All right it's my fault I procrastinated, on everything. So when it came down to crunch time I had to focus on my soon to be (this Friday) 16 year old daughter's ride. Oh well, hopefully she'll appreciate my efforts... yea right, I know better. Anyway here's where my automotive efforts have gone this summer...
Just need to get it waxed up and put some type of protectant on the top now.
I had a white top on my '92 Mustang. I had good luck with Advance Autoparts cleaners. There's really nothing that I knew of that would take stains out of the white top though short of shoe polish.
By the way, if you have any white bits in the interior (around the speakers, or where the seatbelts come out for the front seats) white shoe polish will turn them back to white permanently. Even if they have turned yellow. But I don't know what color your interior is - it looks white. Give it a try.
Oh, and Armor All Protectant wipes are AMAZING on the vynal and exterior black trim.
Looks nice. Really cool of you to get all that ready for her. That's a really sweet 16th birthday gift and she had better appreciate it.
If she decides that she's not happy with it and it's not cool enough or whatever, do everyone a favor and let her know that if she doesn't want that car, she doesn't need to have any car.
Personally, I think it would have been good if you'd left a few minor things for her to do that would force her to do a little bit of work on the car. Nothing like a little blood and sweat to make you appreciate and bond with your vehicle. Wouldn't have to be anything fancy. Maybe just, hand her the new stereo and parts to install it but make her do the work herself.
confuZion3 wrote: There's really nothing that I knew of that would take stains out of the white top though short of shoe polish..
i used westley's bleche-wite or whatever that tire whitewall cleaner is called. make sure you keep rinsing the paint, because this stuff will stain the paint as it runs off the top. it did a great job, when used with a stiff-bristled brush and a lot of elbow grease, cleaning a previously stained white convertible top.
I think she appreciates it, we gave it back to her last night. We've had the car a while now but the paint was dead and the top was filthy and it had those ugly poly cast wheels. Basically it needed a lot of cosmetic work. So last week I told her it had broken down and I left it at a Goodyear car center up the road from our house and they couldn't get parts for it. She was pretty bummed that she went from having a kinda crappy car to no car to drive. I really took the car to my father-in-laws garage where we did the make-over for her. The new wheels, several rounds of rubbing compounds, touch up paint, very thorough cleaning, re-blacked the trim and waxing and now it's a really good 10/10 car and very respectable 5/5 car. Funny thing was at the same time I was doing this, a nearly identical Mustang convertible showed up in the parking lot of the Goodyear car center and sat there the whole time so she had to pass it everyday sitting there looking sad and lonely. She'd ask about it everyday, she was pretty bummed with her b-day approaching so fast. I had my own little Overhaulin' going on.
Well wish us luck, I take her to take her driving test at 8:00am tomorrow.
Cool car, she'll be fine. Now what are your plans for all the 16 year old boys that will be hanging around? 
Rubber hoses, with the people in burlap sacks tend to leave fewer marks 
To think, for my 16th B-day, I was handed a set of keys to a base Ranger. The key was a copy of a copy of a copy... Had to jiggle it just so to get it to turn the ignition. I have a feeling that she's (your 16 y o) got a pride and joy now.
That's a very nice car for your daughter.
It may be slow by your standard, but being a convertible makes up for a lot!
Some people just have their prorities all screwed up. 
JUST KIDDING!!!!
It looks great.
914Driver wrote: Cool car, she'll be fine. Now what are your plans for all the 16 year old boys that will be hanging around?
Been dealing with that for a while now. It's also starting with her 14 year old sister. It's a very tough time for dad.
mistanfo wrote:Mine was a 65 Falcon four door that I put street sign floorboards in, and learned how to bondo on. My dad and I painted it the week before I turned sixteen. Still have a soft spot for Falcons.To think, for my 16th B-day, I was handed a set of keys to a base Ranger. The key was a copy of a copy of a copy... Had to jiggle it just so to get it to turn the ignition. I have a feeling that she's (your 16 y o) got a pride and joy now.
slantvaliant wrote:That was my thought process...That's a very nice car for your daughter.
It may be slow by your standard, but being a convertible makes up for a lot!
Jensenman wrote:Really I could have spent the same amount of money on a more recent boring Hond with a lot more miles I shopped well and put in a bunch of elbow grease to get it to this state. I could probably make 2k or more on this car if I wanted to, but that was never my intention.Some people just have their prorities all screwed up.
JUST KIDDING!!!!
It looks great.
Besides, now I have something to take away from her.
Also, even though I know she thinks this is her car, I've made it clear it is a third family car that she is allowed to drive.
Hah, my first car was a 1965 Falcon. I learned a lot on that car, like:
scraping brakes don't fix themselves,
a sloppy idler arm can make the car change lanes by itself when braking,
if you lose your keys and have to hotwire the car you gotta make sure the generator gets field voltage or the battery will die pretty quick,
hitting a patch of sand on asphalt in second gear and nailing the gas trying to show off will lead to a lesson in home grown bodywork,
and after that bodywork is done if you forget to put the holddown pins in the hood pins the hood will obscure your vision at the most inopportune moment. 
I bet that poor car is stuck in Limbo somewhere just waiting to get even with me.
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