Summer deadline - 72 Mach 1 Build thread

[baz70]

Hi all

After posing a few questions on the forums for which I am incredibly grateful for the depth of knowledge, I have decided to migrate my restoration build to a proper thread, to help me stay focused, and to share my journey, with the hope that I arrive at my intended destination.

Where to start…. The beginning I guess.

A short history of my 1972 Mach 1.

Back in the noughties, at the onset of a premature midlife crisis, I fancied myself a Mustang. Not just any old Mustang, I had honed myself in to a 1970 Mustang. The year 1970 is a pivotal moment in my life….

After months of research and lack of finances to buy a proper 1970 Mustang Fastback, Mach 1 to be specific, I put the idea on hold. Around that time I saw the original Gone in 60 seconds move car chase (yeh baby ), and I wanted to know more…. I went back on eBay and started widening the net. I came across a 1 owner 12,500 mile 72 Mach 1 in pretty good condition and contacted owner. We to’d and fro’d via email and built up a rapport. I was pretty nervous about the idea of buying a car sight unseen and trusting seller to arrange shipping of the car to the UK. We eventually  agreed a price and I set the ball in motion, all the while the owner was convincing me the car was low mileage and in perfect condition, I knew to set my expectations low and just make the deal. I had seen pictures and they didn’t add up to the perception of a low mileage car. The picture below says a 1000 words.



Car was advertised as a "Cobrajet" .351c 4V, pretty standard according to Marti report, exterior wise had a misaligned hood due to front end fender damage and incorrect springs (Still need to get them replaced), and some non-standard front end panels, chrome hood lip, chrome fender front edge trim etc…. and a repaint,. some nice pics below.

 

[baz70]

Anyways, this all happened in early 2010, and the car shipped over. I picked it up, and over the next few months, did some minor cosmetic changes, servicing etc, and attended some Mustang meets as well as weekend drives. The car was garaged a lot more than it was driven, and since my purchase nearly a decade ago I’ve only done 2000 miles in it….

I drove it for the first 4 years of ownership, then parked it up for 3 years due to personal circumstances, then picked it up until 2 years ago when work took over and I wasn’t enjoying it so much. I took the edelbrock carb and hood off the car with the intention to do some cosmetic engine work, and there it stood until about a month ago. Below pic is how I left her over 2 years ago.



During that time, my father passed, and it was in a recent dream this year that he said to me, why do you leave your car unloved in the garage, drive it !!

So I made the decision to go all out on a restoration of the car with the intention of driving it in the summer…

The plan was as follows:

 

[baz70]

This was going to be a partial restoration, complete mechanical overhaul with external body left for later phase (although rust would be treated as encountered)

1/Engine and trans out.

2/All mechanical parts in engine bay and to back to be removed.

3/ Fuel and brake system removed

4/ Front and rear suspension removed, exhaust removed

5/ Engine bay and underside to be repainted in eastwood black and upol raptor respectively

6/ New tank, fuel and brake lines and suspension

7/ Engine overhaul (not rebuild) - it was running fine before

8/ Trans rebuild

9/ Diff rebuild

10/ Put everything back together !

The aim was to get the car back on the road by June (although any point in time this summer would work !)

I hope that is not unrealistic.

Engine and trans removal linked here.....

https://www.7173mustangs.com/thread-351c-4v-c6-auto-trans-removal-advice-needed?pid=339019

During the recent overhaul, I've removed engine and trans, front suspension, all underside and tank except rear of exhaust, and handbrake cables. I will figure that out tomorrow.

I cam across a massive snag to the plan today. Whilst removing the long fuel line, i lifted up the carpet for the first time and there was rust everywhere......

I don't think its a disaster, i will be sanding tomorrow. There are a couple of spots that will need welding but the rest appears to be surface rust which hopefully will be remediated.

Now, i was not planning on touching interior in this build but i've today removed front and rear seats and front carpets. Rest to do tomorrow. I did Not find a build sheet which was very disappointing will spend next week repairing rust and then getting back to sanding, priming and painting engine bay and underside.

I've ordered some more parts including fuel tank kit, hoses etc....

By next weekend i hope to have made some progress.... pic of the passenger side floor .... (I know don't tell me!). I am also getting some help from some friends so hopefully there will be continued progress over time and I won't go missing...



