Buyer Information

Special Report

Top 10 things you should know before you buy your

Classic Mustang

• 1) Check for leaks under the vehicle. Most often, a leak will identify a worn seal or a worn engine component. If a car has been sitting for a while, seals tend to dry out. Lubricants will wear out over time. Oil will loose its viscosity. Major items like differentials and transmissions will require some major work to replace. Items like water pumps and power steering pumps and hoses are less expensive and easier to replace. A power steering control box can be a little more difficult to find and replace. A rear-main seal will require more work to replace.

• 2) Exercise the Horn and both turn signals. If the horn is not hooked up, there is probably a good reason. These items all are wired through the turn signal switch. It seems that these items are prone to problems on the early Mustangs. I have found many of these vehicles with the horn disconnected and the top face of the steering wheel removed. A common symptom is that the horn will sound simply by turning the steering wheel. This will indicate a short circuit either in the steering wheel, steering wheel contacts, or in the turn signal switch. These items can be a challenge for a novice mechanic. Some states require a working horn for their annual inspection while others do not. A good mechanic should be able to replace the turn signal switch correctly so that it works properly.

• 3) If possible, lift the carpet up and search for rust on the floor pans from both the inside and outside - underneath the vehicle. It is common that floor pans will be rusted on earlier Mustangs especially where the location has a lot of humidity or use of chemicals for de-icing roads. New floor pans can be purchased and welded into place. This is just something that I try to look for knowing that it will require some work from a welder.

• 4) Check radiator for evidence of leaks. You can look at a radiator and easily identify a leak by looking for white areas or areas that are discolored. Fortunately radiators can be replaced pretty easily replaced after the coolant has been drained. I think that I purchased a new aluminum radiator for a 1966 Mustang for around $200.

• 5) Check oil and coolant. The most common items to check while looking under the hood are the oil and coolant. While looking at the dipstick, notice the darkness of the oil and look for any kind of sparkle. The oil will get darker in color as it travels through and lubricates the engine. If the oil sparkles or has a metallic shine, that means there is a lot of wear on the engine. Probably is going to need to be rebuilt. You will also want to smell the oil, I know this sounds funny. If you smell gas, it means that fuel is finding its way to the lubrication system. This means that the engine has probably been running very rich for some time. When the carburetion is set too rich, it can put excessive build up of carbon on rings and valves. Normal coolant will have a bright neon green glow to it. Other special coolants me have a different color. You definitely do not want to purchase a vehicle with a rust color or just a clear color in it. If a person runs straight water in a cooling system, rust is eminent and will corrode the whole engine, water pump, and radiator.

• 6) Check all exterior lights including, backup, brake lights, and turn signal lights. Anything that doesn't work could be a bulb or could indicate faulty wiring. There may be a short somewhere in the wiring or a switch may have worn out for the light. I would recommend that you test the vehicle out at least once after the sun goes down so that you can easily identify any problems there may be with the vehicle lighting. You can make a much better evaluation of lighting at night, when you need it most. Also, make sure that they all work with the engine running.

• 7) Check both cold and warm idle. We really want to have the engine start quickly when it is cold (lower than normal operating temperature). The cold start will help ensure the battery is in good shape. This will also check the choke and fast idle settings. The normal expectation is that you get into the car and fully extend the pedal to the floor to engage the choke and release the pedal before turning the ignition. If the engine requires more pumping of fuel, this is an indication the vehicle is in bad need of a tune-up, that the carburetion is set incorrectly, other problems related to fuel, or primary ignition system. A cold start is a very good test to be performed. The weather temperature is not really as important as the engine temperature. The idle may be a little bit rough when it is cold, but it should not die. Warm idle means that the engine has reached normal operating temperature. The butterfly on the carburetor should be fully open. At warm idle, the engine revolutions-per-minute (RPM) should be down to normal speed (500-600 RPM depending on year) and the fast idle should no longer be engaged. Ideally, the engine should not be shaking excessively. The vehicle should stay at a warm idle for a long period of time without having to accelerate the RPM. After a good period of idle, check for burning smells like burning oil or burning rubber. Try to track down the origin of these smells. If there is a temperature gauge, monitor that after a period of idle and after taking the car for a test drive. It is a good idea to let the vehicle idle for a while after you have driven it to see if it has a problem with over-heating.

• 8) Examine Tires and Rims. This is probably normal maintenance for most people, but I want to mention it anyway. Look for dents on the edges of the rims. This may indicate that the vehicle has slid into some kind of solid object which may have caused damage to the steering and suspension items. Look for tire wear which may indicate alignment problems. If you have owned a vehicle in the past, you know that wheel alignments can be a bit expensive depending on items that may need to be replaced. Roadside curbs can be an enemy of wheel alignment items and adjustments. Look for tread wear indicator that shows up after the tire is worn to a certain point. Wear on either outside or inside of the tire can indicate that a car is in need of adjustment. Look for any kind of oil or grease evidence on the inside or outside of the rim. This may indicate a axle seal or brake issues.

• 9) Check the inside headliner. Insure that there is one and that there is no evidence of cracking or rips. Rips will widen with age and the headliner will tend to become brittle with age. I mention this because these are difficult to install yourself. One of the difficulties is that both the front windshield and rear windshield must be removed to correctly install a headliner. This usually involves an experienced windshield person. So, you probably would want to coordinate with having at least the front windshield replaced. The other trick with a headliner is getting all of the wrinkles out before gluing it.

• 10) Check for rust and open spaces in the trunk and around wheel wells. The older cars are much more susceptible to rust. Rust will commonly be around the front and rear wheel wells. The front wheel well can easily be taken care of by replacing the bolt-on front fender (around $100 each). The rear wheel well is a bit more of a challenge because it is part of the rest of the body. Rear wheel well rust will need to be repaired by cutting out the rusted portions and welding new metal to that area which will require a welder. The trunk is also a common rust problem. Sometimes the trunk will have places of heavy rust and even exposed areas where the rust has eaten complete through the metal. This is most commonly resolved with cutting out the rusted area and replacing with new metal. An experienced welder is needed with this also.

 Well, I hope this has been helpful.  Most of these suggestions come from mistakes with my own experiences.  Hopefully, you can learn from my mistakes.

If you have any questions or if you would like some assistance, please send an email to newsletter@mustang.mysite.com

Happy Hunting!!!