Tag Archives: Ford Mustang

Where The Heck Have You Been?

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That’s a question I’ve gotten on other social media avenues and there is a good answer.

At this age I made a decision to make a career change.  Up at age of 58 and after 20 plus years as information technology guy (last position as Director of IT) I resigned and began the quest to make a move that I’ve always wanted to make.  So, it was back to college for a few courses and heavy-duty studying to pass certification exams – passed on the second attempt.

That’s where I’ve been.  Now I begin my new career as a High School teacher and that kicks off with my first teaching position at a charter school.  Things get rolling mid-July.

Now that will be a busy time but I’m comfortable with having spare time to keep working on my projects.

So, here’s what is coming up:

Bill has finished #ProjectBeepBeep disc brake conversion and we even have a video with it in motion!!!!

#ProjectSportsRoof has been…languishing a bit but I have a new transmission jack and I’ll be back to it in the next week…right now it going to be about 120 degrees, so not idea weather for working on the beast.

More #AutoFactoids coming up and some new stuff I have planned.

Thanks for checking back with us!!!

Tim

 

68 Ply RoadRunner (ProjectBeepBeep) Dash Update – YouTube

May 11, 2017 … Bill sent out the circuit board that supplies the power to the all dash components on #ProjectBeepBeep.

Average Guy’s Car Restorations, Mods, and Racing

Bill is getting soooooooooo close to having ProjectBeepBeep on the road again. This update takes a look at the brake actuator rod. The Rod. Bill mentioned 303 …

Project SportsRoof – 73 Mustang – Getting in Gear with the Transmission Part 2

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Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof.  I’m finishing the re-positioned shifting rod above the transmission’s cross member.

 

 

 

Next I’ll need to go top side and give the selector a try.  If that is working properly, hitting the proper gears I can spin the torque converter and properly torque its connection to the flex plate.

More coming up.

Tim

projectsportsroof

1973 Mustang – Engine Bay Work

If you look back at #ProjectSportsRoof post you’ll see the condition engine bay.  During those videos I mentioned that I was going to clean it up and hit it with a rattle can.  Again this isn’t going to be a concours restoration, it’s going to look nice and it’s going …
1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Compression Test Part I

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 …
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 …

 

1970 Mustang Front End – What should I do?

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My Nephew’s 1970 Stang needs some attention.

I get to park in my office!

Well it’s been a long week getting her back on the road. But she drove well enough given her condition.

I am looking for opinions on kits for front suspension rebuilds, mine is shot. At this point I’m probably looking for the cheapest most comprehensive kit given my pony’s condition.

My entire front suspension is not suspending, or bouncing, or quiet. Its time for a full rebuild but I’ve been waiting to blow my motor to justify a full car build! It’s been on its last leg for at least 10 years so at this point I’m trying to see how far I can go to prove Ford’s reliability before tearing her down and she just won’t die! A true survivor.

Also I have a mean top end tick I have lots of play in my lifters, I’m assuming that’s the problem. Already replaced the valve caps, but I probably lost one or two again, any tips or tricks to adjust these ticks?

Although she really like cruising at 50 mph everywhere! I had a hard time keeping it under that speed.

Josh,

You will get a lot of opinions and have a lot of options.  Basically is comes down to what you want the car to be.  If you just want a cruiser I think you can’t go wrong with just building like it came from the factory.  I did that with my 1970 only difference is I use polyurethane bushing.   Polyurethane bushing improved the ride without ruining the feel of how the car would have handled when it came from the factory.  Properly greased the don’t squeak.   If you want it a bit better ride you can upgrade components as you go.

I recommend the RPS kit (it is under $300)

Front Suspension Kit, 1968 – 73 Mustang Restoration Parts Source
FDSUSKIT3 – RPS – 004
This suspension kit includes new upper and lower control arms with bushings and riveted ball joints installed, new spring perches and insulators and new strut rod bushings with washers.

