1979 Mustang Ghia Notchback

[Bryan Knebworth]

It's like they say in the antiques business--"Keep the original finish if you can!"

[Travis T]

If it still looks like it does in the first pictures you put up, I would try everything I could not to paint that one. Bet it will shine right up.

[84StangSVT]

Here's an update, gang. Help me stay on track with this. Where I'm at financially:

I've had my Ghia for 3 1/2 years now, and been unemployed for over two years. I now have sufficient funds in savings that covers the "living" expenses and we're getting a bigger than expected tax refund. Top off that with permission from my wife to, "Fix the Mustang and get it on the road so we have a third car to use," and I salivating at the LMR sales coupons I get in my email. I'm updating my project plan and am looking forward to spring break AND the end of semester. I am concentrating on the engine, transmission, and rear end sub-projects. The heater core, electrical and interior stuff will happen while those items are in the shop. I'd like to install new wiring, too, but that decision won't be made until I get started on the "big" stuff. I might even try to squeeze in a paint job, too, over the summer.

Hopefully, I won't lose momentum. I am really excited about this now and can't believe this might actually happen this summer. I'll be taking lots of photos so I don't forget where things are supposed to go and how they're routed. Prepare yourselves for the onslaught of questions that WILL be coming.

Congrats Craig! It's been a long time coming for you! I agree with the idea of just polishing it up as opposed to a repaint if the car still looks as good as when you first posted the pics as the repaint money can go a long ways in doing other little odds and ends to make it a reliable driver.

Keep us posted!

[IDMooseMan]

I'd love to polish it out, but there's a little surface rust beginning to appear on the top and in the sunroof area, especially around the water drains. I want the shop to look at it and see what they say. They're a Ford Paint and Body Shop and their work is guaranteed by Ford. To properly fix the rusted areas and have a guarantee, too, is a huge bonus. It's worth it to me to tow her over there and have them work up an estimate. If I could get them to come to me, that would even be better, but they're about 15 miles from my home, AND in another city.

If they can repair the rusted areas and buff out the paint, that might be a good project expenditure to make after I pull the drivetrain.

[Travis T]

If it's just surface rust, I've seen that removed with CLR believe it or not by people trying to salvage original finishes.

[foxylady]

Looking forward to the updates

[IDMooseMan]

Some of the rust formed where the paint was missing. The sunroof area really worries me. The drain tubes were pinched, so water (rain, snow-melt,etc.) pooled in the sunroof recess and worked its way into the headliner board (which I'm sure is now ruined) and dripped into the passenger compartment. When I saw the water dripping, I covered the sunroof with Saran wrap, a tarp, and the car cover and shoved a beach towel between the headliner board and roof after I dried up as much of the water as I could.

Edit:
Thanks, Amy. I'm getting excited about the build.

[Gemini1999]

Craig - if you've got minor surface rust, you should do what you can to remove/minimize it and keep the car clean and polished. I had a minor surface rust issue on my hood where the black paint and primer had allowed rust to form. I took care of it myself and I make a regular habit of washing the car once a month (at least) and waxing/polishing the car once a year. Even if you're not driving it, keeping it clean will keep minor things from becoming major things that requires the services of a body shop.

I for one, would love to see how your car cleans up. I'll bet it's a beauty.

[IDMooseMan]

Some of the rust that formed is where the paint had worn away and primer was showing. I've kept the car as clean as I could through the ID winters, but when the weather was expected to be rainy or snowy, the Saran wrap, tarp and car cover method was utilized. Keeping her on the driveway keeps the front end up to help drain water accumulation through the rear drain tubes. I'm hoping to use a rattle can to touch-up these spots before trying to polish out the paint. I would feel so much happier if I could touch-up the little spots and buff out the paint.

I need to find that paint supply store's contact info again and reestablish a dialogue with the owner. He was very helpful when I first contacted him. I liked it when he called my bluff when I tested him. When I talked to him the first time a while back. I told him my car was Vaquero and he asked me for the paint code. I told him "FZ" and he chuckled a bit. He said something like, "That's the interior code. I need the exterior paint code from the door tag." That raised his reputation in my opinion. I said 5W and he said no problem.

