Hey everyone,

I’m dropping a line on a massive DIY rescue project I just had to pivot into. I recently picked up a 2012 3.7L V6 Mustang, and the previous owner pulled some of the shadiest tactics I’ve ever seen to mask terminal damage just long enough to sell it.

The highlights of what I'm dealing with:

The Cowl Leak: They used expanding foam to try and mask a completely destroyed windshield cowl tray. It failed miserably, routing rain straight into the interior and completely frying the Smart Junction Box (BCM) and Restraints Control Module (RCM).

The Engine: After noticing some concerning symptoms, I pulled the motor to tear down the rotating assembly today. The diagnosis is official: severe rod knock, and the main crank bearings are completely gone. The seller explicitly packed the crankcase with thick oil additives to hide the knocking long enough to hand over the keys.

The Body: On top of that, the passenger fender is stretched out and rubbing the door from a past impact, and the driver door shell is torn wide open around the exterior handle from what looks like a brutal pry-bar break-in attempt.

Instead of scrapping it or letting a bad seller win, I'm doing a complete ground-up rebuild. I'm overhauling the bottom end, permanently fixing the cowl leaks, swapping the door shell/fender, and cloning the modules to bring this thing back to life the right way.

Because a full engine overhaul alongside a complete module and body restoration is a massive financial undertaking, I’ve set up a GoFundMe to help source the heavy engine parts, structural panels, and programming services.

If you want to follow along with the teardown/rebuild milestones, or if you can spare a few bucks to help rescue an S197 from the scrap heap, I would incredibly appreciate the backup.

Campaign Link: https://gofund.me/bfc1561f3

Thanks for looking, and I'll keep the sub updated with photos as the block comes apart today!

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