Prediction: This will be a long running thread.
Advice: Have a stiff drink and snap the hell out of it.

 

Advice: Have a stiff drink and snap the hell out of it.

 

im with you 100%
dealing with this crap since 1981. difference is you were able to get real parts.
I was 17 yrs old ready willing and able to crawl underneath, busting knuckles and had all the patience in the world.

did my first exhaust with no power tools or lifts. drove up on one side of the curb ripped out, installed, flipped the car around to the other and slid back under it

now I cant see, bad back, 2 bad knees, sticky ankles and no patience

 

Know exactly where you're coming from. Bad eyes, back, knees & hip. Fiddled with old cars for 45yrs. Did almost everything myself, even built custom bikes on the side. At 74, decided I've never had a Mustang. Found a 73 that cosmetically was very good. On my second rear end now, had new brakes put on, needs shock towers. BUT, the engine seems to be good so far. Factory with 2 barrel. Turning 76 May 1. Maybe I'll still get to enjoy some. Take care my brother!

 

I remember being stranded on the shoulder of I-90 east of Snoqualmie Pass waiting for the tow truck and I was so ready to sell my 66. My wife talked me off the ledge and now a few years later it’s running well and I’m really enjoying the car.

 

Same here on my wife talking me off the ledge a couple times. It’s a balance between feeling like I don’t drive it enough to feeling like I’m too busy fixing stuff to do upgrades. But then you’ll hit a plateau with the projects and just enjoy it for a while again.

 

Sorry to hear you're dealing with so many challenges. You are in good company, my friend.

I find it interesting that your rack and pinion keeps leaking. Typically, early Mustang owners complain their factory power steering is leaking and they want to replace it with a rack & pinion.

I would encourage you to take a break. I spent 8 years building my Mach 1. Once it was on the road, I just wanted to drive it! It had a few problems, but I didn't want to go there. Only recently did I replace the carburetor and the motor mounts. Yeah, the long break did wonders.

 

I definitely understand where you’re coming from. It sometimes feels like a game of wack-a-mole. And it’s extra frustrating when you wack a mole and it comes right back up. I had the similar rack leak issue that also grenaded my power steering pump cause it happened while I was out on a long cruise and I didn’t realize it had blown the racks pinion seal massively after also about 300 miles until it was too late.

All that said I’ve had this car for 25 years and I’ve occasionally toyed with the idea of getting something newer, I know I wouldn’t hang on to a newer one like I do this one and it just wouldn’t be the same. Besides my kids would cry for days and my wife would be upset cause we drove away from our wedding in it 😎.

Understand what’s going through your head and you gotta do what’s right for you but it’ll be harder to find and buy an old one again than it will be to get into a new one.

 

Not that you came here looking for people to solve your problems. But if you haven’t already, you may want to look into the compatibility of your pump and your rack. The mustang racks from Foxes and Mustang ii kits are generally rated for like 800ish psi give or take. A lot of the gm style pumps people like to use don’t internally relieve until well over that unless you get an adjustment kit to lower the pressure relief setpoint. Now they’ll only hit a high pressure if the tires are bound or for an instant when you hit the steering limits right before they relieve themselves (🤣). But just something to be aware of.

 

I installed the pressure reducing valve per the rack manufacturer’s suggestion when I initially installed the new PS pump a few years back.

 

Sounds like you just need a break! I've came close to selling mine a few times, but so glad I didn't. Put it away for a few weeks or a few months. When your ready, jump back in. You'll be glad you didn't sell it in the end.

 

These kind of things have pushed me into the camp of leaving things as they were engineered. Going "off book" with one-size-fits-all parts seems to be a pit of despair in today's world. Between poor quality control and incompatibility with these old cars, I just steer clear of as much aftermarket junk as I can.

