Category Archives: Muscle Car Restoration

1973 Mustang Sports Roof – Floor Pan Discovery – Part One

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Thanks for following along with #ProjectSportsRoof.  Over the next couple of weeks (giving myself a lot of time to get this all down in the blog) I’m going to take you through my process for repairing the floors in the 1973 Mustang.  I’ll be interrupted by  (air quotes)REAL (end air quotes) work and a couple of car shows between now and then.

As much as I’d like to say I was aware of the rust on the floor of the Sports Roof, I can’t.    I really missed seeing the extent of the damage.  Needless to say I was a bit depressed when I brought it home and climbed in the back seat and notices the floor seemed a bit….’crunchy’.

Take a look at these videos:

You might be able to tell by my voice that I wasn’t overjoyed with the condition of the passenger side floor.  To make matters worse I eventually found out they don’t reproduce a patch for under the rear seat for the 1973 Sports Roof.  More to come on that in a future post.

Just to issue a reminder as you might be wondering why you see the back seat now in the car as in the previous video it was out, but my goal is to have this as a rolling project and able to at least speed on down to the local petrol station fill it up and grab a Pepsi. (You just can’t work on a car without a Pepsi!!! – Hey maybe they’ll sponsor this rebuild and I’ll change the license plate to read “1973DrinkRealSugarPepsi”.)

O.K. so if you were listening closely you’d realize that I started the floors back in Dec (2015) and it’s now the last day of the Feb 2016 and I’m just getting to post this up now.  So it’s taken me a good chunk of time to do this all by hand – including all the cutting with just a hand-held dremel and some metal snips.

I appreciate any and all comments so let ’em fly!!!!

BTW day on this Leap Year day – we’ve surpassed 20,000 registered user on this blog, thanks everyone!!!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#ProjectSportsRoof

 

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1973 Mustang Sports Roof – Vacuum System Part IV

1 day ago … This will be a longer post as I finish up the vacuum system on #ProjectSportsRoof , the 1973 Mustang Sports Roof. We have to make a repair, …

 

1973 Mustang Sports Roof – Vacuum System Part IV

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This will be a longer post as I finish up the vacuum system on #ProjectSportsRoof, the 1973 Mustang Sports Roof.  We have to make a repair, hose to the master cylinder, charcoal filter, and the transmission.

Take a look at the broken vacuum “T”:

 

So from the broken “T” I moved to the master cylinder and then to the transmission and finished off with the charcoal canister.

 

 

One final task to finish up the vacuum system and that is the charcoal canister that is supposed to catch the fumes from the gas tank.

 

Back at the beginning I mentioned that I need to get this done because the Stang was coming due for its renewal and smog check.  Just a couple of days after finishing I planned driving over to the emissions testing facility and I got my renewal notice via email.  Here in AZ you can register you car online after you pass your smog check.   The notices normally tell you that a an emissions test is required.  My said “No Emissions” required!!!!!!!     Well the vacuum system needed tending too anyway and now it’s check off the list.

Thanks for reading

Tim

 

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Jan 7, 2010 … Thanks for checking back on #ProjectSportsRoof. Progress is being made and I’d like to finish up these post on the install of the Mach 1 grille …

1973 Mustang Sports Roof – Vacuum System Part III

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Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof.  We beginning the actual work on the vacuum system on the projects 351C starting with the valve assembly distributor (the valve on the water pump.  Here is a pic:

 

Vac-31-L

 

Here is the video:

As always when I’m holding the camera and recording I miss a few things, like there are only two vacuum connections on the valve assembly distributor and the vacuum hoses I referred to at the end go to the charcoal canister – that supposedly filters gas fumes.

Here are the clamps I used.

Here are the clamps I used.

I’ve got more coming up on the vacuum system and then we’ll jump into the floor pans.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#ProjectSportsRoof

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1973 Mustang Sports Roof – Vacuum System Part II

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As I get started I’m reminded of watching my father working though the vacuum systems of the cars we use to own – mostly  Chevy.  Those always ended with vacuum hose tide off in knots or screws/nails unused holes.    But back then in New York emissions weren’t tested as part of the annual State Inspection.

Here is how I’m tackling it:

 

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#ProjectSportsRoof

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1973 Mustang Sports Roof – Vacuum System Part I

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I am sooooooooooooo  far behind in my blogging in general and specifically with the work on #ProjectSportsRoof.  I’m catching up this weekend (actually it’s going to take a week or more to go through the videos) with the work I’ve done on the vacuum system.

The goal started out to get this all completed before the end of January when I had to renew the registration, but first it needed to pass emissions.  So I had to hustle.  The next few blog post cover this process.

There are some questions that come up and most of them were solved.   In particular the Vacuum Distribution Solenoid locations.  All the diagrams I pulled off the web were for non-A/C cars.  This solenoid was moved to the back when A/C was installed.  Take a look.

