Chapter 1
A New Beginning

by Ryan King
9/04

I knew when I was convincing myself to buy the last classic Mustang I had, it was a mistake. I knew I didn't need to convince myself I wanted to do something if I really wanted to do it, but I gave myself ample logical reasons to buy the Ivy Green '66 Mustang GT coupe.

The GT coupe was to be a replacement for my first car. The problem was that the GT coupe was nothing like my first car. My first car was a standard '66 Mustang coupe with an automatic, a two-barrel carbureted 351 Windsor, a 2.80:1 open rear-end and drum brakes. To top off the fact that the GT coupe wasn't anything like my first car, it's looks don't even begin to compare to the classic lines of a standard coupe. The GT's looks are unbalanced and plain, and without the right color paint job, there's no hope of pulling it off. And, I'll state again, just for the record, I was trying to replace my original Mustang, a standard '66 Mustang coupe.

Before I get too far into the story of my current car, let me start by telling you about my first car. I bought "The 351," as it became known, in February of 1993 when I was 16. I still remember the sunny day and the excitement that had built up from the night before when I had called about the car. I got out of class and my parents picked me up to take me to the car. It was sitting in the front yard of the owner's house, freshly washed chrome gleaming in the bright winter sunshine. The owner came out to greet us and gave me the nickel tour of the car that was destined to be mine. It was originally Vintage Burgundy, but had been repainted a slightly darker shade, it had a white vinyl top and gray primer spots all over it. But the real reason I was excited about the car, besides the low asking price, was the engine under the hood, a 351 Windsor.

At the time, I didn't have much automotive knowledge, but I had learned enough to know that displacement was power, and the more displacement you had, the more power you had (or as I would later learn, could have). And as I quickly discovered, a 351W, even with a stock two-barrel carburetor, 289 exhaust manifolds and restrictive two-inch exhaust is a potent torque-producer. The owner took me around the block, pulled over to the side of the road halfway through and turned the car over to me. In my inferiority-complexed teenage mind, I felt I had to sound macho when he warned me to be careful with the 351 under the hood, so I replied "I'm used to driving Mustangs, I learned to drive on my Mom's '66." My Mother's '66 was a 200 inline six. With a nervous, adrenalin-shaken foot, I touched the gas pedal in the 351 and it sent a rooster tail of gravel spewing into the air and barked the tire when it hit pavement. "Careful, we're in a neighborhood." The owner calmly warned. I drove the rest of the way slowly, silently chagrined at having overestimated myself and underestimated that car. I did know one thing immediately, there was no doubt in my mind that I wanted that car.

When we got back to the house, the deal was made, and I had my first car. I quickly discovered that low-end torque made up for gearing as the 351 was capable of 400-foot burn outs, and able to pounce on just about anything in a stoplight skirmish. I spent the next two years driving and tinkering with it, but I didn't know enough about vehicle performance to ever do as good a job as the car was when I bought it. I blew the front pump out on the C4 transmission a few days before my 19th birthday and that sidelined the car for good. I eventually sold it for another "running" Mustang. I had wanted to put a manual in the 351 when it went down because I rarely let the automatic shift for itself. For the sake of simplicity my choice for the 351's replacement started with a three-speed manual and a very solid body, two things the 351 lacked. It wasn't long before the Turquoise Mustang, as it would be known, was totaled by another car. That led me farther away from my first car as I purchased an '87 LX Sedan to get me back and forth to school.

After college, I started looking for another classic car. I was tired of driving a new car and missed the simple, elemental driving experience of a classic. Manual steering and brakes, easy to work on and no computer. It wasn't until a year later that I bought another classic. I still yearned for my first car, but felt influenced by outside expectations to get a special car with a four-speed manual and a four-barrel carburetor, and from lessons I had learned with my other two classics, one that would handle and brake better. That's when I found the Ivy Green '66 GT coupe. As I said earlier, I knew that it wasn't what I wanted, but it fit the criteria, and it was the only car I could find like that within my price range. So I convinced myself to buy it.

I poured thousands into that '66 GT over three years getting it to drive again. I replaced the suspension, brakes, exhaust and engine, had the transmission and rear end rebuilt, but all the time, I knew it wasn't what I wanted. After two years I toyed with the idea of selling the coupe and getting another car, but, with the amount of work I'd done to it and the time I'd spent with it, not to mention the dreams and ideas I had planned for it, I had grown attached to the Little Green Monster (note the connotation, much like a hellish 3 year old). Still, I wanted my first car back. I wanted it back so much so that I found a 351 and was getting ready to change it from a GT coupe to a standard coupe even though the thought of making a clone disgusts me. That's when I came across an auction on eBay for a '66 Mustang coupe right here in Washington.

