Comparing Average Fuel Consumption

Three years ago I purchased a brand new F-150. I had always wanted a large truck and I am a big fan of the American V-8. Gas prices never crossed my mind back then, I test drove the truck and instantly fell in love. Being a car guy in general I saw a lot of potential, as you can customize trucks with ease. Parts are available to anyone with varying levels of skill and to suit any taste. I quickly began customizing my truck to my liking and have been enjoying it ever since. It gets looks everywhere I go and always initiates conversation with everyone I come into contact with. Life was good until....

GAS PRICE FEVER!

I guess it didn't really hit me until a couple months ago just how much I was spending on gas. I transferred from a store close to home to one that is 22 miles away. With my truck being my sole daily transportation, you can imagine how this has now worked out. Suddenly I find myself looking at Honda Civics and other small, gas sipping cars. If you want to see something completely eye opening, go to www.fueleconomy.gov and do a side by side comparison of a Ford F-150 and a Honda Civic. We're talking about a $2000 difference in annual fuel economy based on current prices!

The sad thing is that the value on large vehicles seems to be plummeting, as demand is shrinking quickly. The only good thing about this is that I may be able to find someone who appreciates the truck for what it is and doesn't need to use it for daily transportation.

Times certainly have changed in this country. I never considered myself to be one of those people who purchased a large vehicle just to be cool or fit in with the soccer moms. I'm a pretty large guy and I have always enjoyed the comfort of a large vehicle. But now it seems like whether or not we like it as a society we must collectively accept the change that is rapidly coming.

The irony of it all is that we went through the same thing back in the 70's. People panicked. Glorious American muscle cars were canned. Those that survived were shells of their former selves, making due with ugly plastic cladding and engines barely powerful enough to run a lawnmower. Once again we were on the verge of a muscle car revolution. The new Mustang running strong and selling like hotcakes. The new Charger and Camaro coming out. The most powerful Corvette of all time getting ready to come out. Heck, even Mom's minivan is available with 250-300 horsepower nowadays.

If our soon to be newly elected leader doesn't do something quick, we will be facing a re do of the last gas crisis. It took automakers a long time to regain confidence in the muscle car (with the exception of Ford!), let's pray that we don't have to wait another thirty years to see them again. Or worse, never see them again at all.

Mustang Week

I live in sunny, hot and humid Myrtle Beach. Not a bad place to be. Especially since we have the fantastic Mustang Week every year! This year it's scheduled for July 22-26. Registration is closed but you can still attend the events, which include a car show, drag racing, and a cruise in. My car is nowhere near ready anyway (barely driveable with little to no braking power!) but I'll be attending some of the events and taking some pictures that I'll post. Hope to see you there!

http://www.mustangweek.com/home.shtml

Future Mods

I've been doing quite a bit of research lately, and it's given me a lot of great ideas. Apparently the four eyed mustangs (1979-1986) have their own cult following. Check out www.foureyedpride.com. They have a lot of pics and information on these cars. Another site I frequent regularly is www.latemodelrestoration.com. They have a ton of parts for these Mustangs.

Starting on the Interior!

Well I've started tearing the interior apart. I'm not a fan of the blue inside so I've been respraying everything. I would eventually like to swtich completely to a grey interior so I started on all of the hard plastic stuff. Good prep is essential to success. I am using rubbing alcohol and a rag to thouroghly clean everything before it's painted. Then I use 3-4 coats of primer, followed by 3-4 coats of paint, then 3-4 coats of clear. This is all dependent on how well each piece looks as I go. I'm definitely not a fan of the factory woodgrain, so I shot the gauge cover in black. I am trying to salvage the dash cover by covering it in a gray vinyl, but it may be too far gone to save. I did manage to repair the cracked center console with some plastic welder. This stuff works great but make sure you wear some protection, the fumes alone will knock you out!

The Four Eyed Foxbody

I have been a fan of Fox Body Mustangs all my life. I have always wanted to own one but for one reason or another have never had the means to aquire one or the time to work on it. I was fortunate enough to recently aquire a less than mint 1983 Mustang 5.0 Convertible. Here I will document it's eventual restoration and modifications. I'll also touch base on some of the things I learn as I go. I've done a lot of research on these cars so hopefully it will pay off. I'm no mechanic or expert but I do have a decent knowledge.
The most priceless part of this experience has already been my girlfriend's expression when I pulled up in the driveway. Well worth the $600 I spent. Having a hobby like this is a demanding but rewarding experience that definitely isn't for everyone.
I love to get ideas and see pictures of other people's projects, so feel free to email me @ cochise05@gmail.com. I'm looking forward to some input!