Turning Hate into Love

When I was 15, my brother and I got a 1967 Ford Mustang.

Hold your "o's and aw's". It was a piece of crap! It's been a headache, a point of contention in my house, a financial burden, and nearly a death trap for the last 10 years. 

The past 2-3 years it has sat in the driveway of my Mom's house and rusted, and rotted. Any work we put into it has pitted and flaked away, and it's still a piece of crap.

Not that we've not tried to de-crap it. It has the potential to be a really good car! So far, we've:

• rebuilt the motor
  
• rebuilt the transmission
  
• replaced the floor pans
  
• replaced the alternator
• replaced the carburetor with a Holly carb
  
• replaced the radiator and cooling system
  
• added an "H-bar" style exhaust system with dual chrome tips
  
• run a new fuel line
• replaced the gas tank
  
• replaced the interior
• added new chrome pieces
• replaced the trunk liner
  
• replaced the wheels with Magnum 500 wheels and radial tires
• replaced some of the electrical components
  
• added kick panel speakers and Sony X-Plode 6x9 speakers in the back

WOW! Right? 

There's probably more, but I can't really recall it all.

Anyway, it's still a turd on wheels. There are lots of problems still to be addressed, and i

t still has a LOT of work to go. It needs:

• the steering to be adjusted
  
• there is a parasitic drain on the battery I have to track down (it's dead every time I crank it)
  
• full body work (bondo, primer, paint)
  
• there is a hole in the firewall which needs to be patched and a leak needs to be fixed
  
• the carpet needs to be fixed
  
• the window rollers need to be fixed
  
• the driver's side door is stuck closed and needs to be fixed
  
• the seals should be replaced
• the chrome has pitted and should be replaced
  
• one of the lug nut studs needs to be replaced (I cut the stud off one wheel trying to get a rusted out locking lug nut off...)
  
• needs new emblems and lettering
• could use a new set of tires
• engine needs a tuning, it chokes out when it's throttled

I'm sure there is more, but this is all off the top of my head.

Just this month I've started working on it to get it back into shape.

So far I've taken some steps to making it road worthy and maybe even pretty. I've:

1. gotten it insured 
   
2. payed back taxes on it
3. registered it and moved the title from my father's name to mine
4. replaced the fan belt
5. replaced the alternator belt
6. cut off the old rusted out locking lug nuts
7. replaced a dry rotted tire
   
8. started researching HOW to strip, patch, prime and paint.
9. bought some tools to get to working on this thing.

I've cut my fingers all to pieces, I've spent more money than I should have, I've spent more time than I thought I could, and I've spent a lot of my patience... but I am starting to enjoy myself despite the fact that stubbornly I set out not to. Am I turning hate for this car into love? I don't know... I'll keep you guys posted on how it all goes! (All 2 of you who read this...)