JayEstes

OK, here is a challenge guys. I've taken the photo I have and numbered all the bolt holes (almost 50 holes!). The thinking is we can label all of the holes, and have a reference for what each is for, and we can verify the holes are stock or mod by using this simple map. I'm making the assertion that the fender shown is stock (based on the fact it has not been damaged, repaired are had mod work) and the VIN matches the VIN on the dash. Some are easy, some are not. The view is obviously from the external side of left front, with everything removed. Help me get the wording for each correct, so it's clear what we are looking at. here is an obvious start: 22) Fwd Upper Control Arm (UCA) mounting hole in shock tower 23) Aft Upper Control Arm (UCA) mounting hole in shock tower Any show-offs out there can name all of them??? Thanks, Jay PS. if this exists somewhere out in the internet, please just point me there now, and save us all time...

Hey JT- Thanks, I was pretty thrilled with how the photo looked. It actually came out better than I was expecting. As for the holes, I will say this- the fender is original. The VIN stamp matches the other fender and the dash VIN. There have been no accidents to this area, and no major repairs. I am I believe the third owner (my uncle being the second, and I acquired from him in 1980) I drove it for 10 yrs, and the poor thing has been garaged for 20). So the fender is original. I recently tore into it and began the restore, and there were no mods for unique items or aftermarket things, SO - I believe the fender is very close if not identical to original. At this point it would be nice to be able to go back and label what each hole is for, but I don't think I can. (Hmm, if I numbered them, I wonder how many people on this forum could label??? That would make a GREAT reference for us restorers!) Anyway, you cant go TOO wrong using this fender. It's had no major damage, repair, or aftermarket add, so it should be a very good reference for that! Jay

Someone on here (or another forum) has done just that. Get a thin mirror and glue it right on the surface of the old one. Report was excellent, and you couldn't tell, but YMMV...

Thanks guys, Thats several thumbs up for 3M, and a worry on the bed liner. Think I'll go get me some 3M. Can anyone tell me if it's good to go right on the bare primer? anything else I need to do to prep for the 3M? Thanks for your thoughts! If anyone else has some - leave them please. Collectively, you guys are genius! Jay PS - Shelby: I think the "floating frame effect" is due to the fact that that visible jack stand is a "safety jack-stand", just there in case the real one (off to the right and further back in the photo) gets kicked out. So no weight on the visible one! The photo technique though worked REALLY well for getting at details on a dark surface (and showing nothing else). I think it's actually easier to see the detail in that pic than just walking up to it in the shop now!

I've finally completed the cleaning/prep for the DS front wheel well and got the first good coat of primer on there. I'm using black primer so I was having trouble getting a good photo (to show off). So, i set my "good camera" (Canon XTi) for a 5sec shutter speed, turned off the shop lights, tripped the shutter, and while the shutter was open, I "painted" the wheel well with my LED wand light back and forth. The pic came out great! Much to my surprise. Anyway, proud of this little accomplishment- the wheel well was a big mess when I got in there (fortunately I didn't really have any rust issues to deal with except in the trough at the bottom of that shock tower). OK- so on to the question: How best to protect this area from future rust/corrosion? I've had the idea I could: 1) paint with semi-gloss enamel - couple of really good coats, and leave it 2) same as 1) except add spray application truck bed liner (black) 3) apply truck bed liner directly to primer So, what do you guys think? What are your general thoughts on truck bed liner in a wheel well? Any thoughts on issues with using it I haven't thought of? I love the toughness of this material, and the fact that it also seals some lap-joint welds, and provides some sound dampening characteristics. Give me your opinions on my options here. Thanks in advance. Jay

you know, if you want to pop the pistons without the explosive force of air (and don't mind some cleanup), I got a cheap tube of grease for my grease gun, and threaded the grease gun into the brake fluid inlet (threads happened to match). Couple dozen pumps of the gun, and the piston comes out nice and slow. Of course, then you've got a big ole glop of grease to clean out/throw away. It's more gentle, but takes longer and needs some cleanup. Easy to do though. I'd really recommend replacing all the rubber - it's like $5 or something.... Jay

