1965 mustang fastback or 1965 roadsters

HI guys I'm new to the forums and new to roadsters. I have never sat in one before, all I know I love speed and turns. They look sexy as hell. If I buy a fastback I'm very limited on choices being that 30k isn't going to get me a whole lot, but I love the way they look, other than that they dont turn or acceleration without lots of money but my wife loves mustangs.

Little back story on me is that I have only ever owned fords and have plenty of mustang being the newest was a 2015 mustang gt that I sold 2 years later bc everyone had the same car. I still currently own a 2002 mustang gt with full maximum motorsports suspension, also own a 95 mustang gt that I was thinking about using as a donor car. Owned the 95 since 2008.

Back to the roadster and fastback issue is that I can buy a 65 and drive it home the same day. I'm kinda worried about living in San Diego California and going thru the hole DMV process. I dont want to waist my money or time. I'm not worried about building a car, I'm a pipe fitter by trade and use my hands every day and also built my 02 gt from stock.

Can anyone from California chime in and help ease my wife and I on why we should buy a cobra over a fastback? Also if there is anyone in San Diego that can let me know if there are any cobra gatherings I can go to and and talk to someone in person? Thanks guys

I'm in Florida, but used to live in Pasadena. I also owned and daily drove a 66 Fastback for 9 years. So here is my opinion.

First of all, FFRs do come up for sale if you want to "drive it home today". Often for what the owner has in it or less. There are also professional builders that will do it for you. You are also in the area of one of the countries few FFR body/ paint specialists. That's a nice bonus.

These cars are so different that you really can't compare them. You have to decide what you like and want. Here are some personal opinions:

65 - 66 Fastback. I love them, they are beautiful. But being brutal is what will help you the most.

1. They are actually terrible cars. They are not fast at all, handle terribly, and the brakes (even if you get discs) are sub-par in today's standards. A Camry will blow you away at a light, stop faster at the next one, and get around a corner in a way you can only dream of. They are not built well, tend to rust, and will need constant maintenance. This can even include periodic adjusting of things like the hood, front fenders, and door alignment, or you will end up with chipped paint around the edges.
2. They are very easy to work on and every single part down to the correct interior screws and rubber parts are easy to find and inexpensive. There is even a company making brand new replica body / chassis kits.
3. They will only appreciate. It used to be you had to keep them 100% stock or you were a red headed stepchild. Today, modifications all the way up to engine swaps and GT350 clones are acceptable.
4. Great for cruising and car shows. If you want performance, beyond a strong engine that will make the rear axle hop, it gets expensive. There is some cool stuff out there including coil over and IRS kits. Last time I looked, an IRS setup was well over $10,000 for the parts alone. We have a 65 coupe that autocrosses with us. It looks like it is going to flip over and it is one of the slowest if not the slowest car there. But the guy is having a BLAST wringing it out. Speed is relative.
5. They are only slightly safer than a motorcycle.

FFR Roadsters: I love them, they are beautiful. They are brutal, so I don't have to be.

Honestly, make sure that you actually want a Cobra. Most car guys want a car that "looks like a Cobra". You have to be a little bit hard core to love driving one. They are hot, loud, smelly, temperamental, and will kill you if you get silly for 2 seconds. I have met at least 5 Cobra owners that are afraid of them to the point that they rarely get out of the garage. Then there are a LOT of guys, myself included, that love driving them every chance they get. Just be honest with yourself about which one you are and where your wife fits in. My wife thinks it is beautiful and is proud of me for building it. She likes riding around in it about as much as she likes being in a dentist chair. But she goes along for me.

1. The quality of the kit is very good. Some parts are "price point" considerations. Some are very good replicas of the original British parts (so may break - LOL).Upgrades and customization is endless. The chassis is very good. These cars are fast even with moderate HP. They handle very well, but you better know what you are doing. The stock brakes are good if set up properly. The Wilwood upgrade is excellent. To drive one of these anywhere near its capabilities, you have to be at an autocross or track. They are still not a modern high performance car. Hard to drive fast, but it is glorious when you do.(see hard core above)
2. Mostly easy to work on. Parts are relatively inexpensive. There is not a lot of space, especially with a Coyote or big block, but everyone seems to get it done. They are a street legal race car and should be on race car maintenance schedules. Doing a "nut and bolt" once a year is a wise thing.
3. They mostly hold their parts value. Your labor needs to be a labor of love.
4. Great for cruising (given the hot, loud, etc mentioned above), car shows, autocross, and track days. You need to not mind attention and talking to people every time you stop for gas.
5. The are only slightly safer than a motorcycle. I would bet on a little safer than a vintage Mustang. If you go into "silly" mode mentioned above, they are as safe as a chimp with a machine gun.

