April 2005 - Archive

This morning I brought my '67 Stang to the local Ford garage for her yearly inspection. She failed it! I did not expect this, as I haven't driven that much last season since the inspection in April 2004.

First reason for not passing is that the bushings at the steering linkage rod ends are leaking. The second reason is very strange; the VIN is hammered in under the hood near the LEFT fender, but on my registration it says near the RIGHT fender. It seems that the authorities fucked up when I imported the car back in '99 and nobody noticed or cared at previous inspections! So I immediately drove to the RDW import station in Amsterdam to have this sorted out. They more or less agreed to their mistake, took all three parts of my registration and promised to send me corrected papers within 10 days. Pffff, problem solved.

So, after I get my papers back I will take her to Jaarsma (which I should have done in the first place) to have the rod ends replaced and finish the inspection. Then we can legally enjoy driving the Mustang again. And besides, we need her for our wedding in June!

Meanwhile I am helping a friend with his '67 Cougar, which he bought from an ex-colleague of mine.

The Mercury Cougar was introduced in 1967 as the more upscale version of the Ford Mustang. It had more mature styling and upscale interior appointments and rode on a three inch longer wheelbase than the Mustang. Today a 1967 Cougar in good condition is a collector's item.

Technically the car is in good shape, most engine parts are new and more powerfull. But the chassis and body need some work to eliminate rust. With my new ChipsAway equipment I am helping to fix some bad spots on the bodywork. Below pictures show the Cougar stowed away in a sea container and in his new home with his new owner! And above as it will look again soon, so we can take Marcel's '67 Cougar and my '67 Mustang for a spin....