It’s been a while since I’ve been able to take my ’73 Mustang for a nice drive. Today was the day.
And to swap the passenger seat into the driver’s position until I can find the bottom seat frame and springs for the that side. But it worked great!
And don’t those new wheels look great? Yeah…I think so too!!!! I’m happy with the 15″ wheels!!! If you turn the volume you might catch how #ProjectSportsRoof sounds!
TURN IT UP!!
Still got a list of things to do. You’ll see most of it there!!!
Pushing though the upholstery replacement on #ProjectSportsRoof (#SR73), as you might expect from a car that is 47 years old, the seat supports need some help.
In this episode I’m working on the bottom rear seat and discovered that the metal tap that holds the end of one of the main springs was not fastened. Most likely a ‘miss’ at the factory.
Here’s a bit of an analysis for the seat springs and the fix for the tab:
I’ll be working on the spring in the next video and then move on to foam and the recovering.
Progress is moving along with #ProjectSportsRoof (#SR73 – what will be it’s new hash tag when it’s mostly done).
I’ll be focusing on the interior for a bit. As you’ve seen the floors were done some time ago with patch panel installed and a layer of heat and sound proofing and new carpet. I have the headliner to do (which I’m not looking forward too!!) and some dash work including these:
Mach I triple gauge center dash panel. I have a set of working gauges for it as well!!
One of the more time consuming is re-upholstering the sets so I’m tackling that while I’m still on break from teach, which really doesn’t give me much time (my district starts back in mid July), of course with all the on going issues (COVID19 and other stuff) we’ll see what happens.
Here is my introduction and quick plug for TMI, super quality products and the beginning of the work on the rear seat for my ’73 Stang.
I really wanted to show the work on #ProjectSportsRoof. But a few things made that difficult. Top of that list was the 20 stitches gash I put in my knee, while trying to loosen the bolts on the bracket for the caliper.
So I’m piecing together some clips to include a couple of tips for installing the new calipers. So hang on this ride will be a little….choppy!!!
Check out the video:
More coming up on the front brakes replacement and more!
Every good saga needs an ending….even if it’s just terminated without a related solution.
So it is with #ProjectSportsRoof (my ’73 Mustang) brake saga. This all started when Bill – (#ProjectBeepBeep date) came over to help dial in the carb and timing on my 351 Cleveland. We discovered brake issues after taking the Mustang couple test drives. Front brake seemed to be doing all the work. It was clear that brakes need to be bumped up on the list of things “needing doing”.
Gathering all the parts was easy enough. As you now know that’s not true, the rear end had been frankenstein’ed and shoes were the main issue.
After thinking it over and I decided to go a different direction. Since the fronts were disc why not go disc in the back as well. I started hunting around for prices and options.
There is a lot out there in the back of my head was Bill’s fabulous adventure with converting #ProjectBeepBeep to disc. Prices very and so do configurations. There is even a set up where you have small set of brake shoes that perform the emergency brake function and the disc brakes. Like this:
There were also those that allowed the disc to handle the emergency braking.
I checked out all brands and all type. As I was looking a downloaded PDF from Master Power Brakes, I saw these:
Rear Drum Brake Conversion Kit: Legend Series Deciding to keep drum brakes on the rear of your vehicle is not a bad thing. What is a bad thing is not upgrading them to a system that makes sense. Our rear drum upgrade kit utilizes a large 11 inch drum, all new components and 1-1/8 inch wheel cylinders giving disc brake feel without the expense.
I have nothing against drum brake as they function (of course changing pads is easier then changing shoes). My 1970 Mustang used them just fine, even at the drag strip:
So read up a little more and decided to go with the Master Power Brakes’
Ford Mustang Rear Drum Brake Conversion Kit for Ford 9″- Legend Series.
Here’s a video:
These will bolt (you have to pull the axles) and they are 11″.
One side arrived already.
