Some cars simply need saving no matter how far gone they are. Fuzz reveals why Car SOS went above and beyond to restore this Mustang
There have been occasions, while on Car SOS recces, that I have rejected cars on grounds of their condition, usually due to galloping corrosion and/or having already been dismantled and missing parts.
In the case of long-term owner, John’s 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback, it was rust that led to its rejection, back in summer 2020. As a matter of fact, it was and perhaps remains the most corroded car I had ever been asked to consider for the show. It hadn’t seen the road since the 1980s, after John’s wife had sadly died, leaving him to bring up their children singlehanded, with a consequent down-scaling of free time. But John didn’t sell his dream car. Instead, he parked it in his garden, covering it to protect it from the worst ravages of the weather. Another was placed over the top as time went by and covers became threadbare leaving the car unseen and with grass sprouting up around it. Unfortunately moisture was being held within the covers and the car rotted away slowly and quietly over decades to the point that it became an absolute basket case with little structural integrity, a seized, rust-coated engine and a mouldering interior. On condition alone, it was one of the easiest to reject cars that I have come across, but John’s self-sacrifice was difficult to ignore. Various ideas on how the team could undertake the restoration of this budget-busting car were pursued, including doing the whole project in the USA, but all came to nought and the car sat decaying for a further two years suffering the further ignominy of a broken rear screen (caused by storm debris) and more water ingress.
It was Tim’s dogged determination to do a Mustang on the show – particularly an early one – that saw him championing John’s cause to friends in the industry. Former Car SOS team member, Sid, had recently set up a restoration shop, specialising in – yes – Ford Mustangs, in particular undertaking some very neat upgrades to handling and performance.
