Tag Archives: Classic Cars

1973 Mustang SportsRoof – Floor Pans Getting To It! – Part Two

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Hey, welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof (1973 Mustang).  We are working through the rusted floor pans and I’m about to make the cut for removing rust from the right rear foot-well.

Quick note about the video sequence.  As executive director, camera guy (well smart phone guy) and film editor (is that still a real thing?), I don’t always plan out the steps like you might see on a TV show.  (There goes my chances of being on Counting Cars – I’ve got a better chance of being a walk-on-the-set zombie on the Walking Dead – I love both of those shows!!!! ) Perfect example is in the next few posts and videos.  Instead of stripping out all the carpeting, I made a cut along the tunnel on the right side and just removed that carpet.  You can clearly see that.   Then I removed the rust from the foot-well (you’ll see that below) and then worked on cutting the re-pop floor patch.

That went so well, I felt confident enough to remove the driver’s seat and the rest of the carpeting.  So when I show that video you’ll notice both patch panels on the right side are fitted.  There just no ‘do overs’ on this project.

Here are the next two videos.  By the way you can see all the videos on my YouTube channel  just search for #ProjectSportsRoof and you’ll find most of them.

 

 

Once again in the video I mention getting the replacement pan for under the rear seat – above the muffler.  However, as I mentioned previously that portion of the floor is not reproduced.

More floor panel work coming up.  If you have comments or tips/hints use the comment box below.  Love to hear from you.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#ProjectSportsRoof

Out and About!!! #ProjectSportsRoof

Out and About!!!
#ProjectSportsRoof

 

 

 

 

 

 

1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Compression, Rods and Heads

Thanks for check in on #ProjectSportsRoof. If you remember a of couple months back, shortly after bringing the ’73 Mustang home, I conducted a compression test on all the cylinders.  The 351C was running rough (to put it mildly) and smoked like a pile of tires on fire (only the smoke …

 

 

1973 Mustang SportsRoof – Floor Pans Getting To It! – Part One

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The last three post we basically a run down of the extent of the rust damage in the floor pan areas on #ProjectSportsRoof.  As you saw the right side was bad, especially the under the rear seat on that side and the left side not as bad.   Interesting enough it ended up being about the same work for both foot wells and a lot work for the whole under the rear seat.  (You’ll notice in at least one of the videos I mentioned that all I needed to do was to buy the panel for under the rear seat – but I was wrong.  Those just are reproduced.  What I ended up doing was purchasing a 3rd foot well pan and “modifying” that to get the whole patched.)

As this is my first time actually doing floor pans, I did a lot of “making sure” up front work to limited the size of the mistakes I might make.  Last thing I needed to do was cut in the wrong place or make the opening to big.  As you know the Mustangs of that era only had  sub-frames and the floor for the most part were what held them together.  A major screw up there and you’ve weakened the structure and then it’s body off complete floor replacement – NOT IN THE BUDGET!!!

Here’s some of the preliminary work.

 

So of course there isn’t a rear panel (see above) and the drain in the panel is not plugged with a rubber stopper, but with a metal screw down plate – sealed with seam sealer.

I worked the left side first (some I could keep the car mobile – for pulling in and out of the garage) so I left the driver’s seat and most of the carpet in place.

 

Coming up is the first cuts of the right side floor pan and fitting of the replacement panel.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#ProjectSportsRoof

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1973 Mustang SportsRoof – Floor Pan Discovery – Part Three

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Thanks for checking in on the 1973 Mustang project.   Below is the last part of the discovery process for determining the extent rust damage.  Here is the driver’s side.

FloorPanLRr-2

This shot doesn’t look too bad, especially compared with the right side.   Below is a video recap of what needs to happen.

Of course still need to remove the rest of the carpeting. All indications are that everything else is solid!!

 

Thanks for reading

Tim

1973 Mustang Sports Roof – Floor Pan Discovery – Part Two …

Mar 2, 2016 … Among these things are coins and #ProjectSportsRoof had an abundance of lost change. The first coin I found was a nickel. It was under the …
1973 Mustang Sports Roof – Floor Pan Discovery – Part One

Feb 29, 2016 … 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) …
vintage muscle car | Tumblr

Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. We beginning the actual work on the vacuum system on the projects 351C starting with the valve assembly distributor ( the …
07 and 73

07 and 73

2nd Annual Team Tanner and Friends Car Show – Benefiting Autism Society 2

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The 2nd Annual Team Tanner and Friends Car Show – Benefiting Autism Society  was a lot of fun.  Some very cool cars  there –  like these 4 beauties!!!

You can see my 2007 C6 and the 1973 Mustang (#ProjectSportsRoof) and my son’s 1991 Chrysler Le Baron vert and good friend’s 2011 Mustang vert(with the nicest seats ever!!!).

