Jesse 69 Fastback

So happy to see some progress on getting the site online! Thank you so much!

I’m still hoping there’s something we can do to help with this issue. I’m Seems to be happening more and more frequently. This site has such a huge wealth of knowledge. I’d hate to lose it.

The bottom of your car is so clean! And those fuel lines look amazing!

Just donated. Hope that helps.

Happened again in December. Is there anything we can do to help?

What’s the monthly cost of the site? What forum software is being used, and what does that cost? I’ve benefited quite a bit from this forum and would like to help keep it going. Can you share some numbers?

It's been a while since I posted an update, and a lot has changed! After sitting about a year and a half on the waitlist, my body shop is ready to start on the car. I stripped the car of every last panel and bolt, in preparation for sending it off to Xpress Metal Cleaning in Phoenix, AZ. There I had it acid dipped to remove everything but the steal. Next week it gets picked up and delivered to the body shop to start the real work! The car did look pretty good before the dip, and people would ask me, "Why are you doing this, the car looks great as it is!" Well, one look at the quarter panels after the acid dip is all I needed to know that I did the right thing! Once we have it back and can look at it in person, we'll determine of the quarters will need to be reskinned. Right now I'm thinking yes. Teardown begins! Loaded up for transport: Squeaky clean after the dip:

Thanks everyone!

Looking for pics and your experiences with different grill covers (aftermarket plates that cover from the back of the grill to the radiator support). I’ve seen products on CJ Pony, Jegs, and Vivid Racing, but they just show poor photos of the product and not installed examples. I’ll be looking to paint mine the body color. Thanks in advance!

Thanks for the offer, but I already picked one up from West Coast Classic Cougar.

There’s an easier way to remove the tar-based sound deadener. Check this out: Regardless, I’m planning on going with Lizard Skin when I get the metalwork and paint done.

Thank you both! This information has been very helpful. Once I get this all figured out, I plan on documenting the whole conversion process for others in the future!

As part of my Tremec TKX swap, I've decided to go down the route of converting from power brakes to manual brakes, but I need some assistance from any of you that have already performed this swap. After talking with a person at Wilwood, I'll be swapping the existing MC with a Wilwood model that has a 15/16 bore, but I was also advised to make sure that the brake pedal I use has a ratio of 6.25 to 1. I've looked at several aftermarket sites for a replacement brake pedal, but none of them post the pedal ratios. For any of you that have done this swap, do you have a part number for the brake pedal I need, and is the pedal the only other thing I need to change with this brake swap? I've tried to comb through the archives here, but wasn't able to find anything concrete. Thanks in advance!

Okay, so I need some advice and opinions on this. My car will be getting a complete strip down and paint within a few months and I’m looking for options on if is should paint the engine bay the classic black or have it match the exterior color, which will remain red. I know this is a bit of a personal preference question, but hoping to get some pros/cons of each option, and some picks of folks that have gone the body color route. Thanks in advance!

Thanks! Home is in Murrieta, CA.

I installed the 9 inch last week. Pretty much everything is new except for the leaf springs, which i cleaned up and painted to match the rest. Just need to finish running the brake and e-brake lines and fill it up with fluid. Then on to the TKX swap! Currie 9inch 31 Spline Axles Sportsman Nodular Iron Gear Case 3.50 Gears (Polished) Eaton Truetrac Posi 1350 Nodular Iron Yoke Wilwood 11" Dynapro/D/S/Red Powder Coat, Gloss Black Calvert Racing CalTracs Traction Bars Koni Special Adjustable Shocks

Here are some photos of the Dakota Digital gauge swap, before and after. Dakota Digital VHX Original Gauges: New Gauges: New Gauges Installed: New Gauges Installed and On:

Back in May I 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 Radiator Diff: Install Finished:

While I was in high school, i stumbled across a red 1969 Mustang Fastback for sale. The asking price was $6K and it was in pretty decent shape. The downside is that as a high school student I didn't have the $6K. But I was able to secure a personal loan from a family friend, with the agreement that I had to pay it off within 1 year. I worked my ass off that year and made the final payment just before the 1 year mark. Later that same year, I enlisted in the Marine Corps, and after several months of basic training and then technical training for my job within the military, I went home on leave and picked up the Mustang. I drove it to Virginia, and then several months later I crossed the country with it to San Diego, CA. I planned to be in San Diego for at least 3 years (I never left), so I decided to take the opportunity to go through the car, restoring and repairing what I could. Unfortunately, I bit off more than my wallet could handle at the time (hey, who hasn't with these things?), so the project ended up taking much longer than I had originally planned. So much that I eventually, and very reluctantly, decided to sell the car to an older gentlemen that was planning on finishing the restoration with his son. I have no idea what ever happened to that car, but I hope it's still on the road and not sitting in a junk yard somewhere. I always regretted selling that car, and over the years I'd looked casually at picking up another one but it never seemed like the right time. That is until last year, when I was window shopping online and found another red 1969 Mustang Fastback for just the right price. Not perfect, but not a bucket of junk either, which is exactly what I wanted. So after a few exchanges with the seller, I took a road trip to Vegas to see the car in person. I test drove it and it was like a freaking time machine. As soon as I sat behind the wheel I felt 18 again. I bought it on the spot. So that was a year ago, and I've been slowly going through the car making upgrades and improvements. I replaced the cooling system, swapped in a completed MSD system, and upgraded the stock dash instrument cluster with one from Dakota Digital. Then earlier this year I came across a local body shop that does absolutely amazing work (Sylvester's Customs). I drove out to see the owner and spent a few hours learning about his shop, his employees, and his process. At the end of the conversation he agreed to put my car on the waiting list and I couldn't be more excited! Now it seems that I'm all in on a restoration/rejuvenation. I'm not planning on going all original, since I like the idea of taking advantage of the 50 years of auto advancements since the car was launched, but I'm mostly keeping with the original look of the 69 Mach 1. I'll be using this thread to keep track of all the work that I do to the car over time. Right now I'm in the middle of swapping out the Ford 8inch rearend with a 9inch from Currie, and replacing the C4 with a Tremec TKX swap from SST. My original Mustang from high school: My new Mustang:

Thanks Brian!

I’m in the middle of a rearend swap and was hoping someone here could help me out with something that’s been bothering me. The wiring for my backup lights don’t seem to be routed correctly through the trunk floor, but I’m not sure how they are supposed to run. If someone could share a pic of their setup it would be much appreciated!

Yep, looks like it’s from a 67 Cougar and it pairs with the lower control arm, which I have to replace anyway. Sounds like I’ll be buying a strut rod as well. Thanks for the help!

The other side looks normal, like the ones in Brian’s photo above.

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

Can anyone tell me why the passenger strut rod is different in the attached photo? Is it supposed to be that way? Is this aftermarket or from a different car/model?