Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Mustang Arm Rest Cover – Long-Term Review

mustang arm rest cover american muscle review 2005 - 2009


Mustangs are the AR15s of the automotive world. There are so many customizable options. From performance parts, to dress up parts, you name it, someone has made an aftermarket version of it.

Readers may know that I have a 2005 V6 Mustang. It’s my daily driver, and I’ve had it since 2009. Yes, it’s only a V6, but I still love it, and have done many things to make it mine. One of them was an arm rest cover from American Muscle. They offer a few different versions. I opted for the running pony one.

Installation was pretty straight forward. You have to remove the arm rest/top of the center console, fold the cover over it, and use a staple gun to get it into place. The first issue I had was with fitment. The rounded corners at the front seemed too thick, and it started to pull and separate the cushion of the arm rest from the plastic. No big deal. It wasn’t bad enough for me to care.

Once I got it on, it looked fantastic! It really dressed up the car, and I was super happy. That was in 2012.

As time went on the, the stitching started to get dirty. You expect that. What I didn’t expect was for it to start vanishing. Not pulling, but parts of it would simply disappear. Then the leather started to crack and peel. That caused it to poke into my arm. Now, five years and 46,457 miles later, it looks like absolute garbage.

I also can’t just take it off, because remember that pulling I mentioned? That won’t settle back down, so I’m kind of stuck with it.

At this point, as I mentioned, it has been on my daily driver for five years 46,457 miles, and sat in storage at one point for six months straight when I put my car in a garage while I left for a long term contract. It did start to fail after a year or so and got progressively worse.

I attempted to bring this to American Muscle’s attention, but I was ignored. That is highly surprising as they have fantastic customer service. I hate to talk bad about products, especially when they are from companies that I like, but I figured that I would warn anyone interested in this product that it won’t last. 

I put about 75 miles on my car per day, it stays outside in the Florida sun, and I open and close the console a lot. However, I would have expected this to hold up a little better, especially considering it started to show signs pretty early. Oh well. I guess you get what you pay for! 

Like these kind of reviews? Don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel, like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for some exclusive content and updates. Thanks for stopping by!

mustang arm rest cover american muscle review 2005 - 2009

mustang arm rest cover american muscle review 2005 - 2009

mustang arm rest cover american muscle review 2005 - 2009

Saturday, February 25, 2017

One Rusty Torino - Torino Time!


1971 ford torino 500 rust restoration random automotive florida 302 v8














Yes, I am alive. For the die-hard readers, you know the story: I’m working all the time, and have little time to dedicate to this kind of stuff. Anyway… This video was actually filmed when I fixed my door, but I never got around to editing it.

This 1971 Ford Torino 500 is plagued with rust. One of the first areas I decided to tackle was the trunk. I have never attempted rust removal and treatment on this scale before, so I figured the trunk would be best. Why? So if I mess up, no one will see it!

The right way to do this is replace the gas tank (since it has nine holes in it), grind out all the rusted metal, and weld in new metal. Since I’m cheap, I will be doing none of that. I will be plugging the holes with gas tank putty, sanding down (by hand) the rusty metal, spraying the area with Rust Fix, going crazy with fiberglass patches, and finally priming and painting the area.

1971 ford torino 500 rust restoration random automotive florida 302 v8

1971 ford torino 500 rust restoration random automotive florida 302 v8

When I started this, it proved to be much more challenging than I originally thought. There will be multiple parts to this trunk fiasco. 

Basically, this time around was just the sanding and Rust Fix. I got buzzed off acetone and the Rust Fix, and discovered another hole in the gas tank. I did make a lot of progress, but I have so much more to go. If you’re so inclined to see me inhale vast amounts of rust dust before submitting to the common sense of acquiring a mask, please watch the video. 

1971 ford torino 500 rust restoration random automotive florida 302 v8

1971 ford torino 500 rust restoration random automotive florida 302 v8

There is still so much more to do with this car, but I would hope that you join me in this adventure. Want to find out what I do next? Follow the series on this blog, or check out our YouTube channel. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, and be sure to follow us on Twitter for some exclusive content and updates about what will be happening to this car next! Thanks for stopping by.



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