Long time member, I've read and "LIked" many posts but seldom post myself. It feels like home to me here although I've only met a few of you in person. It's time to increase that level of participation.
I've been wanting to create a Build Thread for the Mustang for some years now. However, it just continues to sit in the garage and gather a thick layer of dust. No more. I'm digging it out and will get it moving under it's own power for the first time in about 20 years. Here is part of the story,....and hopefully, documentation of the return to glory.
This car and I go back a ways. Way back to 1985 when in 10th grade I got to drive it out of the showroom of Johnson Ford in Denham Springs, LA. It was "just" an LX , not the GT that my teenage self lusted after, but it did have the 5.0 HO engine and the t-tops were ultra cool at the time. The automatic was not desirable, but I finally had that HO 5.0 Mustang that I had dreamed of.
In the late '80's our family moved to the Atlanta, GA area, and in the late '90's my wife and I moved to the Dallas, TX area where the stang resides to this day.
This was my daily driver do everything car before becoming mostly a work vehicle. The AOD split an input shaft along the way and it sat for a year or so until repair. After marriage and kids came along it was mostly just a get me to work car. At some point the original engine was replaced with a rebuilt long block. All completely stock replacement parts.
Coming home from work one Friday evening in 2004 the lower radiator hose blew out on 635 in a construction zone with no emergency lane to pull over in. By the time we reached an exit and got to a place to pull over the engine seized as it coasted to a stop. After letting it cool for an hour or 2 the engine turned over enough to start. With rags zip tied around the hole in the lower hose and a gallon of water poured it it limped home with a few stops to keep it just under the overheating mark. The engine was toasted. The car has been parked since. It made the move in 2007 on a trailer and hasn't moved under it's own power since.
Over the years all of the necessary (used) parts have been collected to get it back on the road but one thing or another kept that from happening, mostly procrastination, divorce, child support, being a single father, lack of funds, remarriage, life, and more procrastination.
The summer of 2023 is the time for change. Funding will allow. Time is tight due to lots of travel for work. Motivation is present and I would love to drive this car again,.....with upgrades.
Crack a beer or 3 and follow along. Chime in. Help and encouragement will definitely be appreciated along the way.
Jonathan
I've been wanting to create a Build Thread for the Mustang for some years now. However, it just continues to sit in the garage and gather a thick layer of dust. No more. I'm digging it out and will get it moving under it's own power for the first time in about 20 years. Here is part of the story,....and hopefully, documentation of the return to glory.
This car and I go back a ways. Way back to 1985 when in 10th grade I got to drive it out of the showroom of Johnson Ford in Denham Springs, LA. It was "just" an LX , not the GT that my teenage self lusted after, but it did have the 5.0 HO engine and the t-tops were ultra cool at the time. The automatic was not desirable, but I finally had that HO 5.0 Mustang that I had dreamed of.
In the late '80's our family moved to the Atlanta, GA area, and in the late '90's my wife and I moved to the Dallas, TX area where the stang resides to this day.
This was my daily driver do everything car before becoming mostly a work vehicle. The AOD split an input shaft along the way and it sat for a year or so until repair. After marriage and kids came along it was mostly just a get me to work car. At some point the original engine was replaced with a rebuilt long block. All completely stock replacement parts.
Coming home from work one Friday evening in 2004 the lower radiator hose blew out on 635 in a construction zone with no emergency lane to pull over in. By the time we reached an exit and got to a place to pull over the engine seized as it coasted to a stop. After letting it cool for an hour or 2 the engine turned over enough to start. With rags zip tied around the hole in the lower hose and a gallon of water poured it it limped home with a few stops to keep it just under the overheating mark. The engine was toasted. The car has been parked since. It made the move in 2007 on a trailer and hasn't moved under it's own power since.
Over the years all of the necessary (used) parts have been collected to get it back on the road but one thing or another kept that from happening, mostly procrastination, divorce, child support, being a single father, lack of funds, remarriage, life, and more procrastination.
The summer of 2023 is the time for change. Funding will allow. Time is tight due to lots of travel for work. Motivation is present and I would love to drive this car again,.....with upgrades.
Crack a beer or 3 and follow along. Chime in. Help and encouragement will definitely be appreciated along the way.
Jonathan
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