A Car thread.

[Iminit]

Looked around and didn’t see any so thought I’d start one. Everybody drives :). I just read of another member with an 83 280z. 14Discus I’d luv to see some pics. I’ll start with my 83 911 SC.129883

[peewee1]

I have yet to know how to post a photo.

[14Discus]

Here are a few of my 1983 280zx, but I do have a painting job coming up soon.
129886
129887
129888

[dspeers]

Too fun. Had a 73 240Z but wife totalled. What a fun car. Attached is my favorite 60s american. Had it for years and was going to restore myself but between Rheumatoid Arthritis and being an orthopedic poster child (14 surgeries and counting) after 30 years in the Army had to rely on others. First attempt to attach pics so here goes. 129889129890

[dspeers]

OK second picture is fine but first rotated 180. Why? resized both then attached and the first one flipped.

[14Discus]

Nice car.

[coralbandit]

Nice cars all !
Here are my summer rides ;
https://i.imgur.com/L4pnTXVl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/sa64yfql.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/CLu3qeml.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XclTl5Gl.jpg
I love convertibles and even put the top down last weekend ..It was 50 degrees ~!

[Iminit]

Peewee the third icon in on the right. The tree. Press that and it will take you to your pictures. Than with the pic you choose it will say actual size. Press that and resize to large. Should post your pic.129891.

Nice cars all. Bill great looking car. As to painting. Once you paint you tend to use less. Both my 911s need paint. But not in my lifetime :).
Lol Tom had mine out this weekend too. With the wife :rolleyes2:no way the roof was coming off!129892

[dspeers]

Knew that garage looked familiar, somebody likes 911s, what age is the targa? I have a 78, but it is visiting Delaware for a new powertrain, upgrading from 3.0L to 3.6L varioram. Reposting my first pic to see if it stays inverted.129893

[dornblaser]

129894

Our summer car. At one point we had the 25th Anniversary Corvette.

Tom - 50 degrees is convertible weather!

[dspeers]

So confusing, so I flipped and resaved and this is try # 3. If anyone else has figured out this please let me know. Did see one other thread where inverted pics were rotated and reposted by another user but do not recall the subject so cannot run down the person who fixed and request assistance. 129895

[dspeers]

well I quit, annoying.

[danotaylor]

129896

Don I don't know of any special tricks but I just tried cropping a little more off the bottom of the image and of voila!

[peewee1]

129897

This is a 1987 Buick Grand National. When new it was known as one of the fastest cars in the world. A limited production turbo charged V-6. Many were purchased by the DEA, FBI, and other law enforcement agencies because they could run down any car of that era in a car chase. These cars were great for drag racing and with minimum tuning could turn a quarter mile (0.402336 km) in the 10 seconds range. The torque is such that those 10 second cars one could lift the front end off of the ground at start. I call this one, which is most of the time parked in the garage, "Darth" for obvious reasons. Today they are somewhat rare.

[Iminit]

Oh upside down I thought it was a firebird. :). Brave move putting a 3.6 in there. Thats the first year of the SC. Many would not change. Keep the old engine. You on pelican?

[14Discus]

Iminit, thnx for the warning:D, but I assure you it will remain a driving vehicle and not sit looking pretty. The drive of it appeals to me the most, but the driving will remain a fair weather event.

[Iminit]

Nice car peewee!! Grand nationals are great cars!!

[gunnerschh2]

Wish i could send pictures. I own a 54 chevy custom pick up with a corvette engine but when i want handling & more speed I take out the 2018 bmw M4 for more fun.

[Iminit]

Pictures or it didn’t happen:).

[FischAutoTechGarten]

Well presently, I don't have any fun cars. but I do have:

My limited edition 06 Nissan Frontier Pro-2X daily driver. :p (Green Valley Arizona)

129898

Fitting OEM foglights to the cheaper XE plastic bumper was..... fun. (Green Valley Arizona)

129904

Prior to the 2X package upgrade. Never gets to park in the carport.. but always in our side yard parking. (Green Valley Arizona)

129899

At least it doesn't look as pedestrian as before... (Alamos Sonora Mexico)

129900

I like this picture because I miss parking it in my big yard in Mexico (Alamos Sonora)

129902

Cap Off and Shampooing the interior in the yard (Alamos Sonora)

129903

Before any changes and the newly acquired silver cap. (Safford Arizona)

129901

Anyway, I used to play around with GTIs (VW) and Turbo Diesels (Volvo/VW). My goodness I had so many of them. Now I just fix my daily driver truck. But it looks good for almost 15 years old, no?

[FischAutoTechGarten]

Tom,
That Chrysler CrossFire was a neat car... Lots of Mercedes tech...

