Delays, delays, and more delays

I have gone absolutely nowhere on the Mustang in the last two months. Work got in the way, when I wasn't working I was snowboarding up in Park City. When I wasn't doing either one of those, I was vacationing in Israel.

I did have a little time to work on the car, but unfortunately, it was prone to many mistakes, failures, and delays.

The 5.0 engine I purchased came off an automatic Mustang. I didn't think it would matter. Boy, was I WRONG!! The problems began when I realized I needed 6 bolts for the pressure plate attachement to the clutch. I had to special order them from Ford which caused a week delay. (I later returned them and purchased the same bolts at ACE Hardware for a fraction of the cost). I then brought in the flywheel to be resurfaced, only to be laughed at by the machine shop. "That's not a flyweel!", they said. Turns out it was a flex plate which is for automatics only - dooh!

I purchased a flyweel a week later and began bolting it on followed by the clutch, pressure plate, and bellhousing - only to realize that the engine/bellhousing aluminum spacer doesn't fit! Why? Because it's for automatics only! So back to another delay.