 

Constant reader of this blog Bill and my son Ryan

Constant reader of this blog Bill and my son Ryan

This was my son Ryan’s first car he’s entered in a car show.  The 1991 Le Baron is a true collector and is in excellent survivor condition with over 140k miles he is the only the second owner.  Bill (sitting next to my son) was the Le Baron’s first owner – that’s Bill’s 2011 Mustang V6!!!

Besides those cars – here is my favorite late 50’s car at the show.

1956 Ford Club Sedan -1 1956 Ford Club Sedan -2

1956 Ford Club Sedan -3

Clean 282 Engine!!

1956 Ford Club Sedan -4

One of my favorite attributes….a painted dash!!!

1956 Ford Club Sedan -5

The fender skirts are great and the detailed side molding is outstanding!!! (And all original!!)

 1956 Ford Club Sedan -6

This 1956 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan has 282 engine, 3 speed column shift and has just over 30k original miles.  It all original except the tires (the spare is original).  This was an Ebay buy and originated in PA.

There were a couple beautiful pickups and a Lotus and 1988 Shelby Dodge Charger – very cool!!

The voting, interestingly enough, was done by the car owners and everyone that came to view the cars.

Trophies were handed out and one of the winner was this car:

#ProjectSportsRoof took home one in the 1970's/Under Construction category

#ProjectSportsRoof took home one in the 1970’s/Under Construction category

Yup lots of love shown to my 1973 Mustang SportsRoof.

It was a small but fun show.  Lots of time to have long conversations with the owners and the crowd.

Thanks to Hagerty Insurance, Mothers Wax and Car Guy Garage for supporting the car show.  We raised awareness and money for Southern Arizona  Autism Society!!

Oh…and if you are in Tucson, AZ there is a walk that raised money for this worthy cause as well.

Thanks for reading

Tim

10 Annual Autism Walk - Tucson, AZ

10 Annual Autism Walk – Tucson, AZ

 

1973 Mustang Sports Roof – Floor Pan Discovery – Part Two – Incidental Find

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As with most car restoration projects discovering what needs to be worked on and to what extent is an experience to say the least.  Sometimes that discovery is a bit disheartening like the rust to floor pans on the right side, sometimes is a major relief  and sometimes it’s cool.

As I began removing carpet – which I’m now sure was 33 years old, it uncovered the normal dirt, pens, papers (no build sheet… bummer) and just about all the normal things that slide between the seat cushions and work their way under the carpet.  That can show a lot about its previous owners and how the car was used.

Among these things are coins and #ProjectSportsRoof had an abundance of lost change.   The first coin I found was a nickel.  It was under the underlayment which I found to be a tough place for nickel to have worked its way.   Interesting enough it was dated 1973.

1973 Jefferson Nickel. Placed by a a worker at the factory? hmmmm....

1973 Jefferson Nickel. Placed by a a worker at the factory? hmmmm….

This reminded me of an often told tail of auto workers leaving tokens of some sort in an inconspicuous place.  Wouldn’t that be interesting.

Over all nearly $30.00 in coins were found and of those 3 were from 1973 (a nickel, a quarter and a penny).  With a huge cap between 1979 and the 2005 (perhaps indicating it’s break in service when the car was left in a field, junked and then saved.

Someone in the Ford factory back in the day leave this 1973 Jefferson nickel so that someone years later might find it?   Interest thought!!!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

projectsportsroof

1973 Mustang Sports Roof – Floor Pan Discovery – Part One

2 days ago … 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) …
restored-cars | Tumblr

Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. We beginning the actual work on the vacuum system on the projects 351C starting with the valve assembly distributor ( the …

 

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

 

projectsportsroof

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

 

projectsportsroof

auto mod | Tumblr

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 …

2nd Annual Team Tanner and Friends Car Show – Benefiting Autism Society

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A fun car show for a  GREAT cause!!!   Autism Society of Southern Arizona.

JOIN US ON MARCH 5, 2016

Bring your classic beauty, your muscle machine, your chopper,  your tuner, your daily driver or your project car!!!!  Heck – bring your farm tractor!!!!   You’ll get a swag bag with goodies (Car Guys Garages  free t-shirt offer, Hagerty Insurance and more) and a cool T-Shirt. There will be raffles for collectible die-cast cars, and other prizes from O’rielly’s Auto Parts, Hot Rods at Old Vail Road, car wash packages and more.

Come on out and hang out with some cool cars!!!!

EPSON MFP image

FUN AND A GREAT CAUSE!!!!!

I’ll be there with my 1973 Mustang and 2007 Corvette!!

See you there.

 

Tim

07 and 73

07 and 73

 

 

 

 

 

 

CarGuyG

http://www.carguygarage.com/

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

www.agcarrestoration.com

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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