 

I was going to post something similar. I grew up around cars and something I observed was the cars with the most modifications had the most problems and were rarely actually driven. This is what motivated me to keep my Mustang mostly as a factory car with a few upgrades. Coyote swaps, coilovers, racing brakes, rack and pinion and multi-links are all way cool, but man, if they develop any kind of a problem, it's a HUGE problem because you often can't get local parts support. And if the problem is a rack and pinion with a wide turning radius that perpetually leaks, there is no real solution other than going back to factory steering or finding another rack and hoping for the best.

I'm not trying to criticize, but the post above about the 89GT makes me think, "If he kept the factory ignition system, he would have been fine".

 

For those of us who have owned these classic Mustangs back in the 70s and 80s and they were our daily drivers, at one time most of us have been there. I remember in late 80s and early 90s, when I drove my 65, it would overheat and I was continually going through starters. I was in my early 20s and would have the car up on the curb and climb under and replace the starter. I was not very well educated in knowing how to fix the issue but fix the problem. So, instead of figuring out why my starters were going out, I would just replace them.

After that I ended up being stationed in Germany and left the 65 at my parents house. Years go by and I rebuilt my 65. In taking it apart I realize my bell housing was the reason my starters kept going out. The bolt holes were rounded out/semi stripped. So, during driving my starter bolts would loosen up and cause my starter to go bad. During the time of my rebuild I purchased a new bell housing and no more starter problems.

I had an electrical issue in my 89GT where the spark would cut out and cause a hesitation. I could never figure it out. I ended up trading the 89GT in for my Roush. I really missed my 89GT and regretted selling it. After a while I realized that I mounted my MSD box in a lower position in my fender well. So, what I think ended up happening is water got inside the MSD box and was causing the miss fire. I never looked at that when I owned the car. Only thought about it after I traded it for my Roush.

My point is, step back from the car, take a break and approach it later. If you step back after a few months and still want to sell it then do it. They always say never make any decisions when your pissed. So, step back, take a breath and come back to it a few months from now. Your perspective might be different.

I think if I would have stepped back from my 89GT I might still have it. Fate stepped in and I was stationed in Germany and forced to step back from my 65. That's probably why I still have my 65 today.

 

Sounds like a pretty bad run. If you were already planning to park it for the summer, maybe proceed with that plan and see how you feel about it in the fall. If it's still making you miserable then, you could cut bait and do something different.

Over the years I have adjusted my mental approach to my cars, I try to keep up with things that are going wrong and do the best job I can on mods and repairs, but I pick my battles. For instance I can live with cosmetic imperfections... even rust bubbles in the paint, etc.

 

One lesson I learned early when I started working on old junk cars as a kid . Looks can't ride you around the block .
My 67 vert is'nt anywhere close to perfect in anything .but wheh I'm sitting in it tooling around all I can see is the top of the hood & the right side of the front interior . Both look great so I'm all good .
I'm 73 & when ever I get one of those I hate you moments I just close up the shop & do something else . With 3 or 4 different project cars I'm fooling wirh it's easy to work on something else .

Another lesson I learned it don't matter how bad you beat a body panel in or if you knock out a window with some handy tool it don't fix squat .

 

I just watched the 1/8 mile video in your profile…dude, keep the car. 👍

 

I think almost everybody here has been in your shoes...at least once. I've been there....many times. Almost on a daily basis One of the reasons I like to keep things fairly stock without doing a bunch of upgrades.

If you truly have it in your heart to just walk away, then do so. But I suspect this might be more emotionally driven than pragmatically. It's a good policy to take a step away from the car for awhile and come back at it later fresh and energized. If at that time you still don't want it, then sell it. It can be equally as liberating.

 

I joined up VMF last July when my boys bought me the 66' hardtop.The previous owner restored it and left it mostly stock other than adding the 4 barrel and dual exhaust. I've read hundreds of threads on here and only wish I had the skill that alot of you have when it comes to working on these cars,along with the space and tools.
Good luck with your future decision.

