Slash's Mopar Van: End of the Road

[ProjectWHaT]

Ohio my friend, we have absolutely no laws on emissions. All you need to be street legal are seatbelts, turn signals, lights, and can go 25MPH. A custom home made car can be street legal here.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!

 

[michrulejj]

I know, I was in Ohio today

You could get to cleveland in a few hours probably (Cleveland is still like 5 hrs away from me though...). You should move to Ohio and get a 454 or a 572 to mount mid engines in your van!

Don't forget your hood scoop upgrade also! 👍

 

[Slash]

You could get to cleveland in a few hours probably (Cleveland is still like 5 hrs away from me though...). You should move to Ohio and get a 454 or a 572 to mount mid engines in your van!

Don't forget your hood scoop upgrade also! 👍

I went right through Cleveland twice, once to go to Michigan and the other coming home. Also hit Sandusky, Toledo and a few other big cities.


Hell no. No Chevy is every touching my car

 

[michrulejj]

I went right through Cleveland twice, once to go to Michigan and the other coming home. Also hit Sandusky, Toledo and a few other big cities.


Hell no. No Chevy is every touching my car

572 is technically GM as it was used in a cadillac and chevy maybe once or twice... But I'm going to school this fall in Toledo for Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in their PharmD program.

Anyways have you looked into everything that would be needed to mid engine your van? And is it realistically possible w/o dropping a lot of money?

 

[Slash]

Toledo is nice but its too rural for me. Good luck though bud.

Yes it is a GM but that means nothing to me lol.

It could be with a lot of fabrication to save money and its something I certainly could do but its not really worth it or cost effective especially with a chassis weakening by the day.

Maybe someday but having experience with severe rust its not worth the time, effort or money to build something with so much torque it tears the chassis in half. Especially considering stuffing it into a weak chassis that was never intended nor designed to be mid engined let alone V8 swapped.

 

[michrulejj]

Toledo is nice but its too rural for me. Good luck though bud.

Yes it is a GM but that means nothing to me lol.

It could be with a lot of fabrication to save money and its something I certainly could do but its not really worth it or cost effective especially with a chassis weakening by the day.

Maybe someday but having experience with severe rust its not worth the time, effort or money to build something with so much torque it tears the chassis in half. Especially considering stuffing it into a weak chassis that was never intended nor designed to be mid engined let alone V8 swapped.

Its like top 5 biggest cities in Ohio... Its a really big city Lol... You may of went through a suburb or around toledo.

Chevy is GM and GM is Chevy. As long as it doesn't have that golden badge its all good then.

And thats very true you see older muscle cars, that people turn into drag cars twist their chassis from too much torque. And they were made with V8's.

 

[Slash]

I went right through the heart of it.


Yeah that's true but that's easy to take care of on those cars.

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

Speaking of which, I was just in Michigan this past week. I went up to Irons, but I was all around the state, from Luddington to Cadillac, Flint and what not.

If you took 131 or 31 then you drove on the highway that is only 10 miles from my house!
I could have taken you for a ride in the Camaro if you didn't hate chevys so much. Or I could have taken you for a ride in my neighbors 650 hp Viper.

I went right through Cleveland twice, once to go to Michigan and the other coming home. Also hit Sandusky, Toledo and a few other big cities.
Hell no. No Chevy is every touching my car

Hopefully you grow out of that someday. Shame to see someone so destined to dislike a specific model of vehicle.

You can't buy a Mustang for $800.

I agree especially depending on the year. You get what you pay for in the northern states with all the salt.

I could but maybe in the future after I have a steady income and have another project car that's on the road. Mustangs go cheap around here most of the time.

I'd straight pipe it, but it'll sound like a tractor (though that would be funny). Pointless though because I just fixed the exhaust when I did the brake system.

Depends on the year Mustang you are looking for. Finding an older northern Mustang without a lot of sheetmetal work is not an easy task for cheap. You truly get what you pay for. The older the Mustang the more expensive they get. Especially if you are looking at 1965-1970. Good luck finding one of those in good condition for cheap. They will either need mechanical work or an insane amount of bodywork.

