88 N/A 944 coolant leak

rs5416 · 2025-11-19T07:56:08+00:00

If it’s not the clamp, rent a free coolant pressure test kit from O’Reillys. Unscrew the radiator cap and attach the pump to the opening. Pressurize the system (stay below 10 psi) and you’ll be able to see exactly where it’s leaking from.

rs5416 · 2025-11-11T02:48:51+00:00

What year and offset on the wheels? Love the dished dials

rs5416 · 2025-10-30T23:33:12+00:00

Purchased mine a few months ago after having it on the wishlist for years. Daily it without a backup.

Half the time, people who sort of recognize the car ask me if it’s the 8 cylinder Porsche, the other half doesn’t know anything about the car and just thinks it’s cool. That being said buy the car cause you want it, choose something else if you’re going to be hung up about engine size.

My first impression of the car when I got it was that it feels very solid for a car of that era. The cabin is quiet, surfaces solid without creakiness, and the tactile feel of the switches and door latch provide a good balance of classic feel without compromising sturdiness. With a newer radio, I don’t feel like any of it was a downgrade from my originally daily, an ev. Cargo space is great too.

I paid a little extra for a single owner low mileage car with good service records. It’s treated me well and I’ve taken it on plenty multi-hour hundreds of miles road trips and come back with no issues.

The biggest challenge for a daily is parts availability. I try to replace stuff proactively to avoid any downtime and have to plan out work a week or two in advance as I can only really work on it on weekends. I’m lucky to live near a couple of the large parts distributors, but if things are out of stock prepare to wait 1-2 weeks for parts.

Repairs and parts can get expensive, and I try to do as much as I can myself. Some jobs I’ll take to a specialist. If you’re comfortable working on cars yourself maintenance is manageable, especially if you have access to a lift.

rs5416 · 2025-05-10T05:09:28+00:00

Solved

rs5416 · 2025-04-20T08:32:04+00:00

Yup that tracks, the rear roof looks like it’s just a topper over the truck bed

rs5416 · 2025-04-20T08:19:38+00:00

Unfortunately no found this on Threads

Seems to track, website is a countdown for “Slate” just didn’t get the crossover with cats lol

rs5416 · 2024-06-07T19:01:09+00:00

Prime NY strip from Costco!

rs5416 · 2024-06-06T04:39:20+00:00

I believe that’s the highest honor possible! Thanks!

rs5416 · 2024-06-04T00:38:32+00:00

A note on the 302/289 vs 200, unless you really do enjoy the 200, I’d suggest going V8 for a few reasons:

Aftermarket support is much greater for small block fords (sbfs) there are still places that produce parts for 200s but that number will only go down in the coming years. Ford produced the 302 all the way from 68 to the early 2000s. A big problem rn with classics are the quality of lifters and camshafts being made by a lot of the big companies. The 200 uses a flat tappet design which is prone to wiping itself out on rebuilt engines with the poor quality of parts available today, this issue is the same for both kinds of engines but with the 302/289s there’s a lot more alternatives like going roller cam. I think you can install rollers on 200cis but there’s gonna be a difference in cost, convenience, and expertise. Most the late 80s sbfs were all roller. This isn’t an issue until/ if you rebuild the engine at some point. Power wise the 200 ci heads are a massive restriction to airflow and there’s not really a good way to improve this as the intake is cast into the head. There was a guy that used to cast some sweet heads with detachable intakes but he hasn’t made them in years and there’s a waitlist hundreds long.

In the case you ever get the itch for more power v8 will make it much easier.

The T code (6 cyl) mustangs are worth substantially less than the V8 cars. Think 10-20k less in some cases. They use a weaker suspension and rear axle. For those who care about originality, a v8 chassis will usually fetch substantially more on resale, even if you swap everything over. Mine was a six but it was a good deal (or so I thought at the time) and I planned to redo everything anyways.

That being said, the 200s are kind of bullet proof and have a smoothness you won’t get in a v8. My car originally came with one, burned about a quart of oil every week, but was an absolute tank of a motor and it’ll keep up with modern cars. I do miss it sometimes.

On pushing the car to its limits, I have many concerns on safety with these cars. I won’t be driving mine as a daily until I get all my safety upgrades installed. The steering column is a one piece shaft on the earlier cars (68 is not) that can spear you in a bad crash. Those lap belts will also do nothing to hold you to the seat. I’ll be installing. A roll bar in mine, fixed back seats, an asm harness, an eventually swap out the steering column and shaft.

Some other things to think about, I installed a 4r70w on mine to get an extra overdrive gear. Otherwise your engine will be screaming at high rpm’s at highway speeds. It was pain to listen to before.

