2 restoration questions

[Vinnie]

Hey guys,

I might soon have a space of my own (you'll know it when that happens! ) but when I start thinking of having the possibility to take my car apart and start a full restoration 2 questions always come up first:

1) How do I get the vinyl roof off and on again?

2) When I stick my head deep in the trunk and look up (no, you can't get a photo of me doing that ;-P ), I can see the inside of the deck panel that leads to the back window and it has rust on it. I can not reach it well enough because there's some kind of inside panel there as well. How do you deal with that? I guess convertibles have that as well?

Looking forward reading your thoughts and opinios!

Thanks,

Vincent.

 

[MikeGriese]

As gar as the vinyl roof goes - if you take it off it won't go back on as well, since you can't help but stretch it a little as it comes off. Forty plus years is a long time for vinyl to sit in the elements, so it is likely to tear as it comes off as well. There are lots of options out there for just replacing it with correct grain and color vinyl.

Hard to say about your rust issue without a picture. That part of the car becomes a lot more accessible once the interior is out if you are planning to go that far. Removing the decklid and hinge assembly might help as well.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

When a car got a vinyl roof they did not spray the car color on just primer so they rust pretty bad. When you pull it off there will likely be several holes in the metal roof. It takes quite a bit of work to fix correctly and sometimes requires the replacement of the roof.

The Filler panel between the trunk and back glass is very prone to rust due to the trim being there for the rear window and around the vinyl top. They do not repo that I do not think. You have to find a donor also.

Go to the West Coast Cougar web site I think he has some video on doing a vinyl roof and I think they had to replace the metal on one also. You can see what to expect under yours.

The vinyl is applied with contact adhesive a heat gun will help loosen it also. I had a vinyl roof bubble up in California in Death Valley due to the high heat. It was on a 71 Maverick Grabber.

 

[Pegleg]

SMS Auto Fabrics will make a vinyl roof for you. As far as the vinyl roof goes that was one of the few items i ordered and recieved quickly.

Its been ONE YEAR & ONE DAY. SMS still have not sent my door panels or windlace. I recieved the seat material only 6 weeks ago. When you consider Doug at SMS told me it would be 3 weeks for everything but the door panels which would take 3 months their service is diabolical. The quality and reproduction is second to none. However their customer service is none existent.

I would reccomend you employ the services of a professional trimmer for the vinyl roof. He will get it perfect. If you mess up and have to buy a second vinyl you are in the realm of costing the same as employing a trimmer the first time around. The last thing you want is water gathering under the vinyl and rusting the roof so get it done by a time served professional. I had a quote of £300 to fit mine which i think is reasonable for the job being undertaken

 

[will e]

Vinne, a full restoration is a lot of work. You might consider a 'rolling restoration' where you tackle different things but still get to drive it in between.

I don't recall seeing a big rust probem on your car so hopefully that won't cost much. For the rest of your rolling restoration, decide what area you want to tack next and collect parts for it. When you recieve the parts open the box and make sure it is the correct part and that it looks like it will fit.

Being able to drive the car is good motivation. So it getting something done, seeing the progress, and then moving onto the next part.

My car has been a 32 year rolling restoration. It's never been perfect but parts of it have at one point in time or another. The longest it was down was for paint. It was several months before I got it back.

 

[73pony]

Vinne, a full restoration is a lot of work.   You might consider a 'rolling restoration' where you tackle different things but still get to drive it in between.

I don't recall seeing a big rust probem on your car so hopefully that won't cost much.  For the rest of your rolling restoration, decide what area you want to tack next and collect parts for it.   When you recieve the parts open the box and make sure it is the correct part and that it looks like it will fit.

Being able to drive the car is good motivation.  So it getting something done, seeing the progress, and then moving onto the next part.

My car has been a 32 year rolling restoration.  It's never been perfect but parts of it have at one point in time or another.    The longest it was down was for paint.  It was several months before I got it back.

+1 on that. Driving the car is a huge motivator. This is the approach I have taken as well. I try to save larger extended term projects for the winter, especially those with a large learning curve for me. I did a T5 swap the winter before last then rebuilt the motor this past winter but still get to drive it and work on small projects during the summer. Paint and body will be my biggest, most time consuming and expensive project when I decide to tackle that one.

 

[Fabrice]

+1 keep it running, even if not as you want it to be.

Unless your car has structural problems, pick a target and stick to it and enjoy the ride during the rare nice dry days of Holland!

For your inner rust sorrows, just light sand them for as far as you can, then oil/grease the regions till you one day decide to pick these as work target

and fix the problem following the book. Usually rust means condensation or leaks, so I'd say do some water test and look where water comes in.

If it doesn't leak ensure where you park the car is well ventilated or/and place some condenser in room.

 

[Vinnie]

I hear you all. I'm not about to take anything apart yet, don't worry ;-) The car however is, at some point, going to need all new glass, paint, rubbers everywhere, wiring, brake and fuel lines and welding (cowl and taillight panel). These are things that are best done alltogether. I'll have to save up for that though so not gonna happen soon.

 

[Vinnie]

Here you see the inside of the deck panel through the holes of some other panel. So how would you fix that? Cut the panel with the holes out?

 

[Stanglover]

Here you see the inside of the deck panel through the holes of some other panel. So how would you fix that? Cut the panel with the holes out?

