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06/10/2020
What is it that causes forgotten memories to stir in their sleep? What is it that calls to us in that wild place where no words are spoken? What is it that awakens passion and lights a flame in the eyes? What is it that suddenly transports the mind from present reality to a moment forever lost in time? Perhaps an old song, or a familiar scent from childhood . Maybe it's the way a place feels, or the sound of shared laughter heard from another room.
Sometimes it's an old car. The mechanical click of a door latch releasing under my thumb. The weight of the door in my hand and its vocal protest as I pull it open. The squeak of suspension as I settle into the drivers seat and feel with my right hand for the loose seatbelt. The rattle of inner mechanisms as the door slams shut. I breathe in the old dashboard plastics, rubber seals, oils and richly burned fuel. My fingers grasp the single, metal key, turning it, half-surprised when the engine catches on the first try and eagerly jumps to life. Other days a light feathering of the pedal is required, or pulling the choke. All of it is an adventure. None of it is dull or mundane. The rumble from two Flowmasters is gratifying and mellow. I can feel the car alive through the seat.
My right hand falls to the black plastic shift knob and my left hand grasps the rim of thin wood on the Grant steering wheel. The gauges read good, some having been installed after the 52 year old originals finally failed. Clutch in, first gear, pop the parking brake, and release. The car rolls forward on soft springs and old shocks, suspension squeaking down the curb at the end of the driveway. I pull hard on the unassisted steering wheel at these slow speeds. Tip into the throttle, smooth power band, well tuned carb, elbow out the window, breeze swirling through the cabin. Shift into second, then third, engine singing its freedom song. Grinning. Remembering. I lean hard into the brakes, giving plenty of space and time for the four drums to do their work, the engine lending aid as I downshift into second. I take a left at the stop sign and travel half a blissful mile before noticing my turn signal is still blinking. If you don't do it yourself in this car, it doesn't get done. It's a part of the charm and a siren call to a different age.
Sal is a 1968 Ford Mustang. We originally named him Sally after the classic tune "Mustang Sally", when we thought he was a she. It took a day or two to figure out, but Sally became Sal, and that was that. From the factory, Sal was painted Lime Green Metallic and was ordered from a dealer in Texas with a 289 V-8 mated to a 3-speed manual transmission. It was decided at that time not to spend money on silly things like power steering or air conditioning. In 1989 his then current owner decided to strip him down completely and coat him in Raven Black. Sal's original 289 was freshened at that point and upgraded to burn unleaded fuel. In 2001, at 75,000 original miles, he was sold to a family in Tennessee. They swapped out the old 3-speed for a more modern Borg Warner T5 transmission and 3:55 gears. A Holley 650cfm 4 barrel carb was mounted onto an Edelbrock intake manifold, and headers replaced the original exhaust manifolds. Later, an aluminum radiator and electric fan were fitted. GT wheels were also installed in place of the factory steel rims. All of the old parts, including transmission, shifter handle, taillights, air cleaner, carburetor, and intake were stored away in case of a later restoration.
In the mid 2000's, the clutch linkage failed. A tow company was called, and Sal was loaded on a flatbed. The operator failed to secure him and as a result the front left fender and bumper made contact with the tow truck. Insurance paid for it, but the original sheetmetal had to be replaced as well as the bumper. Some grill trim was replaced at that time, but saved along with the other parts. His story from Texas to Tennessee spanned over 50 years and two owners. My part in his story begins in Memphis.
I was on my way home from dropping Indy off with her new owner in Florida. I had hoped to find something interesting to take back with me on the trailer, but really wasn't having much luck down there. I drove up to Memphis and stayed with my brother, Anders, where he and I scoured the classifieds. After day two of looking at and driving cars, I had narrowed it down to two. A black C3 Corvette automatic with 52,000 miles on it that was being sold for an estate, or a black 1968 Ford Mustang 289 manual with 80,000 miles. The Corvette was a safer bet, but as I closed my eyes and imagined them side by side, I heard the call of the wild. It was the Mustang which stirred those sleeping dreams and sparked a fire in me. It wasn't the safe bet, but it was the good choice. I answered the call and haven't looked back.
07/06/2020
After a month of ownership, Sal is still a favorite to take out on cruises. He gets attention up from old and young alike. On the highway, a group of young men in BMW's hung out their windows to look and thumbs up their approval. In my driveway, an old man out for a walk with his wife stops and asks if he can take a closer look, telling stories of Mustangs in his past. Sal brings smiles, most of all to me.
I took him to a local shop last week to have them look him over and had the axle seals and rear differential cover gasket replaced. It was leaking a bit, and I didn't want oil messing with the brakes.
