I hear ya.  I've been fairly steadily working on mine for about a month and a half.  I swear these cars used to be easier to work on.  Now it seems like no one has anything for them in stock anymore, and everything I do I get hit hard by WYAI.  I recognize that there are still things I either never really messed with, or just thought good enough when I originally put the car back together.  

My most recent was that in the process of finishing up my Fox serpentine conversion I realized my existing electric fan wasn't going to work (new radiator is too thick), so I am building a dual fan setup, which required me to redo the fan wiring, so WIWAI I decided to redo my headlight relays, add a relay for the horns, and properly integrate all of that into the headlight harness.  I wanted to use the correct color wires for the work too, so I ordered up all the correct colors, with the correct traces (though they are spiral, not straight as factory).  I replaced all the headlight wring from the relays out with 14 gauge, built new headlight sub harnesses from scratch, and in the process of that realized that the headlights were not held in correctly, none of the adjusters wanted to move, etc.  So I replaced both headlight buckets, all the adjusting hardware, the door hardware, and the trim rings.  Removing and installing the adjusting hardware with the headlight extension in place was a TON of fun, but I got it done.  In the process I realized one of the windows in the right extension was never punched out from the factory, making it impossible to adjust that headlight correctly (the bucket would hit it), so I cut that out (I also needed the access to get my fingers on the ratcheting off angle screwdriver I used to remove the screws for the lower adjuster).  Of course one of the left side adjuster screw holes was stripped and I had to fix that too.  

Then I realized that to use the Mustang Steve '94-'04 Cobra front brake setup I actually needed the drum brake hubs for the front that I think I threw out 30 years ago I ordered up a reproductions set (ACP, very good quality, bought from Kentucky Mustang).  I went with all new bearings and races, knocked the hubs together and painted them.  This just gets the rotors and calipers on the front of the car.  Miles to go before I sleep it seems.  

Ugh, really wanted to have it roadworthy for my reunion this weekend, but that seems unlikely.  Oh, well, another couple weeks it'll be back on the road for sure, so it wasn't completely in vain.  

Stop making excuses not to drive it and start making excuses to drive it :-)

TKO it always snow balls when taking what should have been a simple project. 

You guys are correct, I just need to hope in it and go for a spin.  Right now I'm headed to Home Depot.  Lol

The ‘65 is far from perfect.

I still enjoy driving it with its dents, dings, bondo, and lack of paint.

It has only been 30+ years…someday I might finish making modifications.

TKO, I would drive it to reunion as-is…like a “high school project.”

I drove to the 2019 Bash in Clinton, MI with a spare tire in the trunk with no rim and no interior panels installed and a whole bunch of non-completed projects.

I had a lot of fun just driving the maiden cruise with recent drivetrain swap.

I believe in my own work, so I prove it by driving…and it is down right fun!😁

PS….not yet BobE…not yet.🤞🏼🤞🏼

Last edited by Nos681 (10/20/2026 5:20 AM)

Nos681 wrote:

The ‘65 is far from perfect.

I still enjoy driving it with its dents, dings, bondo, and lack of paint.

It has only been 30+ years…someday I might finish making modifications.

TKO, I would drive it to reunion as-is…like a “high school project.”

I drove to the 2019 Bash in Clinton, MI with a spare tire in the trunk with no rim and no interior panels installed and a whole bunch of non-completed projects.

I had a lot of fun just driving the maiden cruise with recent drivetrain swap.

I believe in my own work, so I prove it by driving…and it is down right fun!😁

PS….not yet BobE…not yet.🤞🏼🤞🏼

 
I believe that’s the ticket! Know your vehicle inside and out and trust your work.

I finished all the house projects today.  I started the mustang to pull it out so I could clean and organize the garage.  Plus put all the tools away from the house projects.  I can now walk around in the garage.  It felt good to start it up and move it.  Thought about driving it to dinner tonight but we decided to stay home a cook.