Loving the convertibles! You all have nice, well cared for, cars!

[Shan_Evolved]

I do love me a car thread. Great cars everyone! I drive an Infiniti G37, lowered with tien springs and a borla exhaust. Everything else stock. Ill upload a pic when I can

[gunnerschh2]

Pictures or it didn’t happen:).

Tom I live in Islip I will by you a beer in you take them for me.

[Iminit]

My sons in West Islip. Sure after the snow storm :).

[coralbandit]

Tom,
That Chrysler CrossFire was a neat car... Lots of Mercedes tech...

Loving the convertibles! You all have nice, well cared for, cars!
Funny many don't know the crossfire is basically a redefined SLK .
Many would be surprised to know that a famous for other things person helped in the fine tuning .
Andrew Dyson ! Both cars are more fun then I deserve probably but summer is short here it seems .The vette does not get wet ..2008 with 35k on it and basically clean like new car even underside .
It helps keeping it that way having the crossfire with a few more miles and wear and tare on it ..It can go out on wet / rainy days ..
Love me the Grand National .One of my favorite cars along with the Porches [Tom knows ..] .
Harry I hope to get see your rides also ! But I fear winter is arriving in mid state NY tomorrow ! 13 degrees outside today ..

[dornblaser]

I have a friend who had a GN it was a beast. I have always admired the Crossfire, you still see a lot of them on the road today.

[rickztahone]

129897

This is a 1987 Buick Grand National. When new it was known as one of the fastest cars in the world. A limited production turbo charged V-6. Many were purchased by the DEA, FBI, and other law enforcement agencies because they could run down any car of that era in a car chase. These cars were great for drag racing and with minimum tuning could turn a quarter mile (0.402336 km) in the 10 seconds range. The torque is such that those 10 second cars one could lift the front end off of the ground at start. I call this one, which is most of the time parked in the garage, "Darth" for obvious reasons. Today they are somewhat rare.

One of my all time favorite cars for sure. Almost all of them are fixed up to look like sleepers but anyone that knows about a Grand National won't mess with it lol. TFS

[rickztahone]

I drive a 2015 Cadillac CTS:
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50730954412_7a474387b3_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2khVpiN)IMG_20200206_094940_753 (https://flic.kr/p/2khVpiN) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/190799729@N08/), on Flickr

However, I love taking car pictures and this past weekend we went and took pics of my brother in laws 240sx project :):
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50730841501_9eddc55f95_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2khUPK4)DSC01914 (https://flic.kr/p/2khUPK4) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/190799729@N08/), on Flickr

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50730112718_4bb66c4d5b_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2khR66Q)DSC01944 (https://flic.kr/p/2khR66Q) by Ricardo Vasquez (https://www.flickr.com/photos/190799729@N08/), on Flickr

[yogi]

My 911 is an 87 coupe.

[Iminit]

Nice G50!!!

[yogi]

Yes it has the G50, and here is a better picture, but I still didn't get my Grateful Dead front license plate in the picture. Several years ago on pelican forum someone posted under the name pleco. I sent him a PM about pleco. He said he keeps tropical fish and he thinks the front of a 911 resembles a pleco.

[Iminit]

Lol I remember pleco. Havnt been that active over there.

[coralbandit]

Wish i could send pictures. I own a 54 chevy custom pick up with a corvette engine but when i want handling & more speed I take out the 2018 bmw M4 for more fun.


Pictures or it didn’t happen:).
A nice letter with pictures was received in the mail the other day .I am still not tech savvy so had to take pictures of the pictures Harry sent ..
https://i.imgur.com/Ypcg0O5l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/RyYhWg3l.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/5XdDlbXl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Pt4xH2Hl.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/rCCtUesl.jpg
All I can say is wow ! Nice cars /truck and great to have friends that make contact or work with you no matter how !
You had some super nice vehicles Harry ! :cool:
It is too cool of you to send me pictures , I know I asked but too cool Harry !
I'll let Harry tell you all what you are looking at ..

[Iminit]

Great looking cars Harry!! Harry I’ve got a lot of time off now :). Pm me your address and when your around and I can come by and get some pics.

[coralbandit]

Great looking cars Harry!! Harry I’ve got a lot of time off now :).
Time off from lay off or lock down ??
They burned me this year ..Looks like I get to work on roofs all winter !
I miss the fish room more every day now ..Mid 20's here and not looking much better for the next week or so ...

[Iminit]

Layoff. No work because of COVID. Nobody’s building. Ok by me though. This should take me right into retirement:).

