JayEstes

I don’t know if there is a correct emoji for “wince”.  Guess it coulda been worse???  Ugh yuck! Prayers for your mess there brother!

Fourth of July weekend fun

Man, that really is some great feedback.  I love when guys that have plumbed the depths of the rabbit hole wrap it all up for ya.  You deserve an award for that Rich!

I see the Rust-Oleum even has a professional grade of this stuff that is a 2k epoxy, but it appears to be very textured.

Above 70mph she’s terrifying. Lots of steering wander but she’s a fantastic low speed cruiser.

C4 torque converter seals like to leak if they sit to long ,they drip right on the h pipe 

I am late replying to this topic, but just in case it is helpful in the future.  You can test the vacuum actuator using a brake bleeder pump. The vacuum actuator should hold at least 13lbs of vacuum without dropping (fast or slow). If it does not hold the vacuum then the rubber diaphragm inside is bad.  I have disassemble them in the past and repaired originals by sacrificing a cheaper plastic version. I take the diaphragm from the donor and replace the old one in the original. The hardest part is separating the actuator cap from the base. Make sure you have no leaks with the new diaphragm as it is sealed to the base.
Here are some brands of actuators that are very close to the originals in appearance and function that may still be available. Three things to look for when buy an aftermarket actuator the orientation of the tab with the mounting hole (should be at 11:00 with the vacuum hose port at 12:00) and the opposite tab (is at 5:00) to the vacuum hose port. The orientation and length of the hook that connects to the snorkel flapper. Finally the vacuum hose port size... some are larger in diameter.
Some of the all metal Ford Air Cleaner Vacuum Motor correct type actuators are:
Niehoff FE703 AC Vacuum Air Cleaner Motor Actuator
Avatar VM 263 Vacuum Air Cleaner Motor Actuator
Borg Warner EC518 D7TZ-9D612B Vacuum Air Cleaner Motor Actuator
Borg Warner EC517 BWD Air Cleaner Vacuum Actuator Motor VA13 ---is incorrect because the mount tab is at 1 o'clock instead of 11 o'clock
Some of the pictures are from when I restored a 1973 Mustang with Ram Air, but all actuators are basically all the same.


A factory original 1973 date coded (D73) Ford Snorkel Actuator I repaired as I described above.


1971 - 1973 Mustang Ram Air plenum actuator example. Using a no longer available repro from NPD as a model, I took a snorkel actuator removed the tabs from the new actuator base and made a new base from sheet metal with the correct tabs needed for the ram air plenum. I then glued the new base to the new actuator with body glue. I then finished it in yellow chromate although the originals were mostly silver.

I might add that you don't really need a primer under that truckbed liner..  It'll go right onto bare metal (as long as it is really clean and dry I always wipe with laquer thinner or IPA right before applying) and it sticks hard.  Great stuff - even if a little expensive - IMO.
 

I prefer Duplicor's engine paint primer.  

 
And I use Duplicolors' ford semi-gloss black engine paint everywhere too.   If you're careful with this sprayer, you can get a very nice finish with the semi-gloss black:
 
 
And for the truckbed liner, I use Rustoleum.  I find it is not anywhere near as rough as what you would see in a truckbed, in fact, the surface is not even very orange peely, but it is in some sense "rough" as compared to paint.  Good thing is, if you put it down on a good primer or primer or bare metal... it is not coming off, and it is hard a nails! 

I've had mine in the wheel wells for about 15Kmi now.  I just went and wiped the road dirt off with a damp towel, and this is what it looks like behind the drivers wheel:

Now, for caulk?  I am struggling to remember..  I wanted something that dried pretty hard and would accept paint.  I didn't want it too silicon-ized because even cured that stuff is very rubbery.  I found something at the HW store, but damn if I can recall what it was....  It needs to be something a little more flexible that JB weld, but significantly less than silicone (if JB weld is a 1, and 100% silicone is 10, you want to get something in the 3 to 4 range.  This is so the paint or bed liner wont chip off the caulked surface easily.  And you don't want it too hard because as the body panels move relative to one another (pot holes on teh road or whatever, it needs to give some).  and when you put it in and it's cured, I cover with primer paint or truckbed liner immediately, so it has a fresh surface to bond to.
Hope that helps.
Jay

Thanks, that was very helpful.

I prefer Duplicor's engine paint primer.  

 
And I use Duplicolors' ford semi-gloss black engine paint everywhere too.   If you're careful with this sprayer, you can get a very nice finish with the semi-gloss black:
 
 
And for the truckbed liner, I use Rustoleum.  I find it is not anywhere near as rough as what you would see in a truckbed, in fact, the surface is not even very orange peely, but it is in some sense "rough" as compared to paint.  Good thing is, if you put it down on a good primer or primer or bare metal... it is not coming off, and it is hard a nails! 

