detritusmaximus

There is guy on Minneapolis Craigslist with a fairly used set of the 1971 Ford shop manuals, all 5 for $30. But, you'll want the right set for your year due to changes in the 1973. As said, the Haynes is okay for reference, but the Haynes/Chiltons/etc. leave out a lot of information.

https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/zz-top-that-little-ol-band-from-texas-review-billy-gibbons-dusty-hill-1203305246/

There is a really good documentary about them. Well worth seeing.

Nice AMX. When I was a kid, right around 8th grade, a guy down the street had a very nice medium metallic blue Javelin. Probably the first one of that bodystyle that I recall seeing. Thru a friend of mine that has/had a roadrace 70 Mach1 I met another guy with a pretty nice replica of the Sunoco Camaro.

I was thinking that if you changed to more normal sized tires at some point that it would look odd with the longer shackles ( too much space above the tire), so if they were to be changed out then you lose diff to body clearance. It's been awhile since I was investigating the 8.8. I know some people have modified the tube lengths to get the axle the right width and the diff centered. Probably some misremembering there. While the aluminum driveshaft is not a necessity, with an AOD/T5 and 8.8., if the ends are compatible, it is less mass to get rotating and less weight in general. I think the T5s/TKOs have a standard 1st gear of 2.97 and an optional 3.27 (or something), more friendly to the 3.55/3.73. The TKOs have either a .80 or .63 overdrive. Sounds like the .63 would be too much of a gap.

Sitting stationery, how much clearance do you have? If you go to smaller wheels and shorter shackles, how much worse will it likely be? I've considered getting an 8.8 as well for when I get around to my car. Probably a 3.55, but 3.73 is more common. What year Explorer did yours come from? I intended on getting one with disc brakes and from a leaf spring Explorer. After reading about the offset, I figured on shortening the long side so the diff was centered to avoid the 'clunk' and exhaust clearance issues. Seems like it would be easy enough when moving the spring perches around. Also, I know aftermarket aluminum driveshafts are available for the Fox and later Mustangs. Depending on the trans, I thought about an AOD or T5, then a lighter driveshaft becomes an option, too.

On a friend's car that I replaced the leaf springs and shocks, we used factory rubber bushings on the front end of the leaf and at the shackle to frame mount. We used polyurethane at the rear leaf to shackle. Since the car was raised a bit, we felt this would eliminate some of the rubber bushing compliance at the rear without going all poly.

Slightly shorter in the front. The white XC Falcon is about as wide as our 66-69 Fairlanes. They are based on the 66 and later US Falcon/Fairlane structure. The XB Falcon front end looks more like the 71-73 Mustang, the XC's above have a flatter grille/bumper design.

My experience has only been with a four post lift. It was nice because the car sat on its wheels ( we didn't have jack 71coop mentioned). For rusty or flexible cars, I would much rather have it on the wheels than try to lift by the body. Plus, you can stand on the thing to get into the car or under the hood, can't do that on a two post.

I think that black 3M stuff is butyl rope (butyl caulk).

Well, you could say it is a very correct replica of a screen used prop....

While it might not sit well with some, it would just be embarrassing if it didn't live up to the name.

All the advice on photos/bags/bins/labeling is spot on, but I'd add a couple things to that. Number your bins/boxes and keep a list in a notebook of the stuff in that bin/box. Take a pic of the open bin/box. Even take a pic of the pages of the notebook. In this day and age, pics are basically free (not like the days of the Fotomat booth...) and it gets frustrating trying to remember what the box looked like that you put that particular part into. On how far to go, that will depend on what you need or want to do. If you want to clean up and rustoleum the bottom of the car, engine out is a good time to do that. Even more so if you want to rebuild the front and rear suspension. That is not too much to take apart, in my opinion. But you can also do it in stages (one end first, then the other. But that can lead to disassembling the front clip to get at all that. Scope creep....

I've spent most of the past week watching a series about a guy that quit his job, sold his house and bought a 56' narrowboat to cruise the narrowboat canals. Interesting, but very low key. Some would say boring, but it's a different side of British culture and a bit of industrial revolution history. I have noticed that if I fall asleep after about 3 episodes a night, I sleep pretty good....

Or a third bad alien invasion movie...