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There is a certain direction those clips have to be installed ,if turned the spring the wrong side up the clip will come out when tightening

Hi all, I recently bought a replacement chrome strip for the front of my bonnet and being after-market rubbish it needed to be pulled in a fair bit at the center. As soon as I pulled it in with the lugs supplied, they pulled straight out of the soft metal. I thought I'd share the brackets I made which made life a lot easier and holds it in place nice and tight. I had to use a little bit of silastic to hold them while positioning. If they were 1/16" wider that wouldn't be necessary.

I'm no expert but I think you should have no linkage connected to your pitman arm. Then wind your steering box from lock to lock, accurately count how many turns it takes then halve that for centre. Then lock your wheel there so it can't move (maybe wrap some masking tape around the steering boss and the steering column) Your tie rods should be the same length either side, this is important. Then adjust your tie rods equally either side to get the Toe-In you want.

Pardon the crude drawing. Took all measurements from the center of the pie cuts. Meaning that 22 1/4 is from the center of the pie cut on the cuts closest to the front of the hood. It was just getting messy. Mirrored measurements are all the same. All the pie cuts are the same size, the lengths of the two sides shown are if the lines continued straight instead of curving. The shapes of the forward two cuts are different on the radius, which you can see on the photo Ridge sent. If you have to cut the underside of the hood for the turn signals, those rear two oval measurement will be different from the top of the hood shown here.

Wow it's been a while. I've finally finished my winter/spring projects and am back on the car. The roof panel needing those cuts and the drivers side quarter panel where it meets the rocker having that gap has been bugging me since I originally fitted the parts. On a hunch I went to NPD and bought another new roof panel. Plopped right on with an excellent fit! I have been told that I need to get my doors fitting very very well before welding and even go as far as putting all the window guts in and being able to lower and raise the window into the seal to make sure it has a good fit. So, the passenger side went really easily since the quarter panel fitted against the rocker tightly. I also realized through lots of cursing and wasted time that the door striker can be adjusted DOH! Wow that made a really huge difference in how quickly I could get the doors lined up. Once I figured it out, getting them aligned was a piece of cake. Now I am aware that once I assemble the door guts they will be heavier and I will have to re-adjust, but I am going to take this win because the gaps are great and the lines are straight. I also took the opportunity while the quarter panel was off to pull both quarter's together another 1/16th-1/8" inch to get them as close to the factory glass opening width as possible. Pretty much nailed it. I am hoping that the door interior assembly goes smoothly and that the door glass goes into the door seal tightly. Once that is done I'll fit the fenders and hood one last time to make sure everything is straight before I take it all apart again to start welding!

I have the measurements if y'all can wait till later tonight or in the morning so I can make them readable.

Thanks Dave, I'm working on it, but had a few setbacks. I much prefer the days when I was young and invincible... and too dumb to know better.

Decided to finally get around to do a little paint correction, the car had scratches, swirls, and blue and red marks around the car. I washed and clay bared the car then decided to try the Mequiar's DA Microfiber two step detailer. (Correction Compound D300 & Finishing Wax D301). I have read good things about it, and it produces low dust residue when removing the compound. The only thing I did not like was how hard the compound was to buff off. Overall, I liked the product, and the results.