Hey all- I have tons of nuts bolts washers as I am going thru the restore, and I am curious what the best way to clean them, and shine them up is? I know you can wire brush, use thinner etc, but some are really small. Seems to me I could use some kind of tumbler I could put them in with solvent, and let them tumble for a while with some media that would get them good as new. Do any of you guys do anything like that? Thanks for any suggestions. Jay

Any chance that thing is related to the seats, or how they attach to the car? Also wondering about brackets that hold the ends of the steel dash. Just above the vents on the kick panels up front? Just guessing. I think most of us naturally want to think exterior parts, but I'm guessing it's interior.... How big is it really? We may be being fooled by size in the picture....

The kits are really great, but lets face it, if you are on a budget, they might not feel the greatest on your pocket ($300-$500). Here some thoughts, looking at the pic above (some guessing involved). The UCA pic is a 4 bolt ball joint. I suspect that joint is gone, as the boot which holds the grease is gone. But you can replace the ball joint for ~$25 (maybe less if you shop around): http://www.laurelmountainmustang.com/products/65-73-4-bolt-upper-ball-joint http://www.autopartswarehouse.com/details/QQFordQQMustangQQMoogQQBall_JointQQ19651969QQMOK8036.html?apwcid=P1135867996W43b3f85c7ab9e&apwid49zfAv8 On the UCA, it's very hard to know the condition of the rotation point where it mounts to the shock tower. I thought mine were good until they were off the car AND I disassembled the rotation nuts from the sides of the UCA. Then I found that the threads which fasten the nuts to the UCA were worn out, and could no longer be tightened. But... You could just go grease the UCA mounts really well, there are no rubber boots on that joint, & replace the ball joint, live with the spring perch as is (maybe a touch of oil to help it move), and see how it goes. Total UCA cost less $30/side. The tie-rod to spindle joint looks like it might be ok. Just clean it up and grease it good, the boot looks to still be usable from what I can see. (no cost) The centerlink joint boot looks shot, so replace the boot and grease it (<$10) The sway bar is a really cheap fix. both end link bushing kit for $10 (includes bushings, bolt, washers). Another $10 will replace the rubber bushings on the vehicle frame (but these don't wear as much as the others. take the sway bar completely off, wire brush it, and even paint it, then $20 worth of kits and it's brand new. http://stang-aholics.com/ShowItem/107073%2068-73%20Sway%20Bar%20End%20Link%20Kit.aspx You will probably need new LCA's these take a lot and the ball-joint is usually made as a part of the arm (riveted on). about $35 for each. Point is, you could fix a LOT of that for not that much money ($150 maybe for all). It gets you out of having to do the shelby-drop (only template cost), the spring perches ($25/side), and upper UCA arms (all new about $60/side). You should do those 3 together whenever you do go in that deep. Just thoughts. See what you think. Jay

Finally - a stance that looks like it has some muscle! So many folks these days want to cut coils off and lower these cars to where the wheels are up in the fenders. That coupe looks like it has a very healthy stance. Love the black wheels too. very nice. Still waiting on the answer on those 1/4 window chrome accents. Mine need to be replaced too..... J

I've had another thought, turning from safety to reliability a bit. Seems to me if you can increase reliability, it might keep him from getting stuck somewhere on the side of the road. So electronic ignition might be a good add? I recently had an event where the distributor got wet, and the engine died (heater hose blew and sprayed water/antifreeze everywhere).... quite a normal thing if you get that much water on it, but what about these new electronic ignition systems? Can they take the water? Are they waterproof, or do you get to buy a new one if it gets soaked??? I know they can get the timing perfect and with no points you don't have to worry about wear or things that change over time. I haven't researched this much - I am curious what you all think about electronic distributors? Is this a good add to increase reliability (reduce risk of getting stuck with wet distributor)

Danno- thx for the pix. Looks like a great setup. The only thing I'd have to work on is the bracket. I don't have access to a welder, (nor do I weld) so that would be something for me to figure out, but installed, it looks just terrific.

