Mach 1 project

[Revrabb05]

Well guys I finally found myself a 73 mach 1 last weekend. I picked it up for $2k w/o an engine or trans. I might not have gotten the best deal, but honestly I really wanna do some stuff myself so I can learn.It's got a good bit of rust in the floor pans and trunk area. It also needs new kick pans and quater panels. I have experience mig welding but never with sheet metal. I gutted some of the interior and am currently taking the back seats out. This brings me to my questions. I have read up a little on the subject, and I know that if done incorrectly welding in the floors, etc can mess up the cars alignment. So should I hire someone to do it with me on the weekends, or should I just take it to the body shop and have them do it( even though I don't want someone else to do all the work). Alternatively,

if there is a forum member that lives near Knoxville I will pay them to help me because I really want the experience.

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[jbojo]

Cool project, keep us updated with pics as the resto progresses.

-jbojo

 

[mach71351c]

::welcome:: From San Diego. 2k is not a bad price for a Mach 1 project. Good luck keep us posted.

 

[OMS]

Do one side of the floor at a time and it will be fine

There are several posts / how to's on this forum

Get some scraps or use the old floor and practice welding it together.

 

[Jeff73Mach1]

As an engineer, perhaps it would help to look at the car's structure with an understanding of what parts play what roles. There are some parts that have a huge impact on the cars structural strength such as the cowl structure, the shock towers, the rockers, the subframes, transmission tunnel etc.

Also, what are your goals for the car-stock restoration, or hot rod, or race car? each has different needs.

 

[Revrabb05]

Cool thanks guys! Do you guys know of a place in east tn to get mustang sheet metal, or should I just get it online?

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That's very true Jeff, thanks. Do you know of where a detailed schematic of the car is located online? I've ordered the chassis assembly manual off amazon but still haven't gotten it. I really just want to restore it back to stock. I wanna do it right, but it doesn't need to be immaculate as I want it to be a daily driver. Thanks

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[caspianwendell]

Cool thanks guys! Do you guys know of a place in east tn to get mustang sheet metal, or should I just get it online?

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That's very true Jeff, thanks. Do you know of where a detailed schematic of the car is located online? I've ordered the chassis assembly manual off amazon but still haven't gotten it. I really just want to restore it back to stock. I wanna do it right, but it doesn't need to be immaculate as I want it to be a daily driver. Thanks

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Talk to Don at OMS for the metal, and as Don stated earlier...only replace one piece at a time, and start with the trunk pan and work forward.

 

[Revrabb05]

Thanks caspian I sure will! Do you think I should get the car sandblasted before I start any repairs? Although I'm pretty sure it would blow right through the panels haha

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[caspianwendell]

Thanks caspian I sure will! Do you think I should get the car sandblasted before I start any repairs? Although I'm pretty sure it would blow right through the panels haha

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I personally am not a fan of sandblasting sheetmetal. Hard parts are ok if you don't mind the pitting, but it can be sanded out...especially with high build primer. Bead, or soda blasting is much more gentle to the sheet metal than sand and causes less warpage. I would sand the area to be repaired, cut the panel for fit, epoxy prime it, weld it in, then sand the car down for paint.

My process is to work one panel at a time, sand it bare, straightening as much as possible, then apply an epoxy primer before any filler is applied.

 

[Steven Harris]

Welcome.

Proper preparation and attention to detail will allow you to do the job yourself.

Congratualtions and all the best.

 

[Revrabb05]

Do you recommend soda blasting it yourself? Also how quickly do I need to prime it after blasting it?

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[caspianwendell]

Do you recommend soda blasting it yourself? Also how quickly do I need to prime it after blasting it?

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That really depends on the conditions where the car is located, but I would epoxy it as soon as possible.