Visited the body shop last week, making good progress. I got my NPD Ford tooling shaker hood and am happy to report that it only needed minor tweaking to get aligned. I also have billet hood hinges, apparently they needed some tweaking, I will report back on that after I go back there on Wednesday. The current work is focused on getting my Maier Racing one piece front spoiler fitted up. That is a very nice piece of work heavy fiberglass, and fits really well. Just a few things to do and it will fit fine. I was at Carlisle Ford show this weekend, and searched for a decent 1970 hood trim piece. As you know, the NOS ones are hard to find and expensive. I did have a good friend offer to let me use his to make sure the hood and headlight trim line up correctly, will be bringing that up there to the body shop on Wednesday. I also will bring my front bumper, and the associated mounting brackets up there to ensure that they clear the spoiler/valence combination and that the bumper lines up correctly. To answer the other questions.... the car will be in the paint booth twice. The first trip will be very soon, and will be the initial prime coat over the body work that has been done. Then, out of the booth, and back into the shop to be block sanded. After that back into the paint booth do do the base coat, hood stripe, and first clearcoat. In the end we will end up with 3 layers of clearcoat. The place that is doing the work is the same shop that painted my '68 coupe. The main business is called Klassic Rides. The shop where my car is located is called GunnerZ, which is a sister business to Klassic Rides. Both are located in Newton, North Carolina. Klassic Rides painted my '68, it needed a lot of work. GunnerZ is primarily paint and body for cars that don't need an extensive amount of work. My car has been "waiting in line" for 8 months to get started. The current wait time is approaching a year. But, my '68 was painted 15 years ago, and the paint job is still flawless. PIcs below of my '68 coupe in 1967 Marina Blue Metallic, a '63 Corvette in my final color of "Sebring Silver", and the ongoing work on the '70 convertible. My guess is that I will have the car back sometime in July or August.

Remember ,the nut tightens to the right so if the clip is in wrong the clip will pop out when tightened

You got skeelz bro.

the replacement clutch setup that went in last year is operating and holding well now. i know i'm shifting at 7800+. i also have the throttle adjusted so it's opening all the way. just trying to find the right time in the next few weeks to get it to the track. except for some shock adjustments and removing the tool kit from the back seat, i will track it just as the car is setup for the street.

Modified my plate with sections of pipe to clear. 3" all the way out.

Maybe you already seen this aftermarket part from Tinman. I just learned of it, so It thought I'd pass it along. https://www.tinmanfabrication.com/products/mustang-convertible-crossover-drive-shaft-loop-1965-1972

Nice work & thanks for sharing the info since this is the carb I might use.

The orange body book shows item number "B" as D0ZB168746 which is a "Type 8" moulding retainer. That is shown on page 248 of the AMK fastener book. Item "C" is show in the body book as part number 384102 S100, which is a hex acorn nut, shown on page 214 of the AMK fastener book.

I would put more caster if you can, not limit it to 3°-3.5°; I have about 7° caster on 2 of my cars that have modified UCAs.

More problems than solutions today. I have 4 issues currently and it's doing my head in. 1. Leaking rear main seal. I used a Scott Drake Boss 302 pan and pickup and didn't think it sealed the rear main real well. It was OK when first started as the oil was new, now it has some miles on it the black stuff is showing. I'm going to hit it with a tube of Dow Corning black silicone which sets firm and is flexible. 2. Bump steer. This one might be self-induced due to an installation issue. While I'm addressing this, I'll drop the oil pan. Don't you love 2-for-1 deals? 3. Leaking headers. Pulled them off 3 times, cut the flange between the ports, used 2 gaskets, still chuffing. Wound up the bolts as tight as I wanted to risk my alloy head threads. Plan A is to give them to the old guy up the road to try and mill the faces flat, as there is at least a 1/16" warp on them. Plan B is to buy FPA ones costing $1,250 for ceramic. The exchange rate for us is 68 cents in the dollar, so that is $1,850 and doesn't include freight or local taxes. Do I really want to spend 2 big ones on pipes??? Plan C is not yet announced. 4. The Holley Sniper. Man, they don't tell you the whole story on the box. "self learning" is actually just the fuel side. While you can control timing of the MSD through the Sniper software, you have to develop a timing map to suit your engine. Otherwise, it drives like a turd with no low down power and a power band a 500cc GP bike would be jealous of. Ask me how I know this. So, I now have to become a tuner, which defeats the purpose of buying this in the first place - I wanted a system that I could bolt on, click a few options and drive happily off into the Sunset. And back again. My first effort sucked, no power off idle and a giant lunge at about 2,000. My second attempt was better, much cleaner power delivery but missing a whole lot when under 2,000 in 4th gear. This thing has a 3.50 gear and little 15" wheels, so it's not unhappy doing that previously. With the old motor and no timing control I could not fault the system and thought it was the best thing. I guess with all things hot rodding you gotta have pain for gain. I'm going to work on 1, 2 and 3 then address 4. I just can't drive with chuf chuf chuf going on.

