’71 Mach 1 Resto Project

[tpj71mach]

She is really coming along nice! What is your projection for her maiden voyage?

I am hoping for the beginning of spring next year. The engine should be going to the dyno next week if that happens on time mechanically it should be starting and running by late July. The body should be ready for paint around that same time, and then I just have to schedule time to fit it into the spray booth at my friend's body shop. Once paint is done, I can work on interior reassembly and trim over the winter and hopefully be driving by spring. That will make the full restoration within 18 months which is always my goal, fingers crossed.

 

[DAverkamp]

I am hoping for the beginning of spring next year. The engine should be going to the dyno next week if that happens on time mechanically it should be starting and running by late July. The body should be ready for paint around that same time, and then I just have to schedule time to fit it into the spray booth at my friend's body shop. Once paint is done, I can work on interior reassembly and trim over the winter and hopefully be driving by spring. That will make the full restoration within 18 months which is always my goal, fingers crossed.

Roger that. What burb are you in? I’m up in “the LG” and all those white and blue plates are here driving around silly and lost.

 

[tpj71mach]

Roger that. What burb are you in? I’m up in “the LG” and all those white and blue plates are here driving around silly and lost.

Yeah we Illinoisans love heading up to Wisconsin about this time of year and clogging up your traffic LOL. I am in the southwest suburbs of Chicago near Orland Park.

 

[DAverkamp]

Yeah we Illinoisans love heading up to Wisconsin about this time of year and clogging up your traffic LOL. I am in the southwest suburbs of Chicago near Orland Park.

When you get her going, we just supplied Builders Asphalt the aggregate to do 47 north of Elburn so its getting to be a nice road to get ip this way and avoid the tollway

 

[timachone]

Not too bad for the first welds, I have started the same way. So keep on going, it is coming along nicely.

For the valve covers: I would keep them as is, you have cleaned then really nice. They were not better over the counter. Try to keep them als clean as possible from time to time and they will look as intended: cooooool!

 

[tpj71mach]

I got out to the garage tonight after work and did a little more work on the right rear quarter repair

It still needs some more finish work but I wanted to get it good enough to primer it for now. And I can move on to the driver's side and do the finish body work after the metal work is all done.

 

[Bill Perkins]

I got out to the garage tonight after work and did a little more work on the right rear quarter repairView attachment 64162 View attachment 64163 View attachment 64164 View attachment 64167 View attachment 64168 View attachment 64169

It still needs some more finish work but I wanted to get it good enough to primer it for now. And I can move on to the driver's side and do the finish body work after the metal work is all done.

Great Job, keep up the great work and keep us posted

 

[tpj71mach]

Great Job, keep up the great work and keep us posted

Thanks

 

[tpj71mach]

I took a break from welding and finished up assembling the dash. It is all wired up and ready to bolt in the car. Tomorrow morning I plan on starting back on the sheet metal work by cutting out the lower drivers quarter panel to perform basically the same repair as I did on the passenger side

 

[tpj71mach]

I had Randy at Mid Life Harness go through the harnesses and Bob at Rocketman's upgrade the tach to a three wire and the ammeter to a volt meter. All I still need to do is splice the three wire tach harness into the three wires Randy provided at the connection and it should be plug and play from there.

 

[Sheriff41]

Looking good inside and out!

 

[tpj71mach]

Looking good inside and out!

Thanks, it is coming along. I distract myself by jumping around to different parts of the resto.

 

[midlife]

Ahhh...you're Tom Jones, the famous singer!

 

[tpj71mach]

Yes I'm Tom but no not famous, and trust me you do not want to hear me sing LOL

 

[tpj71mach]

I started in on the drivers quarter panel this afternoon. Good news is looks like I can save the trunk drop down panel on this side. Replaced the bottom six inches or so of the outer wheel house, it still needs a little more work and then on to the lower quarter panel and the welding should be just about done, YAY!!

 

[tpj71mach]

I took the heater and blower cases out and disassembled them and wash 50 years of Vegas and Southern California desert out of them. I replaced the heater core and evaporator core and installed all new foam and seals. I verified that all of the vacuum actuators hold vacuum and reassembled. Hopefully that will keep me from having to remove this to replace something for a while. I installed them back in to the car today.


Dash installation comes next!



It feels good to be plugging up more holes in the firewall!

 

[tpj71mach]

I got the dash installed in the car. I have never installed anything in the shell of the car before paint but wife wanted the parts out of the basement, LOL. I figured I would get the heater box, dash and steering column out of the basement and into the car and at least there will be less parts in the basement. I will just need to keep it covered and masked off real well when I do spray.



To be fair, I do do have parts all over for this car. I have always done my restorations at a friend's body shop but he retired and sold his shop. So, this is the first one I have done at home and it has kid of spread out. I put all of the inside parts down in the basement and they have been down there since I took them out of the car in December.

I enjoy seeing the improvements as I go for inspiration. These pics are of the dash when I bought it. Added the tach instead of the clock, and I bought a console with clock I am also adding.



I'm happy with how it turned out,

 

[tpj71mach]

 

[Sheriff41]

That's a great transformation!

 

[tpj71mach]

That's a great transformation!

Thanks!