When it comes to selling the van, do you have another vehicle lined up for winter? You sure as heck don't want to drive a Mustang in the winter.

 

[Slash]

If you took 131 or 31 then you drove on the highway that is only 10 miles from my house!
I could have taken you for a ride in the Camaro if you didn't hate chevys so much. Or I could have taken you for a ride in my neighbors 650 hp Viper.

Damn, I wish I would have known! I would have loved a ride in either car, I'm not going to pass either of those up those up

I believe we took 23 up through Flint and Saginaw and then at Midland we got on 10 on the way up to Irons. Man, there's nothing up there! I've never seen so much sand or pine trees in my life lol.

I
Hopefully you grow out of that someday. Shame to see someone so destined to dislike a specific model of vehicle.

I just say things like that. I do enjoy most if not all cars, actually

I quite like old Chevies and Mopars.

I agree especially depending on the year. You get what you pay for in the northern states with all the salt.

This is true. Though occasionally you can find the odd deal on the off chance but most of them you'll be paying at least $1000 for a roller. Mustang II's in almost mint shape go for up to $5,500 and I'm not against owning one (in fact, I want one) and have eyeballed them in the past so who knows. Nothing is set in stone, this is just wishful thinking over the next year and a half.

Depends on the year Mustang you are looking for. Finding an older northern Mustang without a lot of sheetmetal work is not an easy task for cheap. You truly get what you pay for. The older the Mustang the more expensive they get. Especially if you are looking at 1965-1970. Good luck finding one of those in good condition for cheap. They will either need mechanical work or an insane amount of bodywork.

Oh trust me, I know. 71-78's are the cheapest right now. I have no problem spending a nice chunk of change on an early one though for something that doesn't need a ton. Being fresh out of school I'm not going to be looking for a huge project. A nice rolling chassis would be everything I need, while keeping the van for the time being. I'm not against pulling one up from down south.

If and when I get one it's going to be something 67-70. Right now I'm leaning towards a 1970. I love 1969 cars, but that ass on the 1970 cars just does me in. It's definitely got to be a fastback but I'm going to try and track down a standard sportsroof and not a Mach 1 etc to keep the price down. They use all the same parts anyways.

When it comes to selling the van, do you have another vehicle lined up for winter? You sure as heck don't want to drive a Mustang in the winter.

Nothing at the moment, but I am considering getting an older pickup to get me by, maybe something small like a Ranger. The van is literally only being given to me to get me going so I'll have to get crackin' on that once I start working. I wouldn't mind a small truck but I would definitely like to get me a big boy like my dad's F250. That would make me very happy. 4WD comes in handy around these parts.

 

[Slash]

So I think its settled. I'm not putting anymore money into this hunk of recycled beer cans unless its absolutely necessary to keep it from dying or becoming unsafe for road use. I am very strict when it comes to vehicle safety so not much slides with me. I would like to think this is a good thing but I know at some point it'll bite me in the ass.

So, rather than wasting my money on a car that isn't quite what I want anyways, like that '71 Mustang Coupe with the 302/auto I was eyeballing for a bit and then be unsatisfied with the purchase anyways, I figure its best to start saving for something I really want anyways.

I think I am going to settle for a 1970 Mustang. It has to be a fastback, no exceptions. Only because these seem to be cheaper than their 1969 brethren. And also, dat ass. But the real thing is exactly what car I go for. Finding a base fastback with a 302/auto that's in meh condition I think will be a tad challenging but could pay off because being the light duty car, it will keep the price down since its not something everyone wants like a big block Mach 1 or something. That said, it also becomes an epic platform to do whatever I want to it. As far as that is concerned, I am undecided but not worried as I will cross that road when I get there.