I had similar hose but higher up. In my case they were for the trailer hitch mount.

IIRC on my Coupe it only has one hole there for the sending unit wire.

Nice. It's shining like a new penny.

From up over the left wheel: left tail light: gas gauge routing: note I have spliced in a gas gauge calibration device here. It’s in the 3d printed box I made for it there. It’s held down by one of the tank bolts. The wood is there to kind of even up the floor for the vinyl this is the running of the tail light harness from the left side headed over to the right side. Hope these help some!!

Oh...the pictures of the front spoiler make it look pretty large. That is because the front bumper is not on. I will post an update once the bumper is on and correctly fitted.

I have a hard time believing they would deform, so I would try mount the "spreader" as far up as possible. More leverage and therefore less actual force at the contact points.

Looking good there Mike. I coated the interior of mine with black rattle can truckbed liner. Stuff is as hard as nails and has a nice mottled finish to hide a lot of the metal unevenness. YMMV…

I’m glad you figured it out mate. It’s been a nightmare that’s for sure. You have patience. It’s a 5 year thread.

OE clips, or your custom made, clips are the way to go. The clip set I bought from NPD were crap, as they spun in the molding. Double checked the part number to make sure they weren't for the C shaped headlight molding, nope. Ended up using my filthy OE clips I saved.

Two thumbs up for following up your thread with what you've found!

I'd uncork the headers and drive up and down the street.

That deserves an extra cuppla beers tonight bloke

Hi Bob, you're correct, it was a previous suggestion. Unfortunately I've had multiple sources of vibration. The rear wheels and tires have been replaced. I have also had the rear wheels balanced three times and was told they were fine. More recently I have been wanting to borrow some wheels to try them out but haven't been able to locate any. Yesterday I used a front wheel but couldn't drive it on the road because the rear wheels won't clear the front guards. Running it on the stands has been avoided more recently because of issues with the neighbors shouting at me. Weird bastards don't like the sweet note of a V8. Yesterday I though I'd ignore them anyway. While I suspect a tire as well, I'm confident it's the drums holes enabling them to be off center. So new drums coming.

My new window finally came in. I gave it a quick measure and its 15" and some change tall, so shouldn't be another fastback one. :D I got all the different parts glued to the window. Then a couple hours later realized I managed to somehow put the front one on backwards. Despite checking it a dozen times and telling myself not to do it, I somehow did it. :D Luckily I caught it while the glue was still not fully cured. I was able to get the bracket off and cleaned up and glued on the correct direction. Something I noticed the first time gluing the bracket on is it was a bit of a chore keeping them from tilting. This time around, I used a couple stakes and a clamp to hold the brackets so they're at least on the same plane with each other. Whether or not that makes a difference, I'll know after the glue dries and I go to put this thing in.

Absolutely amazing!

Ya, I know a couple of guys who are going. I don't really care for the big events, crowds and heavy traffic ain't my thing. It's only about a 3 hour drive, and I've got a buddy who would put me up for the weekend, but that ain't enough to sway me.

I already bought the transmission. The gears are: 3.35, 1.93, 1.26, 1, .068 I have 26" Diameter tires The engine will easily spin up to 6000 RPM in aggressive driving if I put in 5500 rpm shift points this is what it looks like with 3.8 gears For more moderate driving I did the math and these are my speeds at 3,000 RPMs in each gear The different between 3.55 and 3.8 is 1.3 MPH in first but in 5th cruising at 70 MPH is 2184 RPM with 3.55 and 2338 with 3.8 gears. Fifth is not usable at 3.55 until about 65 MPH (2000 RPM) but with 3.8 2000 RPM is 60mph. I think the 3.8 is the best balance of high and low. 3000 RPM Speeds 3.55 3.8 Difference 1st 19.52 18.24 -1.28 2nd 33.88 31.63 -2.25 3rd 51.9 48.48 -3.42 4th 65.39 61.09 -4.3 5th 96.17 89.94 -6.23

Having spent time as a Marine Grunt many moons ago, quotes from Full Metal Jacket have always been near and dear to me. Platoon is another favorite that is full of memorable quotes. Since this is a car forum, I'll pick a quote from the classic Pulp Fiction and clean it up a bit; "What's more chicken than messin' with a man's automobile? I mean, don't mess with another man's vehicle. It's just against the rules".