[timvriens]

all these cool cars and here am I, driving a 2003 honda accord (acura tsx in the states)
130162

[dspeers]

My toy has finally come home from Blue Sky Restorations. Did this work when I was in HS and College but with Rheumatoid Arthritis and severe Degenerative Disc Disease no longer fun (or even possible) to do it myself. Tom, forgot to answer, sorry. Did not keep the 3.0 911 engine, not sure it was even rebuildable. Car has a storied past and was badly neglected for years, now much more a fun car than collectible, going to a larger EFI engine was done with that in mind. I do audit pelican but am not active on the forum. 130168130167130169

[Iminit]

Very nice Don! That a 67 right? I had a 67 when I was a kid :). As to the motor I hope you got money for it. Motors are worth money no matter what. 6k for a core. Is the EFI computer driven?

[gunnerschh2]

all these cool cars and here am I, driving a 2003 honda accord (acura tsx in the states)
130162

Nice shape for 03.

[dspeers]

This was also my car in HS and college till I got hit by an uninsured and could not afford to repair. That one is long gone, white top with the stock turquoise paint. Was going to go that way with this one but then decided to match the dark turq from the stock two tone interior and a white top just didn't work for that color. The silliest thing I did was to mount real spoke wheels to simulate the spoke hubcaps that came on the original 14 steel rims. Those are actually real spinners, pounded on with a lead hammer, right out of Ford vs Ferrari. Jumped up to 16 to fit front discs to match the engine. As for the porsche yes, the efi is stock to the 3.6 varioram engine. I would have to look up which year model the engine came from. Are you familiar with Steve Timmins who owns Instant G? He is basically done with the swap, next is on to Blue Sky for new interior, some body work and new paint. Love having and driving the Mustang, but just does not compare to driving the porsche. He gave me a fair price for the core but after looking at it closely expressed scepticism that it was worth it as beat up as it was. Regardless, he honored the deal. Luckily, although both of these folks seem to be very good, neither is fast, especially with what has occured this year. This has turned into a much deeper pocket project than originally planned, but we are over two years in, giving me much more time to finance.

Some prior thread Vinnie suggested we all meet at Discus Madness before all of the COVID madness. Maybe we could do that in the spring in our various toys after vaccinated and this nightmare is behind us.

[Iminit]

Don that sound like a great idea! Love to see your 911. But would not be upset with the mustang :). Great movie Ford vs Ferrari. It’s made for me the list of movies I just can’t pass up changing channels. Watched sun again :). Don’t worry a bit about him losing money on your engine. He didn’t!! Parts are off the charts! If he still has it I’d consider getting it back. 78 sc was the first year so it will have value. If it turns over it’s worth 9k with its injection system. The injection system is very hard to get. Think it was only used by Porsche and BMW. Not many even know how to fix it. No mater what you do to the car that engine sold with it adds $$. I blew a connecting rod through my engine in 17. Po used a rod from a 3.0. I still have that engine. New engine was rebuilt by Bill Rutner.130171.

[pablos]

But would not be upset with the mustang :).
I'm not upset with mine :-) 130180

[Iminit]

Nice Pablos!! Everybody needs a daily driver :). Mine :).130182

[Iminit]

Beautiful day today! Went out for a drive!��. 130857130858

[14Discus]

I, too, finally got out in the ZX. Oh my......this winter, it was repainted, new rack and pinion, mudflaps,headlight covers, and a new set of tires. The original tires on it looked good but were between 20-30 years old....fine for trailer queen stuff, but not ok for hwy driving. Even the wife went out for a few spins. Glad I got the work done during the crappy winter so it’s good to go now. Take a spin....then relax in the discus room recliner. Life doesn’t get better than that.:bounce:
130860

[14Discus]

Outside:D

130874

[Shan_Evolved]

Oh baby that is sexy

[nah]

131519

This is the 2013 Camaro 2SS/RS.

[nah]

I, too, finally got out in the ZX. Oh my......this winter, it was repainted, new rack and pinion, mudflaps,headlight covers, and a new set of tires. The original tires on it looked good but were between 20-30 years old....fine for trailer queen stuff, but not ok for hwy driving. Even the wife went out for a few spins. Glad I got the work done during the crappy winter so it’s good to go now. Take a spin....then relax in the discus room recliner. Life doesn’t get better than that.:bounce:
130860

I like the black and silver.

[Iminit]

Had it out today :).131530 and just saw this on the face book side and thought it would get a laugh!131531

[LizStreithorst]

And buckets now come with a drowning warning and plastic bags remind you that the bag is not a toy. :rolleyes:

[dspeers]

Sad thing is that per what I have been told, all of these outrageous "that would never happen" warnings are the result of lawsuits generated by consumers who suffered the consequences of indulging in the very action they are warning against. How does that go, "you can remediate uneducated but you can't fix stupid....."

