[bonescrub]

HI, first time poster but been lurking for awhile.

I am in a bit of a dilemna, I found a 1970 fastback that the owner says is original even the paint looks great. The owner states the car is unmolested the engine has never been rebuilt, there is some rust in the car but it is minor just a small bit on the door, rear quarter panel and some in the trunk. The original paint still shines.
Would it be considered a sin to repair the small bit of rust spots and have the car repainted or should I have the car just painted in the trouble spots.
I am worried about the originality of the car and about reducing the cars overall value. I know at some point the car would have to have the rust taken car of so it does not get worse.
This car will be a weekend cruiser, on sunny days, and maybe entered in to a local car show but nothing really more, the car will be garage kept.

The car is missing some options that I would really like to have like air conditioning, Power steering and brakes, plus I would like to change the drum brakes to disc brakes.
Would making these modifications affect the value of the car in a negative way. This car is something for me to enjoy, I dont enjoy sweating in the Texas sun.
The owner thinks it should be left as original as possible, which I can agree to some extent, but if the problems are left untreated then they may get worse.
I think the car should have the problems addressed all the rust removed, on the door, trunk and quarter panel. and have the whole car repainted so the car doesnt look to have old paint next to new paint.
I would really consider having air conditioning put in the car. Power brakes and steering I could live without. I think the disc brakes are supposed to stop better so its kind of a safety thing the reason I want those. My kids will be riding in this car also.
Thanks for your input and suggestions as I am sure you all know much than I on Mustangs.

[70Mach03]

Well unless it’s a Boss, Mach 1, or big-block, it’s not really worth that much unless it still has the plastic on the seats, window stickers, and less than 50 original miles on the odometer. If it’s a 302-2V or 6-cyliner, these are the kind of cars that people turn into performance style clones and then the value will really go up at least to half the value of a real performance model. If it has rust along the bottom of the door, I’d be willing to bet the underside of the doors have even more. Look closely at the floor pans for rust also; the 65-70 Mustangs were infamous for that.

As far as the original owner is concerned…..once he sells it, he no longer has any say so in what happens to the car. That may sound rough but if he thinks that highly of his vehicle, then he should keep it himself.

Personally, I’d love to have the time, money and expertise to take a car like that and turn it into a Boss 302 “clone”. I'd add a 5.0 crate motor, a T-5 or AOD, 4-wheel disk, upgraded sway bars and suspension, modern seats, and other newer amenities while enjoying myself driving and showing it off. Only about 1% of the people out there will know it’s a clone and the other 99% won’t care. The trouble will real Shelby’s, Bosses, big-block Mach 1’s and such is that the value has gotten so high that people are scared to death to drive and enjoy them the way they were meant to be.

Good luck and remember, it’s your money and decision so enjoy your ride..

[Veronica]

Hello.If this is as bare-bones of a car as you describe,then you would be doing the car a favor by repairing the rust.There is a difference between 'all original' and 'horribly neglected for decades'.Also,I don't know if you've considered this or not,but when the owner told you that the car had never been painted,it is possible that he was not telling you the truth in order to try to squeeze a couple of additional dollars out of you.I don't know if you've gotten any quotes on this or not but it will cost you something in the 2500 dollar range to put A/C in a 70.The dash pad is different,the heater box is different,etc,etc...If you are looking for a car to drive around in occassionaly and you would have a problem with getting this car presentable and road-worthy,then this might not be the car for you.It isn't the only 70 sportsroof that Ford built.Hope that helps.

[bonescrub]

thanks for the input guys, I decided to pass on the car, there is another car out there with my name on it, thats the way I look at it.