Extra points for the FFR - The company is great to work with both from a technical help standpoint and for any issues that come up. The forums are an incredible means of support and a way to meet people on line and in person.
You will be driving something special enough to get constant thumbs up, pictures and videos taken, etc.

I love your post. Sending it to my wife now. That's the thing is my wife loves fast cars, she dailied the 2015 gt with a manual every day. She loves my 02 bc it is moderately fast but turns on a dime, its loud and abusive and we both love it. Our 95 convertible is falling apart and we dont want to spend money on it anymore.

Been reading alot of forms on basic and complete kits the only problem I have with the complete kits is that there are things I want to change out but dont want to be wasting my money.
Example is that I want maximum motorsports suspension with spherical bushings everwhere.

Dont have tones of money so I want to use the motor and rearend out of the 95, trans is an auto so dont want that lol. Probably use the gas tank and few other things but I dont want to be fuel injected. I'd like to swap over to carburetor possibly, never had one but looks cleaner.

Wife really like a fastback but she also wants performance. These decisions are life and death lol. But in all seriousness I would like a project, I'm 33 and think it would be fun to build, this is why I have so much attachment to my 02 is bc I built it.

Just by writing back to you kinda help me see my decision. Just the whole California thing gets me nervous.

Thank you avalanche

I've had lots of '65 & '66 Mustangs, including the '65 fastback I recently sold.

I was doing a purge and selling off lots of cars, tools, and my trailer - reducing my footprint for a future move. But, my FFR, which has been with me 10 years now - five under construction and five on the road - is still with me.

I can always buy another fastback if I get the itch, but for me, there's only one Cobra replica and it's the one I built.

Definitely X2 on what Avalanche said.

As far as Calif goes I was a little worried about that myself. Basically the same smog as required for a 65 mustang. I’m not anywhere near that process yet but I’m not worried about it at all. There are a LOT of FFR cars in Calif and plenty of threads describing the DMV process. Some went super smooth, some not so much. But all got done.

I’ve “been there, done that” on so many projects in my life. I’ve lost count on how many engines I’ve done... I’m leaving this one up to blue print. I’m tired of rust, grease and grime. I was the original owner of a 65 mustang coupe that I turned pro street in high school. I wanted an Erector set that I could “customize” and FFR fits that idea for me perfectly.
You gotta love and believe in what your gonna do. Only you can make that choice.
Look at Jazzman....Fantastic Mk4 and now he’s doing a fastback resto. And if you read this Jazzman I vote for the “fliptop II” I KNOW you can do it!!!
Anyway my useless 2¢ as usual. But definitely don’t let the California DMV sway you.

Kurt

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Originally Posted by JS Fords only

...the only problem I have with the complete kits is that there are things I want to change out but dont want to be wasting my money.
Example is that I want maximum motorsports suspension with spherical bushings everwhere...

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You need to do more research because the Maximum Motorsports suspensions aren't compatible with the FFR roadster.

Jeff

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Originally Posted by Jeff Kleiner

You need to do more research because the Maximum Motorsports suspensions aren't compatible with the FFR roadster.

Jeff

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Why would they not be compatible? The lower control arm for front and rear fit in the stock location. If you can take the 95 stock control arms why couldn't you use maximum motorsports. I wouldn't use the forward offset front arms. Just the front lowers and the rear lowers.

Edit: sorry jeff I just watched the video again and noticed the coil over mounts to the control arm

Are there any aftermarket suspension parts that are better then factory five?

Besides this changing topics to suspension, are there any factory five guys that live in San Diego? If so are any of you guys going to be at cruise and grand tomorrow in escondido? I would like to talk and meet some factory five guys in person. Thanks

IMHO the most important words so far are from Avalanche 325 "Honestly, make sure that you actually want a Cobra. Most car guys want a car that just "looks like a Cobra"."

I am a daily driver of mine & I would like to add some words I read before I bought the package. Driving every day I can say they pretty much sum up the experience. Words are not mine & I don't know who first wrote them but here goes.

