The Lucy Saga - Part 1 - Happy Anniversary
~Lucy~1966 Ford Mustang
Meet Lucy...my 20th anniversary present! This is my dream car...always wanted one, for as long as I can remember. This is how she looked the day we brought her home...in fact, I took this pic minutes after Bill unloaded her from the lowboy. We missed a great deal on a local Mustang by a few days...so the serious search began on ebay. Yes, Ebay! We found three different cars within fairly easy driving distance...and this one in Gettysburg fit the bill perfectly. Well, almost perfectly! The auction ended and the bids did not reach the reserve. We talked to the guy on the phone a couple times and decided to make the trip to look it over...and we took the lowboy with us. My sister lives in Harrisburg and her hubby grew up in that area and has relatives in Gettysburg...so we had great directions.
The asking price for this car (the ebay reserve) was $4, 000. All he could/would tell us on the phone was it ran, he drove it the previous summer, needed a tune up, and it had some floor rust. After a four hour road-trip, a lousy breakfast, and an alternate route (accidents on the interstates in Harrisburg) we arrived at the place. Bill only had one stipulation on getting a Mustang...he was not EVER replacing a floor in another vehicle...not ever! After much debating, pounding/tapping on and under the car with fist and hammer, shaking the daylights out of it, and close inspection....he decided it was too much money for the cars condition...and it needed or would soon need a new floor! Hmmph, me was not a happy camper. We thanked the guy for his time and went to get a drink. I think it was 110 degrees in the shade that day. After cooling down a bit (sitting in the truck with the AC on high, drinking bottled water and ice tea); Bill got out, walked around the car again, shaking his head the whole time...walked over to the guy and asked, "what is the lowest you will go on this car?" The guy hemmed and hawed a bit and said, "Look, it was on ebay, the highest bid I got was $2,200. That, plus tax, title and transfer and I'll help you load it."
Sooo, that's how we found Lucy... First thing we did was take the cheapie (and quite shot) mag wheels off the car and replace them with stock Ford 5 bolt rims and brand new whitewall tires and Mustang hubcaps. The original rims and 3 hubcaps came with the car...so that part was easy! Well...actually the first thing I did was learn how to drive it! I've driven a stick shift my entire life...but this car...it had a mind of it's own. By the end of the week she and I came to an agreement...she was a cantankerous redhead...hence the name of Lucy! But the clutch is much easier now that it's been driven a bit... Let's see what else did we do last summer...a glove box insert (there was none) and a new steering wheel.
Through the remaining summer, I ordered an interior kit (carpet, headliner, seat upholstery and door panels), and a set of armrests. We went to a couple car shows...at one of them a guy approached us saying that his wife's brother had a barn full of Mustang parts that he was throwing away, did we want them? So, a few days later Bill took off...on another four hour drive for this truck load of parts. Lucy's front windshield was starting to fog in the corners and this guy had glass for the whole car...which is why Bill went after the stuff. Glass for the entire car, a door, some sheet metal and boxes and boxes of miscellaneous stuff. Stuff I can't even identify. Good thing I'm married to a mechanic's son. Bill prefers body work and restoration over mechanical stuff. I can't believe how many parts we've used out of these boxes and crates of free parts!
In January Bill started on the floor. He took a day trip to CJ Pony in Harrisburg and got the floor pans and a bunch of other things he thought he would need (hog rings for the seats, door clips for the door panels, window gaskets and felts, and some new chrome pieces). We've since ordered three more times from them...this job keeps snowballing! :)
OK...I'm done for now...more pictures and less words next time. :)
The asking price for this car (the ebay reserve) was $4, 000. All he could/would tell us on the phone was it ran, he drove it the previous summer, needed a tune up, and it had some floor rust. After a four hour road-trip, a lousy breakfast, and an alternate route (accidents on the interstates in Harrisburg) we arrived at the place. Bill only had one stipulation on getting a Mustang...he was not EVER replacing a floor in another vehicle...not ever! After much debating, pounding/tapping on and under the car with fist and hammer, shaking the daylights out of it, and close inspection....he decided it was too much money for the cars condition...and it needed or would soon need a new floor! Hmmph, me was not a happy camper. We thanked the guy for his time and went to get a drink. I think it was 110 degrees in the shade that day. After cooling down a bit (sitting in the truck with the AC on high, drinking bottled water and ice tea); Bill got out, walked around the car again, shaking his head the whole time...walked over to the guy and asked, "what is the lowest you will go on this car?" The guy hemmed and hawed a bit and said, "Look, it was on ebay, the highest bid I got was $2,200. That, plus tax, title and transfer and I'll help you load it."
Sooo, that's how we found Lucy... First thing we did was take the cheapie (and quite shot) mag wheels off the car and replace them with stock Ford 5 bolt rims and brand new whitewall tires and Mustang hubcaps. The original rims and 3 hubcaps came with the car...so that part was easy! Well...actually the first thing I did was learn how to drive it! I've driven a stick shift my entire life...but this car...it had a mind of it's own. By the end of the week she and I came to an agreement...she was a cantankerous redhead...hence the name of Lucy! But the clutch is much easier now that it's been driven a bit... Let's see what else did we do last summer...a glove box insert (there was none) and a new steering wheel.
Through the remaining summer, I ordered an interior kit (carpet, headliner, seat upholstery and door panels), and a set of armrests. We went to a couple car shows...at one of them a guy approached us saying that his wife's brother had a barn full of Mustang parts that he was throwing away, did we want them? So, a few days later Bill took off...on another four hour drive for this truck load of parts. Lucy's front windshield was starting to fog in the corners and this guy had glass for the whole car...which is why Bill went after the stuff. Glass for the entire car, a door, some sheet metal and boxes and boxes of miscellaneous stuff. Stuff I can't even identify. Good thing I'm married to a mechanic's son. Bill prefers body work and restoration over mechanical stuff. I can't believe how many parts we've used out of these boxes and crates of free parts!
In January Bill started on the floor. He took a day trip to CJ Pony in Harrisburg and got the floor pans and a bunch of other things he thought he would need (hog rings for the seats, door clips for the door panels, window gaskets and felts, and some new chrome pieces). We've since ordered three more times from them...this job keeps snowballing! :)
OK...I'm done for now...more pictures and less words next time. :)
posted by Denise in PA @ 6/25/2006 04:34:00 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
Lucy is gorgeous Denise! I am sooooooooo jealous!
Glad Bill was able to get the deal done on the price too! what a man! ; )
Nice 66'! I love it. We have a 73' Mach 1 that Dad dragraces. Can't wait to read the next "episode"! ;)
Jessica's DS
P.S. I have a blog. www.riding-the-current.blogspot.com
Hey Denise,
That picture of Lucy with the Cragar SS mags looks awesome!
Thats what my 1st Stang (65 Fastback) had on it when I picked it up with my Dad in 1980!
- Jessica's DH
Thanks, Becky! I think the poor guy knew that Bill was frazzled (the detour around Harrisburg did him in and he hates heat). And there was no way he was coming back after the car...he either sold it or put it back on Ebay.
Jessica's DS: I check out your blog...love all the animal and fish pictures! Do you go with your dad when he races?
Jesica's DH: 1980??? Ahhhh, I was in 11th grade! I like the mags...but am a bit of a purist and wanted the car as close to "factory" as possible.
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