take their car when I was going out of town because they knew they most likely was going to have to come and pick me up when my Mustang would break down. My parents actually paid the trade difference when I got rid of that car because they hated it so much. |
Court
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 01:30 pm: |
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That's pretty much my impression of all 60's cars in general . . . and this one is no exception . . it has the 1965 Mustang collection of rust . . wear and tear.
The good news is that, like the 289c.i. V8 4 speeds . . .it's not $40,000+. . . it's less than the price of a Ducati. I bought an MGB several years ago for $5,000 . . .drove it for a summer and had nothing but fun with it. The Mustang, if it passes muster, will be parked next to a 1952 Cushman that hasn't been started in over 20 years. But . . like the Mustang, all it needs it fuel, spark and compression and it will run.
Compare that to the 718 Cayman I was also considering. I'm sure a new Porsche would start . . but if it didn't it's take a team of NASA scientists to determine why.
I bought a new car last month . . . an F250 Super Duty. Fine for what it does, but boring.
I am, at long last, replacing my beloved 2013 Ford Escape tomorrow with either a 2017 Escape or a 2017 Subaru Outback Touring. The dealers are battling it out today. Whichever I choose . . it will be a great car, for what it does, but boring.
My life is dull and I need excitement . . . the kind of excitement that can only come from a 1996 S1 or an old 60's jalopy.
If the Mustang we reliable . . . it'd be . . .well, boring. |
Court
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 01:31 pm: |
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By the way . . . . count t me among the crowd that views "investing" in motorcycles, guitars or cars as lunacy.
I invest in stocks . . . they are no fun.
I buy cars, motorcycles and guitars for fun . . they are terrible investments. |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 01:37 pm: |
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I'll make you a deal on a 78 KZ-400 to put beside it. It almost kind of even runs most of the time.
I'd trade it even up for a Nikon 70-200 F2.8 AF-S.
Heck, I might trade it even up for a Nikon Prime F1.8 AF-S 85mm if you get a couple of drinks in me first.
Low expectations make these vintage machines fun. It's not that you are surprised when something isn't working, its just cool if and when they *do* run. |
Court
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 02:19 pm: |
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Hahahaha . . . the Nikon 70-200 F2.8 AF-S stays.
In a world full of crummy stuff . . the "new" transmission they put in my Escape 20,00 miles ago just went poo poo . . the Nikon pro series stuff is indestructible.
I can't tell you how many times, out in the boonies, I've hit a bump and sent a camera with a BIG lens on it flying to the floor . . . it's about impossible to damage that stuff.
I bought mine from Mike R when he upgraded to the newer model and mine is perfect for what I do.
Still struggling with the 200-500 but it looks like a tank also. |
Chauly
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 02:31 pm: |
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I know of a '98 S1 Snap Red with 26K on it for cheap fun... See the classifieds. |
Reepicheep
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 03:46 pm: |
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I was stalking the 70-200 F2.8 until I found out about the 85mm F1.8 prime.
I'm a sucker for prime lenses and large apertures. It looks like I'll be able to score it for $400 or less also. If I have to hang from my ankles to get the coverage I want without a zoom lens, then so be it. 
(That 85mm lens ends up a 120mmm on the DX sensor cameras I can afford, and I have a 25MP sensor I can afford to digitally crop, so for indoor basketball or night lacrosse it would actually work well for the price, and probably work better than the 2.8, which would still generally be shooting above 1/250th of a second anyway (which is too slow for anything above 100mm anyway).
Sorry. Geeked out for a moment there. |
86129squids
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 04:21 pm: |
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This thread makes me even more appreciative of my '77 R75/7. I like reliable old stuff, don't trust the nanny-fied newer stuff from the mid-90's on.
YMMV.  |
Forerunner
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 06:13 pm: |
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Just saw this thread. I know a 'little' bit about these cars.
Did a complete restoration of my 1965 289 auto around 15 years ago. Takes twice as long and costs 3x as much as you think. I don't recommend it to anyone.
Some of the things I did:
Original 289 bored .30" over, makes it about a 292 now I think.
Replaced original 2 barrel with a 4 barrel carb.
Original C4 slushbox took a dump, replaced it with an AOD. If I had to do over I 'might' have gone T5.
HIDs because sodiums suck.
3 core aluminum radiator
Just completed a Randall's Rack conversion from original P/S because I like to be able to turn.
Sanden A/C compressor upgrade because, you guessed it, original sucked.
LED's all around = less current draw and brighter. win/win
Firmer 1" drop springs all around with Bilstein shocks that replaced the Koni's I put in originally because as I found out, Koni's suck.
Front discs because drums all around... you get the picture.
A brand new PA Performance 3G alternator waiting for me to get off my lazy arse to install.
And tons of other stuff over the years.
A lot of this stuff I did just to make the thing drivable by today's standards. In my experience these old cars, well, they just don't drive all that well in stock form.
So, in conclusion, these can be a PITA, and I'll never part with mine. Something cool about driving a car that's older than you.
