Build/Restore Thread: 1973 Ford Mustang Fastback

[73.Fastback]

Holy cow dude, where did you get this info from?! This is great to know. I knew this is the right place to come for my 1973 Fastback questions - you guys are awesome!

 

[c9zx]

Sorry for coming so late to this game. However, after reading all the pages I think several have given you the best advice regarding finding a more knowledgable mechanic. If he believes there was a Ford 451 engine and does not know the difference between a small block and a big block you should not be allowing him to work on the car and take your money. It is unlikely that this will end well. I'm not trying to be overly critical. I have seen this scenario many times and it almost always ends the same way. I wish you only the best with your project. Chuck

 

[73.Fastback]

Sorry for coming so late to this game. However, after reading all the pages I think several have given you the best advice regarding finding a more knowledgable mechanic. If he believes there was a Ford 451 engine and does not know the difference between a small block and a big block you should not be allowing him to work on the car and take your money. It is unlikely that this will end well. I'm not trying to be overly critical. I have seen this scenario many times and it almost always ends the same way. I wish you only the best with your project. Chuck

He'll have to prove to me that he knows what he's doing when fixing up the mechanic side of my car. And in the end, if it's not good - I'm gonna make sure fixes it for free. If not, he'll have to partially refund my money or I'm going to sue him (I'm sure he knows that). However, he's sort of a family friend of ours so he would make sure it's good - not crap.

 

[73.Fastback]

Hey fellas, sorry the long delay. I just finished the semester with college and now it's summer time, which means I will be working on the car as soon as it's done at the mechanic shop.

Update: I left the shop earlier today and they were testing to make sure the transmission is running smooth with no problems after they fixed it. Well, on the last test run - one of the transmission parts was leaking fluid pretty bad so they had to take it back to the transmission place to get it looked at and fix the problem.

In the meanwhile, the engine is all ready to roll! Here's a before and after picture of the engine bay:

 

[73vertproject]

Very nice! Looking forward to the progress pics over the summer! ::goodjob::

 

[73.Fastback]

Very nice! Looking forward to the progress pics over the summer! ::goodjob::

Thanks! Expect plenty of pictures (hopefully in HD ) over the summer.

 

[73.Fastback]

Hey guys, the Fastback is finally done at the shop and is now in my hands! Some of these pictures were posted on my Facebook Business page earlier (https://www.facebook.com/IconicMotive) - you can see the rest on there. Also, please click "Like" to get updates of new progress pictures on the '73 Fastback on my business page if you have a Facebook account! I will do my best to post them on here as well! Enjoy.

 

[matrixx]

Looks like you are ready to roll, did the shop reinstall your shock tower braces?

 

[73.Fastback]

Looks like you are ready to roll, did the shop reinstall your shock tower braces?

No they did not but I have them in my trunk. I will eventually re-install it but I would like to paint it black to match the engine bay first.


For those of you that wants to know my plan, here it is as of now:

1. Check everything and find out what it needs to be fixed or replaced

2. Start tearing it apart, starting with the body

3. Order necessary parts

4. Start sanding down the body parts back to sheet metal to be re-primed, sealed, and painted

5. After paint, start working in the interior

 

[jbojo]

Hey guys, the Fastback is finally done at the shop and is now in my hands! Some of these pictures were posted on my Facebook Business page earlier (https://www.facebook.com/IconicMotive) - you can see the rest on there. Also, please click "Like" to get updates of new progress pictures on the '73 Fastback on my business page if you have a Facebook account! I will do my best to post them on here as well! Enjoy.

Just a comment here, The pcv valve is connected to the fuel vapor canister. Should be connected to the air cleaner if memory serves me right. Needs the vacuum to draw out the crankcase vapor. Looking good, nice project.

-jbojo

 

[73.Fastback]

Just a comment here, The pcv valve is connected to the fuel vapor canister. Should be connected to the air cleaner if memory serves me right. Needs the vacuum to draw out the crankcase vapor. Looking good, nice project.

-jbojo

Thank you for letting me know - I'll ask my mechanic about this and I'll let you know what he says.


UPDATE: I am moving my tools and stuff to the garage where my Fastback is today. Looking forward to start taking it apart and sanding it down! The primer is not in real good shape -

 

[cudak888]

Just a comment here, The pcv valve is connected to the fuel vapor canister. Should be connected to the air cleaner if memory serves me right. Needs the vacuum to draw out the crankcase vapor. Looking good, nice project.

-jbojo

Stock setup would have one vent directly to the air cleaner (ported vacuum), while the PCV valve itself would be connected to the PCV output at the bottom of the carb or on the carb spacer (to manifold vacuum).

Right now, it looks as if the LH side is venting to outside air (good enough to my knowledge; most custom setups seem to have those element breathers on them as you have) but the RH port (the one connected to the charcoal canister at present) appears to be the side equipped with the PCV valve - in which case, it should be re-routed to pull off the PCV/manifold vacuum port on the Edelbrock at the bottom flange.

-Kurt

 

[73.Fastback]

Just a comment here, The pcv valve is connected to the fuel vapor canister. Should be connected to the air cleaner if memory serves me right. Needs the vacuum to draw out the crankcase vapor. Looking good, nice project.

-jbojo

Stock setup would have one vent directly to the air cleaner (ported vacuum), while the PCV valve itself would be connected to the PCV output at the bottom of the carb or on the carb spacer (to manifold vacuum).

Right now, it looks as if the LH side is venting to outside air (good enough) but the RH that's connected to the charcoal canister appears to have the PCV valve connected to it, in which case, it should be re-routed to pull off the PCV port on the Edelbrock at the bottom flange.

FYI, I can't think it a good thing to suck anything from the charcoal canister into the oil...

-Kurt

My mechanic said it depends on what air cleaner and carb you run - in my case, it was done by choice because with the ac and carb I have, we can put it wherever we want.

 

[cudak888]

^

Can't see the message - must be an extra BB code quotation in there.

-Kurt

 

[73.Fastback]

^

Can't see the message - must be an extra BB code quotation in there.

-Kurt

Fixed it. Had an extra BB code quotation in it - just like what you said.

 

[cudak888]

My mechanic said it depends on what air cleaner and carb you run - in my case, it was done by choice because with the ac and carb I have, we can put it wherever we want.

Absolute nonsense. The PCV valve filters crankcase gases back into the fuel/air mixture from blow-by. It's supposed to be connected to the PCV port on that Edelbrock, and he probably hasn't done so because the valve has a different size hose connection than the Edelbrock carb - easily rectifiable.

I'm not a betting man, but $5 says the PCV port on the Edelbrock has a plug on it...

-Kurt

 

[73.Fastback]

My mechanic said it depends on what air cleaner and carb you run - in my case, it was done by choice because with the ac and carb I have, we can put it wherever we want.

Absolute nonsense. The PCV valve filters crankcase gases back into the fuel/air mixture from blow-by. It's supposed to be connected to the PCV port on that Edelbrock, and he probably hasn't done so because the valve has a different size hose connection than the Edelbrock carb - easily rectifiable.

I'm not a betting man, but $5 says the PCV port on the Edelbrock has a plug on it...

-Kurt

Kurt,

I don't know what to say - my mechanic told me that one of their guys who worked on it was factory trained and did everything right.

Thanks,

Dalton

Iconic Motive