As with most plastic exterior trim pieces on Arizona cars, the original grille in #ProjectSportsRoof has seen better days. Although this one is still mostly intact, it is brittle with a few missing tabs. Couple that with the look of the Mach I grille for the 1973 Mustang and I have to say I really like the look of it better than the standard.
Install is quick and easy….yeah…right!
More coming up on #ProjectSportsRoof.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Truly a worthwhile restoration.
Just out of the old warehouse
Beautiful!!
Among the main attractions at this year’s Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals was the unveiling of 13 rare muscle cars, several with drag racing pedigrees. In this group, the freshly restored silver-blue Performance Associates 1965 Ford Fairlane revealed the talent of the crew at A&R Classic Restorations in Emory, Texas.
The car’s journey to the MCACN floor took more than 35 years.
Check our the entire story of this historic car at the source link below.
Source: Restored ’65 Ford Fairlane Racer Reveals Texas Shop’s Talent at MCACN
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Well win some and you lose some. If you’ve seen my other posts related the replacement of the points and condenser for the 351C you’ll notice that I gave conversion high marks. This was all based on the years of use I got out of the conversion I did on the 1970 Mustang 302 engine. One install and no problems.
As you know I had the heads rebuilt for the 351C and after re-installing them and all the components (intake, distributor…etc.) the car would not start. Popping the distributor cap showed why:
Drop me a note if you’ve had a similar experience.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
#ProjectSportsRoof
Ok…decision time. Slots or American Racing Wheels ? Window sticker says it came with slotted mags.
What do you say?
Slots or Not?
Let me know what you think?
Thanks for reading.
Tim
#ProjectSportsRoof
Welcome to this weeks Auto Factoids (#AutoFactoids)!!!!
Back in 1977 on Nov. 15 Ford produced it’s 100,000,000. It was a 1978 Ford Fairmont and rolled out of the Mahwah assembly plant in New Jersey.
 1955 Ford Mahwah New Jersey Plant |
 Triple F (Ford Fairmont Futura) |
This car was in fact, a fox body, but gets as much respect as a K-Car.
You can understand why that is when you see it in the 4 door configuration
Now the two door wasn’t too bad – still not great!
But, you know me, I think any two door car can be made to look awesome…..
 YES!!!! |
 AND YES!!! |
Back in 1906 the man who started one of the largest global car (and motorcycle) companies was born on Nov 17 in Iwata-gun, Japan:
Soichrio
Another millionth for the month of Nov. Back in 1940 Buick produced 278,784 cars (about 70k more than in 1939) one of those was the 4 millionth Buick and it rolled off the line Nov. 17th.
That car was a Buick Super Coupe like this one:
1940 Buick Super Coupe
I’ve been doing these Auto Factoids for years and this next event never fails to make me scratch my head. Yup it’s the death of the Edsel. Killed by Ford on 11/19/1959 BOO HISS
One of the last Edsels – 1960 Edsel Ranger sedan 🙁
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Auto Factoids for the Week of Nov. 1, 2015 – Packard Week
Keep up with this and #ProjectSportsRoof – get the feed.
Thanks for checking back on the 1973 Mustang #ProjectSportsRoof.
The power steering cooler is pictured below. It’s pretty ugly even when cleaned up.
 Keeping the Power Steering fluid cool!! |
 Non-A/C car power steering fluid cooler |
Here is a little info from a fellow Mustang owner.
Steering coolers were an option from what I understand. My A/C car did not come with a cooler. I added one to my car later as it was just a simple bolt on.
Originally the extra long return line for the power steering box was U’d on top of the drivers side cowl brace that acted as a primitive cooler before returning back to the pump.
Someone told me that the ‘competition suspension’ option included the variable ratio power steering box and included the power steering cooler. However I have seen cars with the competition suspension option that did not have coolers. The owners claimed it never had one.
There are 2 different coolers one designed to be bolted on A/C cars over the compressor and the one designed for cars without A/C.
Ford had a revision to the return line in later cars, originally the return line was U’d on top of the drivers cowl brace then later they shortened the return line and just left it next to the high pressure line going to the box.
For the variable power steering box there was another power steering pump that had a different tag on it. HBA-CG was used with the variable box and HBA-CF was used with the standard box, nobody knows if the pumps are in fact different or not internally.The variable box was tagged SPA-T or SPA-V. The normal box was SPA-S and SPA-U.
