Source
r/MechanicAdvice•
akmark

Getting an old car back on the road, what kind of shop should I look for? Ford/Mustang/2006

I have a car that was disabled for over a year, and it needs a few obvious things (needs glass work) and probably a few less obvious things to make it into a roadworthy companion again. I am willing to pay (like up to ~$4-5k), and am not looking for a cheap way out but I am just wondering if there is a type of mechanic that is a better fit for this kind of work compared to a shop trying to clear volume. I don't really have the facilities to fix it, but would perfectly fine if it took a month or two to get sorted at a right price from ordering parts and so on and then I wouldn't mind taking it somewhere else even to get it inspected and fit for registration and pay for a truck to shuttle the thing around.

Is this something that you want to find someone who gives a quote and you supply a down payment to buy parts and then you settle on labor after? I just don't want to be in a situation where I feel like I am paying some price for storage fees just to have a part show up in the post.

Generally I have only really worked with a dealer, body shop, or a Midas-type mechanic and neither feels like a great fit. I know I'll probably have to shop around anyway, but if there are keywords that help me communicate my goal/research potential mechanics better it would be good to know.

And for answers into why not sell/scrap, it's mostly emotional and I don't fit as nicely into the current model, and it's in such a bad form I don't feel comfortable selling it and would only want to scrap it.

Posted Nov 22, 2018, 12:36 AM UTC

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GotMyOrangeCrush•

Don’t mean to be a downer, but most restoration type projects tend to cost at least double if not triple what you expect.

It’s your money and your car and if you really have a spare $10-15k to put into a 2006 Mustang, more power to you.

You can buy a clean running 2006 mustang V8 for as low as $5k-6k one that needs a little work for even less.

If yours needs glass, that means it needs interior which means electronics and LOTs of labor and lots of $$$.

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akmarkOP•

I had no expectation of getting the interior or exterior to new or like new, just running would be fine for clarification to anyone else who sees this. Thanks for the comment!

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GotMyOrangeCrush•

Have no idea what the condition of the car is, but in general cars are expensive to restore and get running and any estimates are probably low, especially when you gotta pay someone else to do it all.

Is the car rust-free? If a car has rust issue it’s no use trying to save it.

Most shops won’t do “good enough” work, they do the job 100% and good work doesn’t come cheap.

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GuiltyCloud•

You need to find an independent shop that is busy in the summer and a bit slower in the winter. Ask them for a once over look and then see what they suggest. Tell them you're willing to spend money, but you want to keep it to what is important and functional. Also, be up front and ask them if they are willing to put on parts that you might buy.

If you're honest about most things I think you'll be okay. If you think you've found a very honest mechanic, you can tell them what you're willing to spend after they inspect it.

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akmarkOP•

Thanks! That was what I was expecting to have to do but I wasn't sure if I was going to go about it properly.

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Atomikus88•

This. Op, if you're in central Florida there is plenty of space at my shop this time of year.

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tomhalejr•

I wouldn't consider an '06 an "old" car, but then again I drive a '99. :) What kind of condition is the vehicle in in general? What caused it to be "disabled"? What state do you live in, and what are the inspection requirements?

As far as glass work, even production body shops will often sublet glass. There are plenty of (mobile repair) glass companies you can contact to get quotes, so at least you have a better idea of what those repairs would run you.

If you are looking for a quality independent repair facility in your area, try the ASE Blue Seal Shop Locator Tool:

https://www.ase.com/Landing-Pages/Car-Owners/Find-a-Repair-Shop/Shop-Locator.aspx

Specialty shops are always an option as well, it just depends on your specific situation. If you could provide a little more context, we might be able to give you a better idea of what you should expect, and some potential red flags when looking for a provider. :)

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imprl59•

That's not really what you'd call an old car and sitting for a year isn't really any big deal. It likely needs a battery, a fresh tank of gas and some air in the tires along with a good inspection.

Any good independent shop can sort that out for you. For the glass work you can call a glass company friday and have that done by the afternoon. For the other work find a mechanic and tow it in for diagnosis. Don't mention a budget or timeline. Just tell them it's been sitting and you'd like to get it running again. I don't know why it was disabled or what the few other things are but on the face of it you'd be able to drive it out that afternoon.

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akmarkOP•

Yes, the last few times I have taken it to get repaired before it was disabled I kept getting the run around with ordering parts for it for some reason. That's why I was suspicious.

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imprl59•

You weren't going to a good mechanic then most likely. Parts for those are very easily obtainable. Most common things are shelf stock in the store, if not then in the warehouse and to the shop same day. If you get in to obscure stuff that changes to having to be ordered and not here until tomorrow.

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akmarkOP•

Yeah, I don't know why they weren't common. What you say there about it being on hand or same day delivery is what I expect but for some reason I wasn't getting that kind of service.

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imprl59•

Usually that's because the shop has something else they need to do. If I tell you it's going to take a few days to get the parts then I can put it on the back burner and not get penalized for it in the customers eyes.

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chiefbauske•

As a mustang fanatic unless it’s a bullitt or a Shelby or 5.0 with a ton of mods it’s almost not worth it. The 5th gen still has a good resale value but you’ll just be breaking even and it would decline in value over time. With broken glass you might have to end up repairing a lot more than just that- upholstery, mold inspection, electronics. But it all depends on the extent of the damage. If it’s anything other than a 5.0 don’t do it.

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akmarkOP•

I have no interest in fixing the car up to sell, just get it working again. I tried the 6th gen out and I just didn't like how I fit behind the wheel compared to the 5th gen, so it makes more sense to me to just fix up the 5th gen that I already have.

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