BTW might be a good plan NOT to show your wife these remarks

Driving a Cobra PART I

"If you want to just gas and go, and never have to worry about replacing an alternator, or snuggling down the header bolts, or getting a wet leg driving in a rainstorm, or learning how to set your carb float level, or driving in traffic on a warm winter day with "winter gas" in the tank, get a Corvette. " With a Cobra you have to remind yourself that you are driving a hand made race car on the street.

There is no compromise for anything other than pure speed. These cars are brutal and unforgiving, with all the refinement of a medieval battle ax. Like being in a relationship with an exotic dancer, you can never take anything for granted. These cars don't have millions of miles of testing refinement before you get yours. For any trip longer than an hour, you need earplugs, and goggles, and carry Advil and eye drops. You will need to learn to "read" the clouds for rain in your path, and have experience in un-wrapping your frozen fingers from the MotoLita.

You will experience lady passengers "wetting" the passenger seat when you merge into traffic from an on ramp, and then nearly burn their calf getting out of the car. You will have all the invisibility of a burning Hindenburg, and flee from underground parking lots when uncountable car alarms are screaming your departure. When you shop, you will remind yourself that these cars get more attention than a dead body in a parking lot. With a power to weight ratio better than almost every supercar, you will find your 1/4 mile times traction rather than power limited.

On the other hand, when you stage, out of the corner of your helmet's visor you will see almost the entire audience lining up at the fence, most with cameras up. If you track on a road course with a Porsche club, owners of expensive German machines will come to the fence to watch you power out in smoking oversteer. You won't even try to start your engine in the garage, but push it out onto the driveway, else your loyal watch dog will croak from the exhaust fumes. If you idle next to other "sports" cars at a traffic light, by the green, their girlfriend will be coughing green phlegm into her hanky, yelling at her date to just go!

When you refuel, you might as well prop the "bonnet" open, because you are going to have to show your motor to just about every other guy there. When you order your wings at Hooters, your waitress will whisper in your ear "take me for a ride." When you stop at the red light, the girl in the convertible next to you will invite you to "take my top off too." When you slowly pass a troop of Harley riders, they will look over and give you thumbs up. When you want to ease out into traffic, other cars will immediately pause to let you go ahead of them. When your engine has its hot, crackling, intimidating exhaust side-pipe aimed right at the flank of the GTO, or the Z28, your exhaust pulsation's slowly unscrewing his lug nuts, the other car will remain motionless, as if the slightest quiver of his car will cause your car to stomp it dead.

When you leave it open in a parking lot, and come back to find your sunglasses and cell phone still sitting on the tunnel, it is because your car has sullenly warned those who came over to admire it "touch me and I will rise up here and kill you dead." When you put that tiny silver key into the ignition, and begin your start countdown, your car will whisper "take me for granted, and I will kill you."

When other drivers just hop in and snap up their belts while backing out of their parking space, you will still have two more minutes before you even get all the Simpson's properly on and snugged down. Pulling up in a Cobra is like landing an F4U at an ultra-lite convention. In summary, very, very few drivers want this kind of attention, or can tolerate all that a formidable Cobra demands. These cars are intolerant mistresses. But remember, there will come a day when you have to hang up your car keys for the last time. And perhaps you want to say then "I did it."

PART II

Ten Cobra Driving Safety Tips

1. The two most dangerous words in aviation are, “Watch this.” The same goes for driving a Cobra. Humility is a wonderful personal trait to have for driving a Cobra safely. If you’re not humble now try thinking you’re a hotshot driver in a Cobra for awhile – you will get humbled, as they say down south, “…right quick.”

2. “You don’t even know what you don’t know”. Huh? Well think about it – if you’re not a professional race car driver, you’re kind of out of your element in a Cobra. I saw a video of a Cobra going out of control and rolling because the driver missed a downshift at speed in a sweeping turn. This caused the rear wheels to momentarily lock up and the rear end to slide out and thus the rollover. I didn’t even consider that as a possibility when I’ve been downshifting all this time, did you? That’s my point; I didn’t even know what I didn’t know. That short wheel base Cobra you’re driving can introduce you to all kinds of nasty things you never thought possible. Be careful out there and learn from others. The problem with learning from the school of hard knocks is that the tuition is too high.

3. “Know Thyself”, was said by the Greek philosopher Socrates. How true it is when it comes to driving a Cobra safely. I know that for myself I’m unqualified to be driving my Cobra anywhere near its performance limits. I have virtually no racing experience, very little training and I’m in my 50’s so my reactions are not what they used to be. Instead I have the advantage (I hope) of wisdom. It is said, “The superior driver uses his superior judgment so as to not have to use his superior skill.” The most important thing here is recognizing limitations, do you?

