Freelance Writer, Reporter, and Author

Nicole and I are going cross-country. Rather than clutter this blog up with updates, we’re going to use another one….http://threemonthsinamustang.com/.

Follow us on our adventures!

I am taking this project one step at a time, lest I tear the whole car apart without fixing anything first. I am starting slow by replacing the seats, but already I’m running into headaches.

I managed to remove both of the seats from the Lincoln, only to discover they each weigh close (if not more than) 100 pounds. Just the seats! Each seat has three separate motors. Why? What is so great about power seats? I’ll never know. I just want some lightweight, manual seats that aren’t all tore up.

I picked up a whole set of front and rear seats from a mid-90’s Mustang for just $50. I only need the front seats, but I can always sell the back seats and make some of my money back. The seats are almost the exact same color, no rips, and the only negative is that the rear of the headrests were cut out when some wise guy decided to put tiny TV screens in the back of them (who is going to watch TV in the back of a Mustang??)

Mustang seat on the right, old Lincoln seat on the left

With the seats out, I tried to put the Mustang passenger seat in. No dice. The holes on the Mustang seat tracks do not line up with the bolts on the floor. The driver’s side seat has a power track, so I didn’t even bother trying to fit it in (I had planned on buying a manual rack anyway.) Oh cruel fate! So now I am left with several options;

• Buy the manual seat tracks from a 99-04 Mustang (they are supposed to be a direct bolt in)
• Modify the manual seat rack to fit the Lincoln floor bracket
• Find a VERY rare pair of Lincoln manual seat tracks (they only came with the “sport delete” seats apparently)

I also went out and bought new battery cables, since the Lincoln is no longer holding a charge. Alas, the gentlemen at the auto parts counter sold me the wrong part (as they often tend to do). So I get to return those tomorrow and try to get the right ones.

Right now, my total investment for the project is;

• The car itself: $500
• Trailer: $50
• Mustang Seats $50
• Total: $600

We’ll see what happens next. Right now, my car sits dead and empty. But not for long.

Until I come up with a better name, I am sticking with the obscure Aqua Teen Hunger Force reference.

That being said, I took some pictures of the real problem with my new project…the interior. It is all leather in the rare gray pattern, but cheap leather likes to crack when exposed to excessive sun and is given lots of time to age. The driver’s seat looks like an alligator used it as a back scratcher.

Right now, I am seriously considering having the seats reupholstered as locating and shipping replacement seats has proven difficult. I had wanted to just ditch the heavy, eight-way adjustable seats for something more comfortable and less complicated. That might night happen.

I might just tear them out and duct tape myself to the floor. Uncomfortable, yet effective.

Right now, I’ve got some good leads on upholsterers though. I also hunted down a power window motor, but I need to make sure it fits (it’s from a Lincoln Continental…)

The dashboard is also…well, ugly. There are ways to save a dashboard, as well as ways to just cover them up. Finding a replacement one though is almost impossible, and taking the dash out is very involved. I think I can live with a few cracks.

That is it for now. Nothing exciting, yet, though plans are well under way.

I love working on cars. Moreso than driving them.

This weekend I am bringing home a new project for myself. Something that runs and drives but could really, really use some love.

It is big. And it has a V8. And it is going to be a challenge. But I love a good challenge, and I love doing something different.

This is going to be very, very different.

I am dubbing it “Untitled Master Shake Project”. Because I sorta know what I want to do with it. But not totally.

I finally figured out how to post a gallery and I got some pretty sweet pictures posted up. Definitely more to come.

I hate Twitter. So why the exclamation point?

I felt it was warranted, because I am going to actually try to update it.

I reiterate, I hate Twitter. Most people use it to post the uninteresting minutia about their lives that makes them feel important.

Some people actually use it for interesting purposes though, and well, it IS a tool, and it reaches a lot of people.

Therefore, I must tweet. I don’t want to, but I will, and now the link is there for all to enjoy too. I’ll try to keep it interesting.

How does one start a blog? I guess like this.

It is 2010, I’ve been a college graduate for a full six months, and I am finally ready to make my mark on the world. Well more like a bruise. But a bruise in an inconspicuous place. Like on the back of the head. Yeah, that works.

This is gonna be fun.