I've had mine in the wheel wells for about 15Kmi now.  I just went and wiped the road dirt off with a damp towel, and this is what it looks like behind the drivers wheel:

Now, for caulk?  I am struggling to remember..  I wanted something that dried pretty hard and would accept paint.  I didn't want it too silicon-ized because even cured that stuff is very rubbery.  I found something at the HW store, but damn if I can recall what it was....  It needs to be something a little more flexible that JB weld, but significantly less than silicone (if JB weld is a 1, and 100% silicone is 10, you want to get something in the 3 to 4 range.  This is so the paint or bed liner wont chip off the caulked surface easily.  And you don't want it too hard because as the body panels move relative to one another (pot holes on teh road or whatever, it needs to give some).  and when you put it in and it's cured, I cover with primer paint or truckbed liner immediately, so it has a fresh surface to bond to.
Hope that helps.
Jay

Here is something you can try.  I found the near final prep phase that worked great for me was a small pan of lacquer thinner and a scotch bite pad and a cloth rag.  From the pics I see, you are close to or at the stage I would revert to the scotchbrite pad with lacquer thinner technique.  Once you have most of the big crud removed (I would say you are definitely there).  I would get a 1 qt disposable tupperware and fill it halfway with lacquer thinner.  I get the best and thickest pair of gloves I can find (PVC gloves are the only thing that ever provided much protection from the strong lacquer thinner).  Nitrile will melt instantly so don't use that, and other rubber gloves may work for awhile.  Even the PVC gets hard and crunchy after several uses, but for the most part it protected my hands.
Just dip the pad in lacquer thinner and gently rub the surface with it.  After you have scrubbed an area briefly, a lot of crud and grease and oil will be released.  dip the rag in the same stuff and wipe away the crud.  examine the surface and feel of it with a bare hand after the lacquer thinner has evaporated.  The goal is NOT to remove everything (it will do that if you keep rubbing!) but to leave the surface with 1 or 3 things: 1) a very clean and smooth original paint layer, 2) a very clean and smooth original primer layer, or 3) bare metal.  For myself the goal is to get to stage 1 or 2, but avoid 3 where you can.  As long as the metal is good and the primer and paint are original, and you have all the dirt and crud off - you are good to coat with the base layer of your new primer.  Where everything is stripped down to bare metal, just make sure the surface feels smooth with areas that have primer or primer & paint on them.
Once I have a whole section ready using the lacquer thinner + scotch brite pad followed by lacquer thinner + rag , I would rattle can engine primer over the surface I had just prepared.  Do it early because the laquer thinner softens the paint/primer and scratches the surfaces and you get a great bond with that new primer base.  And you want to do it before it can get dirty again or rust starts setting back in (this can happen literally overnight).
When I did my engine compartment, I followed this work by going back in and caulking up the metal seams with a hard/firm long-lasting caulk that would accept paint (be sure not to caulk lower edges so if water comes in from the other side it can drain back out).  When that dried, I put a full coat of primer over the top of that, and then the paint.  I got really exceptional results doing this and it was not a ton of work.
One caution is that this method will put a TON of black paint/oil/dirt sludge on the ground under where you are working.  Your shoes and pants will get coated, and if you don't put down a drop cloth or large cardboard, it will blacken your floor good.  Do the prepwork by covering the ground under you well before you do this work.   I wound up wearing tyvek overalls for this work.  It's messy but satisfying.
For RUST:  I have used Ospho a lot.  I have found another good solution - perhaps even better - but it works a little slower.  That is Evaporust.  The instructions call for you to soak a paper towel or something with it and soak it through, then lay the towel over the rusted metal.  I find that it needs to sit overnight, and if the rust is bad, the next day I brush and clean it as much as possible and do it again.  One benefit over ospho is that it doesn't leave behind the white powder when it dries.  One downside maybe expense.  However, a friend told be he got a gallon of it for $17 on amazon.  I use this mostly for nuts and bolts - the fluid can be reused many times if you are using it as a dipping fluid.
 

Under the fenders, (after I cleaned them well with a wire brush on a 4in grinder wheel), I wiped it down with lacquer thinner to clean, and put a good coat of rattle can primer on.  Immediately thereafter I applied some rattle can truck bed liner - I am SUPER happy with the rattle can truck bed liner under the fenders... It's tough as a boot and cleans off really easily!  I'm 4-5 yrs hence now and I have zero complaints with that stuff! 

