Grabber Lime Restoration Update

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Aug 27, 2010
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Location
Canton, MIchigan
My Car
1971 429 CJs: Grabber Lime, Grabber Blue, White, Dark Green Metallic (2), Pewter, Red Convertible 1972: Sprints (3), 1973: Pink Convertible (2)
Work slowly continues on putting the Mach back together.  Headlight Buckets, Hood Bumpers,  Windshield Stops, Shock Tower caps and Hood weatherstrip all restored and installed.   Finding out that everything going back on the car is not as easy as taking it off!!!











 
Looks great! Very well done. Thanks for posting updates. Chuck

 
Wow looks great! Very nice work & attention to detail will pay off in the end.

Shock tower caps look great, what did you finish them with?
Beadblasted, primed and painted back to a natural finish using Cast Blast paint.   I found that is the closest color to natural.   I was going to leave all the metal natural such as phosphate coated, etc, but even in a climate controlled garage, rust does start to form over time.   For phosphate, I found if I use satin black on the part first and then lightly overspray with flat, you can the same finish on parts, bolts, etc.

 
Car is looking great. Thank you for the update and pics. Only if you are interested on a couple of observations. The hood adjustment bumper cage nuts are actually installed prior to painting of the front. In concourse they would be SG black. The attaching bolts for the windshield support would be phosphate. I assume those are the AMK replacements. Another item I learned from a well versed contributor on the forum is the use of Glass Frost paint on metal surfaces to tone down any finishes meant to mimic phosphate. I did phosphate my shock mounts and hood hinges, but still used the Glass Frost paint to seal the surface and even out the appearance some. Just some well intended comments on a very nice car. Please keep the updates coming.

 
Car is looking great. Thank you for the update and pics.  Only if you are interested on a couple of observations.  The hood adjustment bumper cage nuts are actually installed prior to painting of the front. In concourse they would be SG black.  The attaching bolts for the windshield support would be phosphate. I assume those are the AMK replacements.  Another item I learned from a well versed contributor on the forum is the use of Glass Frost paint on metal surfaces to tone down any finishes meant to mimic phosphate. I did phosphate my shock mounts and hood hinges, but still used the Glass Frost paint to seal the surface and even out the appearance some.  Just some well intended comments on a very nice car.  Please keep the updates coming.
 Glass Frost paint??? If I can find it , that's a very good tip. Who makes it? All I did to my hood hinges and shock caps was to media blast them and use matte clear coat. I mentioned this before in a post and was criticized for it though. My point was it looks right if NOT right and to those of us who could care less about judging, so what!

Thanks for the heads up bk.

 
Motor City, you're building MY dream car!! Awesome I'd love to come and see it sometime when I'm over that way. I have a story to tell of how a Grabber Lime Mach 1 got me into owning Mustangs in the first place. I do shop at NPD quite often, but I didn't know about you guys till just recently.

Well done guys,

Geoff.

 
Motor City, you're building MY dream car!! Awesome I'd love to come and see it sometime when I'm over that way. I have a story to tell of how a Grabber Lime Mach 1 got me into owning Mustangs in the first place. I do shop at NPD quite often, but I didn't know about you guys till just recently.

Well done guys,

Geoff.
Geoff,  I actually live about 5 minutes from NPD and my garage is about 15 minutes from there.  My parts business is just something I do on the side (will do it more when I retire at the end of 2018).  I have 31 71-73 parts cars behind my building just waiting for me to take them apart!   Let me know next time you come up and we'll hook up at the garage.   If you don't like that color, I have a Grabber Blue, Dark Green Metallic, and a White one (all 429s) that still need to be restored (and a red 429 convertible along with a 429 Fastback that I drive).   I figure I better get started on the projects cars, so started with the Grabber Lime one.

71 White1.JPG

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Motor City, you're building MY dream car!! Awesome I'd love to come and see it sometime when I'm over that way. I have a story to tell of how a Grabber Lime Mach 1 got me into owning Mustangs in the first place. I do shop at NPD quite often, but I didn't know about you guys till just recently.

Well done guys,

Geoff.
Geoff,  I actually live about 5 minutes from NPD and my garage is about 15 minutes from there.  My parts business is just something I do on the side (will do it more when I retire at the end of 2018).  I have 31 71-73 parts cars behind my building just waiting for me to take them apart!   Let me know next time you come up and we'll hook up at the garage.   If you don't like that color, I have a Grabber Blue, Dark Green Metallic, and a White one (all 429s) that still need to be restored (and a red 429 convertible along with a 429 Fastback that I drive).   I figure I better get started on the projects cars, so started with the Grabber Lime one.
 Thanks for the reply. Very interesting. I will need to go to NPD soon as I need a few parts, so perhaps we can arrange something for a weekend. PM me or I'll PM you on that.

I do have a great 71 Mach 1 that I bought in California in 08, all original numbers car, but with a few upgrades, PS, PB etc. My "project" for this winter is replacing the gas tank, lines and pump to be ethanol friendly ( hate that s**t!!) Other than that it's done.

