We found an ad on Craigslist near my house for not one but TWO crappy Mustangs for $400 each. Car #1 was an '84 V-8 5-speed car with a blown head gasket. Car #2 was an '87 4-cylinder convertible with a locked-up engine and automatic trans.

Car #1 sounded good on paper but when we arrived we couldn't believe how thrashed it was. The engine had been stripped down to the bare block and the interior was filthy as it had been used for storage of the radiator, A/C compressor and assorted other engine parts. The left front of the car had some decent body damage (the guy said he backed his truck into it, but it looked more like a hippo sat on it). Possible subframe and/or core support damage. The guy on the right (with the cigarette over his ear) is the owner of the cars. The guy on the left is our team captain, Bud Sharp.

Car #2 looked promising, with an undamaged body and faded paint. It had some kind of body kit on it that we figured we could remove and sell for a few dollars. But when we popped the hood, we found that the valve cover and intake manifold had been removed and the head was covered in a thick layer of rust and cobwebs. This car would require another engine, which would likely push it beyond our $500 budget and even then it would still have a very weak engine and a trouble-prone automatic trans. Hey look, Christmas lights!

After thinking it over, we decided the V-8 car would be a good LeMons candidate. While the engine had been taken apart, it had obviously not been sitting for a long time so we figured that with luck and a new set of gaskets, we could have a running engine. With some hammering and bending of sheet metal, we might even have a car that would roll straight and not slice up the tires. And as a bonus, someone had already started outfitting the engine compartment with yellow stickers and fine, aftermarket parts from the local Pep Boys. Less work for us! With an engine that made 210hp bone stock, we won't have to concern ourselves with modifying it for more power to keep up with the field. In a lightweight, stripped car it will already have more power than we can use. We managed to haggle him down to $350 and agreed to purchase the car.



Here is a snapshot of the craigslist ad for this car:

This windshield is too far gone and will have to be replaced. Fortunately they are not expensive.

What color was this car originally? It's hard to tell.

Left rear quarter panel was actually not too bad!

On the passenger seat was a decent looking four-barrel carb - score!

OUCH...

This beauty is ours! Gotta go home and get the trailer...

Home at last... Now that I think about it, my neighbor hasn't spoken to me since I brought this babe-magnet home. Coincidence?