need input on something....

"PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power" (petarvn)
03/29/2016 at 22:23 • Filed to: None

So, I have an opportunity to buy a car that I like quite a bit on paper. it’s a 1967 ford mustang coupe (not fastback) with a 289 and a 3-speed auto. On paper, it sounds good:
-engine rebuilt recently.
-updated suspension
-new tires and wheels
-straight body...

The thing is it’s old and carbed. how bad of an idea would this be as something that’s daily driven a short distance? long distance? would it be bad to park outside (which I’d do...) when it’s cold out? any notes appreciated.

note: I probably won’t buy it, but for $10K it’s a bit of a steal....

(basically what the car looks like)

DISCUSSION (30)

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 22:27

If you can afford it I would pull the trigger. It’s a cool car and a pretty good looking year IMO.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars
03/29/2016 at 22:30

I'd have to sell the GLI for it. that's the issue. I can't keep it as a 2nd car. it's daily it or not buy it.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 22:31

Ehhh I would not be the best person to ask then. My family has 8 cars for 4 people. Fellow Opponauts do your work.

jkm7680 > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 22:31

not worth it

Gone > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 22:31

Distance won’t make a big deal. Will be a but more tiring to drive regardless - louder, more steering corrections, more resistant to inputs for gas/brakes/steering, etc. How cold? Make sure the choke works and also carry a can of ether. Also be sure there’s a spare and jack. And the spare is usable. And that there’s a functioning heater.

Bag with basic tools and spares in the trunk and battery cables or maybe a jump start setup. Should be fine. People did it for decades. :)

lone_liberal > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 22:34

I think it’s very cool but I know I wouldn’t rely on it as a DD if you would need it to get to work or anything like that. I’ve done it and you’re always waiting for the next thing to break because 50 year old things break down (don’t I know it). If you could get away with it being down for a while without it causing issues then it wouldn’t be so bad.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 22:35

That is a horrible idea for a daily in the PNW just saying.

Steve in Manhattan > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 22:36

Remember, these cars are a product of their time - crap brakes, loose steering, based on an economy car. At minimum you’d have to get it up in the air and see what’s underneath. There might be a lot of stuff that’s worn out despite the shiny exterior.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > lone_liberal
03/29/2016 at 22:36

I probably could (at the expense of my mother's temper....) but nevertheless, it's tempting....

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > Steve in Manhattan
03/29/2016 at 22:38

that’s the idea; take it to a mechanic to get it looked over.
It does have drum brakes (lord help me...) but they were re-done as recently as 2011, according to the past owner. a disc conversion would be necessary though.

Your boy, BJR > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 22:38

$10k isn't really a steal dude, it's about market price.

lone_liberal > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 22:42

They are easy to fix and carbs aren’t as terrible as you think. After all they were used in cars for 80 years and people managed to get where they were going. It’s just not going to be as reliable or as comfortable as something built in this century.

Steve in Manhattan > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 22:48

And the strange thing is you have to save the old parts, because if you want to sell it to a fan boy, it has to be stock. Drove a Falcon back in the 80s, also drove a ‘68 Mustang at some point. I recall having trouble keeping both cars in the lane I was driving in .... The Mustang was definitely a bit tighter, however.

RyanFrew > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 22:53

As the owner of that exact car, I say go for it. You’ll def want to upgrade brakes and steering, though, if it’s a DD.

Liam Farrell > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 22:57

Kind of how we ended up with the Land Rover, saw it for super cheap and decided to scoop it up. As long as you have another reliable and comfortable car, you should definitely go buy this thing.

I’m planning on DD my rover the 2 miles to school everyday and leave it outside. (I live in New England)

Although the the rover got a bunch of work it needed done to drive safely, that probably won't need that.

camaroboy68ss > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 23:05

just because they are fresh brakes doesn’t make them stop any better, I would never daily drive a old car with 4 wheel drums, mainly due to the other people on the road. you can never panic stop and trying to keep a safe distance with a classic car leaves enough room to constantly be cut off. Plus if they are not power brakes then they can get really hot and then not be able to stop. I know from experience

Party-vi > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 23:07

I would not daily drive this unless you’re disciplined enough to keep greater following distances and practiced in pumping your brakes (as well as pumping the gas to start it). I can’t think of something easier to work on than an old car like this, but it’s not going to make particularly safe daily driver.