TKOPerformance wrote:

It was a valiant effort, but I wasn't able to get mine driveable by the weekend.  No big deal, as there really was no reunion to speak of.  Still, having a goal or and end date is always helpful.  It got me up off my duff and working on the car again.  I'm working on my dual fan setup now.  I built the new shroud, mounted the fans, and am working on the control system/wiring.  I got a ton of stuff done over the past month, and that has it that much closer to being back on the road.  The weather is still decent here, and I will drive the car until they salt the roads, at which point she stays in the garage until there's enough rain to wash that garbage off.  

 
Weather is just starting to cool off enough here in SW Florida to sit outside at a car show.  I'll get it out soon, I hope.  lol

I only have one thing not completed on my build and that's programming the gas gauge.  It's below E now so I think I'm close to empty. May run it out of gas at home and add two gallons and drive to the gas station to fill it up and program the gauge.  Oh my gas pedal bolt fell out so I have no gas pedal right now.

MS wrote:

350 moles is just a good Sunday cruise around here. Get some seat time!

 
Might polish it up and hit a car show tomorrow.   It's from 10-2pm, if the weather holds out.  I think Saturday is suppose be a high chance of rain.

TKOPerformance wrote:

I finally got my electric fan setup sorted.  I'm waiting for a couple parts before I test it.  I ended up using 5 relays, so I cold isolate the fans, except when I throw the over ride switch, which will trigger both fans to come on at once.  I'll try to do a post with pictures showing how I built it.  

I got the upper radiator hose sorted out.  I ended up using a hose for a '69-'77 Bronco that I cut in half to add the adapter for my temperature switch.  It looks very clean, and its still a factory style part I can get anywhere.  I tried the Bronco II hose suggested, but it didn't fit right.  It seems the radiator inlet is too far to the right on my radiator.  Just shocking that this part of it was also not easy (that's sarcasm).  

 
Many many years ago I installed a 460 in a 70 fastback.  I made several trips to NAPA to find radiator hoses that fit.  I found hoses that I didn't have to cut or modify.

Wake up and washed the mustang to take it to a car show with the wife.  We got in it to leave and it shut off.  Ignition switch decided to fail.  I'm just happy it failed in the driveway.  Autozone had one so it's back up and running.  We took it to breakfast.  I'll be ordering a NOS switch today.

I'll try to post a pic of the dual fan setup I built.  I opted for an analog system using 5 relays instead of a controller.  The fans I am using are not multi speed.  I have them staged using a Mercedes temp switch.  Each fan operates independently.  One comes on at 212, the other at 224.  The AC triggers the high temp fan.  I also have a manual override switch that throws both fans on at the same time.  I should have this all installed in the next couple of days.  

I've got a couple more things to wrap up, and then I'll get to take it for a drive.  At this point I'm just learning to be happy with forward progress.  

RTM wrote:

TKOPerformance wrote:

I'll try to post a pic of the dual fan setup I built.  I opted for an analog system using 5 relays instead of a controller.  The fans I am using are not multi speed.  I have them staged using a Mercedes temp switch.  Each fan operates independently.  One comes on at 212, the other at 224.  The AC triggers the high temp fan.  I also have a manual override switch that throws both fans on at the same time.  I should have this all installed in the next couple of days.  

I've got a couple more things to wrap up, and then I'll get to take it for a drive.  At this point I'm just learning to be happy with forward progress.  

 
Can't hurt to look at other options. Not fun being down and I'm relying on someone else to get me going again. But I have been very happy with this controller, it just does like getting wet. Lol

I looked at both it and another controller, and ultimately decided to build my own system.  The inability to repair either unit myself was a primary factor in that decision.  The system I build probably takes up more space, and is a bit complicated, BUT all the relays are the same, there's one switch that isn't adjustable, and I maintain a manual override.  Its decidedly simple from a diagnostic/spare parts to carry perspective.  On the road I could bypass anything that isn't working in a matter of a few minutes with very basic tools and universal spare parts.  My headlight, horn, and all 5 fan relays are the same, and I used Panasonic relays, which are the gold standard in automotive SPST relays.  If I suspect a bad relay it would take me ten seconds to swap a known working one for the suspected failed one.  If the fan switch fails I can just use the override switch until I get a replacement.  I'm using ground switching for the relays, so there are actually only 2 fuses in the system.  I'm pretty proud of it, as you can probably tell.  I'll see if I can get some pics uploaded.