1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Window Felt Install Part IV

The final part of this install of the window felt on  1973 Sports Roof was as easy as it gets.  This outside piece just snaps in – with a small adjustment.

Take a look:

 

The goal is to get the car sealed up and keep any more water damage from occurring to the floor pans by rain leaking into the car.

Here’s the kind of seal you want to see on the windows.

 

 

I was asked an a couple of forums about why I bothered with this task, when I’m just going to paint the car.  That’s a good question, especially when we car enthusiasts are bombarded with car shows that turn cars around in 3 days and strip a car to bare bones and send it off to the paint boot.  Well that how’s they do in T.V. land but the Average Guy isn’t going to be able to make that happen.

So yes the car is going to be painted and yes I am fairly certain that the engine is going to get rebuilt, but that’s not going to happen in a week (which I’m very dubious actually occurs in real life – T.V. or not T.V. cameras.)   But I’m going to fix we what I can now and drive it before all the big $$$ stuff has to happen.   Although the car may take a different direction, I still want it to be a drive-able project car – keeping it fun.

Thanks for reading and as always – drop me a note with your opinion.

Tim

#ProjectSportsRoof

 

1973 Mustang Sportsroof

Just picked up my second classic Mustang and I’ve got my Marti Report in hand…love those guys!!! I had a couple questions and perhaps someone here knows. Car was ordered with forged aluminum wheels – any one know that they would have looked like …

 

1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Window Felt Install …

Continuing on with the felt install for the 1973 Mustang (#ProjectSportsRoof), I’ve already removed the old felt and we are about to replace it with the new piece from.

1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Window Felt Install …

Let’s wrap up the window felt install on the 1973 Mustang (#ProjectSportsRoof). Let me show you a bit of what we started with. Top Inside Door Panel.

1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – What are You Gonna …

#ProjectSportsRoof will be the way I want it, which I haven’t nailed down yet, so suggest way by dropping me a comment (got your crate motor idea swimming around in my head, Bill) and that will happen fast or slow and cost …

1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Window Felt Install Part II

Continuing on with the felt install for the 1973 Mustang (#ProjectSportsRoof), I’ve already removed the old felt and we are about to replace it with the new piece from Repops (I misspoke in the video, but you can clearly see the name on the paperwork).

 

Seems simple enough and done in no….time…..but wait….small glitch!!!

So the company is called Repops and to be fair, the pieces that went on the outside of the door were near perfect.

More coming up in part III of this install.

Thanks for reading

Tim

#ProjectSportsRoof

73-17

1973 Mustang #ProjectSportsRoof

1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Window Felt Install Part I

Thanks for checking back in on #ProjectSportsRoof. For a long time I thought installing door window felt or window seal was an impossible task. Either you couldn’t.

 

1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Window Felt Install Part I

Thanks for checking back in on #ProjectSportsRoof.

For a long time I thought installing door window felt or window seal was an impossible task.  Either you couldn’t get the pieces because they aren’t reproduced or it was done in such a way that make it possible for the Average Guy to make it happen.

It’s been a while since I had to consider replacement – my 1970 Mustang restoration didn’t require new felt, so is wasn’t a concern.  But the 1973 SportsRoof needed it badly, as you can see in the video for exterior walk around (click HERE to review).  Before I began the search I was concerned that I wouldn’t find them – 1973 was a unique year in a lot of ways (fenders – grille) and with the differences between the 1971-1972 and 1973 it wouldn’t be hard to image these just weren’t profitable to reproduce.

Thankfully I was wrong.  I found these on one of the Mustang part sites and they are produced by “Repops” (which I may called something different in one of the videos you’ll see in these posts).  The were very good quality, but needed some modifications.

Let’s take a look at them.

Repops' Window Felt

Repops’ Window Felt

Just a side note:  The audio on this set of videos it not great.  I forgot that I had my fan on and at times that over powers the audio – especially when I move in side.  My apologizes ahead of time!!!

BONUS VIDEO SECTION:  In the last section of the video above I covered a little tip for keeping the interior of the door dry.  As I look back, I realize that my 1970 Mustang DID have two holes in the bottom of the door originally.  However, they were a bit smaller than those in bottom of the ’73 and prone to getting plugged very easily – which is why I added a few more.

To install the inside felt (the outside is rubber – which make sense) I had to remove the top door panel inside, which was just two screws.  Then I need to take a look at how to remove the felt from that piece.

