Flanders

I second toploaderheaven.com (Mark Hammons). I just finished rebuilding mine last week. Very straightforward, and pretty good .pdf instructions. I had no problems taking mine apart or putting it back together, aside from trying to find a pair of snap ring pliers that worked :D I've also ordered a few parts from David Kee (http://www.4speedtoploaders.com/ ) and he's a toploader god as well. I have heard nothing but good reviews about his kit too. That said, I can't make any comments first hand about the instructions -- I went with toploaderheaven as I was sold on all the step-by-step pictures that were included in the CD. ps. Your engine looks great!

did the walls learn some new swears over the weekend? :-)

black! It matches the car much better, IMO.

unfrozen1969 -- another Ottawan! I'll have to see you around sometime, once the snow melts! Santa got me new valve covers, plug wires, a new Holley carb, and a nice Revell plastic car model of a 69 mach 1 that will keep me busy for the next little while! Merry x-mas everyone!

thanks guys! Great pics!

hm. it wouldn't be too hard to black out the rest of that round one!

Can some people post their engine bay shots, with non-shaker hoods? I'm in need of an air filter cover. Specifically, one that goes with my valve covers: (powdercoated black with polished alum fins + letters) I like the black oval covers with polished fins and the word COBRA on them, but I don't want COBRA on my engine. I don't live near a performance shop so going window shopping is not an option. Can I see some engine bay / air filter pics? And nope, I'm not interested in re-using the stock snorkel. THANKS!

that looks great!

this thread needs more pics!

I vote interior. I've driven in my vehicles with gutted interiors (nothing but a drivers seat + dash) and you literally are driving around in a tin can with wheels. Very loud and tinny! Putting sound deadener and the interior back in makes it 100x better.

I'd dare say that the 1/8" difference is well within the margin of error allowed by the ford employee who was in charge of drilling the original holes!

recommendations for a stock clutch replacement? Not looking for anything with more holding power...can one still buy OEM?

I've got my engine and transmission out (doing a rebuild with toploaderheaven.com kit) and I'm wondering if I should be changing my clutch disc before I put everything back together. The disc doesn't look too bad to me (a non-experienced eye), and the clutch wasn't slipping at all before I took things apart. Is it a decent idea to replace the clutch disc, while I'm in there? I'd like to avoid having to take the engine/tranny out for a looooong time, so I'm making an effort to replace some of these things now before they get a chance to fail or get noisy (ie. I'm replacing the throw-out bearing too)

I like it. The design keeps getting more 'modern' in my opinion -- it sure as heck makes the roads more interesting, rather than having to stare at a sea of plain old Cruze's, Camry's, Civic's, Corolla's and mini-vans.

wow that looks fantastic! Great job!

slight tangent here ---- stands-R-me: where did you get your side stripe from (mach1 style with GT) ?

So I removed my chrome trim (rear window, fastback) last night, and found I had NO sealer whatsoever in there. Anywhere. It's no wonder my rear window leaked like a #@$%'er when it was washed or raining. My glass and new rubber gasket is already in place, so I was going to 'lift' up the rubber gasket and squirt some sealant in there between the glass and rubber (it's pretty easy for me to peel it back and see the edge of the glass. However, I'm now leaning towards gooping a LOT of sealer between the rubber gasket and the car. More than what Mach1Rider suggests. If there was only sealer inside the gasket (where it's inserted in the pinch weld) then there is still an "air gap" between the rubber and the metal (the gap would be hidden under the chrome trim). I'm concerned water will pool in here, and ultimately this will cause some rust problems, like this: If I fill up the gap with sealer, it will keep all water out of there, not giving it a chance to pool anywhere. This is a pic of the front window (smaller gap than the back), but you get the idea. LOTS of sealant between the gasket and metal:

Is it possible to replace the exhaust with a stock exhaust (or a few generic mufflers welded together ;) ) for the test only? And then go back to the magnaflow after the test?

I'm not sure how it works in the US, but just because you get to "pick" the value of the car doesn't necessarily mean that's how much you'll get in the case of a total loss (ie. fire) here in Canada. Insurance endorsement 19 says that the "agreed value" of the car might be less, since the car depreciates and the value goes down as you're driving it (even though, yes, the car appreciates in value over time). Endorsement 19A guarantees the full replacement value of the car, but this requires an insurance appraisal to get the real value of the car. Hagerty seems to be pretty decent with honoring the "agreed value" of the car, but without a policy with a formal appraisal (updated every few years) I'd say it's pretty tough to get a 100% guarantee as to what the total replacement value is. That said, Hagerty in Canada does offer a 19A endorsement, which guarantees the replacement value. Oddly enough, the guaranteed replacement value is the "agreed value" of the car -- although I did supply an appraisal report even though they didn't request it. Google "difference between 19 and 19A insurance endorsement". You want to make sure you've got a 19A for your collector car.

I thought mine had a return spring on it... Any chance someone can post a pic of theirs?

My original one is a bit "tired". I was going to cut a few speaker holes in it and then glue (headliner glue) some black fabric on it. Not quite what you're asking, but in my head I think it'll turn out great.

thanks folks -- Pakrat, the engine is out. Actually, I was going through some of your old threads for some tips too! I wasn't sure about the primer, so looks like I'll skip it. I think I'll go with a clearcoat on top of the paint. I believe one of your old posts mentioned you did this -- how has it held up?

I realize that lots of time on "prep" is worth the effort in the long run. That said, what's the standard prep for painting an engine? Does it need to be sanded/scraped down to bare metal? Or just fully degreased and then the high-temp paint goes on top? Is it worth putting a coat of primer on first? My block is a mix of old paint, bare metal, and some spots with surface rust. I wasn't planning on sanding it all down to bare metal, but having never done this, I'm not sure!

This? http://www.themustangshop.ca/product/6509549/300477 The threaded one for the ignition is this: http://www.themustangshop.ca/product/302142/300477

sounds logical -- http://www.verrill.com/moto/sellingguide/sparkplugs/plugcolorchart.htm this is the chart I grew up with, so excuse me if I'm puzzled!