[Travis T]

Having owned many sunroof foxes, I bet your hinge pockets are leaking. There is a gasket between the plastic pocket and the body. I just scrape off the remnants and use RTV. If the headliner has been wet, this is a likely culprit too.

[IDMooseMan]

I agree. You can see the RTV that was used to "stop" previous leaks. I think the PO finally gave up on fixing it and that is why I got such a great deal when I purchased her. I don't mind fixing stuff. I just wish there was a bit of disclosure regarding the quality of repair attempted. I would've stored her in an entirely different manner if I would've known about the repair and if I had known what I was looking at when I first saw the repair. I thought the repair was fine. Until I parked the car facing down my driveway. Found out the hard way that a drain hose was pinched and the RTV was slopped on instead of a proper repair. I'll have to make sure that it is properly repaired this time around.

It's bedtime. Good night FEP. Sweet dreams of a sun-drenched drive down a winding, country road.

[mustangxtreme]

Sweet dreams of a sun-drenched drive down a winding, country road

My plans for today.

[IDMooseMan]

I'll be doing that, too, Dave. Very soon I hope. Sunroof open (maybe out and stored in the trunk) and windows down. Listen to that 2.3-liter "rumble" as I exit the turns. No, seriously. Be very quiet and listen really hard. You can hear it. I swear it's true.

[IDMooseMan]

Spring break begins next Sunday. I'm preparing to start another garage clean-up project in preparation for executing the project plans at semester end in May. I plan on full-time days dedicated to getting the Ghia roadworthy this summer. Susi bought her couch and loveseat, so I get to use some of the leftover tax refund for the project fund. This is going to be FUN!

[IDMooseMan]

Garage clean-up begins Monday.

My project plan is currently four pages long, but I think I'm going to concentrate on the engine first. The transmission swap and rear-gear swap will be a close second, depending on funds and time. I want to discuss with the engine shop my cost options and differences between a stock rebuild vs. the increased horsepower build I mentioned in my other thread, and the time it will take to complete the engine build. The engine is the primary project. I can work on the suspension stuff because I purchased the parts already, but haven't installed them yet. Rear shocks were already done, but still need to do the struts. Brakes are good, so it'll be bushings and bearings as needed. I'll probably call Ron Francis to ask about wiring harness options, too.

[TopGear85]

You could always have the machine shop do some porting and polishing and then add a turbo and exhaust. That would be a cool way to increase the power of your car, but still keep the 2.3 roots (rather than do a V8 swap or something like that). I think you have to figure out how you're gonna drive the vehicle....will it just be for cruising or do you want to hammer on it and have some fun? You also have to figure out how much extra power will be needed to have that fun, and whether it's cost effective to build your current engine. If you just want a nice looking cruiser than maybe you don't need any extra horses, but if the car is just too slow to have any fun with than we need to figure out what to do about that (but be smart about the cost and way of going about making the extra power).

[IDMooseMan]

That's my thought process, Mike. I don't want to go the turbo route. She's registered as a "Classic" car, which has some driving restrictions attached to that classification. I want to check with the engine shop to see what it costs to do a stock rebuild with head work and cam upgrade, and what it would cost to bore and stroke to 2.7L with the head work and cam upgrade. Then we discuss realistic horsepower/torque expectations. Once I have a better understanding of those costs and numbers, I can decide which direction to go.

Stock HP is 88, and that really just isn't enough for today's driving conditions, IMHO. The car will be driven to classes a couple days a week during the upcoming semester. I have three online classes and one class that meets twice a week. I need to get a feel for how closely the local law enforcement team looks at cars with "Classic" plates.

The car will see some spirited driving situations, but that is not her primary purpose. She'll primarily be used to get from Point A to Point B, but I'd like her have more than just a stock rebuild. Installing the Ranger header, swapping in a decent cam, and having some appropriate head work done should increase the HP/Torque numbers without breaking the bank too much. If I have to keep the stock 4-spd and rear gear set for now, so be it. I can upgrade those later. For now, she needs to be back on the road, and that means rebuilding the engine first, then addressing the other components.

I've had to scale way back on what I want to do with her, so the main goal is to get her on the road. 150 RWHP would be nice, but that is no longer the primary goal at this time.