I think it was a good choice. I’d love to show you the installation but I’m not. Pulling the axles is a messy job and outside temps are normally in the 100’s here in So. Az. It’ll need new seals and bearing, so #ProjectSportsRoof is going into the shop next week.
But don’t worry I have a few posts on the install of the new calipers for the front disc coming up.
If you stopped by to see a video on measuring for brake shoes, you’ll have to read instead. I was pretty frustrated at the time and my selection of verbiage would have been Rate R. Sometime a story is best told through pic only.
I’m not inventing something new, merely showing where I went sideways and what I should have done.
For the record, most you know, I went with what the all the parts books said were the proper size, 10 in x 2 in. Again, I took a quick measurement and it looked to be 10 in.
Here is what I should have done.
Measure the back plate.
yeah….11 inches not 10!
Inside Diameter
I captured my mistake on camera – just wee bit off not 2″ but 1.75″.
These are the measurement I should have taken.
So the story dragged on with the ordering of shoes for a Ford Galaxy – they were huge and finally finding the 11 in x 1.75 in from a 1973 Bronco. That was it!! They were the right size….even brought the old shoe with me and matched them at the store.
Insert huge sigh
I installed them…almost. Here’s why that didn’t work.
Old shoe is on the top and it’s tapered.
Here is a closer look.
That little bit of taper was key to getting the brake shoe under the shoe retainer washer.
The width of the new brake shoe was too side and forced the washer (times referred to a shoe guide plate) too far out on the pin and left no room for both springs and the auto adjuster.
So my solution failed. What’s next? Maybe a different direction for #ProjectSportsRoof?
Oh well this is crazy…of course it would have been easier if I followed the old adage, measure twice – post once. I’ll get to that in a minute.
Every one of the parts house and everyone in one of the online forums and Facebook groups (including mine Average Guy’s Car Restorations and Projects) said the rear brake shoes for #ProjectSportsRoof were 10 inch by 2 inch. Maybe because that’s what the parts books said it should be so I went with that. I did a quick measurement of the shoes (not the drums).
Ordered the 10×2 and went to install them I noticed they seemed too small. I ordered a set from NPD and attempted to put them on, too small. Called them up and went over it with them. Together we thought they were just miss packaged. They comp’ed them and sent me another set. Check it out:
Those were (of course) the same as the last set. By chance I thought let me order a set from SummitRacing. Those too were too small.
Here a quick video:
Clearly there’s been a swap of some kind. Now if I had taken the measurements and done so thoroughly, I could have saved some frustration. Taking the shoes back and forth the local parts stores (more then one and more then one time) I found little help. I will say that CarQuest – which is way across town from my place, were the best at helping me track down the shoe size. The guys on 3 Facebook groups all were helpful…but I made a mistake there. I had mocked up the drums you see in the video just to show them the size difference. Well that led to a lot of post freaking out about the lack of auto adjuster parts – which aren’t necessary, if you don’t mind making the adjustments yourself, when you feel the braking a bit off – NOT RECOMMEND however for general/common drivers and the spring wouldn’t fit…because the shoe were too small to hold them in place I popped any spring that I could get on easily. As always you’ve a few condescending “experts” that missed the point of the pics/videos but that’s gonna happen on the web.
So the hunt began. I’ll fill you in on that in the next post and show you the measurements I “SHOULD” have taken.
Rear shocks required a bit of “extra” work to install and sadly a few of natures creatures, need to find a new home. Take a look:
Now I doubt that I’ve impressed upon the spiders to permanently relocate, perhaps with a it of training I can get them to at least clean up the undercarriage a bit.
#ProjectSports Roof now has all new shocks. There is still so much to do…coming up next brakes and upholstery.
Welcome back and thanks for checking in on Average Guys Car Restoration.
Here is the follow up to hinge installation for #ProjectBeepBeep, Bill’s 1968 RoadRunner. Bill discusses prep and process for paint your car’s hinges after installation.
If you are missing the previous episodes they are listed below this video.
