sixt9stang's '69 Coupe

[sixt9stang 36]

Figured I would start a topic in the Project forum to keep everything in one area.  My car is a 1969 Coupe with a 302, automatic, power steering, power disc brakes, and a 2.79 open 8".  I got the car when I was 13 for $400.  It was quite the basket case at the time but it did run and drive.  It started life as Lime Gold.  Over the next 6 years my step-dad and myself, mostly him, did a garage resto on the car and painted it black.  At the time we did not do anything to the engine or transmission.  The only thing besides body work that we did was put on dual exhaust and different wheels and tires. 

I drove the car during my senior year of high school but of course I was not easy on it and the engine started knocking.  The car got parked and I went to college.  When I came home I did start it and move it around but not much.  I think it was during my second year of college I started working at the Ford dealership in the Quick Lube.  After starting to save up some money and getting an apartment with a garage I brought the car up.  I had a mechanic at the dealership help build the engine and the trans.  We put an Edelbrock performer intake and cam package in the engine and Hedman headers,  Holley 600 carb, Griffin aluminum radiator, and a DUI distributor.  Probably some more stuff I am forgetting. 

After that I drove it every summer for a few years and put a lot of miles on it.  I also put on a full stock suspension package from Laurel Mountain Mustangs and a front splitter (the car was too floaty over 100mph).  Don't know if they are still in business or not. One spring I swapped the original heads for another set of '69 302 heads that I got cheap from a guy that had screw in rocker studs and some unknown K-motion springs.  I put on Harland Sharp roller rockers and continued to drive the car quite a bit.

Winter of '06 I parked the car in the storage unit, still running and driving.  Spring of '07 my fiance and I bought our house and it was time to move the car there.  I decided to do a once over on the engine before moving it and checked all the rockers since the valvetrain was a little noisy.  I found one was loose so I tightened it down a bit, me not being that knowledgeable and not realizing that a lifter had bled down over winter.  While driving the car the 30 minutes to our house, all of a sudden the lifter pumped up and wiped a lobe on the cam.

Fast forward 12 years and 3 kids later.  I am finally getting to work on the car again.  Over the years I have made attempts at getting a different engine together with different goals.  Right now I have a 302 that is going to be the temp engine.  The temp engine came out of a '89 Lincoln Town Car with 80k miles that ran great.  I also pulled the transmission that I might use.  I have the engine on the stand and down to the short block.  I am in the process of cleaning it up and laying out parts to figure out what I have and what I need.  I also have an 8.8" rear end out of an Explorer that I would like to use.

I am trying to figure out if I should keep the timing cover that is on this engine and running an electric fuel pump; or do I run the older timing cover and plug the dipstick hole in the block??  Some things I need/want for this summer are a distributor and a Performer RPM intake to replace the Performer.  I could still run the Performer if I decide I don't want to spend the money on the other intake at this time. 

I also need to decide if I want to try and install the AOD and the 8.8" this summer or just use the old C4 for now just to get the car running and driving.  Anyways this has gotten quite long so here are a couple of pics.

Temp Engine:

Laying out parts:

My car back when it was running and driving:

Where it sits now and for the last 12 years:

[sixt9stang 36]

Found what I think is the only picture of the car not too long after I got it when I was 13.  I purposely stood where I was to cover a massive dent in the quarter lol.  This was probably late 1994.

[Vicfreg 771]

I did a 5.0 on my '68 and to keep it simple, I used the old style timing cover and mechanical fuel pump.  Used  1985-1/2 distributor with the Ford "blue plug" Duraspark unit.  Have a B303 cam with an Edelbrock performer rpm intake and Holley street avenger, GT40 cast iron heads.  Runs awesome, used a Ford Explorer 3.73 posi and a T-5Z.

I ditched the original headers, they didn't fit. Used Patriot Tri-Ys.

[sixt9stang 36]

I was reading a couple of posts about when people use the original timing cover that it did not clear the double roller timing chain with the fuel pump centric or something along those lines.  Did you have any issues with that?

[Vicfreg 771]

Picture of double roller with eccentric.   I used an edelbrock chain kit as I think it was not as wide.   

[Vicfreg 771]

I am pretty sure there is also a 2 piece eccentric, don't use that one.

[sixt9stang 36]

Since I have been home more I have started really focusing on my car.  Lots of stuff in the works but I am cleaning up the engine bay and looking for advice on the drivers side fender apron.  I am wondering if I should replace it?  Grind out the rust and try to patch it? Leave it?

[sixt9stang 36]

Here is the front apron.  Not quite as bad.  You can see where I had someone do some welding on the shock tower where it was cracked.  I am going to try and clean that up nicer.