Here is the link –  RPS Suspension Kit

Tim

1970 Mustang – Getting the Boot!!!

Replaces that is, boot as in shifting boot.  (Were you thinking…since I just got back from the Barrett Jackson Auction.. I was considering getting rid of the Stang ?   Nope..but I tell you there were a couple of cars I’d even swap for…that’s for sure!!) When the 4 speed trans got …

1970 Mustang – Replacing my Pillar Post Moldings Part I

If you searched and found or followed my posts on restoring the dash-board of my ’70 Mustang, then you might recall my planning/scheduling issues.     As I was taking the old dash pad off, I realized that I hadn’t order the plastic pillar molding.  When I finally called a few Mustang parts …

1970 Mustang – Replacing my Pillar Post Moldings Part II

I’ve the pillar post moldings painted and ready to installed.      I put on 3 coats of paint.    Now I have to remove the dash pad (again) and install.  That will be later this week, my Corvette is still in shop and the Mustang is my back up car.  Thanks for reading more to …

1970 Mustang Dash Replacement – Part Arrives!!!

Ok now I’m excited.  The dash pad replacement arrived and it looks great.  Here are some pics:          I ordered this part from Dallas Mustang, but I thinking I should have ordered directly from DashesDirect.com I’ll check the web site and see if it was cheaper there.  When you have an average guy’s budget …

1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Engine Bay Components.

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I thought I’d take a minute and catch the readers up on #ProjectSportsRoof.

I wanted to touch up some of the engine bay components, horns, vacuum canister and battery tray.  I didn’t want to alter some of these too much, I like having the numbers, logos and other info visible, not covered under a several layers of primer and paint.  So these items were lightly sanded and then sprayed with primer and black engine paint.

 

Battery Tray – in the process of being sanded with dremel.

The horns were cleaned up with break cleaner then sanded by hand.

A lot of the paint just came off with the cleaning.

Horn in the process of being sanded.. Note the “LO” and other numbers. My goal is to keep them visible.

A coat of  Eastwood Rust Encapsulator  and then a primer coated applied – tried to keep the numbers, etc. visible.

A little more sanding and then some paint.

Vacuum Canister

Battery Tray and Horns

I think they came out O.K.

There is a quick video.

 


Coming up distributor install and transmission update.

Thank for reading.

Tim

1973 Mustang – Engine Bay Work

If you look back at #ProjectSportsRoof post you’ll see the condition engine bay.  During those videos I mentioned that I was going to clean it up and hit it with a rattle can.  Again this isn’t going to be a concours restoration, it’s going to look nice and it’s going …
1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Compression Test Part I

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 …
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 …

 

Have You Ever Said This “I’m starting to get fed up with the car” ?

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Luxstang Wrote: I’m starting to get fed up with the car.
The more I do on it the more seems to fail.
Replaced the upper and lower control arms a few weeks ago. Took it for an alignment yesterday and the guy tells me he can’t adjust camber on the passenger side.. Turns out the hole in the rear ex-center washer is round so it no longer adjusts the camber properly. (Ok, when I replaced the control arms I could have sworn that washer was ok otherwise I wouldn’t have put it back in….)
Now I gotta wait for 2-3 days for a new set of screws with washers to arrive.
I had the wheels powder coated (and posted a thread about it) and I don’t like them anymore. The 18 inch rims rub with the new tires, I gotta get new ones but I don’t really want to either.
The rear windows are out of the car as I’m waiting for WCCC to fix my pancake motors, so no interior in the back at all.
Plus yesterday a big chip of paint flew off the rear quarter extension. I’ll need to try my painting skills on that….
I wonder if I shouldn’t just leave everything and simply drive the car into the ground as a daily driver and call it a day.

Hang in there with the Mustang, Luxstang, it will be even sweeter when you get it done!!!

My 73 is my second Mustang restoration (70 was my first) and my third personal restoration in the last few years.  I can attest that you do run in to those periods of time when it seems that the car just doesn’t want to be restored.

Heck I bought and drove the 73, maybe  5-6 times and it bent a rod and burned a valve. Had the heads redone. Drove it 3 or 4 more times and then discovered a bottom end knock had to tear down the entire engine and send it out for machining and rebuild. While trying to get it back together I ran into wiring problem and drive train problems.  Don’t even get me started on the rusted floor pans (now complete).

I restored my ’84 Corvette and I will tell you, there were day when I felt just like Luxstang (by the way he’s in Luxembourg).  The Vette was powered by the infamous Cross-Fire engine.  So many problems with the fuel system and multiple injector rebuilds, it was enough to drive you crazy.

Many folks do give up, you can find thousands projects on the internet looking for a new home.

But before you quit, go to the forums for you car, like Luxstang did, you’ll get some encouragement and maybe even helpful suggestions for getting through those periods.  Con some friends or neighbors to give a hand.  I found that a good motivator is to have neighbors come and see your progress.  I have one neighbor that loves to look at what I’ve done and another (Dan T.) who has even spend more than a few hours giving me a hand with some of the tasks.