Love all these idea guys! I have already pulled the trigger on the LED tail lights. Yes, we went for the sequential.... gimmicky maybe, but "cool" if you are 14 (I like it too). We install this weekend, so will show pics of before and after, so any interested will be able to tell the difference in brightness. This car we have is a stock 302/2V (does have a Holley carb upgrade) with a C4 trans - so while it is a powerful car (sounds great too with long tri-y's on it!) - it's not a real speed demon off the line. It of course can get going plenty fast, that's why I have rebuilt the front suspension, and put in new brakes. I don't think a accel-governor would do too much to help really - it's after you get it rolling when it's more dangerous. On the headlights, I found exactly what I want: http://www.mustangproject.com/ProductDisplay.aspx?ID=ea5a020a-f86a-4f16-a235-cb055ef13504 BUT, that is ridiculous expensive, so we wont be getting that, unfortunately I don't think. Although, one might argue that for essentially the same price as rear disc brakes, those cool new LED headlights provide more safety. Hard to compare the safety of brakes vs lights really, but those LEDs look perfect. I wish they would just start mass producing them to drive the costs down - they look too good to be true at 10% the energy drain, many times as bright, instant on, cool, and producing perfect rectangular beams which can be kept out of other drivers eyes. They also look like they weight about 6oz... amazing in any case. I really like the seatbelt solutions. especially the "hidden one" - I wouldn't be afraid of doing that, but the rear interior panels on the car wont support that install on our 71. Danno - would love to see pics of your seatbelt install if you don't mind. I also really like the idea of side impact beams. Roll cage is pretty radical - headliner etc is in great shape so would hate to go in there and screw around that much right now. BUT, has anyone put in side impact beams in the doors per that suggestion? Seems relatively easy, could add sound deadening while in there, and invisible to appearance. If anyone has any experience/thoughts there, I'd like to hear more. I'm gonna go have a look and see what it might mean & how it might be engineered in.. Great options guys. I really love this forum - I find it extremely helpful and I feel like I can get any issue/concern solved here in short order. Thank you so much for everyones help! Jay

Thanks for the replies all. The headlights and tail lights are a great idea. I've found HID lights to be *really* expensive on my new toyota (try $120 for a bulb). I'll have to look into this to see what cost I might be getting into. Are there LED headlight options, or just not bright enough? I also will be teaching him to drive it long before he can go on the road with it. I hope to spend quite a few hours in big parking lots, etc. The steering systems are a bit more radical. I have very little to complain about on the stock power steering system with this car, so doing something radical like rack-n-pinon doesn't seem to be warranted. I've got very little slack, and plenty of response from the wheel. Has anyone put any of these aftermarket 3pt shoulder belts in? I'd appreciate some pics/experiences if you have. Thanks for all the help! J

All, I am in the midst of restoring my 69 coupe, and my 14 yr old son has been having a great time helping me. So much so that he began to want to have his "own" car (I kept telling him he wasn't stealing my baby..) As fortune would have it, a beautiful 71 coupe popped up for sale locally. Great shape, good driver, and many,many parts in common with my 69. So - being the "coolest dad ever", I snatched up the vehicle, and well now I am wanting to make this the safest mustang ever when he starts driving next year. So far, on suspension we have replaced front bearings, front strut bushings, both lower control arms including ball joints, and all 4 shocks. We also got a good alignment. We replaced the master cylinder and already have front disc brakes, which now has good hard pedal. I'm considering putting disc brakes on the back, but it's a $500 upgrade, and frankly, the current system can lock em up, so I'm not sure how much of an improvement that is for the money. I'm not afraid of the work however - looks like it would be fun. I want to put a great set of shoulder belts in (it has some old stock shoulder straps -no retractor- which clip into the lap belt) , but don't know what kind to get. It's got the tiny chrome round bullet mirrors, which I would like to replace with something a little larger. But what else? How can I make this car safer for my son? The coolest dad would quickly turn into the saddest dad if his kid gets hurt in this car. The car starts/runs great, steering has very little slack, and the braking is smooth/straight. I'd like to hear all your ideas for safety improvements. Aftermarket and all. Thanks for the help! Jay

