"Houston, we have contact. Affirmative; it's Bill."

It's around 7:40pm on Thursday and I am just getting to my computer.  I usually check the stats on the blog to see how many hits were received. The referrals from AllFordMustangs.com have really been good so I click the link to check for anything new.  As I scrolled  down through the posts, I see a new one; it's from Bill!  I had been thinking of calling throughout the week, but between work and kids and not wanting to seem like a doting parent, I held off. (You're welcome Bill)

So, I check the inbox and sure enough, email from Bill; with pics! Now we're talking.  As I read the email a wave of relief passed over me.  The months and months of wanting to fix these things really weighs on a person, especially an  AR\OCD type like me.  Every time I saw the car in the garage I would replay the laundry list of seemingly small and simple repairs.  I always had just enough time to think about doing something to the car....and that was it. So reading about the repairs was great but to actually see them; therapeutic.  I'll share the mail and pics with you:

John,

      I wanted to contact you and give you a few updates on the car. Ben started work on it on Tues afternoon and has made good progress so far. We pulled the front and back glass to install the headliner and provide more room to work on the wiring. The headliner is glued in and is drying.

He started working on the wiring issues and now has everything working as it should. We still need to relocate the grounds and install the firewall plates but the wiring issues have been sorted out. He welded in the repair panel for the radio and is working on the repair panel for the ignition switch.

I attached a few pictures of the work to date, don't worry about the wrinkles in pic 14, the headliner was not pulled tight yet and was just hanging. Pic 16 shows a small rust whole in the bottom of the rear window we will patch before the glass goes back in.

Thanks

Bill

Bill and Ben are definately doing things right and by the book.  I have to say that just these few repairs have me eager to see what they will do next; it's only been two days!  I liked Bill's forum recommendation about a 4-speed manual, but there is a small hitch with that; the wife wants to be able to drive the car.  Sorry Bill, maybe a bit later as we develop the 302 and explore the rear, we can talk about the manual.

So, a fantastic ending to an otherwise lackluster day. In between the necessary job, house chores, and daily drudgery we all have to endure, it's nice to know that somewhere just over the horizon "fun" is making it's way to you.

Open House at CJ Pony Parts - Bill, Sam and Ben appear

I left the house early Saturday to make the 62 mile trip to CJ Pony Service.  After 10 years of  legendary commutes to work, 62 miles of back roads was a breeze and it gave me time to get my thoughts together before I met with Bill and the others.

I had never been to a Mustang event and really had no expectations. I assumed that it would be attended by folks wanting to just hang out and meet other Mustang owners and swap stories about their Mustangs. Truly I was in the dark. As I approached, there did not appear to be any mass gathering of Mustangs nor were there any inflatable gorillas or banners flying, signaling an open house or similar event .  Rather there was just a respectable gathering of various model year Mustangs parked orderly in front of the service building.

Once inside, I was again surprised to find the friendly folks of CJ Pony Service engaged in conversation with Mustang owners regarding specific aspects of repair, upgrade and tuning.  I overheard things like "Sub-frame connectors", "Rims for my car", and "Wow, they even have the Go Daddy Go button!" as curious attendees looked in the Eleanor on display in the lobby.  Everyone seemed normal; a vast departure from some of the IT Shows I have attended.

I located Bill who greeted me and thanked me for coming. Since he was with another attendee, he said that Sam would go over some things about my car; including some issues with the wiring harness.  Uh-oh, what had I done wrong?  I went in search of Sam.

I saw Sam speaking near the Eleanor with a gentleman who reminded me of the Undertaker from WWE, shades and everything. He seemed pretty intense, so I gave them some space and headed back to my car in the shop to stow another part I had brought along to be installed (rear seat firewall).  On the way back, Bill met me and introduced Ben, who had also been through the car and would be working on it in the coming weeks.

Bill calmly went over some of the minor issues in the wiring harness with Ben and I so that we'd all be on the same page.  Turns out that it was just a few plates on the firewall that I had omitted, nothing major.  Whew, what a relief.  After that Bill left Ben and I to go over "The List", and to acquaint ourselves. After about 20 minutes, Ben and I had a game plan, shook hands and off I went to walk around the shop and take mental notes.