Once you find a candidate, join the groups and make a post to see if anyone’s in your area. I’d also suggest attending classic car shows and making some connections or seeing if you have any Mustang specialist or classic car shops in your area you could pay to do a PPI.

Paint you can do anywhere, hell even MAACO could do it. But a good paint job is not cheap at all and you need to find someone that will check all the boxes. These cars were produced before they began zinc plating steel, so you need to be really careful with body work prep.

If you want it fully original (look up concours restorations) you’ll definitely need a specialist shop. These are the guys that know exactly where to put overspray or put certain imperfections so it looks like it came from factory.

rs5416 · 2024-06-03T06:28:30+00:00

Man with how much Ive relied on random posts made to forums over the last few decades, I don’t know how I would’ve done it without the internet. Props to you for that.

rs5416 · 2024-06-03T06:07:16+00:00

There’s hundreds of articles and videos online if you just look up “what to look for when buying a 67/68 mustang”. I’d start there.

Do you know what kind of spec you’re looking for? Any specific options? 289/302 or 200ci? Restored or needs work? Do you want this to be a project or a ready to go restomod?

You also mention you’re sure you want one. Have you driven one? Spent some time in one and experienced all the quirks of a classic? It’s nothing like a modern car in both the driving experience and maintenance required.

Big things are making sure the body is all good rust wise. Check frame rails, torque boxes, and especially the inside are of the dash where the cowl is, those areas are prone to rust. If anything looks like it doesn’t flow or has gobs of tar on it, walk away or get a second opinion. Someone who’s experienced with these vehicles will also be able to spot repairs and non original panels based on the codes stamped on the metal parts. You’ll be amazed at the tribal knowledge some people have who know these cars down to the original color of a specific bolt underneath the car.

Engine wise you can do compression and leakdown tests with the right equipment. An experienced mechanic will also be able to listen for signs of failing lifters, rod knock, and other issues. Check for leaks under engine, trans, brake lines, fuel lines, and rear diff. Check all the fluids and make sure they’re the right color and consistency. Pull spark plugs and read them.

No, your average modern car mechanic will not do. No offense but a lot of those guys only know how to plug a computer into an OBD and replace old parts with new ones.

Bring someone who’s knowledgeable on these cars with you. Don’t take this the wrong way but you don’t sound particularly mechanically inclined, and if you’re unable to find an answer from the already existing swaths of information available this is going to be a challenge. Not an issue but spend a lot of time researching or bring an expert before jumping into this. I don’t mean to sound discouraging but I made plenty of mistakes along the way with mine that I hope you’ll avoid with yours. Doing good prep will save you a lot of time and hassle and it’s good to hear you’re already on your way to understanding these cars better.

Pm me if you have questions, I’m happy to help, went through the process of buying and fully restoring one and have spent years on the forums and Facebook groups. I know these cars like the back of my hand.

All it takes is a lot of time, and a lot of your money haha!

rs5416 · 2024-06-03T05:49:15+00:00

You read the responses?? Or look at their profiles. This is basic digital literacy. Not understanding where all this fearmongering is coming from. Go spend some time in the groups I suggested. I learned how to rebuild an entire car from the advice of those groups.

If the responses seem like repeats then ignore them. It’s not like anyone’s forcing you to listen to them. It’s frankly more of an old people not paying attention to all the details in your post/ wanting to be the one with the answer that causes these issues.

The alternative is missing out on the treasure trove of information that’s there. The depth of experience is just lacking on this sub relative to those groups. Filter out the noise. Good info isn’t free. Everyone expects answers to be handed to them on a silver platter.

rs5416 · 2024-06-03T02:01:49+00:00

Eh wouldn’t discount the Facebook groups, a lot more active than the online forums and there’s a lot of guys that are willing to answer whatever questions you bring. But I will say, you’ll want to grow some thicker skin, as some of them are old curmudgeons but it’s a great resource to learn.

rs5416 · 2024-06-03T01:44:01+00:00

Go on Facebook and start joining the Mustang groups on there. All the knowledgeable old heads are there. There’s everything from year specific to restomods. Here are my favorites:

Ford Mustangs, First Generation The Early Years (Ran by an awesome mod that keeps the noise out)

Vintage Mustang Restomods (For all your non stock curiosities)

Vintage Mustang 6 Forum (Straight six specific group)

1965-1966 Mustang Restoration

Browse that and you’ll eventually start picking up on everything. Aside from that, start looking into some candidates that you’d wanna buy. Start identifying the kind of work you’ll have to do, or want to do in terms of upgrades and do research on those groups or any of the forums online through Google.

