A New Motor for Buddy the Mustang in the back of Fred the Minivan

A year ago today Conor H and I finished replacing the automatic transmission in Buddy the Mustang with a manual transmission. Today we bought the main ingredient (I bought it, Conor inspected it) for the next transformation of my 1989 convertible Mustang. We will be replacing her 2.3l 90 horsepower engine with the 2.3l turbo 190 horsepower engine out of a 1987 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. Buddy is about to change from “all show, and no go” a vehicle that has show and go.

I posted the above photos primarily because I wanted to write about my love for my minivan. Every Monday evening I shoot bows with an amazing group of guys. As great as these guys are they raze one of our number because he shows up each week either in a minivan or a Prius (I on the other hand usually show up in Buddy). The jokes basically are about these vehicles emasculating him. It is all just ribbing and happens mainly because they guy driving the minivan/Prius combination is the first one start the jokes about himself. Personally, I am a huge van of minivan because of events like today. Conor and I drove comfortable over to Eau Claire, picked up Noah, bought the engine, and then comfortably (other than a fear of bumble bees because we found a nest of bumble bees in the transmission bell-housing before putting the engine and transmission in the back of the van) went to eat at Taco Januita’s (if you haven’t been here and you are ever in Eau Claire you should go). I did all this while getting good gas mileage. I love my minivan!

“Yeah I’m sorry I can’t hear your funny jokes about how unmanly my 300,000 mile minivan is, I’m too busy hauling the engine out of a Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. What’s in the back of your fancy truck?”

SIDE NOTE – If anyone has an engine lift and/or an engine stand that I could borrow for awhile I would appreciate it. These are the type of things that I can’t do this project without but will probably never use again.

SIDE SIDE NOTE – If you are going to buy an engine from someone my experience is that it is best to buy an engine from a guy who owns his own personal Bobcat. Getting the engine in the back of Fred the minivan was easy. I have no idea how we are going to get it out. 🙂 Anyone want to buy a Bobcat and let me use it?

Clive Loves Car Rides

I am posting this video just because I believe Clive deserves more blog time than any cat. This dog seriously loves car rides. The video above is from a semi-forced ride tonight that Pam “guilted” me into giving Clive. It was only semi-forced because I really love driving Clive around.

I went to return Pitch Perfect 3 (yeah Shelley!) and when I returned Pam told me that Clive had sat at the garage door whining the entire time that I was gone. I would love to say this was because he was missing me, but the truth is that he was probably just upset that I had gone for a ride without him. This dog seriously loves car rides.

Put his harness and lease on and the dog runs to the garage door. Convince him to walk out the front door so that you can actually go for the walk and the second he exits the front door he starts to run to the outside garage door or if there is a car in the driveway he runs straight to it. Open your car door for a second, and pop he jumps in. If a stranger wanted to steal my dog all they would have to do is open their car door. Given the choice between me and a car ride with a stranger I am pretty sure that Clive wouldn’t even think twice, he would choose the car ride.

The good news is that Clive has good musical taste so we listened to The Clash during our ride through the country roads South of Plover.

Two Dollar Bills

Soon, my lady, you will be running on the back roads again.

A friend stores Buddy the Mustang during the cold, road salty months of Wisconsin’s Winter. He gives me a good deal and I appreciate that. I tend to go by once a month to start Buddy and pay him for the storage. Last year I developed the habit of paying him in $2 bills when I remembered to go by the bank and ask for them before heading out to his place. It makes me laugh and he seems to get a kick out of it too, or at least he puts up with it bringing me joy. Today I went by to start Buddy for the month and figured I would go ahead and pay him through March. Thankfully I thought to go by the bank first and was able to pay him $2 bills.

I’m sure this is meaningless to everyone else but the thought of handing him $120 in two dollar bills is going to keep me smiling for a while.  I’m smiling to myself right now thinking about it. Which is probably kind of creepy being as I am at Emy J’s coffee & ice cream shop right now sitting by myself and typing this on my blog. “Mommy, why is that the man with the “grumpy old man” hat smiling so big as he types on his keyboard? Just avoid eye contact and walk away kids!” Yep, it’s the little things in life. 🙂

Sleep Tight Little Lady

Tonight Buddy was placed in storage for the Winter (thanks Michael). This is a little later than I wanted but still fine. My only concern is that she may have seen a little salt residue on the roads from the past week. She has been waxed well so I am fairly sure any little salt residue she experienced shouldn’t be a big deal. I may also spray a can of WD40 on her underside just to add a little more confidence concerning her storage.

Anyhow it was a Summer of extensive work on Buddy (thanks Conor). She came out of storage with an automatic transmission and went back into storage today with a manual transmission. She is now a ton more fun to drive because of that standard transmission.  Lots of small cosmetic improvements from replacing emblems to knobs whose print had worn off, and various other mechanical work on her.

The goal for next Summer involves swapping in a 2.3l turbo engine from a ’87-’88 Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe. Woot woot! I just have to find the engine at a reasonable price now. If only this can be arrange Buddy will no longer be “all show, no go.”

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