Mustang in the grass, alas.

we knew our suspension well, horatio........

I have a badass 19 and 73 beautifully red five liter Ford Mustang Coupe..........on jackstands. Sigh.

Several years ago, whilst (and at the same time even,) stationed in Monterey at the army's language school, I finally convinced my wife that we needed a second car. MUHAHAHA.......little did she know, I was fulfilling my dream of owning a classic muscle car. But we worked it out, and I was able to purchase thisLink for about $1800.

It's old, but I love it. Since I've picked it up, I've rebuilt the brakes, suspension, the entire cooling system, the heater, a big chunk of the electrical, and oh yeah, the engine, among other things. It usually runs like a dream. All that's really left, is the body, the exhaust, and an exhaustive detailing to get this baby started at show level. (not competitive, but showing)

It's awesome to drive to the store, and come out to find yourself surrounded by Mustangs. People stop on the street and in the parking lots to ask you about it, and when I'm driving, I've even had people in the newer models yield me the right of way, just because of the car. However all is not well in Muddville, the Great Mustang has finally struck out.

Again, it usually runs wonderfully, when my wife talks about a more reliable car, I like to remind her that her "new" neon has had all kinds of interesting problems, while mine has driven cross-country without a hitch, and outside of a bad alternator, I've never had any trouble that I couldn't get home with. Until now.

My solution to daily driving an antiquated car needing regular maintenence prior to now? The Mel Brooks solution. I get up in the morning....... I open the garage......I walk over to the car.........and I fall to my knees and pray fiercely for 15 minutes. Not quite, but silly or not, I do reserve some prayer space for safe travel and my older vehicles every day. And He must be listening, cause it worked.

I'd put off a suspension problem I'd known about for a while, after hitting a bad bump, and some potholes pretty close together. Thought I'd busted a shock.......HA! Rather than a shock, I had an upper control arm sheer loose from the firewall. For those of you non car savvy folks, the control arms not that important, it just controls the tilt of the wheel sideways/allows it to move up and down/keeps the wheel from folding under the vehicle or falling off, that's all. I found myself without steering or brakes.

However.............I'd gotten a van to drive while doing the bodywork on the Mustang, and an MGB I picked up a while back. I bartered the van for a beat up piano, the only thing wrong was that it's ugly as sin, and it needed a new engine. I was going to pull the engine from the van Friday night, when......I get a phone call from my old second job, asking me to deliver pizzas for the night.

I hadn't been in there in five months, but what the hell. So I made a few runs, when.......while going down the country highway, I hear a bang. No steering, brakes going soft. I get it stopped.......right across the street from the place I was to deliver to. More over, it turns out they're friends of the pizza joint owner, and they own a towing service. So I get a free tow, and they even help me get it in the garage and on jackstands.

If I hadn't have helped a friend with his car a week ago, (and I hadn't planned to) I'd have been driving my mustang down the highway to waco at high rates of speed. Driving fast on crowded highway with no brakes or steering(the linkage was jammed against the firewall, and it cut the flex hose on the brakes) = crash, boom, bang.

If I hadn't have got the call that night, I'd have been driving on the way to work under the same circumstances, only without an engine in my alternate mode of transportation. If I hadn't broke down the way I did, I'd have major, major damge to the steering suspension and brakes, if not to the body of the car. If I hadn't broken down exactly where I did, I'd have been stuck out in the country with no way back, and no money for a tow. (since I'd just bought an engine)

Coincidence? I think not. (looks upwards) Thank You thank You thank You thank You thank You thank You thank You thank You thank You, and thank You I didn't kill anybody. I just ordered the parts, and should have it up and running by this weekend. Until then.......more fun than the law allows.......in a 92 Voyager minivan, burning oil......oh yeah, baby!!!!!

humor

Locked Post

Advanced Search

Watch this post

Do not email me updates for this post Email me updates for this post