Ash's 69 R-code

[Ash 145]

Very busy month and half done and dusted. Lots of fun had, now back into the routine of life.

 

In between jobs this week I got two coats of this clear on the new Blue Thunder intake.

 

For those who are interested, I mixed 60ml total for the first coat and used maybe 50ml. Second coat I mixed 40ml and used most of it. It is mixed 3:1.

I always worry about not mixing enough or mixing too much and wasting it. This might help others who also think too much like I do.

 

 

 

And with the EFI carb. Bling bling!

 

 

[stangnet33 88]

Yes that is drool materiel ;0.....   I'm looking forward to trying the FAST system hopefully blown :) 

[MAC390 327]

Looks good, i use that POR product on my my Dodge Charger.

Like the EFI.

[Ash 145]

Yes that is drool materiel ;0.....   I'm looking forward to trying the FAST system hopefully blown :) 

 

Oooh, now you're talking lots of fun. From memory the EZI 2.0 supports that fine?

 

Looks good, i use that POR product on my my Dodge Charger.

Like the EFI.

 

How's it holding up on the Dodge? Hasn't yellowed or stained at all?

[MAC390 327]

Been on 2 years now , still good.

[Ash 145]

Great, that's what I wanted to hear. Cheers

[paulb 112]

Hey Ash, what thickness steel did you use for the inner rocker panels?

[Ash 145]

Now you have me thinking, Paul. I can't remember exactly but I think it may have been 1.8mm cold rolled? I remember asking my local store and I think that is what they could get. I think the next step up in thickness was 2.something mm and that was going to be too thick so we went with what ever it was that was just under 2.0mm.

 

Are you thinking of doing something similar?

[Ash 145]

Was just looking back and gees time has got away...again.

 

I hadn't posted these. I painted epoxy onto the inner and outer A-panels pieces and started welding them back in place. I got as far as about to weld on the A-panel and I have been second guessing using these for some time when it got the best of me. I'm waiting on new Dynacorn replacement pieces hopefully this coming week. The originals weren't too bad but they had become thing around where the door hangs. I figured better to fix that now with new parts.

 

 

 

I've had some help in the mean time too. I was working on another car one day when I thought I heard a bird on the shed roof. I turned around and this guy was walking on the roof of the stang. By the time I got my phone out he jumped down to here.

 

 

And then he hopped right on in. He spent a few minutes hopping around, in and out of the engine bay and then flew past my shoulder under the car on my lift and out my shed door. He and his girl have always hung around our house, they are very curious and you can get quite close to them but I've never seen them do this. I thought it was amazing.

 

[Ash 145]

And just to show I haven't been a slack ass, I built this aluminium live bait tank for my boat.

 

 

and painted

 

 

and in place before fitting up the plumbing and lid

 

 

[Ash 145]

And this week I turned this

 

 

into this

 

 

[Mike65 475]

Nice work on the trailer.

[RPM 1,190]

Hang on a minute there Paco. You gotta tell us the rest of the story about the idiot walking on the roof of your classic Mustang! Who was he and why was he at your house?

[Ash 145]

Cheers, Mike!

 

Today I've spent the best part of 4 hours cleaning the engine block for assembly. Yes, this is way over due but kids and a wife have a habit of causing that.

 

I had gathered a range of cleaning brushes and got my hands on a thread chaser set from Summit. The Dawn soap I got a little while ago from the US. The SPI guys recommend nothing but Dawn as a cleaning agent so thought I'd use it here too.

 

 

I spent quite a lot of time chasing threads and cleaning out all oil passages. The block got 4 hot washes with a high pressure hose down and a blast of compressed air between each go.

 

I bagged each main cap after washing them and soaked them in WD. The new ARP main bolts I put in a container of new oil as I know you are not meant to touch them so the though of them drying out would be a bad thing.

 

 

All nice and clean

 

 

 

and now tucked away. Next is to clean my workshop benches, clean the crank and then get ready for assembly.

 

[RPM 1,190]

Fun stuff Ash! I really enjoyed that part of my build.

[stangnet33 88]

Starting to get into the gravy :)

[Angel 24]

Looks good man!