PS - the above looks bad.... and it is bad, but the metal was solid to a punch (there was a hole next to the drain hole) , so i hope after sanding i can ascertain if structural integrity is maintained and only need to patch weld the really damaged areas rather than having to replace floorpans which will end my dream of completing by summer....

 

[bkdunha]

Best wishes on your timeline and project. If you keep your self energized you could make good progress. Is this your first rebuild? Will you doing most of it yourself or farm out the major rebuilds like trans/Diff/engine? Those might be items that slow you down if you have not had experience with them before.

 

[baz70]

Best wishes on your timeline and project. If you keep your self energized you could make good progress.  Is this your first rebuild?  Will you doing most of it yourself or farm out the major rebuilds like trans/Diff/engine?  Those might be items that slow you down if you have not had experience with them before.

thanks, yes this is my first rebuild although I've done little things in the past not a complete rebuild. I'll farm out as appropriate, but even so, i think my thread title was premature....

 

[baz70]

I am going to need full floor pans, and seat mounts. I sanded back the driver side floor. There are just too many pinhole rust spots for my liking, better a seamed weld along edges than multiple patches, I need to do this right whilst the car is dismantled I won't get another chance.

Unfortunately i don't seem able to post pics today. It does seem temperamental the add image feature, am i doing something wrong ?

I was looking to order the panels today so i can get them by the weekend. CJ Pony parts don't have them in stock. They also haven't returned any of my messages etc.. Anyone recommend another place with the correct fitting full floor pan both sides and the correct seat mounts (not the ones that are higher....) at a reasonable price and that ship to the UK. Oh golly, my bank balance is starting to disown me. thanks

 

[73pony]

Rockauto has them in stock. $65.99 per side plus shipping.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/ford,1972,mustang,5.8l+351cid+v8,1132861,body,floor+pan,12481

I am not sure they are making the fastback seat platforms though.

Or try Don at OMS (Ohio Mustang Supply) he is a member on here.

 

[baz70]

Rockauto has them in stock. $65.99 per side plus shipping.

https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/ford,1972,mustang,5.8l+351cid+v8,1132861,body,floor+pan,12481

I am not sure they are making the fastback seat platforms though.

Or try Don at OMS (Ohio Mustang Supply) he is a member on here.

thanks, I tried Rockauto, they're total cost including shipping and import tax was nearly $1400 so I'm afraid i had to skip it. 

Don - if you're reading this, i did try Ohio Mustangs (hope i was looking at the right one) but the details on the panels was sparse, didn't say which manufacturer etc.

I was going to go with https://restorationpartssource.com. They have the Dynacorn parts. anyone tried them, are they any good ? $378 for left and right floor pans and seat platforms. Plus shipping and import. seemed reasonable. I mean its not cheap, but now that I've opened the proverbial can of worms i can't go back, need to move forward.

 

[Stanglover]

Not having had to do mine, I can't speak from direct experience, BUT floor pans are structural. Have them welded in by someone who know what he's (or she's) doing' I say this because I know someone who bought a car with "new floor pans" welded in. He had to have it all cut and re-welded correctly.

I'm sure there are many other members who can add to this from there own experience.

Yes that "can of worms" gets bigger and more expensive!!

EDIT:

Bet you wish you hadn't asked how to get that plastic fuel line clip out now Eh!!

Geoff.

 

[Don C]

Welcome to "project creep", and you haven't even started yet. Good luck with your project.

 

[baz70]

Not having had to do mine, I can't speak from direct experience, BUT floor pans are structural. Have them welded in by someone who know what he's (or she's) doing' I say this because I know someone who bought a car with "new floor pans" welded in. He had to have it all cut and re-welded correctly.

I'm sure there are many other members who can add to this from there own experience.

Yes that "can of worms" gets bigger and more expensive!!

EDIT:

Bet you wish you hadn't asked how to get that plastic fuel line clip out now Eh!!

Geoff.

ha, i always planned to get to the floor at some point just didnt think it was this bad. from the underneath it looked solid but thinking about it now, seller put some nice new carpets in (actually they're not so nice and will get thrown in the bin when I'm done) and undersealed car so one couldnt see any issues. that said, some folks would probably patch it but i dont see the point.

i take your point about it being structural, but to be honest even though I've only welded a few times, it should be a doddle. just need to make sure i get the spot welds out and then lay in the pan. I wasn't able to find a floor pan that reaches to the rear seat fully so will need to patch a small hole in the back seat area.

looking forward to doing my first floor pans, will take my time  !!