That being said, I would daily drive the Willys if it wouldn’t use 9 gallons of gas a day on my commute.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > RyanFrew
03/29/2016 at 23:08

it’d be one cool DD, I’m just kinda worried about the comfort of it... :)

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > camaroboy68ss
03/29/2016 at 23:09

it would be upgraded to discs as soon as possible if I buy it, that's for sure

camaroboy68ss > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 23:13

with a carbureted car in the winter need to make sure it has a properly working choke and then will a lot of cars that all the seals do seal and that the windshield and rear window are not leaking. I am not a expert on a mustang but from working with a lot of GM muscle cars of the mod to late 60's, if the glass has never been replaced or resealed recently then it could be leaking and causing rust because a lot of these interior crevices were poorly sealed to keep out corrosion and rust. plus a fresh paint job can hide a lot of hidden shoddy bodywork. if serious about the car then take a weak kitchen magnet and see if it sticks to common rust areas. if the magnet fails to stick then there is a lot of body filler in that location meaning there is either rust that’s filled with bondo or a dent that wasn’t properly fixed. when looking at old car you have to think about a lot more things that does it run good and function. you have to try and spot future issues that could crop up quickly after buying the car.

RyanFrew > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 23:16

Honestly, I don’t think you need to worry about that, as long as you make some modern upgrades.

Sean Costello > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 23:19

I have a 66 with a new 302 (carbed) and T-5 tranny as a DD for not Winter. Replaced the front drums with Discs and stopping isnt a problem. Mine also has no; sound deading, A/C, Heat/defrost, or any fans for the interior. I also have manual steering, brakes, (and obviously) transmission, so it definitely took a bit of getting used to. But since it’s ~2400lbs, I did have an accident last year in the rain in the cold and just had to reskin my driver side door, but other than that its do-able. Just have to weatherproof it all, since rust is a big issue.

Sean Costello > Sean Costello
03/29/2016 at 23:21

Also blows through gas like it’s cool, so take that into account too.

StoneCold > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 23:26

Like what Rolland said, this is about average price, maybe a little high if those are the ONLY upgrades to it.

If it doesn’t have electronic ignition (look under the distributor cap, or look for wires leading through the side of the cap), that’s $200 or so. Fords are easier to deal with points, but points are still a pain in the ass.

Disc brake upgrade is $800ish, $1,000 if you want power brakes, which you do. Dual reservoir master cylinder at MINIMUM if it still has single which is $150ish but the previous owner is dumb if he hasn’t switched it out yet.

The only cold-weather mod you can really do is an old school electronic fuel pump (8-10 psi), which makes cold starting a million times better (and frees up some horsepower) for only $50. The trade off is that you have to wire it right and redo some gas lines.

With power brakes, electronic ignition and fuel pump, and a fan shroud if it doesn’t have one, it would be a fine DD.

Just get a car cover, or else you’ll be replacing metal under the front cowl and welding in new torque boxes. Torque boxes are not fun to put in. At all.

Rust spots to look for:

-Wheel wells (including the trunk dropoffs on each side of the gas tank)

-Rocker panels

-Under the cowl (the louvered thing between the windshield and the hood)

Feel free to ask me any other questions!

StoneCold > StoneCold
03/29/2016 at 23:29

Also, any part for this car is extremely cheap. Sheet metal, engines, interior parts, everything. The only thing that is really expensive is a new wiring harness, but that’s true of any car.

I Will Always Be The Honey Badger > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 23:41

Buy it. Holley’s new Sniper EFI system is out now I think. $1000 buys you a drop-on self-learning fuel injection setup that’s as easy to install as a carb and gets you new-car startup and dependability (at least as long as the fueling is concerned). I’d also do an ignition upgrade to get rid of the points and a front disc upgrade. They don’t handle very well in stock form, but there’s a million suspension companies making parts for those cars.

Bandit - destroyed his car > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/29/2016 at 23:51

I did old, carb’d, DD.

For Sweden > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/30/2016 at 00:29

You buy it and you buy it now these aren’t getting any cheaper

f86sabre > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/30/2016 at 08:27

They are surprisingly comfortable.

If you keep it up properly it should be a fine DD. Easy to work on, lots of fordable parts. If you DD in the cold just be careful of salted roads. They will eat that car. Also, they SUCK on ice. Let me repeat, they SUCK on ice.

I had a 68 for my first car. Drove it from 1990-1996 or so every day.

haveacarortwoorthree2 > PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power
03/30/2016 at 09:17

That’s a requirement if you want to DD this. In my 66 Mustang, you’d have to plan two blocks ahead if you wanted to stop! :) I loved that car, though.