Restoring a 1973 Mach 1

[Alan Baze]

This is a copy and paste from VMF forum. I was advised from a couple people to come to 7173 for help.

The wife and are starting a restorage project on my wife's fathers 1973 Mach 1 Mustang. She is wanting to restore it in memory of him. Can anyone lead us to the correct place in the forum to help us start on the body restoration, I got the engine running after sitting for almost 5 years. We have most of the parts for the Mustang, but I would like to ask questions regarding the name of the parts needed for the vehicle to get ready for paint. Thanks

 

[giantpune]

You came to the right place.

The sheet metal actually looks in pretty decent shape. Do you happen to have the front bumper? The big urethane bumper on the 73 was a 1-year only part and kinda hard to come by.

You can get a copy of the ford assembly manuals. They shipped as a CD with 7 or so PDF files in them of scanned manuals. They go a pretty good job showing how things go together. The hard part was finding a CD drive to read the files. Those things are just about extinct.

 

[Sheriff41]

Welcome Alan, and howdy from Texas! Take some time to peruse the forums, especially https://7173mustangs.com/discussion-forum/mustang-registry-project-build-threads.78/ where people post most of their builds. You'll see the current members that are doing, or have just finished, their builds. Don't hesitate to ask questions and you'll find several knowledgeable members will respond.

 

[Alan Baze]

You came to the right place.

The sheet metal actually looks in pretty decent shape. Do you happen to have the front bumper? The big urethane bumper on the 73 was a 1-year only part and kinda hard to come by.

You can get a copy of the ford assembly manuals. They shipped as a CD with 7 or so PDF files in them of scanned manuals. They go a pretty good job showing how things go together. The hard part was finding a CD drive to read the files. Those things are just about extinct.

 

[Alan Baze]

giantpune, attached is a picture of the front bumper. the rubber is in rough shape. Can the Rubber be fixed?

 

[Sheriff41]

Yep, that can be repaired. Check out https://7173mustangs.com/threads/the-rickster-a-73-mach-1-work-in-progress.16772/post-402822

 

[Alan Baze]

Yep, that can be repaired. Check out https://7173mustangs.com/threads/the-rickster-a-73-mach-1-work-in-progress.16772/post-402822

Thanks for the thread. Just what I need. Now I have some work to do.

 

[Steve McMahan]

Alan, welcome from So Cal. You should start a build thread. Lots of us use it to show our progress and ask for specific help as we go. Good luck.

 

[NOT A T5]

Welcome from Omaha!

 

[73MustangCoupe]

Hey Alan,
Welcome from NE Tennessee. That looks like a nice solid starting point for your restoration project. It's in much better shape that what I started with. I built the Rickster for my twin brother who was lost to Covid in July 2020. I pretty much replaced most of the sheet metal and what wasn't replaced was patched in a place or two. If you have any questions, or need advice, you have come to the right place. I got a ton of good ideas and advice from the folks here, and we're always happy to help other 71-73 Mustang owners as best we can.

You should start a thread on the Mustang Registry-Project Build Thread part of the forum to document your journey, and so others can follow along.

All the best on your journey into auto restoration.

 

[Alan Baze]

Hey Alan,
Welcome from NE Tennessee. That looks like a nice solid starting point for your restoration project. It's in much better shape that what I started with. I built the Rickster for my twin brother who was lost to Covid in July 2020. I pretty much replaced most of the sheet metal and what wasn't replaced was patched in a place or two. If you have any questions, or need advice, you have come to the right place. I got a ton of good ideas and advice from the folks here, and we're always happy to help other 71-73 Mustang owners as best we can.

You should start a thread on the Mustang Registry-Project Build Thread part of the forum to document your journey, and so others can follow along.

All the best on your journey into auto restoration.

I have looked at some of the work you do. Very impressive!! My guess is if you were me, you would take the motor, transmission, and body parts off first, so I know what things I need?

 

[giantpune]

if you were me, you would take the motor, transmission, and body parts off first, so I know what things I need?