I am aware of the maintenance that will be necessary. I am not worried about it. I do all work myself or with the help of my father and sometimes a couple friends. It will be a continued learning experience for me and I am excited to get started as this is a profession I have always wanted to get into. Storage will be figured out. I may look into renting storage space or who knows maybe in my own garage at home. The car will be a light project, being that I am out of school I cannot afford anything more. Project cars are cheap. Also, since its a light duty car, more can be done and the drivetrain will be more than enough until I can get comfortable with it. Especially with a low horsepower 302 and an automatic. Someday I will change that to a manual. I am not looking for a fire breather, just a nice weekend cruiser and something I can have some fun in during the week at the drag strip.

So a backup vehicle. That's what this van will be doing temporarily. There's several thoughts running through my mind. My sister is going to need a vehicle soon. Like real soon. So I am going to drive this long enough to get a cheap pickup on the road and run that year round until the Mustang gets on the road. I am not, unfortunately going to get a full size like I want. Right now for a young guy like me with 2 gas guzzlers already it is simply too impractical, and too much to afford. I will be looking into a manual 4 cylinder Ranger. Hopefully 4 wheel drive because that's needed around these parts. Then, I will daily that all year round in the summer and alternate storage between the summer/winter when the Mustang is ready.The Ranger will also be temporary until I get enough cash flow coming in that I can get the truck I want. Hopefully something between 1978-1986 Ford. Provided its in good working order I expect to have it for 5 or so years. Maybe 7.

Cost? I don't believe it will be too costly. Although, I may eat my words. We'll see. The van is prepped now and well off enough to last me quite a long time provided I keep it up as need which should not become an issue. The van was free so that is a heavy burden off my shoulders. I am not looking for spend more than $1,500 for a Ranger. Once I get that, I will give the van back. At this point I hopefully should be in school. There I will have access to some of the best help in the United States for nothing. I will worry about paying that off slowly over time when I get out. Its a lot of money but the school works with you as far as payments and financial aid. The Mustang? I'll be slowly saving up $5k or so. At that point I will start browsing and slowly keep putting away over time. If I find one higher than I have saved but needs work I will take out a loan for the difference. Living situations? I'll figure that out when it comes to it. Right now I am set for the next 3-4 years as it is. By then I should be pretty well off. Insurance? Covered by my dad until I am 21. The car won't be on the road for a long time after that so hopefully premiums will be a tad lower by the time comes to put it on the road. Another thing to figure out when the time comes.

The goal is to have the Mustang on the road by the time I'm 23-24. Maybe not perfect or how i want, but at least running and driveable. I'm 19 now. Its time to make this dream a reality.

All I know is that if this is going to work I am going to be working my ass off for a decent income. Maybe even 2 jobs. I am completely aware that this is not something that is going to happen over night. But its better to have a plan and stick to it now that to get hung up on something unforeseen halfway there (which will probably happen anyways). This is the car I want young so its there with me at all important life event like my first born etc. I know my dad wants the truck done up too so I think I am going to be busy.

Maybe I'll even meet a nice girl, or get the one I truly care for

But I want that god damn car and I'll get it if it kills me.

 

[Cano]

So I think its settled. I'm not putting anymore money into this hunk of recycled beer cans

took you long enough. Good luck with the Rustang 👍

 

[ildd]

Dem asses

What color do you want it to be anyways? I could see you in blue or yellow.

 

[Slash]

took you long enough. Good luck with the Rustang 👍

Thanks Cano

Dem asses
View attachment 165216
What color do you want it to be anyways? I could see you in blue or yellow.

Those are 1969 cars 1970 has dis ass

Red would be the ideal color but I'm not going to be fussy with it if the shell is already painted. If it needs to be painted, I have been debating between bright yellow and red. These two, to be exact.

Of course the car won't be a Mach 1 so you can ignore all the fancy trim.

I also can't decide if I want to run louvers and a spoiler, or leave it plain. Who knows. Both go on easy so I might alternate.

 

[Cano]

If you don't paint it Grabber Blue I'll hunt you down and spit in your eye.

 

[Slash]

If you don't paint it Grabber Blue I'll hunt you down and spit in your eye.

Grabber blue was a thought, and a damn good one, but then I thought everyone does that. I want to be a bit different, but not too different.