4. I saw a video of a Cobra going out of control when the passenger door was not closed properly and the driver tried to close it while underway. The lean of the body when reaching for the door caused the throttle foot to press on the pedal. Probably not a problem in a regular car but in a Cobra that does 0 to 60 in less than four seconds it’s a recipe for disaster – especially when you only have one hand on the steering wheel! What’s the lesson here? If something falls on the floor or to the side of the passenger seat from g-forces or whatever, wait until you’re stopped (in neutral) before reaching to pick it up.

5. Beware of the club ride. It could be that you will be surrounded by some guys driving bullets (it’s been said you don’t shift a Cobra – you just chamber another round) who are in denial or unaware of their limitations and driving experience. These guys and I’m including myself, have good intentions but are young at heart so the “two teenagers in a car” phenomena is in effect. You know how it goes; they say “This is so cool, let’s do something crazy!” Two teenagers in a car will do things one teenager in a car would never do. This effect can take hold in a club ride. Use caution and don’t get caught up in it. Be a defensive driver knowing someone, because of the above, may do something totally unexpected right in front of you.

6. Street racing kills. Its stupid and only the completely self-centered do it. It can kill you, or worse yet it can kill innocent bystanders. So just say “no” and go to a track. When that Viper pulls up next to you at the stoplight and revs his engine, then if you must, yell “Ace Raceway [or whatever your local track is called], this Friday, 6 PM.” You’ve just saved face and saved lives -- and I bet he never shows.

7. Take command of your Cobra. You can’t be afraid of it or else timidity will prevent you from taking the decisive action necessary to stay out of trouble. Now you must respect your Cobra, but not be afraid of it. Analyze yourself privately deep down and determine if you’re kind of afraid of the car. If you are, then its time for some professional training or time to sell the car. This is supposed to be fun and if you’re afraid of the car why deal with it, it will only cause trouble. A Cobra isn’t for everyone and there’s no shame in that.

8. Don’t let anyone tailgate you – ever. Folks behind you might want to get an “up close and personal” look at a Cobra and end up tailgating you. If you have to brake hard for some reason your car will stop much faster than theirs. You have no head restraints, virtually no crush zone and you’re basically sitting on top of a gas tank. Get the picture? Pull over to the slow lane and slow down if you have to in order to get them off your tail. Attention comes with the territory when driving a Cobra and the distractions can be dangerous.

9. Do “what if” scenarios in your head. Quickly now, what would you do if you were going down the freeway and your throttle return spring bracket let loose and you went to full throttle with no throttle control. Too late, you’ve already crashed. My answer is instantaneous and simultaneous controlled braking, clutch in, neutral gear then ignition off and coast to side of the road watching out for traffic and then and only then think about what happened. The key word here is “instantaneous”. You can’t do this quickly if you haven’t considered it beforehand.

Be graphic and realistic in your scenarios. What would it sound like and feel like if you went to full throttle unexpectedly going down the freeway? How much time would you have? My engine has an electronic RPM limiter so I’m not going to worry about blowing my engine by depressing the clutch at full throttle. And so what if I did blow my engine – my life is at stake here. “What if” scenarios are wonderful because they’re free, they can save your life, and as my dad used to say, they “tickle your brain.”

10. Don’t go for a drive in your Cobra to clear your head. Clear your head then drive your Cobra. This ain’t the car to be driving when you’re distracted.

11. A bonus tip: Have fun – safely.

12. Leave the alcohol for the end of the day. Maybe, a single beer with a meal, but no more. These cars can go from fun to "OH S*^T!!" faster then just about anything I've driven.

“There's nothing nice about a Cobra, it's stripped down to the essentials – a big engine, a small car, and four wide tires trying to keep the whole business on the pavement. It's loud, smells like gasoline, and shakes, shudders, and bucks. It makes your arms tired and your feet hot. You nearly crash about once every ten minutes. It's so damn wonderful you can’t believe it Cobra heard whispering to the owner: circa 1963 "When you put that tiny silver key into the ignition, and begin your start countdown, your car will whisper "take me for granted, and I will kill you." These things require attention...

I will say one other thing. The skillful application of throttle in a parking garage can & will set off car alarms.

Thank you for your post bear. My wife and I got a chuckle and now I think my wife wants one even more lol.

