Highschool student in town was given his Grandfathers 70 Mustang

[FERoadster]

351 Cleveland, fastback. Met him last night when I volunteered at a Christmas Light show.
He said it had been outside uncovered for years, and in this wet and ocean salt mist it had rusted pretty badly.
I'll take a look at it in the next week or two but wonder what Forums might help him the most.
When I see the car I'll take some pictures.
I volunteer for the light show again tomorrow night (for our local car club)  so I can ask more questions then.

Richard

[ScotiaFE]

It could have a Cleveland in it, but it did not come with one.
I'm not really a Mustang purist, but it is normally referred to as Sports Roof.
Hopefully the young fella works the car for well basically the rest of his life. 
Tell him not to take it apart.
Work one issue at a time.
There are enough Stangs blown apart in the shed.
And yes mine is too.

[mlcraven]

Howie: the 70 Mach 1 I owned for a short period had a 351C 4V with the shaker scoop; I'm quite certain it was the original engine.  A very quick car which easily thrashed a 71 340 Duster and a 70 Chevelle SS with a 325 horse 396.  Almost, but not quite, as quick as a 69 CJ 428 Cougar in the stable at the same time (late-70s).  Unfortunately, like so many northern cars it was beyond restoration and therefore junked for parts.  Today's restorers would be elated to find a car in similar condition.

[ScotiaFE]

Obviously I need to read up on my Mustang history more. 
Considering I've been driving a Mustang as a daily driver for most of my life
and still do today. 

[FERoadster]

Talked to him again tonight at the Christmas light show ( 400,000) lights so maybe 1000 strings and over 100 lighted displays. All in a 5 acre garden flower park
Quite a show for a town of 6000 residents.

The Mustang is a 1970 Mach 1, 351 Cleveland, 4bbl with a C6 trans. Originally teal blue with a black interior.
Cowl vents leaked when under trees and humid/rain for 5 years and the floors-sub rails-rear deck area are  really rusted thru.
Seats/interior are toast but the engine and trans were a rebuild. I'll get some pictures and a full vin in a couple of weeks so will be able to ID the rest of the car.

FERoadster

[JERICOGTX]

Take him under your wing. The hobby needs new blood, and a little encouragement and help goes a long ways.

Jeff

[machoneman]

Sad shape = big bucks. I lucked out big time in about 1993. Answered a local Chicago ad for a non-running Cali. original '70 Mach 1. Turns out the owner had ittrucked from Belmont, Cali's high desert to a noted Racine, WI rod shop where it sat for a year in a big barn. Metal was in great shape and the car had a nice red repaint job late in its Cali. stay. Bought it for $5,500 cash as he was getting divorced. The price included the shop's own enclosed car hauler delivering it and all the parts 90 miles south to my suburban Chicago home!

Long story short I junked the blown 351C, auto trans, A/C, power steering, the entire interior save the back seat and side 'glass panels. New glass, engine, trans, rear pumpkin, total Boss 302 racing suspension, Shelby drop, grille, honeycomb rear panel and more. Even though it came with boxes of parts, many were old or worn. $17,500 later it ran and is still running today.

If his is rusty, good luck with the rebuild as it won't be cheap.

[FERoadster]

Take him under your wing. The hobby needs new blood, and a little encouragement and help goes a long ways.

Jeff




Jeff: That's part of why I joined the Car Club here in Brookings. They have a club member "sponsor" a teenager interested in cars. The sponsor pays the teens annual club dues and her/his car gets entered in a teen challenge in their own class at our local show. We've currently got 4 teens in that part of the club and more interested.
Kind of a novel idea. The club also gives about 90% of it's income to charity, this year over $7000.  The rest is to better club exposure (advertisement, Christmas lights, tips for dinners out when the entire club is invited, etc...). I'll be giving advice on his Mach 1 and his 2 Ford early 70's PU's.

FERoadster

[Qikbbstang]

Do the young man a favor and hit him with reality. I hate to say it but a high school student has no business with a rusted to hell vintage Mustang requiring as you indicated:  Cowl vents/torque boxes,  floors-sub rails-rear deck area are really rusted thru. ... All that rust damage takes everything else with it quarters, doors etc etc making for a real mess of rusted metal.
Seats/interior are toast ...any idea what it costs to restore an interior?  .I don't believe you can restore a Mustang for less then tens of thousands of dollars...... and even then it's not that collectable valuable meaning not worth investing - buy one cheaper then restoring one.
 You really can't half-ass restore a Mustang. It takes experience, a lot of skills, a lot of money, a lot of time, a lot of desire most of which a high school student has none of. Realistically sell the car and put the funds into getting the kid a running car or if he wants to "honor Gramps" stuff it away in Aunt Trudy's garage (don't leave it outside) until he can afford to do it right.