[IDMooseMan]

Bringing this to the top to remind me what I'm trying to do and why. Not sure if this project is going to be put on hold again or if I should try to go ahead with the plan.

My younger cousin passed away of a heart attack recently. My aunt is dealing with it the best she can, but there are other "things" in play that I won't discuss here, except to say these "things" are delaying the final arrangements. This is going on in CA. Susi and I wanted to visit with my family. We'd bring along my youngest, if she's not running all over the West Coast with her college friends when we go, and my oldest is working to buy her own car, so she won't be joining us on the road-trip.

I've spoken with my aunt several times. She's aware of my situation (unemployed, etc., etc.) and understands how difficult things are for us at this time. So, do I spend my dwindling project funds on the Ghia as planned? Do I save the project funds to give us a buffer for the rest of the summer? Or, do I spend the project funds on the CA trip later this summer to visit family and say goodbye to my cousin?

These are the things that keep me awake at night. Case in point, I have a commitment tomorrow that I cannot miss. I'm still awake. My back, shoulder, hips and feet are screaming at me, (due to my commitments from earlier today (Friday)), to take another dose of pain medications. The previous dose isn't working well enough to help me sleep. If I take another dose this late, I may sleep through my alarm. If I don't take another dose, I may not get any sleep.

My mind is fatigued. My body is screaming at me. I think I'll go to bed and see which one wins. Sorry for the rambling and whining. I hope everyone has a great weekend.

[grabbergreen84]

She's aware of my situation (unemployed, etc., etc.) and understands how difficult things are for us at this time. So, do I spend my dwindling project funds on the Ghia as planned? Do I save the project funds to give us a buffer for the rest of the summer? Or, do I spend the project funds on the CA trip later this summer to visit family and say goodbye to my cousin?

Without question, save the funds for a buffer/emergancy, and try to scrounge up enough to take the trip out west in the meantime. The car will still be there when you are on steadier ground.

[IDMooseMan]

Yeah, logic dictates this is what I should do. Just having a bad week and needed to vent. Thanks for listening and offering some advice. I know what should be done, but it's good to hear from someone else that my decision is the logical decision.

[Travis T]

Yep, the car can always wait if it costs you nothing to store.

[grabbergreen84]

I'd still buy a decent cover for it, for now.

[IDMooseMan]

I was thinking either repair the rip and apply a water-proofing spray, OR buy another car cover.

I have a partial can of water-proofing spray. I'd probably have to buy another can or two to give it a good application AND buy an iron-on or similar rip repair kit. I think it would cheaper to buy a new car cover.

[IDMooseMan]

Hi everyone.

I'm bummed. It looks like I won't be getting the Mustang done as I had planned. Transferred more money out of savings this morning to cover living expenses. I may try to take the Mustang to the rear end shop to have the rear gear set swapped out. That way, I'll at least have one of the three primary sub-projects completed before winter.

Classes start up late next month, so I'm running out of time too. It's been too hot to work outside anyway. I don't have room in the garage and there is no cover on the driveway to provide shade. I don't think my neighbors would appreciate my use of power tools and air tools at 5:00 AM when it's cool enough to get a few hours of work done on the Mustang.

I am applying for a work-study position at the VAMC Boise. That doesn't help me immediately, but it will help, if I'm selected.

The alignment on my truck still does not feel quite right. I met with the insurance adjuster yesterday and explained my concerns. He found a local (Nampa) shop that can handle my truck size. The previous shop in Boise said my truck is too long to fit on their alignment rack.

No problem, I'd rather use a shop closer to my home anyway so I don't have to drive far and/or on the interstate. I have an appointment for the alignment next Monday. I hope this shop will have better luck than the other three shops.

[IDMooseMan]

Hi everyone.

We bought my youngest daughter, Jennifer, a car tonight. We finalize the deal Monday late-morning/early-afternoon and should be able to have it registered and such later that day. It's a 2001 Chevy Lumina. The car was in very good shape. Jennifer is happy with it and we'll be doing many more shakedown runs before she heads back to college in September.

My oldest, Salena, has an appointment to look at a car this Thursday. I'm seeing my Mustang Project Fund getting lower and lower. July is turning out to be an expensive month for me.