Is your awesome Mustang...not so awesome?

[Kit Sullivan]

I have seen this play out a lot:
Someone acquires the classic Mustang of thier dreams, but the honeymoon is over quickly because the car does not function like a dream. So it will sit more than it should, and you slowly lose interest in it...and the project stalls.

I recommend getting the mechanical woes fixed before cosmetic stuff: suspension especially, and steering.
A car that is fun to drive will encourage you to fix up the rest of it quicker.

Fixing cosmetic stuff on a car that doesn't drive well can kill your enthusiasm for the project.

[Mustangmike]

Great point...I kind of bounced back and forth between cosmetic and mechanical. When my project seemed like it was stalling out, I would jump over and start sub-assembly work on the mechanical stuff. It kept me going. Sometimes the light at the end of the tunnel seems like it will never come, but it does!

[Steven Harris]

Great advice Kit.

Anyone who has followed Mike's build will know that his thoughts carry a lot of weight!

[1969_Mach1]

You make some good points Kit. Sometimes you are starting with a car that is beyond repairing a few things at a time. Myself, I started with an empty shell and piles of parts since I inherited the car after the restoration started. To prevent being overwhelmed, I broke down the restoration into different sub assemblies and tackled each individually. Front suspension, rear axle, rear suspension, motor, trans, dash assembly, . . . and so on. I found I was more easily able to be more detail oriented in this manner. The order of sub assemblies was often determined by available funds. It still took a few years but it seemed more manageable and always felt like the project was moving forward. Eventually you start installing the sub assemblies into the body and that part usually goes a lot faster.

Best Regards,
Mike