IA Rider's 73 Mach Project

[jbojo]

Good luck on your project. I'll be following your thread.

 

[73vertproject]

Spoken by a true "been there, done that" guy. My hat is off to you jbojo. I'm confident that you will be able to provide sagacious guidance to IARider.

 

[IA Rider]

The car is sitting on the table it still needs to be centered and leveled. Does anyone have the frame measurements that I can use as a guide to center and level the car to the table?

 

[mcline71]

Looking good!! Is this what you're looking for?

 

[IA Rider]

Perfect. Thank You.

 

[IA Rider]

Made some progress.



upload image







upload photo on net

 

[IA Rider]

Working at fitting the frame rails. The angles are not good at the welded seams and they are about a quarter inch to long at the spring perches. The distance between the

rails at the shock mount cross member location is about 2" too wide.

 

[kcmash]

So what is the plan?

I assume you are saying the takeoff angle from the torque boxes is wrong,  How is the width at the rear of the frame rails?  Can the 1/4 inch in length be made up at the torque box positioning?

I think you need to position front to back at the torques boxes.  Make sure all your spring perch holes are aligned.  Tack the torque boxes, then you will need to pull the frame rails in to close the 2 inch overage at the shock mount cross member.  I think that is what a restoration shop would do.

Where did you buy your metal?  Can you return the frame rails and try again? (That can be risk unless you walk in and measure all the inventory to find the best one.  Its all a matter of tools and skills.  Judging by your workshop and body cart, and the progress you have made I would say your tools and skills greatly exceed mine

Since you have all that metal out be sure to put the dual exhaust weld nuts in  if you are going with dual exhaust.  I wish I would have...

kcmash

 

[IA Rider]

The frame rails came from NPD I have had them for several years. They make them in three pieces then weld them together.

The torque boxes had to be trimmed back at the rear lower corners where they meet the rocker panels. The frame table has the correct mounting points for the front and rear spring perches. The angles at the weld seams are off as well as the rear spring perch on the RH rail is welded in at an angle.

Before I removed the floor I scribed a line on the wheel houses to mark the location of the original floor for reference. Yesterday I cut the RH rail apart at the welds and removed pipe used as the rear spring perch. I ruined the pipe getting it out so I will have to have one made unless someone knows of a source to purchase one. I plan to set the floor in place then fit the rails to floor and the shock mount since i know the original location of the floor.

Adding the exhaust weld nuts if a good suggestion.

 

[IA Rider]

I have both rails cut apart at the weld seams. Poor quality parts. It would have saved a lot of work if they would have come in three pieces. Took about 5 hours to cut them apart and clean up the welds. I had two bushings made for the rear spring perches at this point I should only have to replace the RH side.

 

[rio1856]

Excellent work and write up! If possible could you take some pics of the rails welded to the floor and the new welds at the frame  rail cuts?

You're doing a great job!!

 

[IA Rider]

Mocking up the rails to the trunk floor shows a gap between the rail sections on one side and an overlap on the other. This is what I expected.  Instead of making the center sections RH & LH specific they compromised and used the same stamping for both sides. The center sections are missing a bend.





There is a gap where the front of the inner wheelhouse meets the floor. The replacement wheelhouses have the same angle as the replacement floor.



Floor setting in place.

 

[IA Rider]

Frame rails are welded back together. I still have to fit the torque boxes to the rockers and weld some reinforcements to the inside.

 

[IA Rider]

Before I weld the trunk floor in I want to coat the inside of the frame rails. What would be a good product  to use???

 

[rio1856]

I've seen some people here use POR 15 some others have used Rust Bullet

I Found this http://e-tekrestorations.blogspot.com/2014/07/1-year-update-por15-vs-rust-bullet-real.html

 

[73MustangCoupe]

I'd use POR15.  A couple thin coats should protect it for a very long time.  I tape off the the flanges, where they will be welded, because that stuff, once cured, is really tough to sand back to clean metal

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

Along   with brushing some inside you can get the Eastwood kits with long wands you can spray the inside after weld.  Brushing the  coatings on works   better than spray you can get into corners much better. POR is also deadly to inhale. It cures on contact with moisture and will block your lungs. The supplier I bought from made that a big point several times.

 

[IA Rider]

Thanks for the tips on the Por15. I welded some 16 gauge stiffeners to the inside of the frame rails to help reinforce the welded areas. When I finish cleaning up the welds I will brush on the por15 and use weld thru primer on the flange before I weld in the trunk floor.

The replacement floor and wheelhouse are different around the inner wheelhouse where the seatbelt nut fastens to the floor. Is this a model year difference?

The next picture is the bottom side showing the rise. Has anyone eliminated this rise and put the seatbelt nut level with the replacement floor?

 

[73MustangCoupe]

Hey Steve, 

I don't know if anyone has eliminated the rise, but I just finished the passenger side earlier today.  I posted a write up and pictures in my build thread for The Rickster.    I've done it by cutting out a small section of the inner wheelhouse, and modifying the flange to fit, and also by leaving the flange in place and making my patch to fit it.  If you have any additional questions for me , I'll do my best to answer them for you.  Good luck with your project.  

Ron

 

[IA Rider]

Hey Steve, 

I don't know if anyone has eliminated the rise, but I just finished the passenger side earlier today.  I posted a write up and pictures in my build thread for The Rickster.    I've done it by cutting out a small section of the inner wheelhouse, and modifying the flange to fit, and also by leaving the flange in place and making my patch to fit it.  If you have any additional questions for me , I'll do my best to answer them for you.  Good luck with your project.  

Ron

I seen the post. Very nice work. I'm looking for the easy way out. If can just use a flat piece under the floor to weld the seatbelt nut to it will save me some time.