Wycked69

It works this way, there should be around a 5/32" gap between both sides of the hood and the fenders . Once this gap is set, the clearance between the fender and the ends of the cowl will be whatever it will be and it can not be altered.

If you do run the 351c the #1 piece of advice I could give you is ditch the stock valves and go with one-piece units. You may never have a problem with the stock valves but I've heard too many horror stories about the heads popping off and trashing the engine. Also, make sure to have the block sonic checked to determine if it's safe to overbore.

Many places sell the boss 429 scoop replica and I'm sure they all differ in some way. My brother bought one for his 69 that has a lower height than the normal boss scoop.
 
For me, its an acquired taste. I don't care for it myself but it fits the Boss 429 personality. I always thought it looked like an after thought as if someone cut the handle off an old coal shovel.

You might find it less stressful if you can fill your carb bowls with fuel first.
 
I'm not recommending this but its what I have done.
 
I've often found that after replacing the main fuel line and tank that your asking a lot for that little pump to draw the fuel up through the main line. I often slip the flex line off at the fuel pump and put in a jug. I go to the tank opening with a compressed air nozzle and a rag and apply pressure to the tank for about 2 seconds and it will push the fuel up through the line. its a 2-buddy system so your buddy should be at the other end and have something to pinch the rubber fuel line closed once it starts coming through into the jug so it does not siphon. Slip the line back on the fuel pump and your good to go.
 
Filling your fuel bowls and main fuel line reduces the constant cranking trying to get fuel to the carb.

That is sad news. My deepest sympathy goes out to his family.
Chris had a good thing going with his DiNOC inserts. I bought several pieces of his wood grain inserts which were spot on. Nobody has or was doing what he was doing.

Thanks Ridge, yes I did those. It was my first shot at it and I even impressed myself. I learned some things while doing the instrument side that helped on the clock panel. To me, the clock panel is most difficult and especially the recessed part where the emblem lays. I actually did the clock panel twice as I had problems in the recessed area. You have to be careful not to get an air bubble trapped in there while forming the impression.
 
I have another set to do for a friend in a couple months when he's ready and maybe I can take some step by step photo's then.
 
I think its important to have the part properly cleaned and prepped. I only applied etching primer to the back side of the panels and left the front side bare metal where I then applied the recommended 3M DiNOC primer. I also applied the edge sealer in areas where the edges of the DiNOC would end. The rest is just taking your time and not rushing anything. I used whole sheets and trimmed as I went along.

I've always wanted to have somesort of list i could use when i go to the pick n pulls to be on the look out for cheap upgrades. So far i only have GT40 heads and rear disc brakes from an explorer, does anybody else have something they want to share?

I've bought the "off the shelf" hinge rebuild kit but have found all to often the hinge itself was so neglected that the replacement bushings in the rebuild kit fit poorly. The last set of OEM hinges I rebuilt I set up in a mill and reamed the hinge hole oversize. I machined new oversized bushings and pressed them in, reamed the I.D. for the new pin and assembled them. Overkill by some standards but I like a firm OEM hinge.  
 
Just my preference

You can also check out "Right Stuff" detailing out of Columbus Oh. They have a pretty nice set up that will work with you original emergency brake cable system.  http://www.getdiscbrakes.com/zdcrd02z
 
Which brings me to a couple of things you need to consider when converting rear drum to disc.
 
Emergency Brake:
Many of the conversion kits do not mention or advise how you go about installing/using your emergency brake system. Many don't always make provision for this and you will wind up having to fabricate some things (more than you may wish)
 
Brake Lines:
Your drum brakes were plumbed with hard line right up to the wheel cylinder. Your disk brakes will most likely require a flexible line between the caliper and the hard line. You may have to fabricate a bracket for mounting the flex line where it will connect to a hard line.
 
Master Cylinder:
Your master cylinder will have to be changed to match your brake set up. If all four wheels are now going to be a disc brake setup, you will need a disc/disc master cylinder. This also means your original "combo" valve arrangement may have to be changed as well to match your brake configuration.
 
Al this being said, rear disk brakes do not do much more than provide for an appearance versus increased stopping power. Unless you are into some serious racing, I doubt you would notice any difference in stopping power. I'm not an expert, just a "been there - done that" type of opinion.

Not trying to defend Laurel Mountain here as I would think they would make a better effort to satisfy the customer BUT,............. most places post their return policy and as consumers we need to pay close attention to this. Laurel Mountain has a clear and specific return policy. I bring this point up because as consumers, we tend to neglect the "fine print" and often assume vendors will always do what we perceive is the "right thing". 
 
You don't mention how long after you received this item before you contacted them with the issue. Again, I'm not defending LM as I can truly feel your pain. I have a habit of buying parts I need due to sales, promotions and so forth but never get around to using or installing them till 6 months later. Makes it hard for me to go back and get it corrected and I usually kick myself for not inspecting things when they arrive.
 
On a separate note, Have you ever bought a TV from Best Buy and then try to take it back a month later without the box? You pretty much get nowhere.

Good question, Looking at how the two halves are assembled It appears the center shaft is "swagged" on the bottom side to hold the two sections together. Therefore, having to use a countersink bit of some type to remove the swagged portion would not leave you with the ability to retain the use of the center section when reassembling and would require a new center section to be machined. 
 
If you take it apart, please post photo's as it makes me curious if it has rubber O-rings or rubber wipers to create a seal in order to maintain vacuum.
 
"Inquiring minds want to know"

I'm sure we have all asked this question multiple times but has anyone heard if someone is looking to produce the stainless steel roof rail weatherstrip channel for the 69 - 70 sportsroof and or possible the 65-66 fastback. They make them for the 67-68 as I installed a new set on my car and they fit better than I thought. 
 
But in this day and age when more than one company is making parts for these cars, why in the world have "they" still not made these parts available. There has t be a market for hem considering all the restorations going on. I've talked with a number of people and they all agree they would pay good money for a quality set as often originals are beat up, tore, and distorted. All because no repo is available are available.
 
I've not even heard a good rumor regarding the making of these by anyone.

I'm currently helping my brother with the restore and slight modification of his 69 Mach I. We are 3 + years into this extensive restoration and expect to be finished up by Aug / Sept. this year (maybe) Today we were fitting the rear bumper to make sure it aligns properly and discovered his new "repo" bumper has the chrome flaking off at one end near the quarter extension. He bought this at CJ's and he is convinced they only sell cheapo bumpers. He cant return it as he bought about a year ago so he's going to buy another. He is asking me who makes the best quality repo bumper (rear) and who might be some of the typical resellers. Your experienced and expert advice is greatly appreciated.
 
P.S. He's not interested in having an original bumper reworked and re-chromed.