Yes - good advice. I went and looked at how it is mounted, and I retract my previous advice to pull while on the car. The front bumpers bolt up to nice strong frame up front, and for whatever reason I was thinking these did too - but they dont. They mount to that tail light panel. Now, there is a welded stiffener right between the bolts that stiffens this area, but it sure looks insufficient for what we are talking about here. This area is one of the more rust prone areas too, so if you have any rust there that makes that idea a bad one. So- thanks to Drastik for setting me straight. I'll chalk it up to "brainstorming from the couch" (without really thinking it through and checking it first). But, in my opinion, setting weight on while it is on the floor is probably NOT going to do anything. To get the bend out, you have to get the material to yield slightly, which means pulling it a little past the position you want, and then when released, the elastic (reversible) bend relaxes to leave the bumper in the final position you want. Anyway- good luck, let us know how you close it out. Jay

If that bumper is otherwise acceptable in your eyes, it might be possible to take it off, put it in a large support or otherwise really solid base such as some concrete supports and "rebending" it to remove or reverse the curve. Think like using your hydraulic jack to push near the center while the ends are restrained. You will of course have to be careful how you hold and apply the pressure. But, the bumper is long enough you should be able to apply enough force to bend it. Anyway, just thoughts. If you are down for buying a new one anyway and have some time to play it might work. I'd make some measurements before starting and continually check it in between application of bending loads. Another choice might be to leave it in place, and use a come-along anchored to a solid base to pull the bumper near the center. I'd try to put a block of wood behind the bumper to protect the edges. You just need to be able to apply the forces gradually. You might even call a bodyshop to see if they can manage something like that.

Thats good info Wook. When you say "one of the stiffeners", it looks like the kind you bought are several (4?) small notched rubber coil spacers. Seems like a very simple concept, but I would assume you need at least one of them on aft side of the coil and one on the forward side? maybe inside/outside? Maybe you put 4 of them on (fwd-inside-aft-outside)? What did you mean by "one of them"? Also, took "some trimming"? Can you explain? A picture would be worth 1000 words here, but any hints you can give me would be greatly appreciated. Given the extremely low cost, I think I am going to order some and figure it out myself.... Thanks for the posts, though, this is helping me with a similar problem on a daily driver 71 that has some rubbing issues.... Jay

Are there any spacers available on the market somewhere that you can put under the spring (like a huge steel washer) that would raise the fender?

Interesting thought. I can see how that could affect things. My recollection of the spring perches though, is that there is a specific location for the end of the spring? Perhaps that can be rotated? Mine are out now, so I'll have to go have a look.

I have a similar issue on my 71. The PO put 15x8's up front, with 235 60's on them. They look great, but the pass side has a rubbing issue. I recently "rolled the fender" on the pass side, and it has greatly helped with the rub issue there. It is odd the drivers side on that car doesn't have the rub issue, but the pass side does. Reverse problem for your car. I'd also like to hear anything folks think could cause a half-inch -or so- difference in ride height from one side to the other? Is there really that much variation in these systems? Any opinions? I have also considered using air-shocks to simply increase the overall ride height to avoid the rub. I'm not sure this is a good solution, but it is cheaper than most other options... Wookie- for you I'd recommend a fender roll or air shock to lift the ride a bit - but I don't know anything about spring stiffeners.. so can't help there. J

Has anyone out there run a small string of dim LED's up behind the dash for a courtesy light? I've been thinking of doing that jsut for a coolness factor. Would want to do something completely "reversible" so you could take it out later and no one would know. Any other ideas out there?

An internet search on mustang wheel "fitment" will give you lots of hits on good info about different tires/wheels etc - like these: http://www.mustangmonthly.com/techarticles/mump_0507_ford_mustang_large_wheels_fit/viewall.html http://www.mustang50magazine.com/techarticles/m5lp_0612_wheel_and_tire_guide/viewall.html http://www.dodgestang.com/Tire%20Fitment%20Guide%2069-70.pdf Seems to be a gillion options.

Anyone have any thoughts or experience about the two "cogged wheels" or the metal pin they wear against? The step by step only addresses the hinge pin. The pin the wheels press against on my hinges has significant wear -does this mean I really need to get all new hinges? or can something be done about that?

Man- this is some great detail. Thx Jim for posting all of this info. Jay