Finally the fun part begins. Well actually it’s all fun, just varying degrees of it. Welcome back to the 1973 Mustang project dubbed: #ProjectSportsRoof. We have the 351 Cleveland out and now I’m going to begin disassembly and see if we can get to the bottom of the “bottom end noise” it developed.
Here’s the first video. Don’t be distracted by the Corvette t-shirt from my corvette club, it’s ok to own both!!
Here’s a look at one of nuts from the torque stall converter:
They are pretty rounded.
As you can see I didn’t have you watch as I unbolted the fuel pump or the brackets, even though this is Average Guy’s Car Restoration which equates to average skill set, average tool hoard and average (or below) budget, but I’m thinking you get the removal of a couple of bolts. If things get tricky (for me) I’ll cover it.
Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. With the floor pans welding, sealing and coating finished the next step was to apply the heat and sound barrier. This is …
Time to celebrate!!! The 351 Cleveland is out of #ProjectSportsRoof.
Yeah…I know!! It seemed like to took forever!!! Seems longer since I haven’t driven it in months.
Now if you missed the last post and you are expecting to see a video of the engine coming out, that’s just not going to happen. Here’s a recap of just why there’s no video.
I had made arrangements with my neighbor Dan (Dan did the welding on the floor panels for me) for a Friday he had off to pull the engine. I was going to “work” from home that day and we’d carry out the task in the morning – it’s pretty hot here in Southern Arizona this time of year. Well, I had an issue at work and I had to run in for what I hoped would be only a few minutes – it took until noon.
By then, it was over 100 degrees and when I pulled into my driveway Dan was outside working on one of his projects. After apologizing I changed in to some grubby clothes real quick and we got to work. By then it was about 106 degrees out and of course we are doing this outside. We should have been done by time we actually started and Dan’s adorable twins we hoping to make it the pool before their Dad had to head off to work for the evening.
I mention this all because I’m setting up you for the disappointment, (there is nothing more exciting than getting the engine out – well maybe putting a new one in, it’s a milestone worth capturing on video). Given the above circumstances, I felt it very unfair to ask Dan and the twins to hang out while I stopped to talk you all and then perform a task and then record. So I have no shots or video of pulling the engine out.
351C finally on the stand!
It was an effort but here it is:
And there you have it. #ProjectSportsRoof gave up its 351c power plant and boy does it need an overhaul!!
So keep checking back here (www.agcarrestoration.com) and watch it all unfold!
Thanks for read and drop me a note, love hearing back from readers.
http://wp.me/p2YxYx-4V. Tagged: projectsportsroof … We are moving right along on #ProjectSportsRoof,with the 351 Cleveland rebuilt. Still getting it ready to be …
Jul 31, 2016 … We are moving right along on #ProjectSportsRoof,with the 351 Cleveland rebuilt. Still getting it ready to be pulled from the engine bay In this …
2 days ago … Tagged: projectsportsroof … We are moving right along on #ProjectSportsRoof, with the 351 Cleveland rebuilt. Still getting it ready to be …
This is the last post related to prepping the 351 Cleveland in #ProjectSportRoof for removal.
Originally, I had planned to lift the engine out with the carb still attached. However, after the first test fit to see how the Duralast leveler (I’ve never used one before – last engine I pulled out we used straps on the 318) would be attached, it was clear that the carb had to come off. I thought I’d just be able to attach the Duralast the front part of the engine but unless I added more chain it just wasn’t going to bolt up.
Moving the leveler back a bit to the center if the engine, allowed it to be pull it out with just enough clearance, keeping mind the space limitations between the car bumper and the concrete rise at the garage entrance.
Here’s where you might be a bit disappointed.
I had made arrangements with my neighbor Dan (Dan did the welding on the floor panels for me) for a Friday he had off to pull the engine. I was going to “work” from home that day and we’d carry out the task in the morning – it’s pretty hot here in Southern Arizona this time of year. Well, I had an issue at work and I had to run in for what I hoped would be only a few minutes – it took until noon.
By then, it was over 100 degrees and when I pulled into my driveway Dan was outside working on one of his projects. After apologizing I changed in to some grubby clothes real quick and we got to work. By then it was about 106 degrees out and of course we are doing this outside. We should have been done by time we actually started and Dan’s adorable twins we hoping to make it the pool before their Dad had to head off to work for the evening.
I mention this all because I’m setting up you for the disappointment, (there is nothing more exciting than getting the engine out – well maybe putting a new one in, it’s a milestone worth capturing on video). Given the above circumstances, I felt it very unfair to ask Dan and the twins to hang out while I stopped to talk you all and then perform a task and then record. So I have no shots or video of pulling the engine out.
I can tell you that the torque converter gave us a bit of a problem and here’s one of the reason:
The nuts holding the torque convert on were pretty well-rounded. They been off before.