Restoring a car is not much different then most things you tackle in life.  If you hang in there and stick it out to the end, it will be rewarding.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

My recent restorations:

1970 Mustang – Multiple Trophy Winner. Self-Restored

1984 C4 Corvette – Multiple Trophy Winner. Self-Restored

1975 Fuel Injected VW Bug – $30k Frame Off Nut Bolt Restoration – Managed Project

1973 Mustang – In Progress. Follow #ProjectSportsRoof Self-Restored

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Barrett-Jackson Classic Car Auction – Scottsdale, AZ 2017 Videos 2 & 3

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Here are a couple more videos. Quality is not great in spots but it was the live feed through Facebook.

These videos take place at the entrance.  I imagine that Ford pays good money to have their offering right up front.  In these you’ll see the new Mustang and the Focus RS….both nice looking cars.

In this video you’ll also see the Eco-Boost Ford GT race car and the GT 350!!

There are more videos coming up including a discussion with one of the sellers as his car heads to the stage, a good look at a rear all aluminum Cobra and a clarification on what the stage works kept throwing to the side when the cars came up on stage.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#BarrettJackson

#ProjectSportsRoof

barrett jackson 2017

Barrett Jackson 2017 Walkthrough with Justin Bieber Ferrari …

2 days ago … This my version of the 2017 Barrett Jackson out here in Scottsdale Arizona. Its a mind blowing experience if you’ve never been before! There’s …

 

Is My Car Rare? 1971-1973 Mustangs

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It’s every muscle/antique/collector car owner’s dream that their car is “Rare”.  However, determining that your car is rare can be tough. So, there is nothing cooler then having the numbers/statics that help prove that your car is special.  Take such as the Marti Reports for Ford products.  They provide those numbers for the Ford collector.

If you aren’t familiar with the products Kevin Marti  can provide here is a link to my post where I the Marti Report for #ProjectSportsRoof – Classic Mustangs – #ProjectSportsRoof’s Marti Report .

There are other similar services for other brands like PHS (Pontiac Historic Services) which has similar documentation.  Whatever your favorite car maker – go check out forums that are related to that brand and ask around.   Now that I have a 1973 Mustang, I hang out at 7173Mustangs.com a wealth of knowledge exist here as well great looking cars and enthusiastic owners from all over the world.

The Marti Report #ProjectSportsRoof show that is is 1 of 76 with that paint and trim codes.  No doubt it is ‘rare’ if you boil the data down far enough and that’s great.  I as mentioned in the posting above that’s great to boast at the local car club hangout. But what does it mean for value?

Logically someone, who has been exposed to car values through the web or the online car auctions like Mecum and Barrett-Jackson, can equate rarity to value.  Just count the number of times the auctioneer says the word “rare”.  But really what equates to value is ‘desirability’ and rarity is a component of desirability.  There are a lot more Boss 302 Mustang produced in 1969 or 1970 then  76 in 1973, but the body style of my Sports Roof isn’t as desirable as the 1970 or 1969 Boss.  So during this Classic Car Auction season in Arizona,  keep that in mind when you are attending an event live or virtually.

But value isn’t everything….you have to enjoy your ride!!!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

1973 Mustang SportsRoof

 

73 Mustang 351C Rebuild – Removal 3 – YouTube

Jul 31, 2016 … Getting closer to pulling out the engine for #ProjectSportsRoof. The 1973 Mustang (last of the big ‘Stangs) 351C will be pulled part and rebuilt.
average guys | Tumblr

Thanks checking back in with the 1973 Mustang (#ProjectSportsRoof). I’m moving right along with getting the progress on the 351C tear down posted up.
Mustangs, The family and To the on Pinterest

Tim Sweet. 1973 Mustang #ProjectSportsRoof · Looking for similar pins? Follow me! pinterest.com/kevinohlsson | kevinohlsson. Save Learn more at reddit.com.

 

 

 

73 Mustang – The 351C Has Landed – Merry Christmas!!!

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Well there still are Christmas miracles.  The rebuilt, over-bored to .040 351 Cleveland is now sitting under the hood where it belongs. 

Won’t be long until #ProjectSportsRoof will be chewing up pavement!!!


Still have to hook up the C6 and add other components. Having it in place was my Christmas goal!!!

Thanks to a long time friend DG for coming all the way from the East coast and giving me a hand!!!!

Merry Christmas to all my readers and I hope the New Year treats you well!!!!

Merry Christmas

Yeah…I know it’s just a Mopar….but we’re on a budget!!!