Here is something you can try.  I found the near final prep phase that worked great for me was a small pan of lacquer thinner and a scotch bite pad and a cloth rag.  From the pics I see, you are close to or at the stage I would revert to the scotchbrite pad with lacquer thinner technique.  Once you have most of the big crud removed (I would say you are definitely there).  I would get a 1 qt disposable tupperware and fill it halfway with lacquer thinner.  I get the best and thickest pair of gloves I can find (PVC gloves are the only thing that ever provided much protection from the strong lacquer thinner).  Nitrile will melt instantly so don't use that, and other rubber gloves may work for awhile.  Even the PVC gets hard and crunchy after several uses, but for the most part it protected my hands.
Just dip the pad in lacquer thinner and gently rub the surface with it.  After you have scrubbed an area briefly, a lot of crud and grease and oil will be released.  dip the rag in the same stuff and wipe away the crud.  examine the surface and feel of it with a bare hand after the lacquer thinner has evaporated.  The goal is NOT to remove everything (it will do that if you keep rubbing!) but to leave the surface with 1 or 3 things: 1) a very clean and smooth original paint layer, 2) a very clean and smooth original primer layer, or 3) bare metal.  For myself the goal is to get to stage 1 or 2, but avoid 3 where you can.  As long as the metal is good and the primer and paint are original, and you have all the dirt and crud off - you are good to coat with the base layer of your new primer.  Where everything is stripped down to bare metal, just make sure the surface feels smooth with areas that have primer or primer & paint on them.
Once I have a whole section ready using the lacquer thinner + scotch brite pad followed by lacquer thinner + rag , I would rattle can engine primer over the surface I had just prepared.  Do it early because the laquer thinner softens the paint/primer and scratches the surfaces and you get a great bond with that new primer base.  And you want to do it before it can get dirty again or rust starts setting back in (this can happen literally overnight).
When I did my engine compartment, I followed this work by going back in and caulking up the metal seams with a hard/firm long-lasting caulk that would accept paint (be sure not to caulk lower edges so if water comes in from the other side it can drain back out).  When that dried, I put a full coat of primer over the top of that, and then the paint.  I got really exceptional results doing this and it was not a ton of work.
One caution is that this method will put a TON of black paint/oil/dirt sludge on the ground under where you are working.  Your shoes and pants will get coated, and if you don't put down a drop cloth or large cardboard, it will blacken your floor good.  Do the prepwork by covering the ground under you well before you do this work.   I wound up wearing tyvek overalls for this work.  It's messy but satisfying.
For RUST:  I have used Ospho a lot.  I have found another good solution - perhaps even better - but it works a little slower.  That is Evaporust.  The instructions call for you to soak a paper towel or something with it and soak it through, then lay the towel over the rusted metal.  I find that it needs to sit overnight, and if the rust is bad, the next day I brush and clean it as much as possible and do it again.  One benefit over ospho is that it doesn't leave behind the white powder when it dries.  One downside maybe expense.  However, a friend told be he got a gallon of it for $17 on amazon.  I use this mostly for nuts and bolts - the fluid can be reused many times if you are using it as a dipping fluid.
 

I do Sam Ting. 1/2" I.D. tube I believe. 

D'oh, we all have our Homer moments ;)

I will slide a hose over the end of the petcock, flows right into the catch/recycle pan.

Dont know what size you need. found this on Amazon for $2.52  search- Dorman 61106 drain cock

I cut a plastic water or soda bottle like a funnel, drill 2 holes and tie a wire then attach it to the drain and direct the end of make shift funnel to a bucket or catch pan.

This style petcock that I've got on my radiator allows you to slip a piece of hose over it ... if you can find this style somewhere.
 
 

Just pm me your address and I’ll send it to you. To me it’s about helping someone out and getting another Stang completed

Swapped out the old radiator and crappy fan with a complete kit from West Coast Classic Cougar.  The kit includes a new 3 core 24” big block radiator, fan shroud, big block fan with clutch, and all the mounting hardware.  The swap was easy and fit was great.
Cooling System Upgrade Kit

I had installed small speakers inside the kick panel vents which still let me use the vents when needed. The small speakers did not sound decent so I decided to increase the speaker size while keeping them functional. So I modified the vents to mount pod I manufactured  which holds 5.25" speakers. Now I have bigger speakers and vent is still functional (it does not open all the way, just about half way now).



 



While I was covered in resin, I decided to make a pod that replaces the whole vent and let me mount up to 7" diameter speaker on my 1970 vert. You remove your vent, install this pod which acts like a cabin for your speaker).  One for right side, one for left side (which are mirror images of each other).

Then decided to see why the clock on the vert was not working; opened it up and found a gear had broken spindle.  Does anybody have any old clock mechanism that I can use parts from, may someone who converted to quartz etc?

While I was working on the vert, I decided to polish the windshield trim.  the one on right is polished, the one on left not yet.

As you all know one think leads to another, so while I was at it I decided to take the vert apart and restore it while changing the color back to it's original competition yellow. Looks like it is going to need some (maybe a lot more than some) rust repair/metal replacements. I will be changing it a little bit, will use modern cloth top with glass, will change the upholstery and door panel designs to vinyl/cloth and make them resemble 1980s Recaros.

 
 

I have not really measured the distance and I only drove around the block, it is very bright compared to my Scott Drake halogens. However I did take pictures of the high and low beams are the attached photos below.
someone on VMF created a thread about LED/Halos and I posted them there, Dapper lighting shared some insight that my setup had to much glare due and their kit was far superior. you can view that discussion here: https://www.vintage-mustang.com/threads/led-headlights-with-halos.1185055/page-2
I just felt their kits wasn't worth the $300-400 and he danced around some questions, so I didn't like their design. Almost all headlights will show some glare, but overall Im happy with my purchase.
 
 
 
 

The nut behind the steering wheel?  Tee hee.
 
Thanks for the kind words.