fvike

I did have this issue once, and I'm sure I had the top plates mixed up. At least try loosening them, and then try to get the shocks in, and then bolt down the top plates.

No, I asked my paint shop about that, and they said to wait with that until the car was done. Reason being that during the build it's easy to get scratches in it anyway, so why not wait so that you only need to do it once.

69FB, thanks for the kind words. I found having a build thread a real asset, as one can easily go back and see how you did things, because some things you forget during a long restoration period. It's also nice to get feedback, which again helps motivate to get stuff done. So do yourself a favor and get a build thread for your project. I've not done anything since the car was painted, so it's been almost 2 months now. Want to get that paint nice and cured before I start tearing into it. I hope I'll get something going soon, starting to get impatient. As for the rear pushrod suspension system (RPSS), it will of course ride a bit hard downtown with speed bumps and potholes and such. But it is very nice on the open road. The car is very nimble and changes direction instantly. The main drawback of the pushrod suspension is of course the lack of suspension travel. I think Maier Racing's rear pushrod suspension is a better option for that, but they have the coilovers inside the car, which perhaps isn't a good solution for everyone. The TCP unit is very compact, and just good packaging. Can run exhaust thru it. I've not tried the TCP 4-link suspension, but I've seen a '69 Hardtop with it. It has more suspension travel, but exhaust has to run under the axle, and that is the main reason I went with the RPSS. This was back in 2008. On the track, it just plain works, it's a race suspension after all. I don't really know what it can do on the track. I used to run 245/45-17s so I always had more "suspenson grip" than "tire grip". That's why I want at least 315s in the back. The suspension always outperformed the 245 series tires on the car. Caseyrhe: Daaaaaammmmmnnnn!! Put those shades on!

Did you get it fixed?

Have you verified that the top shock mounting plates are on the correct sides? They are angeled, should be marked L and R, but it's hard to see because of the powdercoating. Edit: Also, the lower shock mount (the billet piece) is directional. It has an arrow under it pointing to the front of the car when installed.

Good choice on the Red Top. The Yellow Top is ALOT heavier.

My car had those cracks around the rear shocks too. Welded it. My friend's '70 Mach 1 also has just the slightest beginning of a crack on one of the holes, but not like mine was. That '70 car actually has a factory rear swaybar. Perhaps that have saved the body a bit ?

Here's a few details from my rimblow wheel that was restored by woodgrainwheels.com

The hinges open a little bit more without the strut, but not much IIRC. I've only had them out for testfitting the hood. The picture from the shop there was taken this summer when we repainted the floors. And my car was first car in. It holds 9-10 cars and is twice as big as you see. So it's a bit cramped now in the winter. We're 8 buddies that went together and bought it several years ago, so that we would have a place to work on our cars and keep them in winter storage.

I have the Ringbrothers hinges, and they are nice solid billet lumps. Real sturdy. Looks great, and is very stable. But they do not open up very far, unfortunately I do not have a picture of them at full open with the hood on.

Merry Christmas to all!

Thanks guys! I'm glad that I did let the paint and bodyshop guys do the job, even if it was expensive. No way if I could have gotten that result on my own. It did take me 4 years to afford it, but it was worth it. So this is by no means a checkbook build, I just wanted to restore the car to a level so that I don't have to redo it 5 -10 years down the road. In fact, I don't want to have to do nothin' but drive it for the next 20 years!

LOL! xD

This morning the car got 2 additional layers of clear, and I got the car back. It's taken 4 years to get here. Finally on the home stretch. Recon it will take 2 years lol!

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Guys at the paintshop says it's paint tomorrow. Final blocking today. Here's Mathias doing his black magic.... And the result is an arrow straight quarter. Keep in mind, there's almost no bondo or filler under it. Just metalwork mastery from these guys. I just had to repost this image from a year ago of the same fender, virtually no filler.

It's a Dynacorn reproduction.

Work in progress, need to close the gap to the rear valence. The bumper must also be made perfect because it's going to get chromed.