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Originally Posted by JS Fords only

Thank you for your post bear. My wife and I got a chuckle and now I think my wife wants one even more lol.

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Sounds Good, My wife really likes riding in it. They are very special cars.

https://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/pi...ictureid=56673

Re; the MM suspension. Forget that other than the the spherical bearings part. For them you get upgrade bearings from FFR.
http://www.factoryfiveparts.com/1633...-control-arms/
and maybe also this
http://www.factoryfiveparts.com/12078-bump-steer-kit/

I'll weigh in here as a first time clueless Cobra owner with all of 3 weeks of ownership experience under my belt. FYI, i've owned several Mustangs too. I bought an as-new, turnkey MkIV with a Coyote sight unseen. I had zero idea what I was getting into beyond the posters I had on my wall as a kid. The guy who commissioned the build probably experienced the same initial reaction that I did and decided it wasn't for him. It is brutally hot, stupid loud, uncomfortable, intimidating, dangerous, and wonderful all rolled into one. If you don't like attention, it is the wrong car for you. If you want something for long road-trips, it is the wrong car for you. My left calf is already bigger than my right. You need to pay 100% attention 100% of the time when you are driving it. I'm assuming you want to enjoy it with your wife as a passenger?.... if Yes, here is my best advice: take your wife for a ride in one or get someone to take her for a ride in one before you buy one. My most wonderful unexpected surprise was that my wife actually loves it. This has given me the confidence and motivation to completely stump-break the ***** (the Cobra, not my wife) rather than throwing in the towel.

Love that post Bear. I'd say the attention factor is true 99% of the time. Driving around my home city, I have found Tesla model 3s draw more and bigger crowds. :confused:

Once I cross that city line though, things return to normal. :D

Getting ready to depart is a process. I tell people, you don't get in the car, you put it on.

JS, have you looked at the Type 65 Coupe?

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Getting ready to depart is a process. I tell people, you don't get in the car, you put it on.

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Yeah that's what the fighter pilots say, kick the tires, strap it on & light the fires.

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I'd say the attention factor is true 99% of the time.

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As I said I treat the car as a Daily Driver. Typical grocery run is about 5 miles each way. Typical reactions 5 or 6 thumps up. 2 or so conversations when I get to the store parking lot. Maybe one or so "is that your car?" inside the store. Another few leaving while strapping it on. Then if I get gas at the local Shell station on the way home, chatted up by others getting gas. The finally a wave or two from any neighbors who are out & about.

Its really the kind of car that makes other people smile. Am surprised how many women will walk up & as me about the car. Last time out a woman in her 50's was asking spec type questions. "is that fiberglass, do you have the FORD Coyote motor in the car etc.?"

Gotta love this thing.

Also in regard to the "just love it, take charge & don't fear it" approach I have I would recommend anyone who has not done a HPDS at minimum get into a few local AutoX events & push hard to see where the edges are. If you can't do that hit the local big box parking lot early Sunday morning & ring it out. A strong, short wheelbase car can get away from you very quickly.

I do the BMW Performance Center Delivery when I get a new car from them to see where the car I bought is as far as handling. They provide a car identical to what you bought & its a freeB.

I push it 10/10th (which is beyond my ability) & have wound up in the dirt facing backwards on occasion. That said in my last formal BMW HPDS course out of 18 participants I won two of the three timed events & placed second in the third.

The second place in the wet track event was a self inflicted "watch this" moment when on the last turn got into a really really cool 4 wheel drift & lost by a fraction of a second. :cool:

I'm in Carlsbad if you want to come check mine out.

-Vince

I have spent time making mine drive as normally as possible. I have a longer than normal throttle travel so it's easy to control. I have power steering. I have manual brakes but they take just maybe 10% more effort than my Tacoma pickup brakes. I run 15-20 autocrosses per year. Anyone who can drive a manual trans could drive my car no problem---as long as they stay at <50% throttle.

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Originally Posted by vince

I'm in Carlsbad if you want to come check mine out.

-Vince

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Do you ever go to any cars and coffees? I live in poway.

I wont buy a coupe do to the fact of spending money on something and never getting my money back. People lose there ***** on coupes.

Do they have spherical bushings for the front lowers and rear lowers. I plan on doing a 3 link suspension.

The bearings do fit the FFR front lowers also. Breeze has these for the rear
https://www.breezeautomotive.com/sho...ntrol-arm-kit/
The rear upper is rodends standard from FFR

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Originally Posted by JS Fords only

Do you ever go to any cars and coffees? I live in poway.