We'll see what happens. Like I said above, if it's already a painted shell then I'll just leave it but if not, I'll make that decision when the time comes.

 

[Cano]

Grabber blue was a thought, and a damn good one, but then I thought everyone does that. I want to be a bit different, but not too different.

We'll see what happens. Like I said above, if it's already a painted shell then I'll just leave it but if not, I'll make that decision when the time comes.

*wants to be different
*thinks of red

WAT.

 

[Slash]

The different part was the yellow. I RARELY see them in that shade of yellow.

The red was mostly the kid in me talking. Ever since I was little I always wanted a red Mustang.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

good luck! 👍

 

[Slash]

good luck! 👍

Thanks

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

Nice to see you finally dialed in exactly what car you want. 1970 Mustang will be so sick. Thats my other favorite year Mustang. Good luck hunting for your dream car. Looking forward to eventually seeing the thread titled "Slash's 70 Mustang!!!" or something like that.

Also don't worry about committing too many decisions right now. Your mind will change a million times before and during the time when you own your car. 👍

 

[Slash]

Nice to see you finally dialed in exactly what car you want. 1970 Mustang will be so sick. Thats my other favorite year Mustang.

Between 1969 and 1970....boy it was a hard decision. But you know what, if the price is right for either or I'll settle for one or the other. I've got a long time to decide yet. Who knows. Maybe it'll swap a '69 front end and quarters onto a '70

But yes I absolutely love that year. One of my favorites.

Good luck hunting for your dream car. Looking forward to eventually seeing the thread titled "Slash's 70 Mustang!!!" or something like that.

Thanks bud! It's going to be tough. I too can't wait to see that thread go up I've already got people sending me Craigslist ads for cars that need a lot of work. It'll be a long road just finding one to begin with, and even harder once I actually get ahold of it, but the end result will pay off. If you're ever in New York and I've got it, stop on by. I'll be happy to let you take her for a nice rip down the street.

That's one of the things I want to focus on. I'm buying a muscle car. I'm going to drive it like a muscle car (within reason of course ). I'm not going to be one of these people that dumps a ton of money into a car and then babies it. You want to take it for a spin? Give 'er hell.

Also don't worry about committing too many decisions right now. Your mind will change a million times before and during the time when you own your car. 👍

Oh I'm sure it will...there's just SO much I want to do

I'm just getting started. I'm sure you'll be around to help out here on the boards when there's things I'm stumped on

 

[cgg]

That's the Slash I know talking. I still can't picture you in anything other than a Mustang. Keep striving towards your dream and you'll get there.

 

[Slash]

That's the Slash I know talking. I still can't picture you in anything other than a Mustang. Keep striving towards your dream and you'll get there.

Well I got a ride in a '67 Mustang with a 289 last night. It just added to my extreme desire to have one. I've been telling my buddies I'm planning on getting a '70 here pretty "soon" and they are all excited lol.


_________



Anyways, this happened last night LOL



I felt obligated to record it since I have had one of those in the past.

 

[Slash]

Here's some pictures from a while back when I did that massive brake job on this turd.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

I don't understand the last picture. Did you van turn green?

 

[Slash]

No....I was sitting in it up on the lift.

 

[ProjectWHaT]

No....I was sitting in it up on the lift.

Oh. *facepalm*

 

[Slash]

Nothing really new to report. It's just sort of sitting in the driveway right now until i get around to putting plates on it. Maybe I'll see about putting that new handle on the hatch one of these days, that's going to be a project in itself.

I figured out why the door on the drivers side is a hard open. Well not really hard, but it's loud and you can feel stress in it. The front fender is warped. Not really noticeably, but enough to cause malalignment with the door/fender. No idea how this happened and I think it's been that way for a while.

I asked my dad if it had ever been in a collision. 2 signs made me think so.

A. The strut tower rotted out. For whatever reason, that seems to be common on vehicles that were in front end collisions as it causes mal-alignment.

