Matt5 Goes Retro

Ever since high school when I helped a friend and her father restore a '67 Mustang Convertible, I got the itch. From the satisfaction of working with one's hands, learning the intricacies of motors, suspension, brakes, and electrics to restore a hunk of metal to it's former glory, to appreciating the sweeping and elegant lines of the original pony car, I was hooked. I knew one day I wanted to pick up a project pony car of my own, to restore and rebuild my own way. And while I've come across a few suitable candidates (including an original '65 GT in St. Simons that I came very close to buying), I've mostly put the idea on the back burner to focus on my Subies, saving for a house, and other hobbies. That was until my friend Jonathan sent me a few quick photos of a rather clean '66 his coworker was selling, for an unbeatable price... $1500! Quite literally a great deal, I could have probably flipped the car and made $1000 - $2000 the next day, however I'd never forgive myself for missing the opportunity of restomodding such a suitable candidate:

n<p> n </p> n<p>Relatively rust free, a one-owner Georgia-only car with the Sprint 200 I6 motor. Pretty much the perfect candidate for a restomod. Since helping restore the ‘67 in high school, I struggled with whether my eventual car would be a by-the-book restoration or a restomod, over the years of reflecting I landed on wanting a visually stock restored car, but with the modern comforts and reliability of a newer car. I knew I wanted a first generation model (64 1/2 - 66) as I like the more diminutive body of the original. A cheap I6 would be the ideal candidate for my project, since no matter what I’ll be replacing it with a electronic fuel injected (EFI) 5.0L motor, more modern automatic transmission, a new rear-end, and disc brakes - and sure enough this car found me. n</p> n<p>While I don’t have the towing capabilities, space, tools, or knowledge to perform an engine and drivetrain swap, I’m fortunate enough to have a friend as good as Jonathan who does. Aside from his mechanical, fabrication, and general automotive expertise, he also has a keen eye, honed skill, and seemingly endless luck in "wheeling-dealing,&quot something for which I seem to have systematically lacked - that is until this project!</p> n<p>As with most of my blog posts, this one is coming a little late as I’ve already begun my project, but I’ll play catch-up on my posts over the next few days/weeks and use my blog to document our progress. As a teaser, I’ve already found my donor car and have begun the process of tearing down the Mustang in preparation for the transplant.</p>