69 Fastback: First car in 1985 - Bought it back in 2011

[Machspeed 219]

Little different area, different time. As I recall, Selma was a serious speed trap in the day. I moved off in 89 and make it back occasionally to visit with family. It amazes me how much has changed there. Good luck on your restoration and please continue to keep us posted on it. I don't believe it to be a good thing to covet material things, but dang it, one has to make concessions for one's first car. Some things were just meant to be.

[TexasEd 188]

Your rag joint appears to be ok. Not sure what that wire is for, possibley shifter light. Your vaccum tree is different to both my mach1 and coupe. Do you have a vaccum line going to the automatic modulator?

 

Your tank may be able to be steam cleaned or just replace it, probably cheaper. But it is pretty bad. lol

 

 

Thanks.

 

My shifter light is out, I assumed it was the bulb, where does the shifter light wire plug in?

 

I do have a vacuum line going to the C4 actuator. It is the thick hose you see arching away. I used a fuel line because the one under the car was cut so I wanted a sturdier line and just used another piece of it for up top.

 

I'm going to replace the tank. I need to find a way to dispose of the tank and old gas.

Edited March 26, 2012 by TexasEd

[TexasEd 188]

I finished getting the rust off and repainting the valve covers last night.

Some steps were from previous days.

 

The steps are: pressure wash and degrease, aircraft stripper, the worst one is done with the wire wheel rust removal, painted.

 

It was really dusty here from tree pollen so I hope the finish doesn't show it too much under the hood. I'm almost afraid there are small pieces of wire wheel in the paint even though I wiped it all off with acetone before I painted.

Next is the air cleaner and the oil fill cap.

 

What finish is the oil cap supposed to be? Flat, satin, gloss? It looked like it was flat black but it was under a lot of grime.

 

Is the rubber grommet for the pcv valve supposed to be natural black or painted blue? When I pulled it out it was painted blue, but that could have been done by someone after it was built.

Edited March 27, 2012 by TexasEd

[TexasEd 188]

Tonight I pulled the carb, battery tray and gauge harness. I'm trying to figure out what was going on with my harness because a resistor was soldered inline with the ignition wire to the coil with full voltage (I haven't figured out what's going on under the dash with the pink resistor wire yet. Pictures of the resistor and a diagram of what I found under the electrical tape.

 

I'm thinking of buying a new harness. I am installing a pertronix coil so it should be ok with full voltage. What voltage should measure on the ignition wire if the pink resistor wire is in place?

 

I'm pretty sure the carb choke is not supposed to be connected to the ignition system/coil. What would be a better location? It needs to be ignition switched. Is there a spot on the voltage regulator?

Edited March 28, 2012 by TexasEd

[TexasEd 188]

LemonOwner helped me figure out a loose wire yesterday and now my shifter light works. Anyone know what this wire is for? It's coming out of the bottom position on the voltage regulator.

 

The alternator harness has a mounting clip on it but it isn't screwed to anything. Where does it go?

 

The starter cable from the solenoid has a egg shaped rubber grommet around it but it is just loose around the wire. Where does that go?

 

Also my shock tower service sticker is in place. Is there a way to clean it without removing the lettering? Just soap and water?

 

 

Thanks!

Edited March 28, 2012 by TexasEd

[TexasEd 188]

Hole in the trunk that was probably made by the muffler shop that installed the dual exhaust (straight back from stock manifolds).

 

I need to get a buddy to help patch this spot because I want to do it with the gas tank out and the car in my garage. A local guy volunteered to do the welding but I don't have a welder.

[TexasEd 188]

I have been cleaning up the engine bay getting ready to sand off the rust and paint it. On the passenger side I removed the starter solenoid and the voltage regulator then pulled the wiring harnesses trough the radiator support to the area above the valance to get it out of the way. On the driver side I removed the washer fluid reservoir. I found a small rust hole behind the reservoir.

 

Since I plan on working in the engine bay for a while I decided to remove the grill and put it on a shelf for safe keeping. I sacrificed the plastic retaining pieces. I don't know if there is a good way to get them out so you can re-use them, but at the time I couldn't figure it out and they must be readily available. My grill is not painted but I'll look into the correct color and paint it before I reinstall.

 

Then I started on the messy job of getting the AC compressor out of the way and the Power Steering pump off. The majority of my PS fluid leaks are obviously coming from the pump. The brackets are interesting because these two parts kind of have a nested bracket system and share some of the same mounting points. One of the bolts goes into the water pump and as soon as I removed that one the water pump's leak got worse.

 

I had to remove the Monte Carlo bar to make room to move the compressor out of the way without disconnecting the lines. After I got them out the amount of caked on PS fluid really jumped out at me. I'll have to put the car back on the ground and push it to the driveway to pressure wash it off.

 

I need to take a picture of the original power steering pump in the sun since there seems to be so much discussion about what color they are supposed to be. In my garage it seems to be a metallic robin's egg color.

 

In the last picture you can see how much caked on PS fluid is everywhere. You can also see that my balancer is all rust colored and I'll have to clean that up as well.