I would say if you are taking the car apart, make sure you label and organize everything like you're a librarian.

When I pulled my motor out for a rebuild, every single wire or wire I disconnected got labeled. Every bolt went into a baggie. I had a baggie for motor mounts, one for torque converter nuts, one for the inspection plate nuts, one for the starter bolts, etc. The cost of a couple boxes of sandwich bags is cheap compared to the hours of headaches it saved.

Also, be careful you dont become the guy who's got a car disassembled in his garage he took apart 10yr ago. They never start out intending to become that guy, but it happens fairly often. I would wait to take the car apart until you are sure of your next steps and ready to see everything through.

 

[Alan Baze]

I would say if you are taking the car apart, make sure you label and organize everything like you're a librarian.

When I pulled my motor out for a rebuild, every single wire or wire I disconnected got labeled. Every bolt went into a baggie. I had a baggie for motor mounts, one for torque converter nuts, one for the inspection plate nuts, one for the starter bolts, etc. The cost of a couple boxes of sandwich bags is cheap compared to the hours of headaches it saved.

Also, be careful you dont become the guy who's got a car disassembled in his garage he took apart 10yr ago. They never start out intending to become that guy, but it happens fairly often. I would wait to take the car apart until you are sure of your next steps and ready to see everything through.

I am pondering the idea of disassembling the outer parts. The interior has already been disassembled without baggies labeled. This was my wife's dads project that he was not able to finish. So, I will be asking questions of you and the others on this forum in the future... Thanks all in advance.

 

[73MustangCoupe]

I would suggest disassembling it, as needed, and then moving on to the next section. As giantpune said, labeling everything as you remove it will save a lot of time (and frustration) in reassembly. Your project seems pretty solid, so major disassembly may not be required. Double check the cowl, as rust under those hats is often hard to find and will lead to wet carpets and worse - rotten floors. Cowl replacement is not terribly hard, but it definitely is major surgery. Hopefully yours is still in good shape.

 

[tpj71mach]

Hi Alan
Welcome from Chicago! Nice car, it looks like your father in law has given you a good start on a solid car. Is that fresh paint that your father in law had done? If so do you have more of the paint or a formula to have more mixed, so you can match it? The front bumpers are repairable, they do require special products for those bumpers that will give a longer lasting repair. Repairing my front bumper is one of the next steps I will be taking in my restoration. I agree with the guys that say you should start a build thread. It will help document the progress and you can ask and will get advise as you go. It's great that you got it running and driving after so long. If the paint is fresh, (from the pics, I couldn't tell if it is dirty or peeling) your almost there. I would recommend continuing with the body and paint and once completed turn your focus to the interior, just my suggestion. Good luck and enjoy the process!

 

[Sheriff41]

And take plenty of pictures that you can refer back to later.

 

[Bill Perkins]

Welcome from Opelika, Alabama, Very Nice Car, Let me know if you are needing help locating needed parts

 

[PoFoMoCo]

Alan, another welcome from Texas. It sounds like you've received a ton of great advice already and your gearing up for a great restoration. Congrats on being a great caretaker of a family heirloom like this. That makes the process that much more special.

 

[Alan Baze]

I do appreciate the welcome from all. I have started working on the bumper. Pulled all apart and have gotten to metal on the outer areas of the bumper metal. The inner part is a little more of an obstacle. Tonight, I have some of it soaking in vinegar to help the sanding process. Any ideas are welcome. Will post some pictures in the near future.

 

[Alan Baze]

I would suggest disassembling it, as needed, and then moving on to the next section. As giantpune said, labeling everything as you remove it will save a lot of time (and frustration) in reassembly. Your project seems pretty solid, so major disassembly may not be required. Double check the cowl, as rust under those hats is often hard to find and will lead to wet carpets and worse - rotten floors. Cowl replacement is not terribly hard, but it definitely is major surgery. Hopefully yours is still in good shape.