Manual pitman arm is straight on my 69.

Good advice. I cut all flanges, as there was about 1/16" warp mainly on #7 & #8. Have a slight choof now, I'm hoping as they heat and cycle they will pull in. I've got alloy heads so a bit wary of using a breaker bar to tighten the bolts to bring them in :)

Mounted and waxed and they are pretty ! I even went ahead and trimmed the black pair just because . I would like to make a pair this weekend but i dont know if i will have the time

Update: He replied back to me on Youtube, and I was able to purchase a set of plans. I should have them this week, and I'll report back.

PS Mach 1 rocker installed.

Decided to work on the MACH 1 trim. They where not on the car when I bought it. Luckily all the pieces where there, just scratched up. I took some steel wool, and cleaned up the MACH 1 down to the bare metal. Then Masked those letters, scuffed, primed, painted. The paint is Krylon Metallic dark metal #2769, and the Krylon clear coat on top. I think this color works well with the wheels. The Chrome strips where in ok shape, I might replace them, but they will work for now. All the studs had to be repaired, so I drilled them out, and epoxied some bolt onto the trim. As for the clips, I was able to find some at NAPA #665-1917 that worked.

I'll make a parts list and take some more I'll be happy to post more info on my trunk finish out. Don't be afraid of the trunk money... . Most of the time he is on the laptop and can be distracted easily. Here is more info on the overflow bottle - link

I have been wanting a belt grinder, ok I have a belt grinder but I have wanted a specific type of belt grinder. so I finally broke down and built one. the vac base was a $40 swap meet find. all the steel was free, salvaged from other stuff. I can’t allow new or slightly used steel tubing go to scrap if I see it’s usable. the motor was free. the paint I already had. the wheels I bought, was planning to make them but I wanted to move this along. still need to buy the VFD

Cleaned out the trunk from when we moved the Mustang to Virginia & started to work on the wiring in the trunk. @JayEstes your Coupe looks great.

So I never posted it in this thread but it was at that point that I was taking it to get the AC system charged and it backed into a tree damaging the passenger door, front fender and ripping the side mirror off. I couldn't even look at the car for a few weeks. I took it to a couple shows with the dents and then I got in touch with a new body shop since the one I was waiting on was taking forever and it ihas been at that shop since Feb 2023. The engine was pulled and inspected and found to not be the original 302 block so I sold it and the transmission. Will be installing a built T5 and the plan is to build a roller 351W with stock bottom end and new intake, headers and carb. I already have the carb.

Where's the drool emogi when you need it.

two pics from back in may of 2022 at a local event. My dad drove the falcon and i drove the mustang. it was great to have my dad take a car and have two hot rods there.

Jay, is that the reverse light wire going through the hole above frame rail on this picture? There should not be any wires going through that hole, reverse light wires goes out through holes towards the back bottom of trunk drop off.

Spent 3 hours chasing nothing. Few days ago I put a new temp gauge in, cleaned the thread sealer out of the sender. All working, tick it off. Yesterday, went for a drive, lit it up in 1st and 2nd, temp gauge stops working. Ok, maybe a wire is crimped or fell off (it has an aftermarket dash voltage reg). Check resistance on sender, wiring loom, gauge. Seems to check out, except I made a rookie mistake and checked resistance across the gauge, not gauge to cluster chassis. Pull the cluster apart, check it all, reassemble. Confirm no shorts. Put the cluster back, plug it in. No temp gauge. (I know what y'all are thinking by now). Recheck it all. No electrickery leaks anywhere. Ground sender wire, gauge goes to the moon. Y'all are right.... Get 15/16" ring open end spanner. Haul on the sender and bush. Temp gauge works. Who woulda thought banging gears could affect the ground of a engine temperature sensor????