 

I fought a carb / intake problem for about 6 years. Swapped several carbs and two different intakes before I finally got it right. It can take time to get things right. The good news is it's not your daily driver. I had that stress back in the day. Chill for awhile and reconsider.

 

Hang in there, man. I have NOT had these cars as long as everyone else here, but I’ve seen your posts and you are definitely dedicated. As everyone said, take a breather. No matter what hobby it is, if you start having a bad run, you just need to step away. Focus your energy on something else and come back later.

 

I feel your pain, I feel that way at times and I couldn't begin to tell you how many times I gave in and sold the offending vehicle usually for what seemed like decent money. Most of those I look back and really miss them and when it came right down to it, the issue that put me over the edge was not really as big of a deal as it seemed at the time. A few that went away I truly regret.
Still, with all that said, sometimes I feel like there is a classic car gremlin somewhere just waiting to give me a swift kick in the nuts just for fun.

 

Where in Texas are you?
Friends with simular cars in the area would help me.
I drive mine year round, possibly you need a reason to go for a drive, or to hang out and bench race with.

 

Beaumont area. I’ve got a few buddies into the classic car scene as well, but I don’t like asking people for help.

 

I've never owned a Mustang that didn't leak some kind of fluid. Some times it is fun trying to figure out what it is leaking and from where... it's like I'm Sherlock Holmes collecting samples and chalking outlines everywhere.

david

 

The fine folks here have talked me off of this ledge more than a few times. I have been there, in desperation, through family issues, financial woes, all of the above. I do understand and I sympathize with you.

I bought my car in 2001 when my wife at the time was pregnant with my oldest son. I had hoped he and I would work on it together. I worked at it until he was born and the money quickly dried up. I dragged the car's carcass across several states, stored in family garages, yards, anywhere I could.

In 2015 my son got interested, we dragged it out (Literally) for the length of a summer. We worked at it a lot, then he lost interest and back to storage.

Last year I got a text message from him. - Lets do this. We have been working non-stop on it since last winter, it is in the paint shop now. Once it is painted the interior goes in and we head to it's first show.

If you can hang on to it, do it. You'll kick yourself later. Put it in storage and get yourself situated for a better time.

This car is the one thing I've had for almost half my life and the entirety of my son's life. A son who has become a man through the process. I've hated it, I've kicked it, punched it, cursed it and damned it - But it has gifted me a bond with my kid that will never go away. He'll remember it for his life and hopefully it will pass to his children.

Your results and situation may differ but from an old guy who's hung on to a dream for a long, long time; don't give up too quickly. You don't know what joy that old rust bucket may bring you.

 

Seeing new puddles on the floor always sucks, and I agree the quality of many parts these days is not the best. The good part is that the car isn't a daily driver and can sit a little while waiting for you to feel like messing with it again. I think we've all been tired of working on cars at some point or another, but there is absolutely no way I'd trade my car for a modern one, just sayin. Also, I think part of what I like about old Mustangs is that they aren't perfect, even though we keep trying to make them that way.

 

I just got my car in December…there’s already a little power steering and transmission fluid on the floor!

 

Take a break, have a drink and then see where you're at. I think you, like a lot of us, would regret selling the car.

 

Been there, done that! PS rack leak? Not today. After some walk-away time, I usually reconsider the situation. In your case, I would be thinking that the issue was a newer leaking rack, not a 60 year-old car. I'd next be thinking that a newer Mustang would have a ... rack. As it was the rebuild that was pooched, it could and would have been an identical situation with the newer Mustang. OK, if it would be the same cause and fix with either, I'd rather be doing the work on and driving the classic one. Your call. Do your thing!

 

Try this...
Wash your car, park it in the driveway and have your wife take a photo of you smiling while leaning against you car.
Now move the car out of camera frame and have your wife take a photo of you standing in your driveway without the car.

 

"Time heals all wounds....".

Actually, I feel like Michael Corleone in 'Godfather III".... every year since 2007.

 

He’s back!