[70mstang 11]

Doesn't it feel good to be gettin your hands dirty =)

 

All in all that looks pretty good and you know that there is fluid in the lines so the aren't too clogged up. The antifreeze looked clean. Your fender apron is 100 times better shape than mine was.

 

Keep up the good work!

[TexasEd 188]

I pulled off the driver side front wheel and got under the car to inspect the rest of the power steering stuff.

 

There is another leak from the power ram control line fittings and I'm missing the arched part of the hose support bracket with the rubber insulator. The top part of the bracket is there but bent in a funny way.

 

I'm thinking of getting a chockostang rebuild kit for everything and all new hoses. That option would run about $220 plus shipping and I get to take stuff apart.

 

Getting the alternator seems to be practically impossible in my car. The long bolt that goes through the spacer is rusted into the front sleeve of the alternator and I don't want to hammer it out because I could damage the radiator. I started trying to get the bracket completely off so that it would all come out together but the bolts are too far behind the water pump pulley. Looks like I need to rent a pulley puller and get that water pump pulley off.

 

I think I diagnosed my coolant leak to the thermostat housing. I'll have to replace the thermostat (180*, right?) and put a new gasket on it. If you look around the mating surface you can see a ton of excess black RTV seeping out from the seam. I read you have to check the housing for being true and possibly do some light sanding to remove any warping.

 

I am nervous about the water pump leaking too. I have an original cast iron housing with the C8 casting code and RH inlet. Should I just go ahead and replace it? I suspect that it could just be the gasket is leaking, the pulley does not have a lot of side to side play.

[TexasEd 188]

70mstang,

 

Thanks for the encouragement. I like getting my hands dirty, just not the 15 minutes it takes to wash them when they have hydrolic fluid on them. :)

 

I just called Chockostang and ordered the rebuild kit and hoses. The cylinder hoses are included in the rebuild kit so it was less than $220 with shipping. What nice people they are over there.

 

Cross your fingers for me that I don't have a problem with my steering box since I don't plan to rebuild it. I'll just fill with grease and set the retaining screw on it.

[TexasEd 188]

Decided not to get greasy last night so I worked on part restoration. I'm really happy with how the oil filler cap came out. I used Rustoleum 'Covers Rust' Semi Gloss that I'll also use for the engine bay. I had some over spray on the air cleaner lid from doing the edges last so I'll give it another coat tonight.

[TexasEd 188]

Took a vacation and had a lot of work done around the house so there was no progress for about a month.

 

I recently got my replacement gas tank in and so I started in on it again last night.

 

First thing I did was reassemble my shifter with a new gasket . The old one had disintegrated and it looked like they had been doubled up at one time because there were two metal frames on the housing. I also inserted the correct bulb, the one that was in there was too dim and the wrong shape/size for the housing and the base.

 

Next I worked on the power steering components. Finally got the power steering cylinder/ram and control valve off. The cylinder looks boogered. It has some flat spots on it probably from ground clearance and the stud that goes into the center link is ruined so I'll send the rebuild kit for that part back and order a replacement.

 

Control valve to be rebuilt. Does this look original? All the pictures I've seen have BENDEX cast on the side but this one looks like a sand casting. Also it was missing the roll pin and rotated when you steered the car. I think this contributed to how "squirrely" it felt while driving.

 

Bad bushing on the center link. It's the same on both sides.

 

Tie rod end looks ok

 

Sway bar bushing needs to be replaced

 

I was planning on waiting to do the suspension next year but the bushings on the Upper control arms look like they need to be replaced too. The plan was to get open tracker roller perches, new springs and shocks and do the UCA drop at that time.

 

 

I'm considering accelerating that work even though I desperately want to get this thing driving.

Edited May 8, 2012 by TexasEd

[Junior2561 10]

Who were you going to buy your suspension parts from? I am currently working on scouting all that out myself.

[TexasEd 188]

Pretty sure it will be open tracker for most of them.

 

http://www.opentrackerracingproducts.com/

[TexasEd 188]

I called Dan at Chockostang yesterday (I had bought rebuild kits from him for the power steering) and told him about the messed up cylinder and that I thought my control valve might be aftermarket based on the lack of "BENDEX" being cast into the side. He agreed that it was probably not original. He told me to send him the cylinder because there may be parts he can re-use in it and that he would refund the rebuild kit and send me a new cylinder for the difference.

 

He also told me to send him the control valve and the rebuild kit so I don't ruin a rebuild kit if the parts wont fit an aftermarket control valve. If they do he would rebuild it for me. The box got mailed off today and I am very happy with how he proposed handling all this; more than I would have asked for. I know there will be extra charges but I am confident the prices will be fair based on his reputation and how he approaches problems like this.

 

 

Lastly he told me the roll pin missing from the control valve attachment point to the center-link would definitely cause "squirrely" steering problems. Just steering my steering box back and forth I think it is fine and the control valve and cylinder were probably working fine except for the leaks. I'd bet that 99.9% of the steering problem was that missing roll pin - with the exception of the sieve I have for a pump.

