Written by Tara Bush
Can YouTube teach a person how to completely restore an old car from top to bottom? It sure can. Daniel and Corey can attest to the fact that you don’t have to have mechanical ability or tools to restore a classic; but you do have to possess a ton of patience, desire, and time. Let’s go back to the beginning in 2011.
Corey always wanted a 1965 Mustang Convertible. Money and children delayed the dream until a 1965 Mustang Coupe came up for sale in Key West. Corey and his 18-year-old son Daniel took a chance. They bought the battered 6-cylinder Mustang with its missing fender and no interior except for the driver’s seat frame. However, it did have a running replacement V8 engine that drove them home to Broward County some 140 miles north. A trooper pulled up beside the
slow-moving Mustang, took a few looks, and decided that they didn’t need any more headaches and let them continue home.
Neither father or son possessed any mechanical knowledge or tools, but they knew that there was a vast amount of knowledge on Mustangs by watching videos on YouTube. Piece by piece they learned how to replace all the systems and everything in between. They bought what they needed to get the job done.
Daniel took a keen interest in learning how to assemble and find the right parts that would make up the new modified V8; a 1995 Cobra Mustang 302. With a Holley Sniper EFI, Comp Cam racing cam, Hedman Performance shorty headers. Posi Ford 9” 3.73 rearend, Tremmec 3550 manual overdrive transmission; this Mustang is sure to get where it’s going fast. Creature comforts such as power steering, power disc brakes, air conditioning, Bluetooth stereo, and cruise control were added.
Body work and paint were the only parts farmed out to an old school pro who laid a slick coat of single stage original poppy red paint.
The Mustang was frequently referred to as the “TIN CAN” (as in “Are you working on the tin can again?” or “He’s in the garage with the tin can”) by Corey’s wife but after 10 years it became the “TINMAN”. Daniel remained at home while attending college and medical school while working weekends and evenings on the “tin can” with his father. Sometimes the younger brother would lend a hand.
Corey now drives the Mustang to shows around Florida and Daniel joins him when his own family and medical residency schedule allows. They are on the lookout for another first-generation Mustang convertible or fastback project; however the younger son would like a Camaro instead.
