351 4v ( 408 and TKX )

[mach71351c]

I'm new to the site and i am planning  a 71 Coupe project.   I was looking for pics on how the front fenders attach, right behind the wheels, since my car has some issues there.  Passenger side looks like it was crushed  up a bit, and the drivers side has a 90 deg. extension tacked on.   See pic's  

Your thread has great detail pictures of the clean up and paint,  especially of the chassis.  Your work is looking real good too.   The "rotisserie" is excellent too.  Thought of making one out of pipe and angle iron.  That idea you used is so simple, it's great.   Hope yours turns out  to be everything you want.  Again, great thread.

Hey John, Here is some pics of how the fender tab looks.  That bracket looks to low as well.  Hope the pics help and thanks for checking out my build.

 

[mach71351c]

Well that is one EPIC build thread!  Congrats on being able to take the time to document and photograph so much of the good work you have done.  I know how difficult all that is.  I really like what you have done with the car.  Its a James Bond Car!  Always loved that one.

Its really nice to see someone do a restoration like this in their garage.  It takes some skill and know how, but most of all it takes the ability to know what you can and cant do yourself, then find someone you trust that can do it.  I envy your welding skills.  I wish I had taken that up in my youth.  Its one of those things I have been planning on doing for years but never have.  

So its now been almost 4 years of work on the car to get it to this stage.  Have you ever sat down and  added up all the cost of this yet?  I dont know if I would have the nerve to do that, lol.  Especially with the wife around.  

I was looking at a resto project done by a shop out in cali on a 68 Torino.  It was meticulous just like what you have done.  I emailed and asked how much, they actually replied in like 10 mins and said about $200k.  Now that just seems a tad bit unreasonable to me, but you know how those shops value their time.  So you might say, you saved yourself about $150k by doing this yourself.  Thats a much nicer way to look at it.

One thing I didnt see or may have skipped over was the engine that you got back in the first page for free.  Whatever happened with that?

1st let me say thanks for your kind words on my build. As for engine it's wrapped in plastic in my shed. My plan to get the car mostly done before I do the engine. No point it sitting on a stand in my way. So far I'm a little over 12k into it and most of that is body paint. I sold parts from the parts cars so I was in the negative up in till the wheels tires and body paint. I just bought 2k worth of suspension break and steering parts.

4 years, well there has been months I did nothing to it. Full time wife, house and job.

 

[John71Coupe]

I'm new to the site and i am planning  a 71 Coupe project.   I was looking for pics on how the front fenders attach, right behind the wheels, since my car has some issues there.  Passenger side looks like it was crushed  up a bit, and the drivers side has a 90 deg. extension tacked on.   See pic's  

Your thread has great detail pictures of the clean up and paint,  especially of the chassis.  Your work is looking real good too.   The "rotisserie" is excellent too.  Thought of making one out of pipe and angle iron.  That idea you used is so simple, it's great.   Hope yours turns out  to be everything you want.  Again, great thread.

Hey John, Here is some pics of how the fender tab looks.  That bracket looks to low as well.  Hope the pics help and thanks for checking out my build.

 

[John71Coupe]

Thanks for the detail pictures.  I have a little bit of work to do there, I see.   Will probably end up taking 3-4 years myself.

 

[mach71351c]

Up date time!  The first part to hit the fresh engine bay is the solenoid. Paint and installed the new battery tray.  Had to start some where.    Sand and paint strut rod and install new bump stops on shock tower covers. Sand and paint spindles then Install new open tracker upper and lower control arms roller spring perches and a set of grab track 620 springs. Installed a new redhead steering gear with a tighter ratio.  Prime and paint 1" front sway bar.

 

[turtle5353]

Looking good Mike!!

 

[mach71351c]

Looking good Mike!!

Thanks Kevin.

 

[timachone]

Mike,

awesome work!

Something to orientate after!

Have the same sway bar, it's a good and heavy piece ::thumb::

 

[Fabrice]

Give me a little bit of that dry and sunny weather!!!

