Fredensborg's 1973 Mach 1 improvement/build thread "Sleipnir"

[timachone]

Great progress - that's what I have done the last months, too  :thumb:

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

If you used regular paint on the drums it will burn right off. Also Ford used a satin black on parts never gloss black. If you go back and wash the paint off the drums and use VHT, Very High Temp. paint will last longer. Or paint for a grill will also do pretty good. The gloss black will not look correct for the axle housing for sure. The center section was actually red oxide primer.
Is the car a Mach 1 Sports Roof or just a Sports Roof? I see Sports Roof trim.

 

[Fredensborg]

If you used regular paint on the drums it will burn right off. Also Ford used a satin black on parts never gloss black. If you go back and wash the paint off the drums and use VHT, Very High Temp. paint will last longer. Or paint for a grill will also do pretty good. The gloss black will not look correct for the axle housing for sure. The center section was actually red oxide primer.
Is the car a Mach 1 Sports Roof or just a Sports Roof? I see Sports Roof trim.

It’s a Mach 1. My wheels will completely cover the drums, so I’m not too worried if it burns off. I will have to get some satin black for the axle housing, I had no luck finding the black zinc coating that Aus73Mach1 mentioned. I’m just hoping I can get the axle clean enough so the paint will last. I’m planning on putting in a new center section in the future with a different gear ratio and some type of posi, so I won’t be spending a lot of time detailing that. 

 

[mach71351c]

This is what I used. I do think that the red oxide could be a little more brown.  

 

[Fredensborg]

   I know this probably isn’t the correct way to do this, but I have no interest in completely removing my 9” to properly clean and detail it to a like new condition at this time…Minnesota winters are too long, and every day the car is in pieces is another day we can’t drive it. This car is a driver, and we want to get it back on the road ASAP. In the future, I will do a in depth restoration and I’m sure I’ll be kicking myself for not taking the time to do some things now but fortune favors the bold as they say, and me and the boy have cruising to do. 
 

   I did the best I could with a wire wheel, and an acid solution to remove surface rust. Then we rinsed, thoroughly dried it, and gave it a coat of primer. Got some satin black Rust-oleum that we will be putting on tomorrow after the primer has dried. Reassembly with the new springs, shocks and sway bar hopefully later this week. I promised my son I’d let him drive it around the block for helping me out so much…gonna be a fun week!! 
 

Worst case scenario, this paint starts to flake and chip in a few months…it will still look a million times better than it did when we started! 

 

[mach71351c]

Jason I like your plan and understand the timeframe.  I would do exactly what your doing. 

The pics where just for inspiration  

 

[Fredensborg]

Got the rear end all painted up and looking decent..

will probably try and clean up that center section a little bit more, but overall I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. Gonna start putting it back together tomorrow. 


I appreciate everyone’s contributions to my thread here, I’ll definitely be reviewing these posts in the future when I do a more in depth resto. You guys all have some nice rear ends!!

 

[Sheriff41]

Looks much better.  Nice job!

 

[timachone]

Cool, looks decent  :thumb:  

For a quick better look I would rattle can the third member with a dark red or reddish brown and the yoke part with some silver or dark gray- so you would reach almost concourse level  :biggrin:  

Otherwise leave it as is and keep going!

 

[Fredensborg]

Cool, looks decent  :thumb:  

For a quick better look I would rattle can the third member with a dark red or reddish brown and the yoke part with some silver or dark gray- so you would reach almost concourse level  :biggrin:  

Otherwise leave it as is and keep going!

After looking at my pictures closer, I had this same thought! 

 

[Fredensborg]

Been a busy couple weeks around the house, but my son and I got around to finishing up the center section cleanup, and we wire brushed and applied the rust encapsulation to the rear undercarriage. It isn’t perfect, but wow what a difference! Hoping to start putting the sway bar, shocks, and leaf springs in later today. 

 

[mjseakan]

You guys are making great progress.

 

[Fredensborg]

A productive day today! My son and I got everything put back together and even got out  for a test drive today. 
 

I didn’t get any pictures of the installation of the sway bar, but it went pretty smoothly. I did have to unhook one exhaust pipe so I could have the room to sneak it by, but I must say that Addco bar was the definition of bolt on, very easy to do.
 

First new leaf spring in!

next we got the other one in, and dropped the axle, a little bit of wrestling and we had it on its pegs. This is all going just too smoothly at this point. I am not used to things working this way, so self doubt is creeping in…



next, the shock holder/sway bar receiver thingys went in. I scratched up my fancy Rust-oleum paint job a bit, but I think it can be touched up later…



That previously mentioned self doubt got the best of me temporarily, and I had to pause the installation for a little bit until Kilgon answered a question on the shackles for me. (I made another post about that issue) I thought it looked a little strange with the shackles pointed forward like this, but the springs were unloaded and my self doubt was unnecessary. As I jacked up the pumpkin, the shackles moved to their expected position  



I was a little apprehensive about the front bolts as well, but all for naught! Eaton makes a hell of a leaf spring install kit  


 

Next we got the shocks in. Man the passengers side shock was a pain to tighten the top on! I had to damn near climb in the trunk to reach it  


 

So now from the end of my drive shaft to the rear bumper, it looks like 1973 again! 


The contrast between the before and after is pretty amazing…

All in all, I’m pretty happy with the new stance. It’s a touch more extreme than I thought it would be…but I definitely accomplished the goal of getting that ass end up! 

 

[mach71351c]

Congrats on a job well done!  The new spring will settle down about a half inch or so.

 

[Fredensborg]

Good to know, the difference in how it drives is significant. The rear end feels absolutely glued to the road now! Now I just need to figure out what I want to do with the front suspension…should make a good winter project.