[ScotiaFE]

Do the young man a favor and hit him with reality. I hate to say it but a high school student has no business with a rusted to hell vintage Mustang requiring as you indicated:  Cowl vents/torque boxes,  floors-sub rails-rear deck area are really rusted thru. ... All that rust damage takes everything else with it quarters, doors etc etc making for a real mess of rusted metal.
Seats/interior are toast ...any idea what it costs to restore an interior?  .I don't believe you can restore a Mustang for less then tens of thousands of dollars...... and even then it's not that collectable valuable meaning not worth investing - buy one cheaper then restoring one.
 You really can't half-ass restore a Mustang. It takes experience, a lot of skills, a lot of money, a lot of time, a lot of desire most of which a high school student has none of. Realistically sell the car and put the funds into getting the kid a running car or if he wants to "honor Gramps" stuff it away in Aunt Trudy's garage (don't leave it outside) until he can afford to do it right.

I totally disagree with that.
There is nothing on that Mustang that a young guy can't fix with a bit of get off your ass and do it.
You can buy any part for that car.
I think they make new ones in Taiwan. lol
 

[jayb]

I'm with Howie, BB.  With all the knowledge on this topic available on the internet, and cheap parts available for Mustangs everywhere, there is no reason why a young person can't do the job.  The biggest issue to me will be the welder; does he have a decent wire feed to work with?  If so, we're just talking about cutting and snipping sheet metal to fit, and some attention to detail and patience to get the job done right.  He'll have to get dirty, and it is a rotten job (I personally hate sheet metal work), but it can be done, and the work he puts in will pay him back manyfold in terms of the value of the car when finished, and the overall experience.

[FERoadster]

I'm with Howie and Jay.
As I said before the local car club (Curry County Cruisers) sponsors youths to get them interested in classic cars & trucks. There are only 50 members but a lot of good intentions from people who will act and not just talk.
I'll probably help him out with welding since I've got a Tig , Mig , Stick and most sheet metal forming tools as well as a large dry shop. (even though it's really packed right now)
I won't charge him much to get him started and once he gets into it he'll have a job and can afford some more parts. He's currently rebuilding a 1970 Ford PU. So he does have ambition.
Richard

[fastback 427]

I would never dash a young persons dream like that. Mustangs are as cheap to restore as anything else,  interior for example is less than half of a fairlane. Maybe he could take a welding or auto body class at school? My dad was so mad when I bought my first hotrod, a  mint 68 fairlane.  He was even more mad when I got my first engine built, a 12 to one 390, he said it was a waste of money, blah blah blah.  Then I gave him a ride.... After that it was the best thing ever!!  Besides,  can you put a price on a family heirloom like that ? I think this is a cool story and hope you keep us updated.

[FERoadster]

I'll keep the progress posted.
Kind of a wet period here.
7 inches of rain in the past 4 days and prediction is for 7 to 9 inches today & tomorrow. Nice part here is the topography is ridges & valleys so the rain just disappears down the creeks and rivers.
This is a normal winter.

From what he said the Mustang is in shelter so no more soaking but it's still in the influence of the salt air near sea level..

[Qikbbstang]

Devil's advocate: When I read .
Cowl vents leaked, humid/rain for 5 years, floors-sub frame rails-rear deck area really rusted thru.
Seats/interior are toast.
the poster stated later:

"Kind of a wet period here.
7 inches of rain in the past 4 days and prediction is for 7 to 9 inches today & tomorrow"


 I think of that much water getting into a car and cringe.


I think about an enormous amount of sheet metal that's shot. Also when a car leaks big time the interior turns into a green house with humidity getting up into and rusting all body panels, interior/exterior roof rails.  Then all your chrome and switches are shot. One five-alarm warning: I'm betting the seam between the upper and lower door hinges is rusty or rusted through, meaning new A-pillars.  Then you think about F&R subframes and torque boxe$.  To think some high-school kid can jig and replace and weld all those critical dimensions?...........Maybe if Jay Brown has a high school son with his pop's shop.

Come on guys, how about ball parking how much you figure in the parts alone to restore a 70 Mustang to make it a safe/decent driver?.................... Remember a Dyna Corn shell alone is over $15,000.. How much you all figure this young man will need to get this baby on the road??
  Granted if the "poster" gets a bunch of pics -  and showing problem areas up close then I may have over estimated the severity of rust but I hear subframes and floorboards I equate a lot of allied damage. 


Ballpark if you will