A couple other things I am addressing is the fitment of the hood and front left fender. The body shop who replaced the fender, was not familiar with old cars and as a result the fitment is off a bit. I have an appointment with a local restoration company who will take care of that small detail.
While I was at the classic car restoration shop, the owner inspected Sal, and declared him to be a very clean, solid driver. A life lived indoors in the south kept Sal well preserved! The frame, floors and trunk are in excellent shape, notwithstanding a couple small rust bubbles around the drivers side rear wheel opening. The last restoration and color change was in 1989, so I say not bad!
The trunk and inner fenders are spotless for a 50 year old car! What an amazing thing to survive so long in such great condition. It shows that both his past owners loved him.
The drivers seat has a couple of splits where the seams come together, so I have ordered new upholstery for all the seats!
The rubber window seals have been recently replaced, except for the windshield and rear window. They show signs of dry rotting, but are not leaking. I have the replacements which will go with the car.
The engine is tight but showed light seeping of oil on a few gaskets. I've gone ahead and replaced the valve cover and fuel pump gaskets which has solved the problem. Its a tight little 289 and runs so smoothly!
A well-tuned 650cfm Holley and Edelbrock Performer intake unlock some of the 289's high revving potential.
Long tube headers run past a rust-free frame rail, sending the exhaust through twin Flowmasters before exiting below the rear valance. I replaced those old plugs and wires just to be on the safe side. He sounds wonderful!
7/07/2020
So I've decided on a few things. Sal's paint is getting buffed and ceramic coated a week from today. I really want to be ready to sell him after that, but have decided to address a couple issues first. The pitting in the chrome of the rear bumper and door handles is bothering me, so I've ordered new ones. The rear valance was slightly dented from a light tap by another motorist many years ago. I replaced it with a reproduction panel when I put the new rear bumper on and it looks much better.
I have always been fascinated by the technology and engineering of yesteryear and how that was blended with the style and designs of the time. This is me geeking out over a few on Sal...
I have been sending my brothers updates on my progress. Just for fun, I've posted some of them here for your enjoyment. Please forgive me.
Some underbody shots of the back of the engine. Everything was very clean with only a bit of grease and oil sprayed from the driveshaft when it was previously installed during the T5 conversion. The back of the valve cover was seeping, but I was able to replace the worn out cork gasket with an updated plastic version which can be reused if you need to remove the covers for whatever reason.
Speaker technology has come a long way! The old dash speaker vs. the new one....
When I removed the old, faded carpet, what I uncovered was a really good floor. The rust you see here is all surface rust on solid original pans.
I started treating the back seat floors with POR-15. There was very little to do, but I erred on the side of caution. you never know when these will see the light of day again!
More foolishness....
Here I am test-fitting the carpet over new sound-deadening material.
The upholstery project was a hard decision. I wasn't sure if it was something I had time for, but once the seats were out and the carpet was revealed to be more faded than I thought, it made sense to just do it all. The car only had about 5,000 miles on it since the painting and upholstering in 1989, but that's a lot of years for plastic and vinyl to degrade. It is so nice now and needs very little to be perfect. My dream would be to put new tires on him and hit the road somewhere far away. That would be a blast. Maybe next time....
07/17/2020
Sal is at the detailer's getting his paint buffed and protected! I had a few minutes to post some video's for the first time. These were really only meant for my brothers, but they give a unique glimpse into my process. I have had fun working on this car with the thought that someone is so going to enjoy and love owning Sal. It makes me smile every time driving with the windows down, arm on the sill, and listening to the beautiful soundtrack of a well-tuned 289. Mmm. The smells and textures make the full experience hit me in a good place.
I was able to replace the seals and gasket on the 9 inch rear end, and also on the engine. At the very end, I threw in new NGK plugs and wires. It didn't take much to get Sal updated and right, he just needed someone to care again. The interior upholstery and carpet was my labor of love for the next owner. New chrome door handles and rear bumper really completed things on the exterior and created symmetry with the newer front bumper and trim. The annoying chattering in first gear was a real turn-off for me and robbed a bit of the magic that is Sal. I am so glad now that the flywheel has been resurfaced and a brand new clutch and bearing installed. While I had the transmission out, I replaced the old oil with Amsoil Syncromesh Manual Transmission Fluid. I've always been a fan of their products and have used this oil before. The transmission has always shifted like butter, and now the clutch releases smoothly and its very easy to scratch the tires is the first two or three gears. So much fun!
Sal really makes me smile and I'll be sad to see him go! Next up is getting the fender aligned, if they can fit me in soon. I hope to have him listed for sale next week and will be taking the glamour shots and videos soon!
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