As soon we had the engine out and got the hoist over the concrete rise between the drive way and the garage floor, I thanked Dan and the twins (they were standing in the garage in full swimming attire – flippers include) for waiting for me. Again a huge thanks to Dan the Neighbor!!!! And yes the twins go to the pool!!!
Now I’ll start the tear down and see what’s going on with the 351C.
http://wp.me/p2YxYx-4V. Tagged: projectsportsroof … We are moving right along on #ProjectSportsRoof,with the 351 Cleveland rebuilt. Still getting it ready to be …
6 days ago … We are moving right along on #ProjectSportsRoof,with the 351 Cleveland rebuilt. Still getting it ready to be pulled from the engine bay In this …
We are moving right along on #ProjectSportsRoof,with the 351 Cleveland rebuilt. Still getting it ready to be pulled from the engine bay
In this posting I’m still fussing around with getting what’s left to be removed and being extraordinarily careful about leaking fluid don’t the driveway.
I have a couple more post dealing with prepping engine to be pulled. So far no real stumbles, nothing has broken and that’s HUUUUGGGGEEEE!!!
Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m prepping the engine for removal in the … Classic Mustangs – #ProjectSportsRoof’s Marti Report · Classic Mustangs …
Welcome back to the final few posts of the floor pan replacement for # ProjectSportsRoof. Let’s get right down to it. I realized that I didn’t catch much of the work …
Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. With the floor pans welding, sealing and coating finished the next step was to apply the heat and sound barrier. This is …
Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. I’m prepping the engine for removal in the next few posts.
The video in this post shows some of the labeling I often do to cover any memory gaps.
The Oil Dri is key to keeping the mess to minimum. That’s important – keeps the HOA out of my hair – bad enough I’m working on the car outside and what you can’t see is that my driveway is steep and any fluid spilled in quantity will run a long ways before it gets to the street!!!
Oil Dri Picked it up at Ace Hardware.
More progress coming up.
Thanks for checking on #ProjectSportsRoof. Hey…if you have a project send us some pic or a video we’ll post them up!!!
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As I posted before, after a vigorous (not read ‘desperate’) I finally found my next personal project. The 1973 Mustang Sports Roof Fastback is what I settled on. Now we start the project that has been dubbed #ProjectSportsRoof (yes I find it necessary to use the ‘hash’). 1973 Mustang Color …
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 …
I’ve done all the clean up and all the adjustments necessary to get a good reading on the health of the ’72 351C engine in my 1973 Mustang. The next step is to check the compression. First up was to warm the car a bit and then pull the plugs. Here’s what the …
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 …
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 …
Mustang lovers check this out. There is place in El Mirage, AZ called Marti Auto Works. They own the rights to the Ford databases and records prior to 1974 (some models up to 1989). These guys have everything..I mean everything. Give them the VIN number and they’ll pile on the data (it’s not free but very reasonable). They are authorized by Ford to reproduce window stickers and Protector Plates (identification plates that go on the inside door jamb) and more.
If you have a classic Mustang you’ve got to get this report. I thought I’d share mine with the readers. The link below is to the .pdf and here is an image.
Whether you are just interested in the car history or doing an original restore this report comes in very handy. It’s pretty cool to see when it was ordered and build and all the original options are there to match.
The Statistics section – so cool!!! This section lets you know where your car ranks compare to those produce that year. As you can see above #ProjectSportsRoof is o1 of 76 with that paint and trim coat. If nothing else it bragging rights and in some small way this may add to the value of the car, but that’s tough to measure.
The list of items in the Door Data Plate Info, helps you determine how original your might be. For example you can see that my 73 Mustang left the factory with 302 and if you’ve followed my posts on #ProjectSportsRoof you’ll know it now sports a 351C V2 date coded 1972 and a C4 transmission but now it has a date code 1972 C6.
Visit the Marti report site and see what they offer.
Thanks for picking backup with blogging of the work done on the 1973 Mustang Sports Roof (#ProjectSportsRoof).
The floors are done and the heat and sound barrier are completed and it’s time for the carpet.
I’ve seen some pretty awful quality carpet for cars and I’ve had friends that attempted to use the one piece kits with not great success. I chose to go with ACC Carpet 2 piece set. Because my car was ordered special ordered with the Mach I Interior I went with their “Original Style Molded Fastback Mach I for 1971-1973” (CJ’s Part Number MC9-V). It is really well-formed and pre-cut for steering column and even dimmer switch.
The pieces come folded in a box and needs to be laid out flat for a while before installing. Luckily I live in Arizona and the sun makes quick work for that.
Here are the two pieces laid out on the hood of #ProjectSportsRoof.
This image shows the pre-cuts and forming in the front piece. ‘A’ is the cutout for the steering Column, ‘B’ is the quality built-in vinyl floor mat, ‘C’ is the cutout for the dimmer switch and ‘D’ is the very well-formed door jamb and finally ‘E’ is the transmission tunnel formed part.
Here’s a pick of how it just lays there and conforms to the floor.
Now check out the full shot with the front sections in place and the shift bezel in place. Looks pretty good, yes?
