’71 Mach 1 Resto Project

[tpj71mach]

Looks great! You're making really good progress.

Thanks, its coming along.

 

[Bill Perkins]

Awesome Job keep up the great work and thanks for posting your progress

 

[Fabrice]

I have looked at more of your progress and it's a delight to look at such quality work!! Really beautiful work!

One small question as I need change the trunk floor too at some point.
I see you have welded the butterflies for the rear seat fold down door rubber stops. But do not see the actual door/fold down structure in place while the taillight is already back in. May I ask why you choose to weld them back later on?

 

[tpj71mach]

Thanks, I was just admiring your workmanship on your build forum. I have an early 71 (2/71) and they did not have as much structure for the fold down seat as later 71's and 72-73. Here are pics of my car before I disassembled it.


My car has only the lower welded in support and two screw in uprights, later cars has a full panel.
Below are pics from a 72 that I took.





When I first purchased it I thought someone had removed them or it wasn't originally a fold down car. The 73 I owned when I was younger had the full panels so I thought something was missing. I asked the question on this forum actually and a few guys explained that is how it was for my build date.

I still need to weld in the lower support bar after I work on finishing the seam where the trunk pan meets the floor a little more, but that is all my car has.

 

[tpj71mach]

Awesome Job keep up the great work and thanks for posting your progress

Thanks

 

[tpj71mach]

Before



Almost after, still needs the fold down lower support bar welded in

 

[Frankenstang71]

Looks like your project is moving along nicely. I did a similar replacement on mine this past summer.

Can someone tell me what these are for? I am guessing they are some sort of tooling fixtures or something to do with
manufacture/assembly.
View attachment 60212

Please don't laugh but are not these for hanging the exhaust? They were using them for that on my car...(i know that don't make it right).

 

[tpj71mach]

Please don't laugh but are not these for hanging the exhaust? They were using them for that on my car...(i know that don't make it right).

I have been told here on this forum that they are for installing the fuel tank on the assembly line. I had no idea what they were for when I replaced the floor, but I transferred them to the new trunk pan because they were on the old one.

 

[droptop73]

Great progress! Very nice work.

 

[Fabrice]

@tpj71mach
Ah! You learn every day something new! Mine 71 is from April. It indeed has the 2 full panels closing the space. Which will likely have to be removed prior to patch my trunk floor. Not to mention that this way I could be more comfy inside to weld than laying inside trying to hurt my skull with the low deck...
It's very strange that they offer the fold down like this in early production dates as the door is then kinda silly floating in there in the middle.

To get back to my original question, as even being just two guides in your case, I presume now that you decided to place them back in later for the same reason as I think: ease access to weld properly... in my case, I think now that I will place them back right before placing back the taillights panel. Because of the necessary spot welds trunk side that you do not have.

 

[tpj71mach]

I would weld those in before the tail lamp panel if I had them. In my case I just have to place eight plug welds in that lower support so I am doing that after I clean up the area where I seemed the trunk floor to the rest of it. Probably should have done that before the tail lamp panel but my ADD kicked in and I got distracted with the tail lamp panel, I tend to do that, LOL. I am easily distracted as you can see. I hop around from engine compartment to dash to trunk. It all gets done eventually, just not in any reasonable order.

 

[tpj71mach]

I gave the engine compartment its final coat of paint today so I can finally start reassembling the front suspension steering and brakes. This was only twenty minutes after I sprayed it I am expecting it to dull down a little more when it is cured.

 

[rio1856]

Great Job!!

 

[tpj71mach]

Got some work done on the engine compartment and front suspension and steering. I got to point where I need to install springs and didn't feel like messing with the spring compressor today so I thought this is a good place to quit for the day. I'm on the fence about the wiper motor, usually I refinish or replace as needed every thing when I restore a car. This wiper motor is the original and not in terrible shape and works fine. I thought it was cool that it still had the production date and part number on it. I like that but I am used to everything looking new, this is thinking outside of the box for me. I did repaint the mounting plate and the cover plate that were rusty, I couldn't help myself.

 

[tpj71mach]

So after work tonight I finally got around to installing the passenger side coil spring and shock. Of all the tasks of a frame off restoration the only thing I actually hate and dread to do is install coil springs. I have been putting it off for over a week.




I bought KYB gas-adjust shocks and painted them Ford dark blue and added Ford/Motorcraft sticker to dress it up some,

 

[Sheriff41]

So after work tonight I finally got around to installing the passenger side coil spring and shock. Of all the tasks of a frame off restoration the only thing I actually hate and dread to do is install coil springs. I have been putting it off for over a week.




I bought KYB gas-adjust shocks and painted them Ford dark blue and added Ford/Motorcraft shock to dress it up some,

Nice detail work!

 

[tpj71mach]

Nice detail work!

Thanks I kind of look at these restorations like building models when I was a kid just a lot bigger.

 

[73429mach]

Looking good!

 

[71ProjectJunk]

Excellent work! On the wiper motor I had the same thing as you, and original one that still works and still has the OEM numbers and dates. I covered the date with tape as best I could and cleaned it up, and painted the case. The color was not an exact match, but it was close enough. Looks much better than it did with all the rust, LOL.

 

[carguy47]

WOW... what an amazing job you are doing! What an adventure to share with us. Thanks