Of course the long vacuum hose leading down under the firewall does in fact run to the transmission.

More coming on the vacuum system.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#ProjectSportsRoof

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Barrett-Jackson Sleeper Cars – Results

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In a earlier post I picked out two sleeper cars that were totally awesome (does anyone use that phrase any more?).  Here is how they did at auction.

The odd Pontiac Beaumont – Chevelle/Nova/Chevy II build by GM and sold North of the border by Pontiac-Buick dealerships throughout Canada brought a nice price.  Seems someone liked the 375hp, 396 – Chevelle SS trim car to the tune of $32,000.00 (USD).  Yeah…no kidding!!!!

 

Love the side vents!!! Can you tell yet?
Looks like a plain Jane Pontiac from the backside!!

I love this car!!!

The other sleeper was a 1966 Chevy Chevelle 300 Deluxe.  It was a plain jane looking Chevy with painted steel wheels. But it had a big surprise – 502 crate GM motor with 502 hp.  AWESOME!!!!  As was the hammer price…………………… $41,800.00.  WOW!!!!

It's a 1966 Chevelle Custom 300 - sleepy little car isn't it? Just a great little every day (back then) commuter car.

Of course there were many, many other awesome cars. Look for a few more posts on the Barrett-Jackson auction from last week.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

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Barrett-Jackson Car Auction, Scottsdale, Az 2016 – Sleeper Pontiac

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I just have to add one more sleeper car slated to be auctioned off in Scottsdale this week.  You might be surprised at this little gem.

Since you know by the title that it’s a Pontiac (or is it?) let me show you a badge on the car to give you a hint.   Don’t scroll all the way down yet!!

Hey it's a Pontiac Sports Deluxe? Not exactly!!

Hey it’s a Pontiac Sports Deluxe? Not exactly!!

 

Can you tell yet?

It is a 1967 Pontiac Beaumont!

Looks like a plain Jane Pontiac from the backside!!

Looks like a plain Jane Pontiac from the backside!!

 

It's got a V8!!

It’s got a V8!!

Love the side vents!!!

Love the side vents!!!

 

The Beaumont was a GM based Canadian car sold at Pontiac-Buick dealerships in Canada.   Through out it’s production years of 1962 – 1969 it was based on a the Chevelle, the Chevy II and the Nova, all at different point on it’s time line.  The Sports Deluxe (SD) was in fact the same trim level as the Chevy Chevelle  SS – hence the engine option below.

This one is restored to original, including paint color and it has  date-code-correct 396 engine tweaked a bit to produce 375 HP.

Now that’s a sleeper!!!!!

Should be crossing the auction block on Thursday 1/28.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

barrett jackson scottsdale 2016

 

How to Start The New Off – Take the ’73 Mustang for a Drive!!

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It just a great way to start the New Year, firing up the project car and take it for a quick jaunt down the road.  Of course the car is ‘under construction” but still have to take out for a short distance.

The ’73 Stang is a long ways from being completed and yeah…I would be taking it out on the freeway just yet, but I does need to get driving.

 

My New Years resolution for #ProjectSportsRoof?   “Get Her Done!”   Next Years Day’s video will be 100% different from this one!!!!

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Rare trip.  Just far enough to get the engine hot, take the C6 transmission through the gears and top out at  about 70 mph.

Out and About!!! #ProjectSportsRoof

Out and About!!!
#ProjectSportsRoof

Got a “Car Resolution” for 2016?   Let’s hear it!!!

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

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1973 Mustang -Project Sports Roof – Mach 1 Grille Part II

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Thanks for checking back on #ProjectSportsRoof.  Progress is being made and I’d like to finish up these post on the install of the Mach 1 grille on this ‘plain old’ sports roof.

This was pretty much straight forward, with a small change.

If you recall on the last post we started with a NOS Mach 1 grille I acquired from Ebay…..SCORE!!!

NOS in original box

NOS in original box

Box label - so what? Hey it's cool!!!

Box label – so what? Hey it’s cool!!!

For now I’m using the signal lights from the old grille and a new proper pony badge.

New Pony Badge

New Pony Badge

The new badge is different from the original (that being just a large Mustang running), which I preferred.  Of course this new badge is made in Taiwan and not as sturdy as I would have liked.  In fact while tightening the one of the nuts provided the prong sheered off.  Luckily there were enough threads to make it secure.

Here it is installed:

GrilleEmblem-2

 

Here are a couple of videos on the install.

 

 

Now there are still a few thing I need to buy to finish up the grille:

GrilleNeeds

But it’s looking pretty good!!

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

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1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Compression Test Part II

This is the wrap up on the compression testing for the 1973 Mustang w/ a 1972 351 Cleveland power plant. You’ll might have notices that I referred to the remote tester, which is my code for remote starter…yeah…that’s it!!! All of these tests were dry test and I should have done a …

 

1973 Mustang -Project Sports Roof – Mach 1 Grille Part I

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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

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