Nothing like a car meet to fuel the dream

I convinced my brother, a long time Mustang fan and owner, and my brother-in-law, a long time Camaro fan and owner, to join me at a Mustang Car Meet. While perusing the vehicles, we were lucky enough to meet Tony, a 1968 Mustang owner. Tony took an old coupe, converted it to a fastback and designed and build his own front frame and suspension system based on a 1989 Mustang Donor.

Tony encouraged me to investigate alternative suspension systems. The only ones I had seen to date were Mustang II derivatives or Coil-over conversions like TCP.

I got Tony's information to contact him on Vintage Mustang Forums. I now need to do some research.

Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action

Here's the basic plan. Seperate the project into several phases. Not all phase are defined here, but here is the general plan. I'll analye and refine the plan as I move forward. The plan is not date driven as there are too many variables in my life to adhere to data driven plans. However, my guestimate is this project will take about five years to complete given my current state of affairs.

Phase 1 - Disassembly
Phase 2 - Frame and Chassis Infrastucture
Phase 3 - Chassis and Suspension Build
Phase 4 - Body Components
Phase 5 - Braking
Phase 6 - Driveline
Phase 7 - Interior
Phase 8 - Disassembly and Paint
Phase 9 - Reassembly
Phase 10 - Drive!

Each of these phases will be laid out in more detail. However, Phase 1 is ready to go!

Most of the car had been previously disassembled. The engine had been removed 30 years ago, some interior components such as the seats, wheels and front suspension. Since the nose and front suspension was demolished in the accident, these were removed long ago.

I began by photographing what was left before disassembly. Here are some pics.

Here is a rear shot with the Fiberglass Deck Lid/Caps, shaved gas cap and 1966 Pontiac GTO taillights

The FiberFab Street E/T Nose

The FiberFab Street E/T Nose

Next, disassembly and evaluation of the shell.

Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put this plan into action

Napolian Hill

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step

Where do I start? How about a plan. The problem with a plan is that I do not have a concrete set of requirements. Having been working in Software development all my life, we work through a fairly organized set of steps from project initiation, requirements definition, software development, testing and implementation. This is call a Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC). There are many variations of SLDCs to create a software product. I'm sure that similar steps are used in many other aspects of product development. The product that I am developing is the resurrection of "The Custom".

The Custom is my 1965 Mustang with many custom features that improved on acceleration, handling, looks and more. My guess is that most of the custom features occurred before 1972 or so. I bought the car in 1979. It was in our town in a garage since 1974 or so. Mark Fransen, a local in our town, said he found it in a barn and was already customized. This was around 1974. Here is a list of features:

• Fiberfab Street E/T nose
• Shaved door handles and key lock
• Electric Solenoid operated door opening (pretty trick for 1972)
• Shaved Gas Cap and Truck Lock
• Electric Solenoid operated truck (again, pretty trick for 1972, commonplace now)
• Fiberglass Deck Lid and End Caps with spoiler
• Shelby GT350 Quarter Side Windows
• Shelby GT350 Quarter Side Scoops
• 1966 Pontiac GTO Taillights, converted to sequential signal like T-Birds
• 289 K-Motor
• Holley 715 CFM Carb
• Cobra Manifold
• Cobra Valve Covers
• Cobra Air Cleaner
• Cobra Aluminum 7-quart "T" Oil Pan
• Headers
• Doug Thorley Side Pipes
• 1968 390 Toploader 4-speed
• Scattershield
• Driveshaft Safety Loop
• Hurst Line Lock
• Chrome Shock Mounts
• Chrome Alternator Mounts
• Tuck & Roll Black Leather interior
• Chrome Roll Bar
• Chrome Leaf Spring (yes, Chrome Leaf Springs!!)
• 3.89 gears
• Shackle kit
• Traction Bars
• Custom Aluminum Radiator

Not many cars in those days were this heavily modified unless the were racing. Of course now they are called "Restomods" or "Pro-Touring" cars.

So my dillema is...how should I rebuild The Custom that I crashed into a tree thirty years earlier? Should I restore is as it was or upgrade to many new technology components along with retaining some of the old look and feel? I will take the latter approach.

For the last year or so I have been researching various options for The Custom rebuild. It made sense to define my goals as to what the car should be. First, I would like the exterion of the car to look very much like it did in 1979. I think the addition of rear flares that match the front flares of the FiberFab would be appropriate. Secondly, I would like to have the car setup with the latest in suspension and braking with a goal of an open track car that must also retain reasonable streetability. Next, the interior would be modernized, again with open track as the primary goal, but still streetable. The next component will be the engine. This is the toughest decision as all is based on cost. Ideally, I would like something like a Roush 427 IR, but that's a $20k+ motor. The budget will probably have to stop at $10K, which should allow a lot of flexibility. Also, the tranny will probably be the old Toploader with an eye toward a 5 or 6 speed in the future...again, budget limitations. Finally, the car will be blue with white stripes...can help it...it's classic.

Let's list some it out.