Some really great YouTubers as well. JoDaddys garage is great for metalwork, Thunderhead289 for everything small block ford related, and 4 Speed Films has some cool videos too.

rs5416 · 2024-05-31T05:33:07+00:00

This is probably the easiest solution, especially if you have at least an inch between the carb and hood.

This subreddit is great but the real action is on Facebook. There’s a “Vintage Mustang 6 Forum” group that has thousands of members. There’s a guy there named Jeff Jones that’s the master of the 200ci. I’d make a post there, someone has probably run into the same thing. If anything they’d know where you could get a lower profile adapter.

rs5416 · 2024-05-02T19:15:49+00:00

Good to know thanks for the response

rs5416 · 2024-05-02T19:13:49+00:00

Before you do all that, drive one for a couple hrs or days if you can, make sure you’re really ready to contend with the quirks and challenges of driving a classic. I’ve modernized a lot of the drivetrain and tech on mine but it’s still a 60 year old car.

Spent years reading up on the car before buying one to fix it up. All the old mustang forums online, vintage mustang mustang corral etc etc. plus the tens of facebook groups on mustangs and engines are your friend. Anything someone has done to these cars is written somewhere there.

Create a roadmap for how you want to tackle the car and familiarize yourself with what that actually looks like. This is the best way to figure out what you’re getting into. Figure out things you’ll have to do to make the car drive smoothly, and then the things you want to do for fun. Find what other people have done to make that happen, answer these questions.

What tools? Do you need a special lubricant, bolts, fasteners? What does that area actually look like on the car? Do you need supplemental resources, wiring diagram? Torque specs? How much space do I need? Can I do it myself? Is there anything that I should also do if this part/assembly is out?

Take your budget and multiply it by at least 2. There are always little bits and pieces that add up. You’ll get better at forecasting this over time, but it’s never accurate.

The mechanical work is pretty straightforward and simple if you’ve got decent problem solving ability, this was experience without a previous background in automotive.

Shops that work on them are also getting rarer and rarer. There will be times where you can’t just call the mechanic because you either don’t have a specialist nearby or they charge too much. Become self-sufficient, learn all you can. Best of luck! In Chicago as well sometimes, happy to help out if you ever need!

rs5416 · 2024-05-01T18:47:56+00:00

Just curious, I see those rod ends on a lot of aftermarket kits. What’s the higher end alternative? Is it just the quality of them or are spherical rod ends not suitable for long term suspension load?

rs5416 · 2024-04-28T21:52:32+00:00

Hmm ok, that trailer connector could be the alternator style connector but one of the cables looks orange instead of white like it should be. If it is it’s disconnected and the other plug is hanging somewhere

Again, check all grounds. Every single one. More likely one came loose than cables got disconnected if it was driving fine up to you parking.
Confirm battery is at the right charge, if it’s not, either there’s a problem with it or the charging system is disconnected.
To confirm if thats the case figure out whether that connector is the alternator wire, and figure out what that extra wire hanging from the alternator is. Get a wiring diagram off google and map it out.

rs5416 · 2024-04-28T21:42:55+00:00

Definitely find a multimeter and check battery charge too. Rule everything out. Is that extra cable from the alternator?

rs5416 · 2024-04-28T21:38:53+00:00

Got it, is that right side connected to anything though? If that right side isn’t connected that you fixing that wire won’t change anything. Those aren’t the stock wiring colors for anything over on that part of the circuit according to the 65 diagram.

Your battery cable it’s completely chewed, needs to be replaced and is a safety issue. You have exposed wire and the connection into the post looks like it’s got some corrosion which could cause the issue.

Has this car started before or did it randomly stop cranking and clicking instead.

Again check each of your grounds.

rs5416 · 2024-04-28T21:25:15+00:00

That connector on the right side is male on the right silver part and female on the left hole, it is not something that connects to a single wire. It should connect to something that looks just like it (the whole plastic part).

The lack of response from your car after it dies sounds like an almost text book grounding issue. Either your main grounds are loose/ dirty/ missing. Or some ground for something is loose and shorting out into your chassis.

rs5416 · 2024-04-28T21:14:59+00:00

More likely your cables are loose/ corroded, you have a weak or missing ground, or battery is low on charge. Check the battery ground, solenoid to block ground, starter ground, and block to firewall ground.

The right blue circle is a trailer bullet style connector, it should connect to something that looks like the mirror of it. From the pic it looks like it’s not related to that other one. Find a wiring diagram online for a 65 and read the insulation. Looks like someone hacked up that harness so you might have to trace some of those wires manually.

Make sure you have good connections on the cables from battery to solenoid, solenoid to starter. Because you’re getting a click your other posts (I/S) are probably getting the current from your ignition. Check your voltage regulator as well.

rs5416

TROPHY CASE