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

projectsportsroof

Lift Classic Mustangs and Avoid Suspension Damage

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How To Chassis Suspension

Lift Classic Mustangs and Avoid Suspension Damage

Lift it Right: Raising classic Mustangs on a lift requires a special tool to avoid shock and strut rod bushing damage

Jerry Heasley
December 6, 2016

Anytime you need work on the suspension on anything under a Mustang you have to lift it in the air, whether on a floor jack or a lift. But what you might not have ever heard is that raising a 1965-1973 Mustang on a regular two-post lift without a support between the upper control arm and the frame rail will damage the shocks and strut rods. There’s no telling how many times over the last 50-odd years of lifting a Mustang for a simple oil change that possibly has broken shock and strut rod bushings. The numbers must be in the millions.

Ford supplied dealers with a factory service tool, which they also used on the assembly line, to support the front suspension. Without this support, lifting the car drops the front suspension down and places all that weight on the front shocks and strut rod bushings. This damage is much more than cosmetic. The car will now be unstable at speed, more or less depending on the severity of the damage. Maybe one gentle lift will not result in visible damage, but with multiple unsupported lifts, the damage gets worse.

Bob Perkins of Perkins Restoration (www.perkinsrestoration.com) showed us how to avoid busting out shock tower and strut rod bushings when raising a Mustang on a conventional, two-post lift—or any lift with side arms.

01. This 1973 Mustang front suspension drops and “hangs free” when raised on a two-post lift. This lift picks up the car with arms at the side for access to the undercarriage.

02. Most of these Ford suspension support tools from the 1960s and 1970s have disappeared. Ford shop manuals instructed mechanics to place this support between the upper arm and the frame side rail. Notice the notch on one end. This original suspension support tool has a Ford part number.

03. Because original support tools are scarce, Bob Perkins has fabricated his own for everyday use. On the left are two supports he made. On the right is an original Ford support tool from the 1960s.

04. This illustration from Ford’s 1965 Mustang shop manual shows where to place the support tool when lifting a Mustang on a lift with side arms. The shock is inside the coil spring on top of the upper control arm.

05. The Perkins-built suspension tool, as seen on this 1973 model, fits between the frame rail (bottom) and the upper control arm under the ball joint. To install, first lift the car enough for the tool to fit.

06. Bob Perkins shows us damage to this shock on a car that was lifted without a support tool. The suspension dropped down and tore the rubber bushings in the top of this original shock.

07. Installing a support tool also protects strut rod bushings from damage.

08. On 1965-1970 Mustangs, the shock bushing at the top is apt to break when the suspension falls without support.

09. Likewise, the shock bushings in the 1971-1973 shock tower will have to absorb the weight of the front suspension if the support tool is not used.

Sources

Perkins Restoration

Juneau, WI 53039
920-696-3788
www.perkinsrestorati…

I thought that was a great article.
Thanks for reading.
Tim
Ford Mustang (first generation) – Wikipedia

The first-generation Ford Mustang was manufactured by Ford from March 1964 until 1973. …… “1973 Mustang Grande Hardtop – Mustang Monthly Magazine”.
1964-1973 Mustang Parts

CJ Pony Parts features 1964-1973 Mustang Parts at amazing prices. FREE shipping is included on most products, no minimum order is required. Find your First …

73 Mustang Heater Box Part 7 – The Seals & Foam Kit

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Welcome back to #ProjectSportsRoof.   In this clip we are taking a look at the Seals and Foam Kit for restoring the 1973 Mustang’s heater and A/C box.

 


Next few heater box posts will be putting it back together. I know…exciting…!!!

Thanks for reading.

Tim

 

1973 Mustang Original Invoice and Window Sticker – Marti Auto Works

Oct 22, 2016 … I didn’t purchase the window sticker for 1970 Mustang but I did for # ProjectSportsRoof. Check it out: 1973 Mustang SportsRoof Window Sticker.
Average Guy’s Car Restorations, Mods, and Racing

If you look back at #ProjectSportsRoof post you’ll see the condition engine bay. During those videos I mentioned that I was going to clean it up and hit it with a …
73 Mustang 351C Rebuild – Removal 3 – YouTube

Jul 31, 2016 … Getting closer to pulling out the engine for #ProjectSportsRoof. The 1973 Mustang (last of the big ‘Stangs) 351C will be pulled part and rebuilt.
The Walking Dead -Car Window Sticker- ‘Don’t Open, Dead Inside …

1973 Mustang #ProjectSportsRoof · 1998 Chevrolet Corvette Indy Pace Car Festival Car. Save Learn more at mecum.com · Corvette 1998Corvette Indy1998  …