The Mustang was a standard coupe with Ivy Green paint, a three-speed manual transmission, two-barrel carbureted 289, 2.80:1 open rear-end, manual steering and drum brakes. It was almost exactly what I wanted, and since I had become accustomed to driving a manual with all my other cars, I decided that was a feature I wouldn't mind having in a car, especially since they arent as complicated to modify as an automatic. The car appeared to be in good shape and the price was more than reasonable, it was great. I used the buy it now option and got my car.

I found out the seller was a small dealer and was interested in a trade for my '66 GT coupe, even after I emailed him a list of all the things wrong with the car. Most notable were the as-yet untraceable exhaust leak that spewed noxious fumes into the cabin and the grinding reverse gear in the rebuilt transmission resulting from it getting stuck between first and reverse at one point.

Even though everything seemed to be falling into place, there was still a small problem, I needed a second person to go with me, just in case the seller decided he didn't want the GT. So, I enlisted the help of my cousin, Brandon.

On the way to the seller's house, Brandon got first hand exposure to the GT's numerous problems. The biggest of which was the exhaust leak. By the time we reached the sellers house, we were both thinking it would be best to just give the car to the seller, along with the $4,900, if that was what it came down to. I carefully, and as quietly as possible, backed the car into a parking position that would make the seller have to use reverse to see how badly it howled in reverse. The seller, obviously knew what he wanted. After decoding the steering box in his head, he offered $4,500 in trade. I kept myself from jumping at it, didn't even look over at my cousin in astonishment, I cooly mentioned that I felt that was a fair offer and took it. I knew the seller could get as much as $6,000 for it in the area, but I really didn't want the hassle of dealing with it myself. I paid him the $400 cash and my cousin and I hopped in the car and took off before he had a chance to decide he didn't want to trade.

There were a few things wrong with the car: there was some rust in the trunk, a few dents, the paint wasn't great, the apparent attempt at a restoration needed some help, and there were a few odds and ends repairs that needed to be made, but it was the greatest $400 dollar upgrade I've ever made. We talked about it the whole way home, enjoying the ambiance of a great classic, replete with lack of exhaust fumes. After a few wrong turns, we arrived home a few hours later. The new Mustang was a ghostly reminder of the GT, it seemed as though we went north and magically returned with it restored as a standard coupe.

There are still a number of little repairs the car needs, but I'm happier than I've been in three years. My next immediate goal is to get some performance numbers on this car and do the minor repairs it needs. But, as its name eludes, I'm looking forward to remaking the new '66 coupe into the image of my first car.

Even though I spent the last three years on a car I wouldn't end up keeping I don't think they were a complete waste for me. I did learn quite a bit about Mustangs and restoration, and I discovered starting over can be difficult, but sometimes, it's the right thing to do.

Project 351 Specifications (As Purchased)
Vehicle	1966 Ford Mustang
Exterior Color	Ivy Green
Interior	Standard Black Vinyl
Layout	Front engine/rear drive
Engine	289 V8 (rebuilt)
Induction	300 cfm Autolite 2-barrel carburetor
Horsepower	N/A
Torque	N/A
Transmission	Ford Toploader 3-speed manual
Gears	2.79/1.70/1.00/2.87R
Differential	Ford 8"; 2.80:1; open differential
Steering	Manual; recirculating ball; 27.1:1
Front Suspension	Independant; 292 lb coil springs; shocks; .625" swaybar
Rear Suspension	Solid; 85 lb multi-leaf springs; air shocks
Brakes	Manual, drum/drum, 2"x10"/1.75"x10"
Wheels	14"x5" Ford steel w/hubcap
Tires	205/70R14 Goodyear Eagle ST
Length	181.6"
Width	68.2"
Height	51.1"
Wheelbase	108"
Track	56"/57"
Curb Weight	2720 lbs
CID/Weight	N/A
HP/Weight	N/A
Gas Mileage	19 mpg
0-60	N/A
60-Foot	N/A
Eighth Mile	N/A
Quarter Mile	N/A
Skid Pad	N/A
60-0	N/A

Click image for Chapter 1 Photos.