[14Discus]

Well…….my sickness for the 280zx took on a new meaning this fall when I picked up a 1980 280zx 10th Aaniversary Special Edition. There were only 500 of this red and black color scheme made…..mine is #241 with a mere 25,800 miles on it. I did a few things to it (new tires, removal of window tinting film, removal of headlight covers, some engine tune up things, a full sized spare and other odds and ends) and now she’s ready to go after I wait out the snow and salt on the roads. Between my discus, koi, insects, and now dream cars…….I’m having a blast.
132511
132512
132513
132514

[Iminit]

Congrats!! That is a sweet looking ride!!

[jpm995]

Coralbandit, we have similar tastes. I have a '02 z06 vette with 12000 miles and an 05 slk55 amg.

[mleibowi]

‘09 fit taffeta white with 95k miles. Happy to provide pics if interested.

[Iminit]

Of course! Pics or it didn’t happen :).

[Kirbs]

That is one nice 280ZX! Love the colors!

[TR8Driver]

Here are my two cars, both Triumphs. One is a 1966 TR4A IRS, I've had that one since high school. The other is a 1981 TR8, which I've had about 10 years. Just for reference, I had the TR4A when the TR8 was new.

132531

132532

[jpm995]

Always loved the TR4's. and the 6-cylinder version [TR250?]. There the essence of what a sport car should be. Open, quick, light, good handling and most important fun to drive. Oh, and look great to.

[mleibowi]

I have a honda fit and minivan, don't feel so bad.

[Charlyc11]

I gave up my 280Z,BMW 318, Audi's and my g35's for a sports truck Tacoma Sport 4x4 and I love it. I really would like a T bird but can't afford it.
Hey I move from Long Island to a semi rural area in MD you need a truck even a small one.
132533

[TR8Driver]

Always loved the TR4's. and the 6-cylinder version [TR250?]. There the essence of what a sport car should be. Open, quick, light, good handling and most important fun to drive. Oh, and look great to.

Yes, the TR250 (TR5 in the rest of the world) had a six cylinder engine, but still the Michelotti body.

My TR4A still has the 4 cylinder engine, but with a little helper installed

132539

[jpm995]

Wow supercharged! Pushing the limits on power for that chassis. Must be a rocket. In my younger days i had a Sunbeam Tiger, i loved that little car.

[dspeers]

This will be toy number 2. Replaced the stock with 3.6 varioram and turned out the body needed significantly more work than anticipated, as always in a resto or resto-mod. Anyway painted with Porsche British Racing green and should be done in a couple of months. Maybe we should revise that lunch trip to Discus Madness this spring, assuming gas prices will not be prohibitive by then. 133825133826133827

[Iminit]

Very nice! Went with the wide body. Nice! Here’s a pic of mine133831

Charlyc11. Well I traded in the STI and got a pickup133832133833

[jeep]

Seriously, stop teasing me with these Porsche's or I'll have to show you my old RS Camaro, lol...

[CliffsDiscus]

Seriously, stop teasing me with these Porsche's or I'll have to show you my old RS Camaro, lol...

Brian, 67 RS with 396 just sold for 170k at Mecum auction.

[jeep]

Some of these classic car prices are crazy. I had nowhere to keep mine inside and it was rusting away so I sold it to someone who wanted to restore it and he paid a premium price for that time. I heard from him a few years ago and it's still sitting in his garage, lol. Properly restored, I know it would command a high price because it was only one of 100 built with it's options and engine.

[Iminit]

Got my 83 running today. It had been down since June. Had a fuel problem. Had a problem a few years ago were the ground for the starter came loose and it shut down. So thought that may have been the problem. But no. Thought it was out of fuel. Nope. Couldn’t figure out the problem and was heading to the fuel injectors. My son got on his phone looking at some utube videos. Opened the hood and checked the fuel pump relay. It had fallin out. Who woulda thought! It’s at my mother in laws so I’d only get out there every so often to try and figure it out. What would we do without utube! Lol134272 and tonight’s sunset :).134273

[dspeers]

134274

Body almost done, engine done. Now all I need is a seat. Should be done by May, maybe we can finally do that lunch and Discus Madness trip then.

[Iminit]

Sounds good! And she looks good!! Hey did you redo the front dash? I need to do mine in the 83. Replaced the front window last year but couldn’t find a dash.

[dspeers]

Original dash at least at present. Has a couple of small cracks at the (does it really work?) defrost vent but otherwise in good shape. Will ask the guys at Bluesky what they would do. This is their second porsche. Historically, they are American muscle restorers which is why they got the mustang.

Did you ever see the best explanation I ever found of the porsche HVAC control system? Plagerized from a Pelican Thread posted back in 16.

The ventilation system requires that you operate 4 levers to make it work. 3 of the levers are on the dash, and the other is between the seats on newer Pooscheys there are 2 levers between the seats).

