autonomousbronco

Just a consideration, regarding “ruining cars,” it might take a decade or so for the damage to become visible given the affected spots would be in locations that aren’t easily gotten to by a pressure washer. Also, regarding phosphoric acid, no that wouldn’t be an issue but rather protective if it reaches the caustic agents to neutralize and then protect said metal. Again, theoretically the process should be sound so long as done properly.

Again, theoretically, just like buffing paint, if done properly and with the correct materials, it shouldn't be an issue and you'll have great results. That said, if done incorrectly, well...we all know the rest. I was just stressing the importance of finding a good shop; I like WOM (word of mouth) rather than online google reviews as those can be "optimized" i.e. manipulated for the right price.

That's a great write up on the process; that said, given the parts were soaked in an acid and then pressure washed to remove the agents, I'd be leery of the pressure wash's efficacy of getting into the proverbial nooks and crannies. I'm sure that finding the correct shop would be key to ensuring that the last process completely removes the active chemical agents.

I'm sure that there's a right and a wrong way to do the acid bath...that said, I had a good friend that had his '56 Chevy frame ruined by an acid bath due to micro-fractures in the frame's metal being seeded/penetrated by the acid; Also, I've heard good things regarding using almond or walnut shells for the media if you want to preserve rubber etc. but still remove oxidation and paint

Sounds like you’ve made much progress to say the least, and that’s great you don’t have to worry about ancillary brake components. I hope that you have luck with finding a body shop…Sadly, I’ve found that most people these days are just “part changers” or just talk out of their hindquarters; given that working on our stang’s requires a skilled craftsman, word of mouth is 10/10 better than suspect google reviews when finding a decent shop. I’d chat it up with your local mustang club and ask about prior experiences 🙄 Lastly, I didn’t want to forget to mention, given you’ve redone everything forward of the firewall…don’t do what I did…run a relay if you don’t switch to LED headlights, the dash mounted headlight switch is easily overloaded with modern halogens and can turn your ‘stang into a “roadside Webber.”

Regarding stopping fast enough, if you go to front discs…don’t forget to change the proportioning valve and the master cylinder! The drum/standard aforementioned parts won’t have the right pressure to send to the front calipers vs the rear and the master will be a different volume as well as pedal pressure and travel. These parts are often an overlooked part of this upgrade and can lead to paradoxically longer stopping distances if not done right. You can do it on a budget if you get used parts, but make sure they all are designed to work with each other (trust me…I’ve also learned the hard way) 😫 Good luck with your ‘stang’s restoration and the forums are a fantastic resource, welcome back to the hobby!

Best of luck with your headliner restoration! I would recommend a "while you're in there project," be picking up a rattle can of vinyl/plastic touch up paint for the A and C pillars, as well as the seatbelt hooks. I also used some semigloss (or check with the concours guys for the correct sheen) to touch up the screws post wire brushing to remove any oxidation.

Looking great!

Yes.

Didn't mean to highjack the post but thank you @Mustang Guru. I found original pictures of my car, prior to the repaint, it lacked the hockey stick stripes. Prior to now, I always wondered why I saw some with or without the chrome trim.

I love the color combo but I might be biased! Btw, I noticed that your Mach 1, like mine, has the chrome trim running above the rockers...Does anyone know why some Mach 1's have this and others don't? Was it part of an option package etc?

A very effective method.

Just had an update from the curator, Carroll Shelby's widow and family stopped the museum and they loved the car! They even took a photo in front of it, see attached:

You can also always try a phenolic spacer for the carb (measure hood clearance first)...it’ll keep it cooler during run times and prevent the fuel from boiling off post shutdown.

I had a similar issue that Don mentioned/cautioned against with the reduced voltage wire supplying my MSD CDI system. Because of this, my MSD/ignition had insufficient voltage and thus the car would "fall off a cliff" when trying to rev past 5,400 (the engine acted like the valves were floating). Once I ran a dedicated 12V+ via a relay from the battery to the MSD system...It pulls hard all the way up to my rev limiter without any hesitation.