Before I left for the day, I caught up with Bill and talked about the motor.  He had mentioned that the 1986 T-Bird 302 was a bad motor for upgrading as it had something to do with flat heads or pistons in that particular year.  It had me thinking ahead about what would be a better path to following in attaining the GT 350 look and feel. I asked about an alternative and he mentioned that he had a 1967 Jasper 302 short block on hand just sitting in a back corner. Ok, now what?  Here's where this blog begins to help me and others with the formation of a thought process to determine the best approach to striking a balance in drive train design.

The question is:  Should I look into the 1967 Jasper 302 or attempt to build on the 1986 T-Bird 302 roller I already have?  Please help me and others understand the nuances of each. Thanks!

The List

I am AR and borderline OCD. Really.  The Mustang "project" had taken 2 years and I had just barely scratched the surface.  Actually, that was the only thing that I had done.  I was getting frantic to make progress and when I finally had the opportunity to rewire the car one weekend, I jumped on it.  The girls had gone to the ocean for the weekend leaving me with the car and two dogs; perfect for a wire job.  After 10 hours of wiring and painstaking progress, I turned the key to check everything out; nothing. Great. Crap.  S**%@!

OK.  I started troubleshooting and in the midst of working things out at 1am in my delirium almost burned down the car (and the house) by shorting the starter out.  Thankfully the wire was thin and burned through since all I could do is run around like a chicken with my head cut off looking for something to cut the wire.  Wake up call. That was a close one.

So, we are now at the CJ Pony Service with Bill and being AR, I had a list prepared which I had emailed him the evening prior.  After going over the list, Bill suggested I email him a more specific list prioritizing what I wanted done first etc.  We came to agree that a safe functional daily driver was the first step.  Oh, here is the list:

 SAFETY

1.      Install Hazard Switch and Brake pedal parts to complete the brake system lighting and function

2.      Complete the installation of the neutral safety switch and reverse wiring

3.      I suspect once you install the cluster, the right turn signal indicator problem will go away.

4.      Brakes.  I want the 4-wheel disk system but will await recommendations from you. It will depend on how we deal with the rear gearing and axle whether we install a rear with the disc brakes or just approach the gears.

5.      Parking brake needs to function correctly and safely.

6.      Wipers.  Please fix parking issue.  Install wiper pump and bag (plastic reservoir is preferred since I am abandoning the OEM path).  Verify motor wiring.

7.      Suspension and steering controls.  Please verify and recommend.

8.      Throttle.  Please install cable linkage for safety purposes (if not already done). Mechanical linkage is dangerous.

9.      Heater\defrost\vents.  If the cost to install a total A\C is reasonable, please let me know.

10.  Install dual horns

11.  Ignition switch - please repair socket and mount

12.  Relocate engine ground from shock tower to appropriate location with proper strap\cable

13.  Fuel tank and line - secure tank and line properly to  avoid puncture and leakage 

And moving on....

AESTHETICS

1.      Headliner with dome light.  I have headliner insulation and material, with bows. Prep metal if needed.

2.      Glove Box with light

3.      Remove old carpet and underlayment.  Prep-preserve floor metal as needed. Replace with black carpet. 

4.      Shifter - replace and install lighted shifter

5.      Dash pad - install new

6.      Courtesy light(s)

7.      Backup lights

8.      Install era-appropriate exhaust tips

9.      Install remote trunk release

10.    Quote on radio

And last but not least:

PERFORMANCE

1.      3.25 gears in rear (or appropriate for C4 trans and balance of performance and fuel economy)2.      Inspect drive-train and recommend

3.      Inspect suspension and recommend

4.      Tune-up and optimize engine timing (oil change, tranny change, radiator flush and fill. Check thermostat for proper part\fitment)

5.      Engine - Please let me know it there is a cam on this or if any performance upgrades are evident.

6.      Install C4 shift kit

7.      Quote overdrive

8.      Quote kick-down linkage

As I look back over this I realize a few things.  One, I know absolutely nothing about car restoration and two, I REALLY hope Bill is an honest guy because if he's not I'm screwed.

(SPOILER ALERT)


Bill is a great guy and very easy to work with. You'll see.

The Introduction of Bill.......and the bins.

