Rust-O-Ration

This is about the best I can do with the "before" pictures. I didn't have a camera for the trip to get her and didn't think to get a shot of the chassis on the trailer in front of the house. The garage doesn't make for the best shots either (330 sq foot). I now have a digital camera and don't have to wait for processing to see that the shot didn't turn out (close up of welds), only costs batteries=more money to spend on the car!

As you can tell, I am restoring a Convertible (1967 6cyl, 3spd) I picked up for a whopping $400 out of the Vintage Mustang Classifieds online. It has some cool options like pop open gas cap, turn signal hood, lots of extra chrome, a new steering wheel in the box and interior vinyl in a box to boot. Funny what guys will bring home if the price is right. It is one of those projects that you have totally no intention of undertaking till the "make me an offer" is accepted for reasonable. Hey, I looked at plenty of assembled convertibles for 10 X the price and barely ran...still not sure who got who though. Currently the weather is perfect for some top down fun and I have entered year two of the project. I have two baby girls keeping me busy (not to mention a wife and 60 hour a week job + honey do's around the house) so I don't get the time I really want to get the project further.

This web page is no means a guide on how to do a restoration and believe me, I know things I've done wrong and many things I could do better. This is rather a documentation of what I have been through so far as to scare some and inspire others. I welcome your questions and comments on my commitment to my car and why I should, in fact, be committed. I had never done a restoration before. I had never welded before. I had never done most of this! I am an enthusiast that opened his mouth and "made an offer" for a car that needs a complete Rust-O-Ration. Including Torque boxes (TB's), inner rocker panels, floor pans, frame patch panel on passenger side, front frame extension, battery tray/apron, and perhaps a few things I haven't found yet. DO NOT DO LIKE I DO! I don't want to be responsible for the injuries and divorce court. But most of all, ENJOY your Mustang and laugh at mine and what I am going (and have gone) through.

Cheers!

Mark Vincent

If you look close (on the passenger side by the rocker panel) you can see the "patch panel" the previous owner put in the floor. This was to be the death of the rocker panels as welding and not re-finishing promoted a lot of rust. The green is NOT original. She is going to be returned to Brittany blue with the dual blue interior. (anyone want to trade new saddle interior for blue)? The pervious owner purchased the car in '77 and drove her till '91 when they started a restoration. She sat disassembled till I took her home in March of '99 in side a denim "barracks" style garage in the DC area (the only thing left on the chassis was the brake distribution block). Nothing was labeled or sorted. They used blue tubs to hold the parts while the engine and transmission sat under their work bench (much like it is my garage). Land lord said it had to go, another trailer was to occupy it's spot, I was there at the right (wrong?) time. The rest is in the web page.

This shot was taken as I attempted to catalog the parts that came with the "project." Note the blue tubs on the floor to the right of the photo. I am a mountain bike enthusiast, as you can tell from the foreground, hanging from my ceiling are several of my other hobbies. I have only been biking three times since I bought the car :(

Driver side of the car (floors)

Floor removed

Torque Box removed

New Torque Box installed

TB and Floor extension installed/primed

Floor fitting

Floor installed

Floor primed

Passenger side of car (floors)

Floor removed

Torque Box and rocker panel removal

Rocker panel and TB out