 

Next two videos show the removal of the felt from the top interior section of the door panel.

 

 

 

After cutting the fold ends of the staples the felt just popped off with a screw driver.

Part II of the window felt  install is coming up.

Thanks for view Average Guys Car Restoration.

Tim

#ProjectSportsRoof

1973 Mustang Project SportsRoof – Exterior Walk-Around

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, …

 

 

 

1973 Mustang – Project Sportsroof – The Little Things

During the course of a restoration that are the major processes that need to be tended too, like body work, engine rebuild or interior work that takes the lime light and a the bulk of the time spend on the project.  There are often small gaps when there’s a some free time, like waiting for parts, etc. or just a break for the big stuff to take care of some of the little.

For example:  If you’ve watched the videos, in particular the engine walk through post (Link it) you’ve seen the radiator reservoir was….um…a little lower than what would be considered normal.

A tad bit low.

A tad bit low.

Broken!

Broken!

Here’s a little clip on the repair.

 

It’s always great to accomplish something on a project, even the little things.

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#ProjectSportsRoof

 

1973 Mustang Project Sportsroof – Engine Walk-Through.

There is a quick walk-through of the 351C tucked between the fenders of the 1973 Mustang Sportsroof. (It took about 5 takes to get this video…a slight improvement.

1973 Mustang – Project Sportsroof – Leaks, Pertronix …

Continuing on with the leaks and Pertronix install on the 351C, below you’ll see the cleaned up valve covers (BTW – only the right side was leaking – which may explain.

1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Money!!

#ProjectSportsRoof will be the way I want it, which I haven’t nailed down yet, so suggest way by dropping me a comment (got your crate motor idea swimming around in my head, Bill) and that will happen fast or slow and cost …

 

 

 

 

1973 Mustang – Project Sportsroof – Leaks, Pertronix & Leaks! Part III

Thanks for checking back on the #ProjectSportsRoof progress.  Wrapping up the Pertronix install, I’ll had an issue.  After install the system the car would not start.   So I re-gapped the Pertronix and still it  wouldn’t start.   I was sure I didn’t screw up the firing order when I put the new cap on, but I pulled out the book and rechecked.  Not the problem.

So I went about putting the points and condenser back in and it still didn’t fire up, put the old coil back on and still no luck.  I put the Pertronix back in and of course the beast would not fire up.

This video covers it.

 

If you read the previous post and watched the video, you would have noticed gas seeping from a crack in the rubber line just above the “steam punk” fuel pressure gauge and the collection of hose clams.  Truly a work of art – no doubt, but totally a mess.

Ye,s I should have looked that over better and replaced it prior running the car.  However, it’s better now and a solid temporarily fix.  Here a clip.

Again, this is a temp fix and a proper line will be installed eventually.

Here’s a wrenching tip:  When install hose clamps on a gas line, be sure you’ve tighten them all before your start the car.  Gas has a tendency to not flow in the desired direction, when not well contained.  Yeah…gas everywhere and not just a little.   Here’s garage tip:  Cat Litter – buckets full!!!  ‘nough said!!!

Thanks for reading and as always….let me hear from you.

Tim

#ProjectSportsRoof

 

 projectsportsroof projectsportsroof

1973 Mustang – Project Sportsroof – Leaks, Pertronix …

As I march down the dark path that is the diagnostic process to find out the health of the 351 Cleveland, the first steps are to clean up a few leaks (mainly so it.
1973 Mustang – Project Sports Roof

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.
1973 Mustang – Project Sportsroof – Leaks, Pertronix …

Continuing on with the leaks and Pertronix install on the 351C, below you’ll see the cleaned up valve covers (BTW – only the right side was leaking – which may explain.

 

1973 Mustang – Project Sportsroof – Leaks, Pertronix & Leaks! Part I

As I march down the dark path that is the diagnostic process to find out the health of the 351 Cleveland, the first steps are to clean up a few leaks (mainly so it doesn’t bleed fluids all over the garage floor and driveway) and replace the points and condenser with a Petronix system.

If you are not familiar Petronix it’s a simple electronic ignition system (as compared with a MSD electronic ignition system) that keeps your car looking stock, as it all tucks under the distributor cap.

First I need to trouble a few leaks.  If you wonder why I’m whispering in the any of the video it’s because to avoid the 100 plus temps I get started early.

