tranny leak

[mkcman]

i'm buying a 1965 mustang and the master cylinder for the brakes needs to installed and there is a "minor" leak (most likely from the front seal) of the transmission. how major are these problems, and will i be able to drive it home to california from utah when i pick it up?

[UncleBob]

there isn't really any "major" issues on a car of that vintage, meaning everything is fairly easy to work on, and parts are reasonable.

master cylinder would take 20 minutes to change out by someone with experience. Tranny front pump seal requires pulling the tranny, but isn't too big of a job on that car, assuming the exhaust is done well and not too rusty

Should you drive it cross country? Aint' no way I'd even remotely try to tell you if its OK for that or not. You need a thorough inspection and a better idea how big these problems are, before making such a decision. But as a general rule, any old abused car, bought sight unseen, is definitely NOT ready for a road trip!

[mkcman]

thanks for the help. in all honesty, the body/interior are immaculate, so i'm willing to put in money to do whatever needs to be done to the engine. i just need to be able to get the car home. will it be enough if i just check the oil every couple hundred miles and add as needed?

[UncleBob]

depends how big the leak is, of course

I would highly recommend a thorough inspection by a local shop either way. At least make sure that the suspension is sound, brakes work, and all that. Just cause the current owners says everything else is cherry, don't mean much.

Safety inspections are pretty cheap at most shops. Really cheap compared to what it could save you!

[mkcman]

yeah that's true. i'll try and set that up while i'm there. you've been a HUGE help thanks