danno

Does this mean you need to count the teeth? That can be a real tedious process. beer helps.

If you are having a hard time starting the motor when hot, I would think replacing the starter is chasing the wrong problem. If the starter does not have the same power when hot, the odds are it could be something else is contributing to issue that is not the starter. Perhaps there is a weak connection somewhere that gets weaker when hot? The problem certainly could be the starter, but it might not be. I had a similar problem. I attached a wire from the connection on the starter to the plus side of a voltmeter, and connected the negative side of the voltmeter to the engine block header bolts. I could see the voltage during cranking was dropping significantly. I had a bad starter solenoid. Consider vapor lock or a gas issue that could be the problem. A new starter will not solve that problem.

I might be able to get another one. I will check.

I also have one from a 69. I do not think the push rods can easily be swapped. I had no idea Napa would rebuild them, and that price seems extremely low. West Coast Cougars charges about $200. You could buy my 69 for $30 and get it rebuilt for $42?

You know, the car you have could be more rare than the high power cars. It is great that you are sticking with it and trying to find a solution. Unfortunately, I cannot help with your search, but I am encouraging the effort. The only solution I might have is West Coast Classic Cougars. Send them an email, it costs zero. Some of the people there really like a challenge.

I am with you, I know how this can happen. A similar thing happened to me with steering. This time fate ( or some higher power) was on your side. So glad to hear of a good outcome to a potential disaster.

Or repair the one you have. I would guess if you asked, there are a hundred of us on this forum who have extra parts like this laying around. I might also have spares. YOu should ask in the parts for sale and needed section of this forum.

I did pretty much the same thing. Added it to existing wires and hooked it up just like the headlight relay. Looking back, it would have been better to add it with the headlight relay, it would have been easier.

For the radiator, I just bought one from CJ Pony parts. It looks very much like the one you found, but about $200 cheaper. Sometimes you pay for what you get, and the one you found could be a much higher quality product, but how would we know? For the AC, if you are going to go to all the trouble of a new system, I suggest the original Ford factory installed one. You can find the parts, but it is a huge task to install it all. In the long run, I think you will be happier with the clean look of it. For the heater hose, you do not need it connected at all. Mine has been disconnected for years.

BTW, my 69 convertible is also Candy Apple Red. It sucks the juice right out of my checking account, but it is worth it. Stick with the red!

Time for a Road trip!

Finally my wild ass guess is correct! You have large voltage drop probably in the fuse block connections. Those can become corroded, and corrision is a poor conductor. The connection is resistive, and the more current through it, the more the voltage drop. You turn on the turn signals or back up lights, and the radio cuts out. You might remove the fuse block from the firewall with the bolt in the center, and look at the wires on the back. If they are fine, you might have a simple fix. If you have a Dremel tool, it has a very small wire wheel that can be used on the connections the fuse make. Remove the fuse and polish the connections it makes. Getting a voltmeter and making checks of voltages would certainly help solve the problem. But it looks like the voltage to the radio circuit is dropping, and it is becuase of high resistance in either the wires. fuse, or connections. My next wild ass guess is to repaint your car. The red is sucking juice. Paint it green, it never sucks.

You could check with Tim Baxter at Baxter Classic cars in Shell lake, WI. 715 468 4451. He might have one, but shipping will be an issue. It is worth a call. Tell him Dan from Minneapolis with a 69 convertible gave you the connection.

From my investigations about the horn, the problem is usually in the steering column. It might have poor connections between the turn signal switch and steering wheel, and poor connections in the horn switch. I do not think it is the wires ( although it could be). The solution is to add a horn relay, just like the headlight relay. If your original harness is good, I would not hack into it. The headlight and horn relays can be added as additional harnesses.

Dog on it, I was slow in responding again. I was going to make the suggestion that the motor was not getting the full voltage. This actually could happen, just like the dim headlights on most of your cars. But if yours is working well, then it is getting full voltage. If there is 14 volts on the battery, there could be 11 volts at the wiper motor, which would cause it to run slow. I have not heard of this ever being a problem, but it could happen. In my car the voltage to the headlights was 11 volts when the battery was 14. So I added the headlight relay. My horn would not work because it was not getting enough voltage, so I added a horn relay. The wiper will be next? Congrats on yours, now move on to the other 6,234 problems.

I am not aware of any value in an original dealer installed AC. It is unique. If you are going to drop a lot of cash into it, though, consider obtaining the parts for factory AC. It is a large job to get all the correct parts and install them, but then you have it done. I know of a few junked cars in Minnesota that have the AC parts, so I know they are available.

You have done your homework, you get an B+ so far. I also have a 69 vert loaded with options, including deluxe interior. All the features of a Grande can be ordered as separate options, except the Grande emblems. I think they had a unique vinyl top, but that is all. Yours obviously does not have the vinyl top. Another place to look for evidence is under the carpet. In mine, I found the original factory build sheet. It is in rough shape, but I have it. You need to take the seats out and I think it was under the carpet in the back seat. Otherwise, the Marti will tell a lot. The restomod vs original is a tough choice. The only reason for keeping it original is to win contests and car shows. If you want a fun and safe car to drive daily, go for the modifications. I went with the modifications, including the best one, power rack and pinion steering. Good luck, reach out to us with questions. Danno

Mach1, I agree completely. For the first few seconds, as the bimetal is heating, it applies 12 volts to the gauges. This allows them to respond quickly. Then the regulator starts switching on and off, creating an average of 5 volts. There is a way to do the same thing with a solid state regulator. Put a capacitor on the regulator pin of a LM317, so initially it is a higher voltage output. Then as the capacitor charges, the voltage drops to 5volts. I wonder if anyone has tried this? Maybe I should? Have you ever used a LM317?

Is that Uncle Bob's monkey?

I also have an Uncle Bob and and Aunt Bee. Her knees are weak and a single strand...

I also have Hagerty. You must have a different car that is your primary daily driver, but they have no way to know how much and where you are driving it. I think you can typically only buy it from an agent that sells you the insurance on your primary car. That is how they know it is not your primary car. My last renew price was $288 for the year ( not 6 months) for full coverage. That is 250,000 liability limit and 1000 collision deductible in Minnesota. I have AAA towing insurance for roadside assistance. $62 per year for any car I am driving or a passenger in.

I think I have one, if you still need it.

I will send a private message

I had the z-lok system installed, but for me it was too much trouble. If anyone wants my system, you can buy mine cheap.

How about the back up lights?? Turn on the radio and put the tranny in reverse. Does putting it in reverse cause the radio to stop? Look at the back up lights while the turn signals are operating, and see if they go dim when the turn signals lights are illuminated. I have seen the spring contacts in the fuse box go bad, as suggested. I used old battery acid (sulfuric) to clean mine. but you need to be careful with that and flush it all off when done. I once left some fuse contacts in overnight, and they were dissolved into the acid the next day. There could be more gentle acids, like what is in metal polishes. Do you have a voltmeter? Put it on the radio and see what it is when you turn on the back up lights or turn signals. You should not see the voltage drop when you do this.