B. The front fender is warped.


Dad said the thing was clean when he bought it (and it was the only thing we could afford at the time, that's why it wasn't another Ford).

Ah well. I don't really care that much. Things a money pit anyways, Best to start saving for that Mustang, even more so now that my buddy finally broke down and bought a Camaro yesterday. 3rd gen, 1983. Posi swapped rear end, 350 horse 350 small block. Pretty sure it's an auto but not 100% on that.

Just gives me more incentive. We'll what happens. I'm not in a rush for anything.

Although there is so much I want to accomplish. I would absolutely love to put dad's pickup back on the road. That would mean the world to me. It's slowly getting there but he wants to have all the parts for it first and it's not in the cards right now with mom being sick so it just gets worse and worse sitting there. Parts are getting cheaper and cheaper as the truck value goes up for OEM stuff so who knows what the market will be like in 2 years.

I'm also considering doing a writeup on nmy quest for the Mustang, from these days until the day of purchase, sort of like apublic documentation of my struggles so I can reflect back on it later in life, with imput from the communuity. Maybe I will. IDK.

 

[Zenith]

I think I am going to settle for a 1970 Mustang. It has to be a fastback, no exceptions.

I would suggest killing this criteria now.

An early Mustang fastback is usually around twice the price of an equal quality coupe. They're also harder to find.

This is for a heavier car, by the way.

Only because these seem to be cheaper than their 1969 brethren. And also, dat ass. But the real thing is exactly what car I go for. Finding a base fastback with a 302/auto that's in meh condition I think will be a tad challenging but could pay off because being the light duty car, it will keep the price down since its not something everyone wants like a big block Mach 1 or something. That said, it also becomes an epic platform to do whatever I want to it. As far as that is concerned, I am undecided but not worried as I will cross that road when I get there.

I honestly don't think that 70's are significantly more expensive than the 69's. Check these links for relevant pricing.

http://www.hagerty.com/price-guide/1969-Ford-Mustang

http://www.hagerty.com/price-guide/1970-Ford-Mustang

I am aware of the maintenance that will be necessary. I am not worried about it. I do all work myself or with the help of my father and sometimes a couple friends. It will be a continued learning experience for me and I am excited to get started as this is a profession I have always wanted to get into. Storage will be figured out. I may look into renting storage space or who knows maybe in my own garage at home.

Mustangs make good learner's project cars, but be aware that the car is going to spend a lot of downtime waiting for parts that you won't be able to get from Autozone. While the project is young and you're discovering all of the parts that the previous owner neglected this will happen a lot.

The car will be a light project, being that I am out of school I cannot afford anything more. Project cars are cheap.

No they're not. Anything that you pour thousands of dollars into for the sole purpose of fun is not cheap.

Also, since its a light duty car, more can be done and the drivetrain will be more than enough until I can get comfortable with it. Especially with a low horsepower 302 and an automatic. Someday I will change that to a manual. I am not looking for a fire breather, just a nice weekend cruiser and something I can have some fun in during the week at the drag strip.

Manuals are easy to swap a long as you stick to something period correct or a T5. This means you can't go high power though. They're not cheap though.

The Mustang? I'll be slowly saving up $5k or so. At that point I will start browsing and slowly keep putting away over time. If I find one higher than I have saved but needs work I will take out a loan for the difference. Living situations? I'll figure that out when it comes to it. Right now I am set for the next 3-4 years as it is. By then I should be pretty well off. Insurance? Covered by my dad until I am 21. The car won't be on the road for a long time after that so hopefully premiums will be a tad lower by the time comes to put it on the road. Another thing to figure out when the time comes.

Never take out a loan on a project car. They're not important enough. Take out loans on houses or things that help you make money, not a fun project. Your money situation is further reason for you to abandon the fastback idea.

The goal is to have the Mustang on the road by the time I'm 23-24. Maybe not perfect or how i want, but at least running and driveable. I'm 19 now. Its time to make this dream a reality.

If this is your goal then save your money for several years and by an already-running Mustang when you can afford it. You'll get the same car without having to spend your time underneath a broken one. Good running Mustangs are not extremely expensive.