 

Getting the wrong parts was all my fault, but he has the small business attitude to take care of customers which is why I went to him instead of just replacing everything with autozone parts to begin with.

 

Now it's time to rebuild the pump and take off the rest of the steering components to replace the bushings. I wish I had more experience so I wouldn't have these setbacks but like I told Dan, I consider the cost of the mistakes the tuition part of my car education.

Edited May 9, 2012 by TexasEd

[69SlowResto 19]

Dan is great to deal with. I got my brake kits from him and had great service.

[TexasEd 188]

Yes, Dan & Carol are great.

 

They called me this morning and the parts are on their way back to me. I highly recommend them for their service, sharing information and prices. They just can't be beat.

[RPM 1,190]

Hey Ed, it was good talking with you on the phone. I just re read your post, can't believe how much I'd forgotten. Seeing your pic in the UT shirt reminded me of when I was in Austin a few years back for my nephews wedding. The only place I didn't see burnt orange (the Univ of Texas' colors) was when I was in my hotel room. I'll get on that info for you. Bob McDougal.

[TexasEd 188]

I haven't made any progress in a couple months due to not having the money to buy the suspension kit I need and a few other issues but I think progress will lurch forward here in a few weeks. I had to stay away from this site because watching everyone else's progress was too depressing with my car just sitting there.

 

Next on the list:

1. Weld/Fix holes in trunk and inner fender

2. Install new gas tank now that rubber connector for fill tube is here and replace rubber connecting lines.

3. Put intake manifold back on (finally got it back from being media blasted) and replace valve covers with refurbished originals

4. Replace water pump

5. rebuild carburetor

[tonyinsandiego 37]

This is a very cool story and it looks like you have a great car. When I was in High School I had a 1969 Fastback with the deluxe interior and tilt steering. Long story short is I totaled it. Fast forward today I have a 1969 Mach 1 and currently doing a resto mod. I have the AOD trans ready to go in. I just need the AOD yoke from a mustang. Trans didn't come with that part. New suspension up front. Redoing the interior and want to get it back on the road. It has the 351W and I think it's 3.50 gears in the back. I think I want to go with 4.11 or 4.56 with the AOD. I do have a Holley on it. I like the holley's for the easy to work on aspect. Not exactly the same car I had in high school but I really love the lines on the fastbacks.

 

I have a good friend who helps out when he can but it's cool you have guys helping you out. Wish you were closer. Seems we both have a very similar project and going about the same speed. I can't wait to see it when your done.

 

My goal is to beat my buddy's 94 vette with my 60's technology mustang. He has the 350 and I have the 351. I'm sure he's much lighter then me but it's all in good fun.

Edited August 3, 2012 by tonyinsandiego

[TexasEd 188]

Since my last post here my father's health went downhill fast. There were several months that he was in and out of the hospital but he got a chance to read this thread and offer his advice on what to do. He passed away in January and I haven't done anything with the car since August when he started getting sick.

 

I've been collecting up the money for the suspension kit and I have the rebuild kits for the carburetor and power steering pump to install.

 

I also got my intake manifold, assorted brackets, water pump and battery tray back from the media blaster and most have been painted the original colors.

 

I need to decide what I'm going to do about the water pump, it has the original C9 casting code on it so I'd like to rebuild it or exchange it for a replacement with the same codes on it already rebuilt. I don't remember it leaking, but it is off the engine now and I should probably at least change out the thermostat.

 

Any thought or advice on the water pump?

[69droptopgt 10]

Sorry to hear about you dad. Nice story just read it for first time today. I did not see if you found the vin. On the 351W cars they are right below head on back of engine drivers side. I have read that on 302 they are behind the intake manifold.

[69RavenConv 286]

I need to decide what I'm going to do about the water pump, it has the original C9 casting code on it so I'd like to rebuild it or exchange it for a replacement with the same codes on it already rebuilt. I don't remember it leaking, but it is off the engine now and I should probably at least change out the thermostat.

 

Any thought or advice on the water pump?

 

If you have access to a press you can rebuild it yourself

http://www.deadnutson.com/catalog/item/2965331/6378868.htm

 

I've also heard of this guy but have no first hand experience

http://www.waterpumpman.com/services.html

 

Of course, you can buy a replacement pump cheap but I like the idea of the correct date code being on the car if you can do it.

 

And my condolences on losing your Dad.

Edited April 23, 2013 by 69RavenConv

[TexasEd 188]

Sorry to hear about you dad. Nice story just read it for first time today. I did not see if you found the vin. On the 351W cars they are right below head on back of engine drivers side. I have read that on 302 they are behind the intake manifold.

 

Thanks, I have the intake manifold off and the flat spot for the VIN is blank.

[TexasEd 188]

If you have access to a press you can rebuild it yourself

http://www.deadnutson.com/catalog/item/2965331/6378868.htm

 

I've also heard of this guy but have no first hand experience

http://www.waterpumpman.com/services.html

 

Of course, you can buy a replacement pump cheap but I like the idea of the correct date code being on the car if you can do it.

 

And my condolences on losing your Dad.

 

Thanks and thanks for the links. I'll give the rebuilder a call on his prices.