FORD MUSTANG
I didn’t know then, but that was the last time it would run for 14 years.
The engine block was sound, but the rest of the car was knackered. Eventually, a deal was done: I would do the laborious and non-technical work; they would train me and do specialist work when they had time.
And so began the next four years. My first job was removing nearly four decades of dirt and underseal over three weeks of hell. The more I took off the Islero, the more problems I found. One rear quarter was full of rust, which had been filled over and took five days to remove, and the passenger footwell was so rotten that I put my foot through.
By the end of the year I’d stripped and rebuilt the engine. By the end of the four years, though, the time had come to get back to work and I left for Africa. Over the next seven years the car was resprayed and the suspension reattached before, in 2013, the garage owner asked if I’d return to London to help sell his stock of exotic cars. I packed my bags and the following Monday I started my new job.
Focus returned to my beloved Islero, and major jobs were done when money was available, including a handmade Larini exhaust. By 2015 it was time to move and I was unsure it would ever get finished.
I was given the name of Lambo specialist Colin Clarke and we agreed a figure to complete the work. Finally, in May 2018, I picked up the car and my wife and I went away to the Cotswolds for my birthday… marred only slightly by a terrifying drive to the hotel in the dark with no headlights.
Further scares have included a return trip from Goodwood with only full beam – so I had to hold the stalk all the way – and driving back from Bicester in 36ºc with the windows stuck up… explaining to my brother why I arrived with no trousers on took some explaining.
But the Silverstone Classic gave me a tick on the bucket-list when I got a parade lap of the circuit for the Islero’s 50th anniversary. The V12 at 4000rpm in fourth still gives me goosebumps, and moments like that make it all worthwhile. The exciting pre-christmas arrival of a fresh set of Pirelli Cinturato CN36S from Longstone Tyres was all the inspiration I needed to get stuck into the Mustang’s to-do list and get back on the road.
First was an oil and filter change, then it was time to find out where the oil leaks were. One was from the diff, so with the front wheels chocked and the rear on axle stands, the cover and gasket were removed, and the oil drained. This was also a chance to work out what the diff was. An earlier inspection proved that it wasn’t a Mustang part – and not even a Ford item – and with it apart, the only clue was that the gasket sat inside the bolt-holes.
Some Googling suggests it could be from a Jeep – we’ll see if the ebay-sourced replacement fits, once it arrives. Another leak was traced to where the propshaft and ’box meet, so the former came out for me to clean the yoke and grease the universal joints. The gearbox’s rear seal and pipes were leaking, too, so the pipes are now off and the seal has been replaced. And while we’re at the rear, a stay for the spare wheel and matching bag for the jack have tidied the boot.
Up front, a frayed battery pipe was replaced, then it was time to look at the loose bonnet seal. Removing and cleaning the rubber was much easier than persuading the old RTV silicone off. With fresh adhesive applied, the seal didn’t seem too keen to stay put, but after a few days with the ends clamped in place it was another job that could be ticked off the list.
One final task was adjusting the bands in the gearbox to see if this helps it shift as it should. Hopefully it won’t be too long until I’m back behind the wheel to find out.
THANKS TO
Δ Longstone Tyres: 01302 711123; www.longstonetyres.co.uk