1965 Mustang Convertible Restoration
March 2000 - Restoration work by Dave Croteau of DC's Auto Restoration (Uxbridge, MA) begins. This Mustang is an A-code 289, 4-speed with dual exhaust. It was purchased in July 2000 as a 20th anniversary gift for my wife, who has always wanted a 1965 Mustang convertible.  I found the most solid car I could find at a price that would still allow me to restore it to her color preference without being upside down.  This particular car has no rot except for a small area on the passenger side torque box.  The cowl is perfect, as are the floors and frame rails..  
I bought this car from a couple who loved the idea of owning a classic Mustang but found they weren't prepared for the reality of driving a 35 year-old car. 

The black Pony interior is correct for this car according to the data plate and is in nice condition, but my wife wants the car painted Silver Blue with the blue and white Pony interior. We will take the opportunity to replace the carpets, which are badly faded, and to fix a few minor problems such as a broken horn ring, a Rally-Pac with some apparent wiring problems, and weatherstripping that needs replacement.
Although the engine compartment is OK, it is not detailed and the engine itself is covered with oil residue from previous leaks.  It exhausts sooty black smoke, but runs strong. 

The chrome valve covers and air cleaner will clean up nicely, but otherwise this 289 is filthy, inside and out.  When we tore it down, we discovered that the engine is essentially original, with the bearings still showing the original Ford part numbers and markings.

 
The bearings, however, are starting to show wear, there is a leak from the torn rear main seal, and the camshaft has some scoring on it.  The timing is right for a rebuild, but the condition of the engine suggests that this car is probably somewhere close to the 62,000 original miles it is represented to have.

We make the decision to replace the camshaft with an Edelbrock cam and to replace the oil pump with a high-flow unit, but otherwise the engine will be rebuilt as stock.
The rebuild is complete and the difference in appearance is striking. The chrome pieces did, indeed, clean up nicely and the fresh Ford blue looks terrific!  Next, it's time to reinstall the engine and give it a test run.

Below, the engine is back in the freshly detailed engine compartment. It has been through its test run and now starts with one brief turn of the ignition key.
Although the engine compartment appears to be painted a gloss black, it is actually painted the correct under-hood  black.  However, the paint has been "slimed" to protect it from overspray, since the body has not yet been painted.  After the exterior is painted, Dave will soften up the slime with Windex and rinse it away, leaving the correct satin black finish behind.

It's done!  Click on the following links to see additional finished pictures.  Now the fun of driving it begins just in time for summer weather.