While visiting my friend, he started to share with me this story of woe that he was struggling with.
Seems his youngest daughter and husband decided that they no longer wanted to live in the Midwest and wanted to move to California.
My friend's daughter up and rented a box truck, packed what they wanted and announced they were leaving.
...and "Oh, BTW Dad, my vehicles are now yours and anything left in my apartment that you do not want, just donate it or throw it away."
My friend kept the one vehicle he wanted (it started and drove) and the other vehicle was still parked in front of the apartment.
The apartment management was getting grumpy about the second vehicle and was harassing my friend to get it moved.
I asked him what kind of car and what was wrong with it.
It was a blue 1998 Mustang coupe(fastback?) 3.8 V6 with a 5 speed and he did not know its present condition.
What he could tell me was that he thought something was wrong with reverse and it had not started in well over a year.
Being a 5 speed and low to the ground (hard to get in and out of) my friend nor his wife wanted nothing to do with it but make it go away.
I causally commented that I had some kids that might be interested in such a project.
Before I could even get the words outta my mouth, my friend reached into his pocket, pulled out the key and tossed it on the table.
"It's yours but only if you can move it soon as you can"
The next evening, I call AAA and had this new to me project towed to my house.
(This is a much abbreviated story)
My son and I got it started and it runs really good.
The clutch was(is) nearly gone and rear axle needs to be replaced. (pinon bearing is shot--I think, but does not matter, gonna swap it with a 8.8")
The front brakes were non-existent! Seriously!
The passenger front caliper piston was grinding on the rotor...no inside pad!
The car was a mess inside.
So, far, I have upgraded with dual piston calipers from a '99 Mustang from our local Pick-a-Part and completed that brake job with Autozone "Gold" pads and rotors
Here it is being loaded on the rollback: