trillizo_y_uno

Not saying this is your problem, but worth mentioning. The quality of parts in 2021 has greatly diminished. Maybe your points are just junk.

I'm generally not a fan of larger diameter wheels on older cars like ours. But you absolutely nailed it! I love the look of black in the center, chrome/silver on the outside. What are you doing with your old Magnum 500 wheels?

No problem. Last summer I did the Progression Ignition swap and Classic Auto Air install. I also had the free time to drop the toploader to replace all seals and gaskets. I had plenty of time on my hands due to COVID. I should mention two of my favorite features of Progression Ignition. First, I can set my idle timing really low without it impacting anything else. For example, I have timing set at 10 degrees BTDC at idle, but I have it set to be all in at 36 degrees by 2800 RPM. By dropping timing really low at idle, I get a nice and smooth idle without the eye burning exhaust. And I don't sacrifice performance, since the timing curve bumps up instantly off idle. Second, I never have to use the manual choke on the carb anymore. If RPM dips below idle, the unit bumps up the timing to increase idle speed to compensate.

I had actually heard about Progression Ignition initially through a 3rd party YouTube video. They were doing an install on a 351w, if I remember correctly. I remember thinking how slick the setup looked, and the YouTuber also gave it rave reviews. I can't remember what I paid exactly at the time, but it was north of $400. I believe they sell for over $500 now. I understand the hesitancy and simply diving in. But for comparison, a Duraspark swap with the dizzy, box, and harness will probably at least run you close to that. As would an MSD setup, etc. Not to mention, you will never get such advanced features with any other setup. So I figured, why not? I will also say, the unit has been flawless. I have reached out to the owner a few times with questions, and he is always prompt to respond. After I had purchased the unit, I had inquired about buying a male cap. He just sent me one, free of charge. Super nice guy!

I have it and love it. You can see my commentary about it here:

We adopted a 1 year old pit bull in February of last year, just before COVID hit. She is the sweetest dog you will ever meet. Well, unless you are a rabbit, groundhog, chipmunk, squirrel, mouse, etc. That freaking dog is a professional vermin terminator. We actually had a few groundhogs lurking around, and it was basically impossible to get rid of them. They would also murder my neighbors garden. Yeah, the dog took care of that problem. At any rate, we certainly didn't adopt the dog to cut down on the vermin population. But she has literally wiped them all out. Well, except the rabbits. Those freaking things just keep multiplying. My dog kills at least one per week in our backyard.

LOL, that was going to be my one critique also. I was thinking either your upholstery guy sucks, or you didn't replace the foam. I replaced the foam when I did mine several years ago now. The seats both still look and feel great. At some point, I think it still might be worth your while to change out the foam. Also, I haven't checked lately, but when I did mine, nobody was making new foam for the backseat. I had no choice but to re-use it. Thankfully the foam was in decent shape, and you can't tell at all. Otherwise, love the updates. Great job man!

Looking good!

Actually I am using them with a set of Boss 351 valve covers. No idea if there would be any issues with the stock 351C valve covers.

The Mach 1 name itself just carries a certain "baddassery" to it. Sure, it literally had nothing to do with making the car go faster. But cooler? Undoubtedly. Can't fault Ford for creating an iconic brand and making a few bucks off of it. There is a reason people restore these cars and slap Mach 1 badging on converts, sportsroofs, and otherwise. The brand matters.

Get a set of FelPro 1682 silicon valve cover gaskets. You can remove and replace your valve covers at will and those gaskets just keep on trucking. They are also very forgiving if your mating surfaces aren't true. The only downside is the price. I think a set will run you around $70.

Seriously, it's great your wife is along for the ride. Literally. My wife will "allow" me to cart her around for a drive once in awhile...

By chance did you spread a dab of RTV around the mating surface of the tailshaft and output shaft seal when you banged in it? I replaced my seal twice and the gear oil found a way to seep out between the two surfaces. Third time was a charm with a dab of RTV.

Worth noting, the heater control valves often corrode on the inside allowing coolant to flow through constantly. It might be worth inspecting, especially if you have an original one.

The first picture is the heater control valve. It's vacuum operated and connected to the heater control. Basically, when you move the slider to heat, the valve opens to allow coolant flow to the heater core. The second picture is the heater stove for a carb choke.