This is the first car I ever bought, purchased when I was only 15 for $1200 in ‘88. It needed tons of work from the moment I got it, but I drove it pretty much daily until 1995. After sitting until 2001, it’s now getting its well deserved reincarnation: modified a bit, restored a bit, customized a bit. Chassis, Suspension, and Brakes: * shock towers replaced and reinforced (way back in 1989) * Complete new torque boxes and floors, seam welded * Stock upper and lower control arms * PST polygraphite bushings throughout * Pro-motorsports negative wedge 1.75” A-arm drop * stock front springs with poly insulators * stock power steering with poly rag joint and poly idler bushing * Monroe-matic Plus gas shocks with poly bushings * 5 leaf mid eye drop springs with heavy duty polyurethane shackle kit * Global West subframe connectors * 4 wheel disc brakes, stock front, Ultrastang Mark VII rears (in progress) * stainless steel brake lines and hoses * Export Brace (Monte Carlo Bar later) * 1 Addco front sway bar * 3/4 Addco rear sway bar * Traction Master traction bars Motor and Driveline: * stock spec 1970 302 * Holley Street Dominator intake, Holley 600cfm carb * Paxton SN60 supercharger (in progress) * Stainless steel fuel lines * Heddman shorty headers, 2.5” custom exhaust, X-pipe, turbo mufflers * AOD Transmission, stock with home fab’d crossmember & Lokar TV cable * OEM a/c system with Sanden compressor, 134a * original 9” diff with 3.0 gears * 3 core heavy duty radiator * 2700 CFM electric fan with adjustable thermostat * Pertronix Ignitor & coil Exterior: * New quarters, wheel housings, and rear valence * ALL RUST REMOVED! * POR15 full chasis, floors, trunk, engine compartment, and every damn other place we could spray and brush! * New weatherstripping everywhere * New windshield * 1970 Mach 1 trim, hood scoop, cladding, sportlamps, pop open gas cap, etc. * Black Mach 1 stripes (in progress) * Front spoiler and rear wing (original!) * Lots of new chrome, still need lots more * Hallogen headlights with relays * Bright Gold metalic base coat/clear coat (Maaco did pretty good, but ask for the whole story) * 17x8 2003 Mustang Mach 1 Magnum heritage wheels * 245/45/17 Goodyears * tucked exhaust tips * hood tach (in progress) Interior: * Black Mach 1 interior with new headliner, dashpad, rear upholstery, and carpet (still need door panels) * late model Ford OEM highback bucket seats * 3 point front seat belts * Stock guages * OEM a/c * remote driver and passenger sideview mirrors * lighted rearview mirror * original console modified with cup holder (it’s really pretty slick) * intermittent wipers with high speed wiper motor conversion * remote electric locks * remote electric trunk release * cabled hood lock/release * power antenna in stock location * tilt steering column * Lecarra (Shelby) 3 spoke wood steering wheel * Aiwa indash CD/MP3 player in progress * vehicle security system with magnetic kill switch Cost: approx. $15K, including original purchase price, 2 motors, 3 sets of wheels, and everything we’ve already done and “in progress” since 2001. Short list of stuff I still wanna do yet: * 3.89 limited slip * new door panels * drive the living crap out it, everywhere, all the damn time. I’m gonna drive it ‘til it breaks, then fix it and drive it some more! What’s next? I really just wanna get it finished enough to start driving. My personal deadline is January 2011. That will be the 10 year anniversary of the resto, which seems way too f’ing long. Come hell or high water, I’m gonna get it done! Special thanks to my parents for their long commitment and hard efforts in my stead, to my wife for tolerating my car(s), to my kids for giving me perspective, to my brother for getting me into musclecars, and to the gods of vintage iron for getting me into trouble and the gods of speed for getting me out.
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