Of course the power steering has nothing to do with the engine, but it is substantial and annoying.  As a side note, when is a garage not a garage?  When it’s the most used entry way into your home.   Hence the desire to tackle these leaks before  move the Mustang under cover.  Of course I can put something on the floor but you know as well as I do, that doesn’t matter, because one of the unpublished laws of physics, that goes something like  “Car fluids defy all published laws of physics and go where the hell they want.”

Here is the power steering cleaned up a bit.

We'll see if leaks again. On to the next leak!

We’ll see if it leaks again. On to the next leak!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now we’ve got one more leak to take care of and that is the valve covers. Check it out:

 

I’ll get Part II post up here shortly.  I’m breaking it up as too many videos tend to slow the loading on the page.

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#ProjectSportsRoof

pertronix ignition projectsportsroof

1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – What are You Gonna …

I get a lot of questions on just what I’m going to do with the Sports Roof. Some of those are posed as inquires of interest and others can be interpreted as “What the.

1973 Mustang – Project Sports Roof

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.

1973 Mustang Project SportsRoof – Interior Walk-Through

Welcome back to the #ProjectSportsRoof. As the discovery process continues we move to the interior. Now each area of the car (engine, body, interior,

 

 

 

1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – What are You Gonna Do?

I get a lot of questions on just what I’m going to do with the Sports Roof.  Some of those are posed as inquires of interest and others can be interpreted as “What the hell were you thinking when you bought that!!!”.   Truth is I don’t have that all planned out yet and the direction can change base on the results of the discovery process.

It would be very difficult to produce something horrifying if you stick to the bare bones of the car.  There may be some catastrophic cause such as the 351 Cleveland not being able to perform up to par.  That would allow for a host of different directions, such as bringing it back to originality by installing a slightly beefed up 302 or dropping a monster crate engine in, maybe even a conversion to a manual 4 speed.  There is always a ripple effect – carb changes, exhaust changes (it just isn’t loud enough now) and more.  Having plan set in stone is not in the cards for this project at this point.

Here is what I can tell you.  The car will be returned the factory color Bright Red.  The interior will be redone most likely with kits from TMI kits and back to stock, with Dynamat as sound and heat barrier.  A/C will be re-installed.  There will be changes to the wheels for sure and everything else will be as stock as can be.

So number one priority is to shake down the Cleveland and go from there.  That is where we start and the next few posts will cover getting the 351 to run a well as it can – removing the little things that can impact functionality.  For example, removing the points and condenser and replacing with Pertronix system, new distributor cap, rotor, plugs and wires and tackle the vacuum system (NIGHMARE!!).

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#ProjectSportsRoof

73-17

 

1973 Mustang Project Sportsroof – Engine Walk-Through.

There is a quick walk-through of the 351C tucked between the fenders of the 1973 Mustang Sportsroof. (It took about 5 takes to get this video…a slight improvement.

1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Money!!

#ProjectSportsRoof will be the way I want it, which I haven’t nailed down yet, so suggest way by dropping me a comment (got your crate motor idea swimming around in my head, Bill) and that will happen fast or slow and cost …

1973 Mustang Project SportsRoof – Exterior Walk-Around

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, …

1973 Mustang – Project Sports Roof

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.

1973 Mustang Project SportsRoof – Interior Walk-Through

Welcome back to the #ProjectSportsRoof. As the discovery process continues we move to the interior. Now each area of the car (engine, body, interior,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Ford Mustang Shelby GT350Rs Roll Off The Line At Flat Rock Plant

Follow Viknesh

It’s a great week for muscle car fans all around the country as the Ford Motor Company [NYSE:F] has started building customer examples of the new Mustang Shelby GT350 and GT350Rs. The cars are built at the same Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan responsible for the standard Mustang and the first ones off the line are actually 2015 models.

Just 137 of these ’15 models are being built to honor the original 1965 Shelby GT350 built by Shelby American—100 GT350s and 37 GT350Rs—and no doubt all of them are accounted for. Once this initial batch of cars is built, Ford will switch over to 2016 models that will be built and sold in higher volumes. Deliveries commence this fall.