Body:

1. Restore the FiberFab Street E/T nose. This was the key to making this car unique. Research has led me to a couple other owners of the rare pieces. Now, rare does not necessary mean valuable...value is different to everyone.
2. Rebuld shaved door handles and door key lock
3. Rebuild shaved gas cap and truck key lock
4. Retain rear fiberglass deck lid and caps with spoiler
5. Retain Shelby GT350 quarter panel scoops
6. New Shelby GT350 quarter panel windows.
7. New read quarter flares
8. Rebuild taillight panel and retain 66 Pontiac GTO taillights (very unique)

Chassis:

1. Haven't investigated enough yet...need modern handling.

Uni-body

1. New front frame rails
2. Custom shock towers and inner fender panels (FiberFab nose)
3. New front frame cross member
4. Custom radiator support (again, necessary due to slope of FiberFab nose)
5. New Firewall. Possible custom flat firewall. Also possible to relocate back 2-6 inches for possible engine set back
6. New cowl
7. New full floor pan from convertible
8. Add convertible inner rocker panels for support
9. Add torque boxes.
10. Sub Frame Connectors.
11. Custom rocker jacking rails
12. Custom SFC to rocker jacking rails triangulated bracing

DriveLine

1. Engine will be Ford 351 W based - 400+ hp and 400+ lb-ft torque
2. TopLoader Wide Ratio. Later a 5 or 6 speed based on budget
3. Ford Nine-inch with Traction-Lok or other. Gearing TBD

Brakes - Must be 4 wheel disc, 4-piston fixed caliper, 13" vented, non-drilled rotors.

1. AP Racing
2. Griggs 4-on4
3. Brembo
4. Performance Friction
5. CNC
6. Other?

Interior - Functional for racing, barely comfortable for street

1. Dual purpose racing/ street seats
2. Shelby R-Model like gauge setup
3. Carpet? Maybe
4. Initial, minimal roll bar. Possible 6-point cage later
5. Shelby Rear Package Tray
6. 6-Point seat belt harness

There are still many decisions to be made, and many details not outline here. But this is the first step in moving forward. I've outlined many of the basic requirements for the build. Now, I need a true plan of action.

BTW, Happy Birthday Me! I turned 50 today...I've got 50 more to go!

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Lao-tzu (604 BC - 531 BC)

Don't wait. The time will never be just right.

The Custom was special. I wrecked the car and stored it. I've been tossing this around for thirty years. I was always dreaming on how to fix it and make it special again. Fifteen years ago I bought a beat up 66 Mustang coupe as a donor for "The Custom". I completely disassembled the car and determine what could be salvaged.

Then I had an idea! I was going to build "new" old Mustangs. I went to the 30th Mustang Anniversary at Charlotte Motor Speedway (1994), went to Carlise to meet vendors, created my own Mustang Restoration company with the goal of creating "new" Mustangs in a kit car format. Working with Mustang restoration vendors, I determined that about 80% of the components to build a car from scratch existed. The rest of the components could come from donor cars or be fabricated. I could build and sell rolling chassis or even completed cars. I just couldn't find a way to make it profitable...now you have companys like Dynacorn selling an entire shell to $16k

I let my dream go...

Now, thirty years have passed since my life flashed before my eyes and my 50th is only four days away...

I thought about my first goal...rebuild "The Custom". Time to get started.

"Don't wait. The time will never be just right."
Napoleon Hill

There is a God

The Custom...I saw it...I wanted it...I had to have it...I bought it...I drove it...FAST...and I smashed it into a tree at a high rate of speed. I was about 1/4 mile from my house. The front was demolished. I was bleeding profusely. I ran home to my parents house, grabbed some gauze and applied pressure. My face was bleeding due to a deep cut between my nose and upper lip. What? I just hit a tree head on at a high rate of speed and I've only have one cut above my upper lip? What? I had no seat belt on, snapped the steering wheel in half with my face and lived!

There is a God and he spared me that day...

...my car didn't do so well.

Maybe I should have paid attention to the message on the Inspection sticker!

The Custom

Sure there are a lot of cars out there with a lot of custom features. But this car was sitting in a garage in my town for a couple of years. The garage door was open and the tail of this car was sticking out...what are those tail lights? Is that a Shelby in there?

Finally the car came out one day as a local purchased it from the other local and...

What kind of Mustang is that? It looks like a Shelby...wait, no...the front looks a little like a SuperBird...or more like a GT40...no...what is that nose? It's fiberglass and all one piece and it looks like a shark? It's a Fiberfab Street E/T front end...What are those tail lights...not Shelby or T-Bird or Cougar...66 Pontiac GTO tail lights on a Mustang?...is that a chrome roll bar? Is that tuck and roll leather interior? Where are the door handles? How do you get in? Is that a fiberglass rear deck lid and caps with a spoiler? Where is the gas cap and trunk key? Shelby quarter windows and rear brake scoops? Open the hood...I've got to see what's under there...is that a real Shelby motor with the 7 quart aluminum T oil pan and Cobra air cleaner and valve covers? I hear the clack, clack, clack of solid lifters...

What kind of car is that?

"The Custom"