I have a 72 H code originally with a FMX, A/C car, no competition suspension.
As for requiring a different pump, no, not that I am aware of I use standard power steering pump with the cooler, works fine.
Typical hose layouts for the coolers
Power Steering Fluid Coolers Diagrams
I’ve seen a with the cooler painted or powder coated. However, that would severely hamper it’s ability to cool the fluid. They do look better.
Here is the example in an A/C car – unpainted.
Another Mustang owner recommended spraying the cooler with black radiator paint. That should do the trick.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Money!!
Project SportsRoof – This Just In – Cooler and Gauges
#ProjectSportsRoof
Thanks for checking on #ProjectSportsRoof.
So here is the last set of initial questions.
Here is an image of the current set up:
![[Image: Vac-14-L_zpsndlzgozn.jpg]](http://s299.photobucket.com/user/timsweet2200/media/Vac-14-L_zpsndlzgozn.jpg.html)
![[Image: Vac-13-L_zpsgbppofla.jpg]](http://s299.photobucket.com/user/timsweet2200/media/Vac-13-L_zpsgbppofla.jpg.html)
Any diagram I find has the hose vacuum from the Distr going to the Valve assy.
The Valve assy has nothing attached which is located on the front right side next to the alternator on the water pump housing.
![[Image: Vac-31-L_zpsyrpi8chf.jpg]](http://s299.photobucket.com/user/timsweet2200/media/Vac-31-L_zpsyrpi8chf.jpg.html)
The diagram for the 1972 351C shows that instead of going directly to the carb, the hoses from the distributor vacuum run to the Valve Assy. There also seems to be a second line running from the back of the distributor (in the diagram) – but that isn’t very clear.
Any ideas? Clearly the car runs without any of these connected – do I just plug them all?
Tim
Most car enthusiasts know that by the 1970’s all cars even ‘former’ muscle cars, were strangled in terms of power by a host of tubes, solenoids and funny looking flat or funnel like space age devices that were responsible for eliminating harmful emissions. In some cases they funneled fumes back in to the engine to be burned and supposedly rendering them less harmful.
When you are restoring a car of this vintage – especially one like my 1973 Mustang that has been sitting around a while, those tubes/hoses are often cracked, dried, split or ends stretched at the least for missing all together.
You have the option to remove all the space ag hardware (depending on the emissions regulations in your area) or replacing it all to restore to factory specifications. For the purpose of these series of posts let’s assume that I want to seriously limit the performance and power of #ProjectSportsRoof’s beautiful 351C and restore it back to factory configuration.
Now if you are expecting an expert run down on the care and feeding of the vacuum system for this project – you aren’t going to get that right up front. Why? Because it’s really not that straight forward at first and I have a few questions.
As I look at the diagrams for the vacuum system on a 1972 351C, I am not seeing anything that matches my set up.
Let me start back of the engine.
There is a solenoid on the back of the manifold (only bolted there) that I think is some diagrams is shown on the opposite side and in the front.
![[Image: Vac-21-L_zps2rgxlj0p.jpg]](http://s299.photobucket.com/user/timsweet2200/media/Vac-21-L_zps2rgxlj0p.jpg.html)
Here’s a better shot.
![[Image: Vac-23-L_zpscwrovtl4.jpg]](http://s299.photobucket.com/user/timsweet2200/media/Vac-23-L_zpscwrovtl4.jpg.html)
As you can see it has no power connected nor hoses. Is that the Solenoid Dist vacuum? I think so.
For the 1972 351C. The solenoid is #12 in the diagram –
Source: www.mustangbarn.com
As you can see it’s in the front.
So the vacuum hose travels back up front to the Valve Ass. Distributor vacuum control?
Maybe because this is a A/C car the Solenoid Dist vacuum was relocated to the back, that is a lot of tubing!!
That’s the first set of questions, the front of engine is coming up next.
Tim
1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Compression, Rods …
1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Compression, Rods …
Just received a few more parts in for the 1973 Mustang project.
Check out the video.
Thanks for reading. Keep checking on #ProjectSportsRoof.
Tim
Innovative and imaginative. Sad when icons pass.
Thanks for all memories Mr. Barris
George Barris, the “King of Kustomizers” best-known today for the original Batmobile of the 1960s TV show, died Thursday at his Encino home. He was 89.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