At point ‘A’ you can see the contour of the floor mat portions of the carpet piece. ‘B’ is the hole with the seat mounting stud protruding (you have to cut that) and both ‘C’ locations show just a simple X cut to allow the seat bolts to slip through.
This last still shot is with the rear pieces laid out.
You can see the forming in the carpet where the rear mount of the front set lays. The circle is where I had to cut to allow the bolt to slide in.
Here is little video.
I’m very please with this carpet. As of this blogging I haven’t finished trimming it. In real-time it’s been a few months. I had to put the seats back in and get it to a charity car show. Before I had a chance to get back to carpet, the Cleveland developed a bottom end knock and that’s were we are today. I can finish up more interior work while the engine is out.
The 351C rebuild is coming up next for #ProjectSportsRoof.
Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. With the floor pans welding, sealing and coating finished the next step was to apply the heat and sound barrier. This is …
Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. With the floor pans welding, sealing and coating finished the next step was to apply the heat and sound barrier. This is …
Welcome back. I’m continuing on with the Engine Mini-Series – Ford’s Small Block V8s. This post covers the 260 CID.
I did mention I’d touch on the 255 but that is really out of chronological order and was merely a muted 302 used on for 3 years. It was dropped for poor performance.
So following the 221 engine (to see the post click here) was the 260 CID. This came about after the poor performance of the 221 and even with the release of a tweaked version. Enter Ford’s 260 CID. It retained the same intake and exhaust ports as the 221, the valves were larger (intake was now 1.76 and exhaust was 1.45). With it’s bore increased to 3.80 with no change to the stroke the engine put out 164 hp (about 20 more than the 221). It had a plane jane hydraulic cam and a compression ratio of 8.7:1 and capped off with a two barrel cast iron intake and carb.
The 260 was the engine Carrol Shelby used in his original Cobra and it was selected by the British car maker for the Sunbeam Tiger.
Shelby’s 1962 Cobra
1962 Sunbeam Tiger with Ford 260
The 260 was in service from 1962 to 1964 and it powered the likes of the Fairlane, Meteor (at least as an option), Comet(at least as an option), Falcon and in 1964 even the Mustang 64 1/2 (F code cars).
Engine was an overhead valve, Cast iron block with a bore and stroke 3.80 x 2.87 and Compression ratio 8.8:1 with 164 hp. It held 5 main bearings, hydraulic lifters and Autolite 2 bbl carb (Model C40F-9510-B) (Mustang configuration). The 260 was also called the Challenger 260 and could to be found topped with a Holley 2bbl Carb vs. the Autolite.
So far my writings are about engines have been ones I owned and the 283 was the engine in my very first car. It was a 1966 Chevy Impala. It was a gift to me for my 1976 high school graduation. The car was restored by my father, who was …
Oh yes, believe it or not, the 283 put the Corvette at the cutting edge of performance in 1957, fitted with the RamJet FI (fuel injection) system (“fuelie” was the gearhead term for that). In 1958 the 283 was the base engine for the Corvette, but the 283 that use …
This is the part of the engine series where I list the uses for the power plant. The 283, as I mentioned, carried Chevy engines to the next level, by being the first engine that car manufacturers were able to coax out the same horsepower as the displacement. From 1957 (its …
As I work on getting more restoration work on #ProjectSportsRoof I thought I’d share a couple of Mustang things that popped up.
There are a number of reasons I love Ford products, in particular Mustangs. One of those is the fact that it didn’t need the bailout money a few years back, choosing to tough it out and some of the innovative/purposeful special purpose options.
I recently received my Ford Mustang ‘Go Further’ brochure. I’m not including the 310 hp they are dragging out of the 2.3L EcoBoost (I’ve often said “I don’t want anything on my dash that says Eco!!!!” but wow to the 320 lb-ft of torque. Don’t even think bout the 435 hp and 400 lbs-ft of torque from the 5.0L in the GT…come on!!!! I can do with out the heated and cooled seat…meh… However, the Track Apps, MagneRide and launch control are bomb.
The most #awesome purpose built is the Electronic Line-Lock!!!! Come on…that’s what every weekend racing warrior (and spirited every day driving!!) wants a car manufacture to be thinking about!!! The Electronic Line-Lock keeps the front brakes locked while you ‘warm up’ the Mustang’s rear tires….come on I don’t have that in my Corvette!!! But maybe I can figure it out for my 1973 ‘Stang.
It looks something like this…exactly like this:
Here’s a great little destination (after you warmed up the tires). Located at the corner of “No Where” (Hwy 90) and “U’r Lost” (Hwy 82) is this little place called Mustang Crossing.
Great place for a 1973 Mustang photo shoot!!!
Thanks for stopping by. More coming up on #ProjectSportsRoof.
Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof. I run my car projects much like I run my IT projects. You always have to know where to start and know the end game. As with any project that isn’t being built from scratch, in other word, you have to work with what you’ve got, …