The top lever on the dash actually does several different things (remember, it is a fiendish German device, just like the rest of the car). Pushing it to the middle opens the dust ports leading to the windshield (see below for operation of fogging machine and oil mist spray device). Pushing it to the right past the middle also activates the rattling noise-maker device. There are three loudness levels to choose from. Pushing the lever all the way to the left is used to jam the cable so unauthorized personnel cannot operate any of the devices above. The lever also enables the automatic heat exchanger signalling device -- when opening it spews rust particles on the windshield, you should replace the heat exchangers. Also, if opening it causes you to immediately turn blue or purple (not just hair, but skin color) and become unconscious, you (or your estate) should definitely replace the heat exchangers.

The second lever from the top controls the lights on the White House Xmas tree. Move it to the middle to turn on the lights, and all the way to the right to fire 4500 Megatons of Nukes at Iraq.

The bottom lever on the dash is used to replace the windshield when it becomes scratched or pitted with rock chips. It also determines how much hot air goes to your feet as opposed to your head. For example, let's say the engine is completely warmed up and the hot air is burning your feet. If it's a cold day, you can flip the lever to the other side and shoot hot air onto the windshield so it cracks and shatters. Then call your insurance company (you do have insurance, don't you?)

The lever between the seats controls the oil mist spray device. When the engine is warmed up, this lever allows you to blow oil mist into the passenger cabin. Using the top dash lever lets you select whether you want the oil mist to coat the inside of the windshield or to just circulate around your feet. On a newer Pooschey, you have 2 levers on the floor between the seats. The left hand lever lets you open the left side vents which are aimed so they burn the feet of the person in the right hand seat, and the right hand lever lets you open the right side vents which are aimed so they burn the feet of the person in the left hand seat. Of course, each lever will also burn just the tops of the feet of the person in the other seat. If you are driving in the rain (or even stopped in the rain after the car has broken down), these levers also let you spray a fog of water vapor on the windshield, so no one can see in or out of the car -- sort of like privacy glass."

[Iminit]

Lol yes read it before! But always funny and so true!!

[Greg-Florida]

So confusing, so I flipped and resaved and this is try # 3. If anyone else has figured out this please let me know. Did see one other thread where inverted pics were rotated and reposted by another user but do not recall the subject so cannot run down the person who fixed and request assistance. 129895

Nice '67 Don !!
Hard to tell but the paint looks really slick. Beautiful blue!

[dspeers]

Ford stock for the body matched the lighter turquoise of the two tone interior. We decided to match the darker tone, I think it is actually a Toyota metallic, would have to go back and look. Regardless, very pleased with the outcome. BlueSky does outstanding work.

May end up liking the 911 shown even more. The restored mustang was a repeat of my first car I bought for 1,000 in 73, three tone scheme, blue, rust and bondo. Bought the second as a project car in 87 but never found the time to restore. Bought the 78 911 for my wife while stationed in Germany in 90, hell of a fun car to drive but nickname widowmaker (especially the 930 turbo) was well deserved.

Where R your pictures?

[dspeers]

Tom, Not ignoring you, waiting to talk to the upholstry guy about the dash once the car gets to him. Whatever he does will send you photos and you can decide whether to contact him. He is near Budd Lake I think.

[Iminit]

Thanks Don! Yes the turbo was nicknamed the widow maker because the turbo had 3-4 second delay. It came on with so much power if not ready it could pull the steering wheel out of your hand. Turbos weren’t that popular because of it. Funny back when I bought mine nobody wanted a turbo and they were around the same price. That delay was with them up till the late 80s. Than I believe they changed the turbo. Most turbos owned today have replaced the stock turbo.

[Greg-Florida]

45th Anniversary Edition Tribute Camaro - 2012.
She sure does run and handle well!

Some really nice cars in this thread!

134756

[Greg-Florida]

Ford stock for the body matched the lighter turquoise of the two tone interior. We decided to match the darker tone, I think it is actually a Toyota metallic, would have to go back and look. Regardless, very pleased with the outcome. BlueSky does outstanding work.

May end up liking the 911 shown even more. The restored mustang was a repeat of my first car I bought for 1,000 in 73, three tone scheme, blue, rust and bondo. Bought the second as a project car in 87 but never found the time to restore. Bought the 78 911 for my wife while stationed in Germany in 90, hell of a fun car to drive but nickname widowmaker (especially the 930 turbo) was well deserved.

Where R your pictures?

Haha, 3 tone scheme!

