Q code Down Under in New Zealand

[Jimmy Pistol]

Hi Folks,

Thought I would drop a line about the car I am restoring. This is what I know about the car. It is a DSO 94 Export order car. Ordered for South Vietnam in Jan 1972 but requested to be be delivered to Ford dealer in Vacaville California. I would assume it was a US solder returning from Vietnam. In 1976 the car was shipped to England and sold to Farnsworth Ford Motor Co in London. It was bought by a young Kiwi Rugby League player by the name of Shane Varley who was over there playing League. He owed the car for many a year and bought it back to New Zealand in December 1983. The car was on sold 6 months later and passed threw another four additional owners before I bought it in December 2005.

In January 2006 I took it to a panel beater for a quick brighten up..minor rust repairs etc. I was convinced me to got the full way and do a full resto.....

One year into the resto my panel beater had a mid life crisis and decided he wanted a change of career and left me high and dry for another year. Luckily I found a better panel beater who finished the job in December 2011. Over the years I have been restoring most of the cars items including the drive train. What couldn't be restored was replaced. I must be Mustangs unlimiteds best customer.

Anyway after many years.....building two new houses..2 new jobs.. a new city to live in..it is finally home and being slowly bought back to its former glory. Here are some photos of it when it left the panel shop last month. I would post some of the resto but I'm afraid some people may not have a strong stomachs. They always look good until you pull them down.

Regards,

James

[Steven Harris]

WOW James!

That is a lovely car. I love the story behind the car as well.

How did you end buying the car? Were you actually looking for a Mach 1 at the time?

Sorry to hear about your troubles with the panel beater but it looks like it worked out for the best. Even after having to go through all that life's stuff individually. So are you still in Hamilton?

I love to see these re-born stories. Thanks for sharing a little.

[Jimmy Pistol]

Yes its looks much better now......All those years in the UK with the winter road rock salt caused major damage. Nothing some new sheet metal couldn't fix. New panels included..Bonnet, rebuilt cowl area,2 new front fenders, New front and rear Valances, New Tail light panel, 2 new rear quarters, new trunk floor and some floor patch's...I did say it was major.

The car is being built as a driver and not a trailer queen.........no disrespect to trailer queens but these things are for driving. I sold a late model mustang to buy it because I wanted old school. I drive an new car every day, so wanted something different for my weekend cruiser.

I was actually looking for a 71 429 mustang but none were to be had at the time without giving up an arm and leg and they still needed lots of work so bought this with the intention of a 429 transplant. Trouble was the engine.....351 Cobra Jet was the original matching numbers and I decided to keep it as close to factory as Possible. I don't regret that now...

Sometime in the 80's it was painted white but as the factory color was red..........it was a no brainer to me to return it back to factory red. Red cars are faster aren't they ???

Thanks for your words of encouragement.. still a long way to go.

James

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Forgot to add all the suspension is now new. Cheaper to replace than cleaning old rusty damaged components. I'm doing all the work myself bar the paint and panel. Many hours at the panel shop striping panels and dry fitting panels. Those rubber front bumpers......did they ever fit. I may get 15mm taken out of the center of it to fit proper. Everyone told me to go chrome but I like the original style. Despite all the damage the car has only traveled 75000 miles............true. Rock salt is a curse.

[keepemsharp]

very nice,looks to me me like it could be a trailer queen.but i agree drive them.interesting to see someone else has trouble with the front bumper length,i just thought it was me and that triumph tr6 i bumped or the mailbox i took out, or blame the guy that backed into the front fender that snowy night it was clear the neighbor did it, tracks in the snow don't lie.i like the red too although my Q came Porsche red kinda orange too.well your way ahead of me,interesting story,soon as hunting season is done and some house projects i hope to soon be turning some wrenches myself.AND be posting some progress pics.its good to see that its not just Americans that like big American cars.

[Steven Harris]

Red cars are faster aren't they ???

Yes, well be savvy, MOT officers may think so as well.

I love it, color and all the rest.

[Jimmy Pistol]

MOT officers...now there is a term I havent heard for some time. Have you been to NZ??

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very nice,looks to me me like it could be a trailer queen.but i agree drive them.interesting to see someone else has trouble with the front bumper length,i just thought it was me and that triumph tr6 i bumped or the mailbox i took out, or blame the guy that backed into the front fender that snowy night it was clear the neighbor did it, tracks in the snow don't lie.i like the red too although my Q came Porsche red kinda orange too.well your way ahead of me,interesting story,soon as hunting season is done and some house projects i hope to soon be turning some wrenches myself.AND be posting some progress pics.its good to see that its not just Americans that like big American cars.

I was lucky to find some original paint behind the rear quarter panel. Was covered and suffered no sun fading. We color matched this to a PPG paint. The color is like a milky orangery red. It changes in the various lights...kind of cool.

[Steven Harris]

MOT officers...now there is a term I havent heard for some time. Have you been to NZ??

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Two of the best years of my life. Six months in Silverdale and a year and a half in Christchurch.

Beautiful car - beautiful country!

[Jimmy Pistol]

I travel a lot around the globe for work but I love getting home. I was born in Auckland so know Silverdale well and Christchurch is a loverly place even despite all the issue with ongoing earthquakes. They got about another 4 over the Xmas break. For the records.....the MOT does not function anymore. They were merged into the Police about 20+ years ago. So no more....... "Black and white with a cherry on top and a nut inside" jokes....

The Police cars in NZ are white with blue/orange stripes.

Thankfully radar detectors are still legal in NZ unlike Aussie.

Whereabouts in the US are you based??

[Steven Harris]

Just goes to show how long it has been - too long. We had a MOT officer in our church in Torbay.

Our "home" base has always been Goshen, Ohio. We are currently serving in Sonora, Mexico which is just south of Tucson, Arizona.

Yes, Christchurch gets a few shakes now and then. More lately than normal but it is a great place. I visited Hamilton twice while we were in living in New Zealand.

[keepemsharp]

MOT officers...now there is a term I havent heard for some time. Have you been to NZ??

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very nice,looks to me me like it could be a trailer queen.but i agree drive them.interesting to see someone else has trouble with the front bumper length,i just thought it was me and that triumph tr6 i bumped or the mailbox i took out, or blame the guy that backed into the front fender that snowy night it was clear the neighbor did it, tracks in the snow don't lie.i like the red too although my Q came Porsche red kinda orange too.well your way ahead of me,interesting story,soon as hunting season is done and some house projects i hope to soon be turning some wrenches myself.AND be posting some progress pics.its good to see that its not just Americans that like big American cars.

I was lucky to find some original paint behind the rear quarter panel. Was covered and suffered no sun fading. We color matched this to a PPG paint. The color is like a milky orangery red. It changes in the various lights...kind of cool.

YES very interesting you mention that,that porshe red changed also.especially when wet.