Chase the source link for the rest of the press release:

Source: First Ford Mustang Shelby GT350Rs Roll Off The Line At Flat Rock Plant

 

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#AGCarRestoration

Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang Pricing Leaked, Starting Under $50k

The folks at Mustang6g have gotten ahold of the pricing for the 2016 Ford Shelby GT350 Mustang and it is much lower than we expected, with pricing beginning under $50k for the GT350 while the GT350R starts just over $60k – making the new GT350 …
2016 Shelby GT350R Allegedly Laps ‘Ring in 7:32.19, 5 Sec Faster Than Camaro Z/28

Official 2016 Shelby GT350R specs are not available at this time, but early speculations believe the GT350R will use the same 5.2-liter flat-plane-crank V8 motor as the standard Shelby GT350 and will make identical power as well. However, the beauty of

1973 Mustang Project Sportsroof – Engine Walk-Through.

There is a quick walk-through of the 351C tucked between the fenders of the 1973 Mustang Sportsroof.

(It took about 5 takes to get this video…a slight improvement over the earlier attempts.)

As you can see there’s work to be done.  Below is a quick video on the cap/rotor/points and condenser.

While taking a look at the plugs, I discovered a good use for Rewards Cards.

 

There you have a quick overview and a little insight in to what needs to be done.  I think I’ve talked my self in to keeping the 351C, even though it’s not original to the car and a year older, I just like the idea of a period 351C – yup a re-manufactured is a an option, but let’s see what this is looks like first.  Your thoughts?

Next up will be the install Pertronix system and cap and rotor, then plug and wires.

Thanks for reading and drop me a note.

Tim

#ProjectSportsRoof

 

 projectsportsroof

1973 Mustang Project SportsRoof – Interior Walk-Through

Welcome back to the #ProjectSportsRoof. As the discovery process continues we move to the interior. Now each area of the car (engine, body, interior,
1973 Mustang – Project Sports Roof

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.
1973 Mustang Project SportsRoof – Exterior Walk-Around

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, …
1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Money!!

#ProjectSportsRoof will be the way I want it, which I haven’t nailed down yet, so suggest way by dropping me a comment (got your crate motor idea swimming around in my head, Bill) and that will happen fast or slow and cost …

1973 mach i

Carbonear car show concludes on successful — and loud — note

Wade Hiscock of Carbonear poses in front of his impressive 1973 Mach I Fastback Ford Mustang. It was one of three vehicles Hiscock had on display as this weekend’s Shine and Show in Carbonear. Hiscock moved back to Carbonear last year after 26 years …

 

1973 Mustang – Project SportsRoof – Money!!

No I’m not going to ask for donations…although….well…nah!   HEY…maybe a Go Fund My Ford website?  Well if any parts house (@NPDLink – you guys rock), restoration supplies or tool distributors send something – even a t-shirt, I’ll post up an ad on AGCarRestoration.com for you, heck I’ll wear the shirt during one my unprofessional videos!!!  Um…not that I’m doing anything unprofessional….just not a professionally produced videos.

Seriously now, I was asked to day – thanks Bill for reminding me that I should touch on this – what my budget is for this project.  My real answer is I don’t have one.  Not…”I don’t have one” as in it’s unlimited – remember average guy, average budget – more like “I don’t have one” as in “I don’t know where that moneys coming from” .

I didn’t set a budget with my 1970 Mustang, things just happened and I went with it.

1970 Mustang Mods for 300 HP

1970 Mustang
Mods for 300 HP

It will be the same with this project.  #ProjectSportsRoof will be the way I want it, which I haven’t nailed down yet, so suggest way by dropping me a comment (got your crate motor idea swimming around in my head, Bill) and that will happen fast or slow and cost what it costs.  I’m not going to flip the car – this one is a keeper.  (So was my 1970, up to a certain dollar amount.)

This project is different than the ’70 Stang, I want this one to be more of my work than the ’70 was – although I did a lot of work on that beast.   This project will be at a slower pace, I think, than the 1970. (If you recall the the ’70 Stang was helped along by the fact that driving a 6 cylinder (250CID – with 159,000 miles) with the A/C on was like peddling a bike up the Washington Monument and the young kid who was to busy entertaining his GF to stop behind me at a red stoplight.

This one will be different.

Like this?  Maybe.

Like this? Maybe.

Coming up tomorrow will be the 351C walk-around (actually performed that a couple of days ago, but videos were…bad!!  I even lost the first segment).

Thanks for reading.

Tim

#ProjectSportsRoof

 

1973 Mustang – Project Sports Roof

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.
1973 Mustang Project SportsRoof – Interior Walk-Through

Welcome back to the #ProjectSportsRoof. As the discovery process continues we move to the interior. Now each area of the car (engine, body, interior,
1973 Mustang Project SportsRoof – Exterior Walk-Around

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, …