I just posted my Camaro and tomorrow I'll post Mustang. Actually, I have a few Mustangs to post :-)

[dspeers]

Mine was a 911 modified with a 930 body. Lucky in a way as the builder found out Germans were offended by a lack of turbo so price was depressed. Given that I was a child of the 50s and grew up driving front engine Detroit hot rods, the porsche initially scared me. Took it out early on in a large parking lot and was amazed at how easy it was to inadvertently spin. Just a little too much power + turn and you were looking out the rear window to see where you were going. All that weight sitting on on the rear axle. Once you get used to the massive oversteer, it is at least predictible without turbo. Never lost it on dry pavement, but it was by far the worst snow car I ever drove. I think that is why the german engineers made the heat system so bad. Keep you out of the car when it is below freezing outside.

[dspeers]

Very very cool, can't wait to see the 'stangs. I actually also own a 67 RS that is next in line to get fixed up. Of course I either have to find a house with a bigger garage or add lifts, do have the head space in the garage to do so. I did a lot of resto work in HS and college and was going to be doing all of the work absent paint and upholstry myself. Unfortunately life intervened and given the lumbar spondylosis/facet syndrome/radiculopathy and Rheumatoid Arthritis, that is no longer an option. Doing a simple 2 hour front end brake job is persently an all day adventure. Now reliant on younger less creaky folks to do the work, but resto costs are brutal. In a way it is a bonus as the guys I use are better at it than I was.

[Greg-Florida]

Can't compete with the Porsche's but here's my Detroit car.
This is my '68 Mustang coupe, my first car at 16 years old.
289, C-4 automatic, 9" posi rear.

Interesting story.
My grandfather bought this new in 1968 to go back and forth to the golf course.
The car had every single possible option on it including the very rare upper console
with map lights, and vents with blinkers in the hood (not as rare).
With the oil crisis in 1973 and Detroit downsizing all engines and cars for the 1974 model
lines, Ford came out with the Mustang II and gramps bought one to do his part to save fuel.
He then gave the 68 to my mother as we were at that time a one-car family.
It became the family car and my older sister learned to drive in it.
Fortunately, she married at 18 and moved off, leaving the car behind.
In 1978 dad agreed to sell it to me for $1000 as I turned 16, and the rest is history.

I was really lucky. I knew 5 brothers whose father was the general manager of a large nearby
Lincoln-Mercury dealership and the brothers were heavily into Mustangs and Shelby's and did crazy, outstanding paint work.
They put some Shelby body parts on the car and painted it with Imron aircraft paint to a flawless perfection.
These brothers were painting exotics like Countach's and winning best car and best paint in show.

One of my dad's employees had a brother who was the parts manager at the largest Ford dealership in town
and not only did he give me all parts at 30% off, at that time you could buy Ford Factory
high-performance parts because they were available across the counter! Today,
you can barely finds the same parts used.
They connected me with the dealership head mechanic who had the first 3 bays.
He was so good he would diagnose and have helpers do the labor getting his 8 hours every
day by noon and going home to work on his 1/4 mile strip cars. Ralph dominated our local strip with mind-blowing times and consistency.

So Ralph dropped in a 302 with Ford 289 Hi-Po heads with triple spring and enlarged valves, ports enlarged,
solid lifters, Crane Fireball cam, Holley 600 vacuum, dual point distributor, 10.5:1 pistons, etc.
The engine was made for high RPM but in my automatic didn't see much of that.
I put in a B&M stall converter, shift kit, (and the harder I drove that car, the harder it shifted!), headers, an authentic Shelby aluminum high rise intake manifold,
3.91 gears, etc. Only put out about 325 HP but was a really quick, light, fun car to drive.

Unfortunately, I have very few pictures of this car.

134787134788134789134790

[Iminit]

Well I’m just not a mustang fan. Owned a 67 with a 6cyl. And I think the 6 ruined the car for me. At the time I also had a 72 Chevy with a 396. Think the difference in power was unbearable. But the second pic of it in red is a car to die for. That’s a great looking car. The pic is old I see the now classic 76-77 olds next to it. Do you still own this car? Wrecked the Chevy and an older friend had a 289 fastback hertz mustang with the whole opera light and upper console. Just a beautiful car. The guy offered it to me for 2k in 84. He was getting married and needed the money. I needed a daily driver and just couldnt see driving that daily. Ended up buying a 66 cutlass that I had till 2010 when I sold it. Bought the Porsche the next year. Wish i would have bought that mustang.

[dspeers]

All that past tense has me worried the Mustang has moved on. Tom......."not a mustang fan". I am so disappointed but get the 6 cyl experience. Had a 71 cuda in college with a slant 6. What a sluggish creature, embodied the "hamster on a wheel powertrain" concept with 0-60 measured in hours. Greg, the "Only put out about 325 HP" statement makes me chuckle. Getting more than 1 hp/ci with a normally aspirated, carburated engine was considered well done in the 70s, at least for shady tree hot rodders. Quick is an understatement given the power/weight of that model. Mine is similiar and I consider it somewhat more beastly than quick.