Excellent work, looks so clean!

 

[73429mach]

Glad your back at it Mike, looks like it’s coming along nicely! Can’t wait to see the finished product. Ryan

 

[73pony]

Looks fantastic. Love the attention to detail.

 

[mach71351c]

Give me a little bit of that dry and sunny weather!!!

Excellent work, looks so clean!

Thank you,yeah it was a perfect 70 degree December day.

 

[mach71351c]

Thanks guys!

 

[Ms.Mach71351c]

Looks Great! Merry Christmas.

 

[mach71351c]

Got a little more done over the Christmas weekend. 1st I installed the convex passenger side mirror from Don at Ohio mustang supply. I will say this a quality part. Fits perfect and tight. I feel this a must since my wife will be granted permission to drive the car now and then.  

So back to where I left off with the front suspension starting with the front sway bar that I been sitting on for years. Well I quickly found out the sway bar is to narrow. I'm so pissed at my self for not test fitting it before I put the effort in restoring it. I so know better.  Thinking it maybe for 65-70.

Ok back to the suspension I installed the Bilstein shocks. I gave the hole shock thing allot of thought and decided to go with the Bilstein over the KYBs so will see how they work. From there I installed the new brake and fuel lines. Then lastly the shock tower covers.

 

[timachone]

Mike,

that looks great - love the freshly installed look of the things on your car.

Too bad the bar doesn't fit, I know that feeling of something... :-/ 

What are the red bolts on the side of the frame for?

What brands are the upper and lower control arms from? Need to have some too next year...

I decided for the KYB's Gas-A-Just - we will see how they are working out. But they would be better than anything that was/is on the car...

 

[mach71351c]

Mike,

that looks great - love the freshly installed look of the things on your car.

Too bad the bar doesn't fit, I know that feeling of something... :-/ 

What are the red bolts on the side of the frame for?

What brands are the upper and lower control arms from? Need to have some too next year...

I decided for the KYB's Gas-A-Just - we will see how they are working out. But they would be better than anything that was/is on the car...

Hey Tim, The upper and lower arms are from Open tracker. KWBs are good shocks. I had them on my 71 Grande. I've had good luck with Bilsteins as well. 

The red bolts are for the steering box

Mike

 

[73429mach]

Mike, looks like your making some good progress. Sorry to hear about the sway bar, that sounds like something that would happen to me. Just the other day I started getting all my dash pieces down from my garage attic to start putting together. I had painted everything some time ago, wrapped it all up with bubble pack so it would not get scratched up and put it up in the attic until I was ready for it. Well to my surprise when I unwrapped it all it had little round bubble pack spots all over everything that I painted. Lesson learned, I guess it got to hot and the plastic melted into the paint. Won't be doing that anymore. Also I noticed that one of the pedestals on my rear spoiler is cracked, so I'll be ordering a new set for that. Anyway, that's the kind of luck that I have been having, hope yours is going along smoothly. Ryan

 

[mach71351c]

Mike, looks like your making some good progress. Sorry to hear about the sway bar, that sounds like something that would happen to me. Just the other day I started getting all my dash pieces down from my garage attic to start putting together. I had painted everything some time ago, wrapped it all up with bubble pack so it would not get scratched up and put it up in the attic until I was ready for it. Well to my surprise when I unwrapped it all it had little round bubble pack spots all over everything that I painted. Lesson learned, I guess it got to hot and the plastic melted into the paint. Won't be doing that anymore.  Also I noticed that one of the pedestals on my rear spoiler is cracked, so I'll be ordering a new set for that. Anyway, that's the kind of luck that I have been having, hope yours is going along smoothly.  Ryan  

Thanks Ryan. Oh man that sucks about your dash.  Nothing worse than thinking a part is ready go and it turns out it's not.  

 

[John71Coupe]

Mike,  Just getting back from my son's after Christmas festivities, and catching up on some threads.  Your pictures & your work look great.  I really enjoy watching talented people do what I intend to do myself, really motivating.   Happy New Year, a bit early.