[paulb 112]

Now you have me thinking, Paul. I can't remember exactly but I think it may have been 1.8mm cold rolled? I remember asking my local store and I think that is what they could get. I think the next step up in thickness was 2.something mm and that was going to be too thick so we went with what ever it was that was just under 2.0mm.

 

Are you thinking of doing something similar?

Yep, have them being folded as we speak , I went 2mm, they are trying to fold at 15-20 mm so it doesn't interfere with the inside too much, hopefully have mine welded together in the next week

[Ash 145]

Nice. Throw up some pics once you have them done. I'd love to see how you go too.

 

Did you shop around for some aftermarket ones at all? Get lots of laughs or head scratching as a response if you did? I was shocked that no one was keeping them, let alone ever had any before.

[paulb 112]

Nice. Throw up some pics once you have them done. I'd love to see how you go too.

 

Did you shop around for some aftermarket ones at all? Get lots of laughs or head scratching as a response if you did? I was shocked that no one was keeping them, let alone ever had any before.

No would probably cost a lot more than just having them done, this way I get what I want

[Ash 145]

I think Ridge's delivery guy may have a new job working at eBay's global shipping. After the best part of a month, the new A-pillars arrived today. It took 12 days to go from California heading west (?) before it was in the air heading back east. Then the guys in Sydney must have been stoked to have seen them as they held onto them, after clearing customs, for about a week. Either that or possibly Ridge's delivery guy must have been tired from walking across the US with them in hand that he decided to leave his employment at eBay global shipping and now resides in Sydney schooling Aus Post on the method of mail delivery by foot.

 

Any who....I now have them and I'm not letting them go. hehe

 

 

I lined them up in place on the 69 and realised they are going to need a little assistance to sit where they need to go. They will be ok, definitely stronger than the originals but I can see the difference between factory and aftermarket.

 

I drilled a few holes for some plug welds, cleaned it up and brushed on some epoxy.

 

[MAC390 327]

Glad you got them, ordered some hinges from Melbourne last Monday and still not here, Australia post CRAP SERVICE.

[Ash 145]

It's that time of year again when Aus Post are yet again shocked that it gets busy before Christmas. They've been caught out......again!

 

Over a week though from Melbourne and still waiting is pretty rough. Usually it's 2-3 days.

[Ash 145]

Got the lower pillar welded in place now, the welds you can't see are done from the inside.

 

 

And also the top side of the window post. Aligned, welded and coated in epoxy.

 

 

Now to rebuild the underside and drip rail. I'm in two minds here though, do I rebuild it how it was or delete the drip rail? My main goal for any mods are to reduce the chance of rust returning. I hate the fact that things are held on with self tapping screws and promote rust at these points. I'm not keen on refitting the stainless trim onto the drip rail, 99% certain I wont be fitting those. But I need to work out a way of either safely fitting the rest of the stainless trim around the underside or the drip rail / roof line, or delete it as well.

I need to cut out a lot of the under side, just behind the drip rail, as there are lots of dodgy repairs from the previous owner along with lots of holes. Is any body able to post or point me in the direction of some close up shots of the trim in place along the under side of the window post, drip rail and around the quarter window? I've googled but have not come up with a lot.

[Ash 145]

Not a 69 update but I did get some Mustang time. The starter on my 66 has been playing up and after looking for a replacement, I found out that unlike other Ford starters which fit a range of motors, this starter only fits 65-70 manual 6cyl cars. I found one in the US but it looked like a cheap copy and wasn't that cheap to buy and have sent over.

I have a lot of Australian 6cyl Falcon starters which fit all of the Falcon 6cyl engines, they have just made them smaller and smaller over time.

Here's the stang starter next to a BA Falcon starter

 

 

and the bolt holes are close but wont work. The reach is also different, by 11mm deeper on the Falcon starter

 

 

Yesterday I picked up some 16mm aluminium which today I had a go at making an adapter. This is the first go I've had a machining something from scratch on my lathe and mill. I need more practice, and some research, on getting a clean finish.

 

Roughly cut to shape and cut a hole with the largest hole saw that I had to mount to the chuck.

 

 

And a bit of time later, it was the right size and shape to slip over the starter