New guy with project car

[msell66]

Nice! I’m jealous of the heated garage.

 

[HeliGuy]

So now that we know your dad did a little work on this car way back in '76 you MUST share the backstory/history on the car. Wagering there is some long family heritage involved. These are the best kind of story.

My grandmother bought it from a friend she worked with around 1970 who was the original owner since new. She drove it until 1975-76 and then gave it to my older sister as she was about to turn sixteen.
It was at this point my dad swapped the 289 for a 302 and honed his fiberglass skills on the battery apron and floorboards. To his credit, it did stabilize everything to where it didn't progress any further although far from a permanent fix.
My sister drove it throughout high school and college then in 1981 it was put in storage until she gave it to my brother I believe sometime in the late 90's with the intention he would eventually put it back on the road. He did get started on it and pretty much stripped it down to what you see in the picture then health issues put a halt to any progress and we discussed me taking it over. After his passing in 2017 we put it on a trailer while still sitting on the rotisserie and hauled it from Texas to Alabama. I sure there must have been a few "What the hell" comments with us looking like The Beverly Hillbillies going down the interstate.
After 5 years of looking at it I have come to realize if I don't do something with it then most likely it wouldn't ever get done. So over Christmas leave I started planning, purchasing parts and jumped in on the first rusted sheetmetal/fiberglass replacement. I've learned that I would much rather deal with rusty metal than fiberglass for sure.

Funny story, I remember as a 6 year old and visiting my grandmother for the summer, I would take the large marshmallows and packing them in the tailpipe to see them blowout when she would start it. The stupid stuff you remember.

 

[Horseplay]

I knew there was a great history waiting to be told. So now you MUST finish it. You're at the worst (or least fun stage) right now. For most anyway. It can be slow and dirty. Challenging depending on skill set and experience. Just keep working. Even a little work is still progress. Before long you'll be bolting on suspension parts, etc. and then it becomes a lot more fun. You can start to visualize the finish line, so to speak. Read somewhere once something like 5% of projects like yours started by a guy in his garage ever get completed by the same hobbiest. You've found the right place for a good support network here at the Fix. We are all those top 5 percenters. Many, multiple times over. Back to the garage!

 

[B67FSTB]

First , I love the 67's. Second , very nice story ! Love it !
Like Horseplay said, step by step. Things I would say also is , keep your workplace clean as possible after every job you did on the stang.
It encourage you to go further on into the restauration. Remember , that car has a family history !
Once the rust is gone , its downhill from there.

 

[tarafied1]

my 67 (while not as far back as yours) has been in my possession more than half my life now. And it went from teenager HS driver/project to "I think I will race it" to being a shelf in the garage and on and on I could go. But one thing that helped me keep going was I never had the approach that I had to make perfect before I could drive it. I did things to it, drove it in classic redneck form, did more things. Redid some things, undid some things, changed and added things but I always tried to keep it drivable. Even in ruff crusty form they can be fun to drive and get attention. And being able to just go out in the garage and start it can be motivation some times. Just food for thought...

 

[janschutz]

welcome here!

 

[KBMWRS]

"take the large marshmallows and packing them in the tailpipe to see them blowout "

This will be fun for Hot August Nights in Reno.....time to go buy some marshmallows!

 

[msell66]