Picture with relevant Buell content:
And side by side picture with the new 2014 surprise gift for my wife:
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Etennuly
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 10:32 pm: |
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In 1987 AutoTrader was the way to advertise a vehicle. I had had the 1985 SS el Camino for about a year and a half and was bored to tears with it. Cool looking malibu with an HO 305. Floaty boaty slo to go! So it was in such immaculate condition with about 20,000 miles on it so I put it in the AutoTrader at $2k over high retail. It was so sweet AutoTrader put it on their front page. They quit making the el Camino so it became more valuable to those looking.
A guy was driving the red 1967 almost 100 miles to come buy my 1985 unseen. He insisted on trading the 1967 because his wife told him that was the way it was going to be. So I accepted the 1967 and full NADA retail on my SS.
A hard deal to turn down.
That 6 cylinder powerglide with manual everything else was a work out to drive. Even properly lubed and aligned I knew why the guy was tired of driving it. One of those cars that is like a boat on a lake. People see you go by being envious and desirous of such a fine machine. Until they are on the inside doing all of that looking cool! |
Etennuly
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 - 10:41 pm: |
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Oh yeah, I just remembered a special feature on those 1967 six cylinder engines. A hydro-anticipator. What is such a thing you ask??
Every time I would drive this fine cool looking piece of Americana after it became my main squeeze for a while.....it could sense with reliability and consistency, when it might rain in the next county over. It would then anticipate such rain and quit in traffic, but only while crossing eight lane intersections. |
Falloutnl
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 03:50 am: |
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Is that RX7 yours as well, Forerunner? |
Forerunner
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 07:26 am: |
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Fallout,
Yes, sir. It is. THAT is my baby. First new car I ever bought(purchased in June 1994).
Still have her but since she, ahem, doesn't meet TX state emissions I've gotta wait til she's 24 years old when she's exempt before she'll pass inspection and can be registered... |
Crusty
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 07:30 am: |
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That'll be next year. |
Court
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 10:02 am: |
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I passed on the Mustang.
But . . . man did I learn a lot about vintage Mustangs in the last week.
I also got to meet 3 of the most amazing, and top in the nation, Mustang Restoration folks that could not have been more helpful.
Yesterday . . .as Dave from one of the top restoration firms in the nation briefed me on his opinion . . . he laughed an called me an "odd fellow". "How so?" I asked . . . "Most people call me AFTER they've bought the car".
One of the things I learned, and Cyclonedon had it pretty well nailed, is that the coupe and the convertible are two completely different animals.
The convertible is a unibody and, lacking the rigidity of the upper body work, gets all it's strength from the frame. While a couple may tolerate some rust . . . a convertible, with significant rust, is "just looking for a place to fold".
The giveaway was a shininess (I couldn't see it . . he knew to look for it) on the door strikes. Evidence, to the trained eye, that the process of "bowing" has begun.
Verdict . . . if you buy it for $10,000 . . . do not drive it until we do the rust. Figure $20,000 to do it since EVERYTHING has to be removed to do it. While it's off . . . you will decide to do the rest. Budget $40,000.
The search continues. |
Sifo
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 10:31 am: |
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My friends 65 came in a bit north of $45K on the restoration. You might budget $40K. Once you're committed to the process, it's hard to cheap out. It also took about 2 1/2 years. |
Court
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 12:04 pm: |
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I think $40-50K would be a reasonable budget. But, alas, having purchased 2 new cars the last month . . . I'm turning my quest back to a "driver 1059 MGA" . . . I have a love affair with the first car I ever stole.
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86129squids
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 03:33 pm: |
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OK Court, fuggetabout that 'Stang. That MG is Gawwwgis! Not to mention British Racing Green, such a great color. |
Chauly
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 03:59 pm: |
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It's got to be the last unoxidized MGA on the planet (certainly the NE). I have a friend who is restoring one in his garage. Slowly. |
Crusty
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 04:07 pm: |
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You know what they say about British sports cars; "You work on them all week long so that on Sunday, you can drive over to your friend's place to work on it." |
Ratbuell
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 06:59 pm: |
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...and "done" was a primary reason I bought the turbovan.
I sold a project to get it. Done? The project would be "worth more" according to NADA. But that would cost more time and money than it did to buy the van.
And I can turn a key and drive the van.
And selling the project paid for the van.
I still have one, apparently eternal, project - my 72 satellite wagon hemi swap project. It'll get done. One day. Meantime it's fun driving around in a goofball minivan.
EVERY "car guy's" head whips around when I go by in this damn thing. It's so....SILLY. I love it!
Glad you dodged a financial bullet there Court. The right one will just up and grab you by the short ones when the time is right. |
Airbozo
| | Posted on Thursday, February 23, 2017 - 08:27 pm: |
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Forerunner,
I hear ya on the smog stuff. Luckily my 1975 FJ40 is now exempt (anything 1975 and older in California). More luck since California stopped exempting cars and 1975 was the last year.
That FJ40 is also my 25 year project car. It drives OK and the mechanicals are top notch, but still need body and cosmetic work (along with power steering so the SO can drive it).
I LOVE that MG. One of my first girl friends had one (mustard yellow I think it was) and we had great times in it. Pretty amazing what we did in that car given the fact I am 6'2"...
I would also not own another British car though. Crusty nailed it. |
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