[aslanefe 333]

4 hours ago, sixt9stang said:

Since I have been home more I have started really focusing on my car.  Lots of stuff in the works but I am cleaning up the engine bay and looking for advice on the drivers side fender apron.  I am wondering if I should replace it?  Grind out the rust and try to patch it? Leave it?

 

It does not look too bad in the picture, if it was my car I would remove the bad section and put a patch instead of replacing the whole panel or leaving it as is.

[RPM 1,190]

From what I can see in the pic, I agree on the patch for repairs. 

[unilec 57]

On 8/23/2019 at 8:19 AM, Vicfreg said:

Picture of double roller with eccentric.   I used an edelbrock chain kit as I think it was not as wide.   

Vicfreg, do you still have pedestal mounts in your GT40 heads?

[sixt9stang 36]

I worked on leveling the car today.  Put jack stands under the pinch welds and made sure the door sills were level.  Hopefully this is a good way to start leveling the car.  I am trying to make sure it isn't twisted or anything before putting subframe connectors in.  My question is on the front frame rails.  I am pretty positive, by the Mustang frame diagrams that have been posted on here, that they should be even front to back by where they attach at the firewall. Measuring from my floor, which is level, the front of both frame rails are 1/2" lower than the rear by the firewall.  Any insight?

[sixt9stang 36]

Well, against popular opinion, I decided that I wanted to try and replace the rear fender apron. I decided that way I could fix the metal on the firewall while it was off and it would be a good opportunity to learn. It came off pretty clean.

[sixt9stang 36]

Today I started working on the floor support to install the Tinman subframe connectors.  I am still trying to figure out the leveling of the car but I don't think it is twisted. I need to do more cleanup on the floor support to even fit the subframe connector inside. I want opinions on whether I should leave the floor support or try to replace it. In the pictures below you can see where it was patched up in the past and also what looks like it separating from the floor pan. Also is the crossmember supposed to fit tight to the floor on the drivers side?

[RPM 1,190]

While not optimal, that's pretty common fit among early Mustangs. To redo would be pretty time and labor intensive. On the rail I'd probably tap it back in place.

[sixt9stang 36]

Thanks.  I did decide to do some exploratory surgery to see inside the floor support and to decide whether or not to tackle replacing it.  I also figure while the floor is cut apart a bit I could massage the metal back to the crossmember.

 

[sixt9stang 36]

After cleaning up the end of the floor support some I decided to try the subframe connectors again.

 I will be trying the passenger side soon.  That sides floor support is in a lot better shape and I probably will not cut up the floor. 

Thanks for looking and I appreciate any advice on where to go next.

Edit: Removed thoughts I was having about the car being off.  See my next post.

[sixt9stang 36]

So I watched videos of the subframe connector installation again and it is supposed to sit at the bottom of the floor support with a small gap at the top. I am unable to get the connector to the bottom at the moment since there is extra metal from where it is patched.  I think what I am going to do is cut the floor support off behind the cross member and then weld in a new piece.  Unless people think I should work on replacing the full floor support piece.

[RPM 1,190]

3 hours ago, sixt9stang said:

 I think what I am going to do is cut the floor support off behind the cross member and then weld in a new piece.  Unless people think I should work on replacing the full floor support piece.

Man, you ain't scared :)

I'm a bit confused on what you're calling the floor support. Is it this piece? 

If so, I'd think you could get to it with the top and back side off to do any repairs. But you're the one there with eyes on it. I used to not think twice about jumping in with both feet, but nowadays I try to do as little as necessary to do it right. Either way make the decision that'll make you comfortable.

[sixt9stang 36]

Haha. Trust me, I definitely get scared or worried that I will screw something up, or never get this thing back together. There are so many videos out there and forum posts of others doing this stuff though that I convince myself I can do it too. Time will tell.

Yes. That is what I am calling the floor support. It is these https://www.cjponyparts.com/cj-classics-floor-support-in-weld-thru-primer-pair-coupe-fastback-1969-1970/p/3631ZDWT/ that the Crossmember also welds to.

I would like to just replace the whole piece on the drivers side so that I can make sure the frame rail is solid but it looks like to do that would involve removing the torque box also. A lot of work but it might be worth it.

[RPM 1,190]

If you replace it at least you'll have peace of mind.

[sixt9stang 36]

21 minutes ago, RPM said:

If you replace it at least you'll have peace of mind.

That is what I was thinking too. Then I know it is going to be solid. Before I do anything else though I am still trying to get some type of confirmation if the front frame rails are supposed to be level when the car is level at the rocker panels.  The front of my frame rails by the radiator brace are 1/2" lower than at the firewall.  I am measuring to my floor and have checked my floor several times and that is level.  Will probably check again for a sanity check though.

[RPM 1,190]

Ya, the front rails slope down  towards the front in the engine bay. That oddity messes with most of us.