The car sat parked in the garage perilously close to kids bikes, lawn tools, shovels, etc.  I cringed when the wife pulled into the garage at warp speed, watching the girls fling doors open and then lunge to catch the door before it hit the Mustang.  (I can only imagine what happened when I wasn't watching).  I had noted the every increasing chips in the delicate paint and the disturbed dust on the doors and hood.   In desperation, I knew I had to get the car drivable and out of harms way.

I began to look for places to help get the car to a state of drivability with the thought that it would be easier to drive to a garage then to tow it.  I had taken the car to a body shop to get the doors and such aligned which turned out to be a good idea.  However, when it came to installing a parking brake, headliner and other intricate items, the outcome was not nearly as appreciated.  I needed a specialist and began to look in earnest.

I had just a few criteria for the shop. It had to be close and they had to deal solely with Mustangs.  Simple enough, right?  Well, look in the Yellow Pages, Google, etc and they are few and far between.  I was getting a little frustrated when I got an email on March 14, 2011 and it looked like this:

I had ordered parts from CJ Pony Parts (and others) but I had no idea they restored Mustangs.  I immediately emailed the manager, Bill briefly relating the story of how I came by the car and what I wanted to accomplish.  Bill responded the next day and assured me that CJ Pony Service could certainly help with the repairs and modifications.  He invited me to the Open House the following weekend, but I asked if it would be OK if I came the weekend prior, just to avoid the crowds and because I already had the trailer lined up to tow the car.  He offered to come in on that Saturday morning and meet me to drop off the car and go over the project.  Awesome, it's a done deal.

Saturday morning, I got up early, loaded up the car and all the parts I had purchased (3 bins worth) and drove the 62 miles to Harrisburg, PA with the precious cargo in tow. As I neared the building, I recognized the red roof from the website and turned into the parking lot.  When I approached the garage doors and while I was scanning the parking lot for cars, the garage door labeled "Shop 2" flew up and a large man stood there with a clipboard; it was Bill.  I was 10 minutes early and Bill had already arrived and was ready to go.  Impressive by military standards and greatly appreciated.

Now it was time to get down to business.

Definition of "Fun"

"So John, what do you do for fun?", a friend of mine once asked me.  We had been discussing the various hobbies and interests each indulged in, and the question eventually made its way to me.  I thought about it, sorting out all of the things I did that were fun but not necessarily of my choosing.  Being a father of two with a Real Estate agent wife left little time for extracurriculars and at the time, I had a four hour daily commute.  "Sleep" was the only thing I could come up with to which everyone gave the gratuitous "Oh yeah", and moved on to the next guy.

Sleep? Wow, had life gotten that mundane and arduous that the only solace I could find was sleeping?  I thought long and hard about it. What truly appealed to me? Blank. Nothing. I knew I was in trouble and I needed a hobby, fast.  But what would it be? Well, on December 25, 2008, my little brother Mike helped me out in a VERY big way; he bought me a 1965 Mustang.

Rewind just slightly so I can give my brother props for doing it right.  On the day my brother visited for Christmas, he brought the movie "Gone in 60 - Seconds".  If you haven't seen the movie, check it out.  Near the end the younger brother hands over the title of a car to Nicolas Cage (older brother).  In kind, Mike handed me an envelope with a title enclosed.  Way to go bro. I was speechless.

OK. I have the car of my dreams but it needs a little work.  Aestheically, the car looks fine, but there are some issues with the interior and electrical systems.  No problem.  A former Marine, I tend to be overly optimistic and never back down from a challenge.  I am fairly adept with hand tools and very capable with electrical systems. How hard could it be? I was about to find out; the hard way.

Over the next two years, I managed to rewire the car with the Painless kit, replace the fuel eccentric and timing chain, and fiddle with the dash cluster.  This was all done in three days.  Over the course of two years. At this rate I'll be dead before the car moves a mile, and that is just unacceptable.  I need to drive the car, not work on it.  I had the vision in my head and ordered parts to that end; boxes littered my office and garage and half-finished projects left tools laying everywhere.

With my weekends at a premium and no time during the week, I needed help.  I've had the car at body shops and garages but noone really knows Mustangs inside and out, and I am picky. Functional integrity is top priority for me and I really needed the experts; enter CJ Pony Service. Alleluia.