First of all WELCOME!
No Heater core;
Cheap part ($30) and not too terribly tough to do. You just need 5 hours to go through all the proper steps of getting it done.
AC is buggered too
You can source those parts easily here in the US and have them shipped to you. A shop can reassemble it all or you can do it.
What exactly is wrong? If it doesn't work, it could be something simple as fixing one of the lines.
Needs new top ; and probably all seals and the mechanism (frame) is in need of repair/replacement
needs new pull-down motor/switch (I can't put the roof up and lock the back tonneau mechanism or release ...)
a few minor things in trim
front bumper (with ascMclaren on it) has been damaged -- some idit backed into me in aprking lot
Again, you can get most of that from the US. Shipping will be tough on the larger stuff but not impossible. For the bumper cover, take it to a refurbisher who redoes the plastic bumper covers. There are a bunch here in the US and they put them back into brand new shape. I assume they use the same kind of covers there in Australia for other cars and probably have shops that do the same work. I had my busted/torn rear cover sent to a place here that reworked it back to BRAND NEW condition.
Try
www.ascmclaren.com for all your asc parts. I'm pretty sure he would ship to Australia.
I should try to source parts and ship them and then find someone here to do the work needed
I would vote for that.
OR buy a car like the one advertised here as a "spares kit" ?? store it in USA (family) and break it down for parts I need...
No! This is an EXTREMELY SELFISH idea! You will be BANNED from this site for cannibalising a perfectly good car. We want to see as many of these cars alive and running and on the road as possible. Unless the car has been turned unto a pretzel because of an accident, it should not be in no way destroyed like you are suggesting. There were LESS than 3000 TOTAL cars made for ALL the years asc made them. These cars were not made 100,000 at a time like your typical daily beaters!
Shipping cost and duties are an issue but not a deal breaker
This is good that it's not a deal breaker. That stuff is simply going to go along with the territory since you have a rare, "foreign" car and you have to expect it. What you need to do is hook up with a local Mustang club and get a line on where/who to go through for the cheapest parts. There must be a Mustang club somewhere around in Australia.
-Mike