 

[Slash]

I would suggest killing this criteria now.

An early Mustang fastback is usually around twice the price of an equal quality coupe. They're also harder to find.

This is for a heavier car, by the way.

First off, I want to say thanks for your input. I was somewhat hoping you'd post away seeing as you actually have a '67. Hopefully you'll be so kind enough to help guide me through this over time.

First thing is first. It's going to be a fastback, or it's not happening, period. I'm not wasting my hard earned cash on something I'm not going to be happy with, and lets face it, for me, coupes just aren't my thing. I'm aware it's going to cost a hella lot more, Quite honestly, I am ok with that. I'll figure it out. Obviously, this won't be any time soon, but someday in the future. If it takes more time to get something I'm ultimately more happy with, it'll be worth the time and effort. Basically, I'm hell bent on a fastback and almost nothing is going to persuade me to change my mind

As far as weight is concerned, not a big deal.According to Ford's sales brochure and general specifications, a 302 car weighed in dry at right about 3100-3300lbs, so that's not too bad. That's for a fastback too. Hell, throw $800 into the top end of the motor and you could knock damn near 200lbs off that. I'm not looking to make this car a fire breather that runs 9 second quarter miles. Hell, a stock 302/auto would make my world. Something nice to look at and cruise around in on the weekends is what I am after. The benefit of running a base model car is that it can always be upgraded in the future should I choose.

I honestly don't think that 70's are significantly more expensive than the 69's. Check these links for relevant pricing.

http://www.hagerty.com/price-guide/1969-Ford-Mustang

http://www.hagerty.com/price-guide/1970-Ford-Mustang

I wouldn't have thought so but I was under the impression '69s were the more popular model. Of the few times I've looked it seemed the '69s tended to sell higher, but it probably depends on the options. I've got time to worry about pricing anyways.

Mustangs make good learner's project cars, but be aware that the car is going to spend a lot of downtime waiting for parts that you won't be able to get from Autozone. While the project is young and you're discovering all of the parts that the previous owner neglected this will happen a lot.

Oh I am definitely aware. This isn't my first rodeo when it comes to that

My dad will help too, especially with the electrical. That's this expertise.

No they're not. Anything that you pour thousands of dollars into for the sole purpose of fun is not cheap.

That's why I am looking to start light. That was actually a typo, I meant to say "aren't". I know they aren't cheap, period.

Manuals are easy to swap a long as you stick to something period correct or a T5. This means you can't go high power though. They're not cheap though.

I honestly was just thinking about manual/auto valve bodying the automatic if it doesn't already have it set up from the factory that way. I don't want to dump a ton of money on a T5 and then eitther A blow it up from too much power or B. rip it out because it won't hold it. I thought about a toploader in it but $$$. An auto will suffice for a long time.

Never take out a loan on a project car. They're not important enough. Take out loans on houses or things that help you make money, not a fun project. Your money situation is further reason for you to abandon the fastback idea.

Noted. Probably for the best that I don't.

If this is your goal then save your money for several years and by an already-running Mustang when you can afford it. You'll get the same car without having to spend your time underneath a broken one. Good running Mustangs are not extremely expensive.

The plan is to buy a running roller, or something better. If it comes up where it's all in nice shape but the motor doesn't run I might jump on it. I've ran several carbed engines at home before and have a decent amount experience working on them so I feel I know my way around those and a car pretty well., especially being that I've stripped down and rebuilt probably 4-5 (not entirely by myself however) and have experience on old Camaros and what not. Fortunately, I am blessed with the skills required to take on such a project. My only fear is body work. I'm not the greatest at that. Mechanical, all day long. Body work, welll...I guess we will learn, won't we.

I am definitely not buying a stripped shell though. I'll pay up to $8k for a decent car.

Hell, that guys 289 '67 Coupe was bought for $2500 in that condition.

Who know's. It's a waiting game. Pennies are being saved. That's about all I can say right now.


Thanks for the comment, appreciate it.