Yeah, I'm not sure yet about the trunk. I think I'll dynamat it too, get some carpet of some kind. not sure yet. Anyway, all small parts and the hood has now been painted. Blackout has to wait unthil the car is assembled and the stencil is in place. Also, before the car is painted, flush fitting the rear bumper has to be done. Top side is almost done, but there's still work to be done on it towards the valence.

It's been awhile since I had a look at my stencil, it's been on the shelf for 4 years. But I think the stripe is much to thick. I bought a Beugler pinstripe wheel that I'll try to do the pinstripe with. Ford used a pinstripe wheel originally from what I've read. It's the 3/32" (#73 wheel in the 471 Deluxe kit) that is the correct wheel to use.

So, I couldn't figure out how to remove the mirror and control mechanism from my mirror housing, so I just taped it up. However, my painter, smart guy that he is figured it out in no time. There was a thread on here a while back, but I think it was inconclusive. Anyway, here's how; it's quite easy. The wires has hooks in the end. Just push down the control joystick and unhook the wires. Voila! The rest of the mirror mechanism comes out like the passenger side mirrors, so they can be disassembled for paint.

My engine has been in storage for 4 years. No coolant or oil in it, and plugs out. I rotate it a quarter turn every month to relive the springs.

I'm guessing manual brakes? Would make sense.

I love the Rupes BigFoot random orbital polisher, it's a machine that is very easy to work with, and has a nice weight to it, so you don't have to use force on it. It's not really a random orbit, it moves in an 21-star oscillating orbit. Spreads material real nice. I use the 4 different Rupes compound rubbings that comes with the machine. But the two heaviest compound leaves a lot of residue. Chalk like stuff. Don't like that. For polishing and wax, I use Swisswax cleaner fluid, and Swisswax Concorso. It's a bit pricey, but it's a hard wax, so little product is used each time. Now, Concorso is a show wax, so for my daily driver, I use Swisswax Shield (Also a hard wax). Last a long time. I also use Meguiars Quick Wax to keep the shine. I wash the car with Swisswax Car Bath. Use 2 buckets, one with soap, and one with water to rinse. Edit: Don't want to be preachin' to you how to polish a car, I'm sure you know, but for those not so into this stuff: Clean the car! I wash it like 4 times before I start polishing. The following is meant to be done once; NOT four times. 1. Start with degreaser if the car is very dirty, use a petroleum based degreaser. A water based one might stain your bright trim. Not easy to restore. Also put wheel cleaner on the wheels. 2. Let the degreaser work at least 5-7 minutes, it's important that the car is in the shade. 3. Use a foam lance and spray directly onto the degreaser and wheels. This will lift the dirt off of the car. 4. Let the foam work a little bit, but don't let it dry. Use a high pressure washer to blast that dirt off, start at the bottom, and work your way to the top. 5. I usually at this point on my daily driver use a product called Iron-X. It lifts metallic particle dirt from the paint. Use a sponge to rub it in. Don't let it dry. Rinse off. BTW, Iron-X smells like cat piss. It will turn red like many wheel cleaners. 6. At this point, you can wash the car with a sponge, or microfiber washcloth or whatever you prefer. A detail brush can be used in trick places. Wash from the top to the bottom. Use a 2 bucket system. Rinse the soap off with a garden hose. From the top to bottom. Don't use the pressure washer, because you want the maximum amount of water on the car. Wash the wheels last. 7. Use a microfiber cloth to dry the car. 8. And finally, now you can start rubbing, polishing and waxing. But keep it in the shade. Don't use chrome polish like Autosol. They contain a small amount of rubbing product, and will ruin your chrome over time. And bear in mind, this whole process is usually a 8-12 hour job, at least for a big car. Great shine doesn't come easy.

Thanks guys. I'm real pleased with the color. It's deep and "full".. changes a lot with light conditions. I think it will look tremendous in sun light. Anyway, the transmission tunnel and hump is now fully welded, and the inside of the car is primed, sealed and painted. It's just color, no clear on it. I'm not overly worried about the finish inside the car. It's gonna be Dynamated anyway. Just wanted color there. Pictures below. Tech tip: My painter said it's important to put the sealer on after primer, NOT before, or else it will rust if the seal is not tight or cracks. He sees it every day on new cars. Rust on bare metal under the sealer.