[Iminit]

Don’t think I’ve ever heard my 71 Cuda was just a sluggish creature!! Hopefully no Mopar fanatics read that!! They may storm your house! :). That mustang was so bad one year we took it upstate hunting. I had to pull over at a park&ride on the thruway and find some cardboard to put it front of the radiator just to get heat. That 6 wouldn’t even heat the car. So many times I’d leave the car running then jump in and turn the key and grind the starter. You just couldn’t hear or feel that engine running.

[dspeers]

Well, they can rant but I am pretty sure that my "leaning tower of power" was the small version with a massive 145 hp and 215 ft-lbs. torque. Also had 150K+ miles and went through 2 quarts oil every 3K miles, half on the ground and half out the tailpipe. Needless to say, performance was not at 100%. I was a senior at UT bairly getting by on a shoestring budget and I paid under 500 for this a couple of years prior. Just after spring semester started I came back to my appt. one AM and no car in the lot (was with my girlfriend in her car, she hated my "rusty wreck"). Neighbors told me the car had burned overnight, and had been towed away by the city. Gotta admit I did get my money out of that. Soon as I had some funds after graduation, bought a Datsun 240 Z. Really fun car once I gave up on the original SU carbs and mounted two Webers.

[Greg-Florida]

Here is my 1969 Shelby GT-500.
Bought this really cheap from the Mustang brothers because unfortunately it had been separated from it's original engine and wheels.
Had a nice top-loader 4-speed transmission. The image below on the white background is not mine. I have very few remaining pictures of this car.
Mostly fiberglass body, roll cage, performance suspension, etc.

One of the very unique characteristics of this car was the exhaust that exited through a giant aluminum manifold brought together in two central rectangles for a very distinct sound.

134814134815134816

[Greg-Florida]

All that past tense has me worried the Mustang has moved on. Tom......."not a mustang fan". I am so disappointed but get the 6 cyl experience. Had a 71 cuda in college with a slant 6. What a sluggish creature, embodied the "hamster on a wheel powertrain" concept with 0-60 measured in hours. Greg, the "Only put out about 325 HP" statement makes me chuckle. Getting more than 1 hp/ci with a normally aspirated, carburated engine was considered well done in the 70s, at least for shady tree hot rodders. Quick is an understatement given the power/weight of that model. Mine is similiar and I consider it somewhat more beastly than quick.

The red 68 has moved on Don. I was a kid, no sense. And you're right, thanks for pointing out the power-to-weight ratio. Man, that car was only 2800 pounds after I removed the air conditioning!
I used to put my tools in the trunk to help with traction!
I now have a clean little maroon coupe I'll post soon. The blue Shelby is past tense also, was still a kid. Hindsights' a *****, isn't it?

[dspeers]

I much prefer the 67-8 model years but to lose the original engine on that 69 Shelby, what a tragedy, I am all teared up. We used sand bags in the trunk for traction. The toys we didn't keep we should have..........

[Iminit]

Just some recent pics135181135182

[Greg-Florida]

Just some recent pics

Oh man, that thing's beautiful Tom! What I wouldn't give to hop in there and drive it like a rental!

This reminds me, I totally forgot to post my current Mustang. I'll do that.

Now is probably perfect driving weather for you up there, eh?

[Greg-Florida]

I much prefer the 67-8 model years but to lose the original engine on that 69 Shelby, what a tragedy, I am all teared up. We used sand bags in the trunk for traction. The toys we didn't keep we should have..........

I know, it IS a tragedy Don.
Fortunately I had a nice 302 for it.
Another thing that got separated from the car is the original wheels. How the hell does that happen? Who would do that?
Maybe they got damaged beyond repair. But 4 of them?
The engine - I was told the block got damaged...

I forgot to post my Mustang. Coming...

[CliffsDiscus]

I much prefer the 67-8 model years but to lose the original engine on that 69 Shelby, what a tragedy, I am all teared up. We used sand bags in the trunk for traction. The toys we didn't keep we should have..........

My friend still has his 350 Shelby, bought from Hertz Rental Car with matching number, dark green in color. The car is rarely driven just sits in the garage. Someone mention that at the dealer sometimes when the Shelbys were rented out when returning the 302 were swap out with 289s. So

[Iminit]

When I was 25 a buddy of mine who was 30 and getting married offered me his Hertz 289 mustang for 2k. I needed a daily driver and didn’t buy it. If only I knew. His I don’t think was a Shelby. I remember it as a fastback mustang with the opera light setup.