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I don't. I have recently relocated here from Utah, and have just not had much time to get the car on the road, to be honest. Feel free to come and see mine, though. I built it all myself (like most of us), so I can answer any questions you have!

“What if” scenarios are wonderful because they’re free, they can save your life.
Spoken like the writer is a flight instructor.

I used to tell my students, if you absolutely must reach for something and distract yourself from controlling the aircraft, just let go of the controls to do it, the plane will do a better job of flying without your inputs.

For me, when operating anything powerful, the top priorities are knowing the limits (yours and the machine’s) and leave yourself an “out” in every situation.

Bradley

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Originally Posted by JS Fords only

Are there any aftermarket suspension parts that are better then factory five?

Besides this changing topics to suspension, are there any factory five guys that live in San Diego? If so are any of you guys going to be at cruise and grand tomorrow in escondido? I would like to talk and meet some factory five guys in person. Thanks

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I’m in La Mesa. Send me a PM.

RAY

Get both. /end.

Lots of good posts here.

As most of you know. If I could, I would make three autocross events mandatory for owning one of these. You might also find that you love it. I did my first one and was ordering my own helmet that night. I also recommend autocross over HPDEs to start with for the safety factor. Lower speeds and no walls to back into. It would be really cool to have a husband / wife Cobra co-drive. We have a husband and wife that have a Honda S2000. She beats him a good 80% of the time.

You don't need to fear a Cobra. But you had better RESPECT it.

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Originally Posted by Duke

Get both. /end.

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Ditto From The Dark Side!

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Originally Posted by GTBradley

“What if” scenarios are wonderful because they’re free, they can save your life.
Spoken like the writer is a flight instructor.

I used to tell my students, if you absolutely must reach for something and distract yourself from controlling the aircraft, just let go of the controls to do it, the plane will do a better job of flying without your inputs.

For me, when operating anything powerful, the top priorities are knowing the limits (yours and the machine’s) and leave yourself an “out” in every situation.

Bradley

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My FI said the same thing, and I often heard it while in the USAF. It really applies to anything you do.

right now I am running 410s in my 1995 mustang and if I do the a swap with a 250-300hp car will this be to high of a gear ratio in a 2000 pound car with a t5/tko500, or will this help wake up the roadster with 315s in the rear? thanks

the 410s are paired with a aode trans but I do have 390s in my 02 gt with a tr3650 trans and I like it.

I think you really mean too low of a ratio, not too high. TKO 500 has a 3.27 first gear and the WC T5 is 3.35 (T5-z is 2.95). Coupling these with a 4.10 results in an overall of 13.4 to 13.7:1. Great in a dump truck but in a 2,200 pound car it'll mostly be a smoke show and you'll find that you're going for second gear before you even get across the intersection. I've found that for most engines in these cars anything beyond 12:1 overall becomes almost too steep and right around 11:1 is just about perfect. With a TKO 500 or WC T5 using a 3.55 rear results in 11.6-11.8:1 and a T5-7 produces 10.5.

Good luck,
Jeff

Thank you jeff

You should really spend time getting to know the realities of owning a Cobra. I bought mine already built and sorted out with 3,800 miles on it. The builder had it for 3.5 years and put only 1,200 miles on it a year. Why? Because they are not easy cars to live with. As mentioned above, they can kill you, they are hot, loud, and uncomfortable with minimal room. He thought the ride was too harsh and his wife didn't like to ride in it.

I love everything about it. The first time I drove it was a 3 day, 900 mile trip during a storm from Arizona to the Bay Area in NorCal. My wife was my co-pilot and she loved every second of the drive. Even though the temps ranged from 28 degrees to 48 degrees the whole ride home. Even though we hit a wind storm in the desert, a sand storm, rain and hail driving over the Mojave mountains she took pictures the whole time. Both you and your wife really, really, really, have to love the car with it's challenges and the attention you are going to be getting or go with the fast back.

Don't worry about the registration process. Just know you live in California and it's going to be a pain. Keep all your documents and the local guys can steer you to the easiest route in your area. Even though my car was built and registered in CA and had a SB100 but taken to Arizona, it still took me 5 months of working with DMV to get my registration. It's the price we pay for living in a state with the best weather in the country.

BTW - as a side note, the guy that built my car is now building a 1970 fast back resto-mod using a 2017 mustang gt donor. It'll be comfortable for he and his wife.

Choose wisely
Dewey