 What rust are you looking at? I see only light surface rust. Are you thinking that the material between the cut outs is rust? That to me looks like the felt material under the package tray, but may be rust stained. I would go inside and pull the package tray out then look at what you've got. You may have rust on top of the metal, but that can likely be cured if you get at it soon. Just a thought, I could be wrong.

Geoff.

 Okay, my Mach is totally different to your Grande. Perhaps it is a second metal inner panel. Looking a bit closer at the picture in the corner, it does look like a welded in metal panel. If it is, apart from cleaning off what you can and spraying with POR 15 or a spray rust inhibitor. I'm out of ideas. Others will have more knowledge I'm sure.

Good luck.

 

[Vinnie]

It is a lot of surface rust. That panel (what is it called?) is welded I think.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

On a coupe with vinyl roof you end up with rust under the rear part of the vinyl roof and also rust around the tail lights and water gets into the trunk. That water sweats onto the inside surface of the trunk filler panel and since the bodies were not dipped in primer they rust from inside out.

A vert is similar just more narrow. Water is the enemy. I have a 72 vert Michigan car that has absolutely no rust in the filler panel or the rain gutter. I also have a California car that has rust bubbled up in the filler panel with just 48,000 miles. He washed the car a lot so it never dried out and tail lights leaked.

Where a car comes from has little to do with rust it is how it was taken care of. Water on these cars is your big enemy and washing your car is really a bad thing.

 

[Fabrice]

Nederlandse klassieker...

The rust on the double plate is just 1/2 hour rotating brush to get it new. The most rust is on the body.

First i'd start remove backseat to have more light and be able access some places more easy than from trunk.

Then I'd paper sand at what seams be the "worst" and look if its indeed light. If not, you will get some "moon" like surface, while light would reveal bare metal and still be relatively flat.

From pict i'd say it looks like typical Dutch weather condense magic, and that you're looking at serious muscle pain in the mornings after your many hours of rust removal by hand.

As very little of that rust will be accessible for any rotating tool (I've been there). Good news, unlike the fastbacks, you can lay into the trunk ( I've been in there too ).

If you start to cut/weld/replace, the car will stay in garage for a long time which breaks your own wish to keep the car driving from above. Because if there is condense rust here,

there is more, pretty much everywhere and its gonna get worse on the lowest parts of the body.

I'd says protect "everywhere" with whatever you can/have so it doesn't get worse and at least enjoy drive it till piggy is filled up to the neck for a full body resto.

While at it, I'd fill that little corner of the quarter window so no water can enter again.

 

[Pegleg]

Vinne, a full restoration is a lot of work.   You might consider a 'rolling restoration' where you tackle different things but still get to drive it in between.

I don't recall seeing a big rust probem on your car so hopefully that won't cost much.  For the rest of your rolling restoration, decide what area you want to tack next and collect parts for it.   When you recieve the parts open the box and make sure it is the correct part and that it looks like it will fit.

Being able to drive the car is good motivation.  So it getting something done, seeing the progress, and then moving onto the next part.

My car has been a 32 year rolling restoration.  It's never been perfect but parts of it have at one point in time or another.    The longest it was down was for paint.  It was several months before I got it back.

Ditto. My car has been in my possession for 14 months and I driven it for 14 days. It's disheartening to say the least. The only thing that keeps me interested is regular visits to the garage. That's why I been absent on here for so long. What kept me motivated the most is buying parts for jobs further down the line

 

[Vicus]

It is a lot of surface rust. That panel (what is it called?) is welded I think.

Vinnie

as you are living close to Germany, try Fertan. It's a rust converter.

It works well if you follow the instructions.

1 liter @ ~28 € will be enough for half of your Stang.

Cheers

Frank

 

[JD79]

It is a lot of surface rust. That panel (what is it called?) is welded I think.

Vinnie

as you are living close to Germany, try Fertan. It's a rust converter.

It works well if you follow the instructions.

1 liter @ ~28 € will be enough for half of your Stang.

Cheers

Frank

Interesting product! I had a look at the Fertan product video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0RfTCyGYYA

 

[mustang7173]

lexluger,

The vinyl top, you are going to need to remove the entire head liner to remove the bright trim work around the vinyl top.

I can tell you from experience that using a rust converter is not going to work. I know this after installing 2 vinyl tops. The first time, I used a rust inhibitor and POR 15. Rust came back. The second time, I used several other products, rust came back. The 3rd solution that worked, was to have the entire top and sides soda blasted. I used a Metal prep, then sprayed PPG self-etching epoxy primer. During that time, approx. 5 to 6 years of restoring other areas, not one spec of rust. Sprayed paint body, installed vinyl top, rust is history!

My other stand by solution is http://www.ospho.com/index.htm

The 40310 –back, upper panel, per forum members will have come from a donor car. This is what I had to do.

https://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-replacement-panel



Source: Ford Motor Company, CR May 1975





Green Coating is the Eastwood Internal Coating



http://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-internal-frame-coating-14oz-aerosol.html



mustang7173

 

[Vinnie]

Thanks for that! It looks like there's not much holding that top (outer) panel in place. Is it welded in at all?

I used Eastwood on my trunk floor, nice stuff.

 

[mustang7173]

Vinnie,

It is loaded up with those fine spot welds. If you plan on doing it, get a really good quality spot weld cutter!

mustang7173