[dspeers]

Love the Targa pics. Was there even a non-Shelby H Mustang in 66. Quick google search failed to find. Makes you cry even more that you passed on your buddy's car.

[Greg-Florida]

Love the Targa pics. Was there even a non-Shelby H Mustang in 66. Quick google search failed to find. Makes you cry even more that you passed on your buddy's car.

Nope, all the classic H Mustangs were indeed thru Shelby American. Except in 2014 Hertz partnered with Penske to create a special GT model called the Ford Mustang Hertz Penske GT - S-197 II. It's a 5th gen Mustang.

[Iminit]

Yeah that was years ago. Also I’m pretty sure it was a 67. But again it was years ago.

[Charlyc11]

Well got my replacement car.

I went from this:

136020

That gave me this:

136021

Back on the road again.

[LizStreithorst]

Nice truck, but it's a far cry from the truck you had.

[Charlyc11]

Plus 7 years younger.

[brewmaster15]

So gearheads,grease monkeys and auto afficionados I have a car talk question for you.

I have a 2007 chysler aspen suv . It has a pecular problem. My power steering works perfectly when driving.When I put in reverse I loose power steering. :mad: its not too much of a hassel most of the time however I use this to pull my camper and have to back down a long curving driveway with the camper as well as back into campsites. It just not fun doing that without power steering. Anyone have an idea whats the problem here.

Thanks!
Al

[Iminit]

That sounds like a computer problem. Best bet would be find a forum on the aspen. Bet it’s happened before and they’ve got the solution. Can’t imagine how power steering would stop in reverse but a computer glitch.

[brewmaster15]

That makes sense Tom. I was thinking the same.

[brewmaster15]

From a guy on reddit

There are several possible reasons why your steering wheel is hard to turn in reverse, depending on the type of power steering system your car has. Here are some of the most common causes:

Low power steering fluid: This is the most likely cause of steering wheel difficulty, especially if you hear noises when you turn. The power steering fluid helps the pump create hydraulic pressure, which makes it easier to turn the wheel. If the fluid level is low, the pump will not work properly and the steering will be harder. You should check the fluid level and refill it if necessary. You should also look for any leaks in the system that might cause the fluid to drain.

Faulty power steering pump: The power steering pump is what generates the hydraulic pressure that assists your steering. If the pump is malfunctioning or broken, you will lose the power steering assistance and have to use more force to turn the wheel. You can tell if the pump is faulty by listening for loud noises or whining sounds from the engine bay.

Broken serpentine belt: The serpentine belt is what drives the power steering pump and other components in the engine, such as the alternator, water pump, and air conditioning. If the belt snaps or slips off, the power steering pump will stop working and you will have a hard time turning the wheel. You will also notice other problems, such as dimming lights, overheating engine, or loss of air conditioning.

Power steering fluid too thick: The power steering fluid can become contaminated with dirt and debris over time, which makes it thicker and less able to flow through the hoses and valves. This reduces the responsiveness of the power steering system and makes it harder to turn the wheel. You should flush out the old fluid and replace it with new fluid every few years as part of regular maintenance.

Low tire pressure: The tire pressure can affect how easy or hard it is to steer your car, especially at low speeds. If your tires are underinflated, they will have more resistance and friction on the road, which makes it harder to turn them. You should check your tire pressure regularly and inflate them to the recommended level. This will also improve your fuel economy and safety.

Electric power steering problems: Some modern cars use electric power steering (EPS) instead of hydraulic power steering. EPS uses an electric motor to assist your steering instead of a pump and fluid. EPS is more reliable and efficient than hydraulic power steering, but it can still have problems. Some common issues with EPS are faulty sensors, wiring problems, software glitches, or motor failure. These problems can cause loss of power steering assistance, warning lights on the dashboard, or erratic steering behavior. You should take your car to a mechanic if you suspect any problems with your EPS system.

Its a newish serpentine belt and I have had issues with it and with Ac... im thinking that may be related. Its pretty old so I'd be surprised if it had EPS. Hard to say its kind of a weird suv.. chrysler mercedes Hybrid. I boughtnit a few years back when beloved yukon denali died.

[CliffsDiscus]

So gearheads,grease monkeys and auto afficionados I have a car talk question for you.

I have a 2007 chysler aspen suv . It has a pecular problem. My power steering works perfectly when driving.When I put in reverse I loose power steering. :mad: its not too much of a hassel most of the time however I use this to pull my camper and have to back down a long curving driveway with the camper as well as back into campsites. It just not fun doing that without power steering. Anyone have an idea whats the problem here.

Thanks!
Al

Al, did you check your fan belt and power steering fluid?

[brewmaster15]

Hi Cliff, I did. Everything looks good .
al