I've attached a picture or two..

Thanks,

Geoff.

 
Car is looking great. Thank you for the update and pics.  Only if you are interested on a couple of observations.  The hood adjustment bumper cage nuts are actually installed prior to painting of the front. In concourse they would be SG black.  The attaching bolts for the windshield support would be phosphate. I assume those are the AMK replacements.  Another item I learned from a well versed contributor on the forum is the use of Glass Frost paint on metal surfaces to tone down any finishes meant to mimic phosphate. I did phosphate my shock mounts and hood hinges, but still used the Glass Frost paint to seal the surface and even out the appearance some.  Just some well intended comments on a very nice car.  Please keep the updates coming.
Figured out something new today.   Mach 1 s that have hood pins don't have the insertable cage nuts for the hood bumpers, only the non-hood pin cars do.  The hood pinned cars have the welded in cage nuts because the lower hood pin bracket attaches over the top of the cage nut and it has to be flush.  I checked all the other cars I have and found the same.  So only the non-hood pinned cars have the insertable cage nuts.   There must have been two different radiator core supports when they built the cars.

IMG_2846.JPG

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Figured out something new today.   Mach 1 s that have hood pins don't have the insertable cage nuts for the hood bumpers, only the non-hood pin cars do.  The hood pinned cars have the welded in cage nuts because the lower hood pin bracket attaches over the top of the cage nut and it has to be flush.  I checked all the other cars I have and found the same.  So only the non-hood pinned cars have the insertable cage nuts.   There must have been two different radiator core supports when they built the cars.
 Well my friend, I have to disagree with you on the hood pins and non-hood pined cars. My 71 Mach 1 is absolutely original and in- restored concerning where parts have been changed. The nuts for the hood bumpers can clearly be seen as welded in, not cage nuts as you found on your other cars. My take on it would be that as ram air hoods, NASSA type that is, were intended for Mach 1's mainly, then the rad supports were built assuming ram air and thus hood pins as well. I just know this is going to cause controversy!!!

 
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Figured out something new today.   Mach 1 s that have hood pins don't have the insertable cage nuts for the hood bumpers, only the non-hood pin cars do.  The hood pinned cars have the welded in cage nuts because the lower hood pin bracket attaches over the top of the cage nut and it has to be flush.  I checked all the other cars I have and found the same.  So only the non-hood pinned cars have the insertable cage nuts.   There must have been two different radiator core supports when they built the cars.
 Well my friend, I have to disagree with you on the hood pins and non-hood pined cars. My 71 Mach 1 is absolutely original and in- restored concerning where parts have been changed. The nuts for the hood bumpers can clearly be seen as welded in, not cage nuts as you found on your other cars. My take on it would be that as ram air hoods, NASSA type that is, were intended for Mach 1's mainly, then the rad supports were built assuming ram air and thus hood pins as well. I just know this is going to cause controversy!!!
Interesting (and believable). I made the assumption based on my 7 Mach 1s, but all have hood pins, didn't think about a Mach 1 without hood pins!  Thanks for the clarification!

 
Figured out something new today.   Mach 1 s that have hood pins don't have the insertable cage nuts for the hood bumpers, only the non-hood pin cars do.  The hood pinned cars have the welded in cage nuts because the lower hood pin bracket attaches over the top of the cage nut and it has to be flush.  I checked all the other cars I have and found the same.  So only the non-hood pinned cars have the insertable cage nuts.   There must have been two different radiator core supports when they built the cars.
 Well my friend, I have to disagree with you on the hood pins and non-hood pined cars. My 71 Mach 1 is absolutely original and unrestored concerning where parts have been changed. The nuts for the hood bumpers can clearly be seen as welded in, not cage nuts as you found on your other cars. My take on it would be that as ram air hoods, NASSA type that is, were intended for Mach 1's mainly, then the rad supports were built assuming ram air and thus hood pins as well. I just know this is going to cause controversy!!!
Interesting (and believable). I made the assumption based on my 7 Mach 1s, but all have hood pins, didn't think about a Mach 1 without hood pins!  Thanks for the clarification!
Well you know Ford did weird  things back in the 70's. From what I've learned, especially over the last 8 years of owning my car, nothing would surprise me. Who knows, my car could be the anomaly with the welded in nuts!!

Maybe later in the year, I'll bring my car over to your shop now I have more confidence in the latest engine re-rebuild!!.

 
Here is a photo of the original 73 vert I documented several years ago.  It is the recent vert featured in Mustang 360 for undercarriage detailing and the use of the support tool for the upper control arm when jacking. This is a 100% original untouched car.  The cage nut looks unpainted, but it is actually dust around the part.

73 hood bumper.jpg

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1971 Boss original paint car and restored through Perkins shop

ram air hood pin.jpg

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1971 Boss 100% original at Perkins shop unrestored in 2012

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