 

[baz70]

Not having had to do mine, I can't speak from direct experience, BUT floor pans are structural. Have them welded in by someone who know what he's (or she's) doing' I say this because I know someone who bought a car with "new floor pans" welded in. He had to have it all cut and re-welded correctly.

I'm sure there are many other members who can add to this from there own experience.

Yes that "can of worms" gets bigger and more expensive!!

EDIT:

Bet you wish you hadn't asked how to get that plastic fuel line clip out now Eh!!

Geoff.

ha, i always planned to get to the floor at some point just didnt think it was this bad. from the underneath it looked solid but thinking about it now, seller put some nice new carpets in (actually they're not so nice and will get thrown in the bin when I'm done) and undersealed car so one couldnt see any issues. that said, some folks would probably patch it but i dont see the point. Ordered from CJPP so should get next week, meantime will see what nasties lurk in the trunk.....

i take your point about it being structural, but to be honest even though I've only welded a few times, it should be a doddle. just need to make sure i get the spot welds out and then lay in the pan. I wasn't able to find a floor pan that reaches to the rear seat fully so will need to patch a small hole in the back seat area.

looking forward to doing my first floor pans, will take my time  !!

 

[OzCoupe72]

Good luck with your project and if you don't get afflicted by the dreaded "while I'm at it" syndrome you may even keep to your deadline, I certainly didn't!

Like me being international it gets very expensive to ship large parts so the shipping cost is the biggest deciding factor

I prefer to buy from OMS but sometimes for larger parts I''l go through a Sydney supplier or lately have found NPD to be reasonable

Do you have any Mustang parts suppliers in the UK that regularly sea freight parts? May have to wait a few months but certainly cheaper.

You shouldn't have too much problem with welding the floor pans in and best to butt weld. Plenty of info on the web but also check out Q code's videos and posts on this, he does a great video on doing floors just search in the body/chassis tutorials section

 

[baz70]

Good luck with your project and if you don't get afflicted by the dreaded "while I'm at it" syndrome you may even keep to your deadline, I certainly didn't!

Like me being international it gets very expensive to ship large parts so the shipping cost is the biggest deciding factor

I prefer to buy from OMS but sometimes for larger parts I''l go through a Sydney supplier or lately have found NPD to be reasonable

Do you have any Mustang parts suppliers in the UK that regularly sea freight parts? May have to wait a few months but certainly cheaper.

You shouldn't have too much problem with welding the floor pans in and best to butt weld. Plenty of info on the web but also check out Q code's videos and posts on this, he does a great video on doing floors just search in the body/chassis tutorials section

i just forfeited a holiday to pay for all the parts. I mainly use CJPP, post Brexit we're f£$%ed every which way so just get on and pay for it..... hopefully when the US trade deal comes along (with no strings attached pls) we get tax free imports and can buy parts to our hearts content

floors should be ok, i'll check out those posts, i have seen a couple of good vids on youtube as well. I just need to be patient and take my time. Parts arrive mid March so i will work on detailing wheel arches and engine bay.

 

[Stanglover]

Like I said, not having done this myself or the need to, I can't speak from experience, but what seems most important to my logic is to make sure the car is level in all directions and supported equally to ensure the body stays true, no flex. That's what happened to my friends car he bought, it was all bent out of shape!! (and so was he).

Take your time, do it right and you won't be left sitting in the middle of the road when the bottom drops out!! Just kidding!

Geoff.

PS, One of the Oz members switched his Mustang to right hand drive...…………… just a thought.

 

[OzCoupe72]

Good luck with your project and if you don't get afflicted by the dreaded "while I'm at it" syndrome you may even keep to your deadline, I certainly didn't!

Like me being international it gets very expensive to ship large parts so the shipping cost is the biggest deciding factor

I prefer to buy from OMS but sometimes for larger parts I''l go through a Sydney supplier or lately have found NPD to be reasonable

Do you have any Mustang parts suppliers in the UK that regularly sea freight parts? May have to wait a few months but certainly cheaper.

You shouldn't have too much problem with welding the floor pans in and best to butt weld. Plenty of info on the web but also check out Q code's videos and posts on this, he does a great video on doing floors just search in the body/chassis tutorials section

i just forfeited a holiday to pay for all the parts. I mainly use CJPP, post Brexit we're f£$%ed every which way so just get on and pay for it..... hopefully when the US trade deal comes along (with no strings attached pls) we get tax free imports and can buy parts to our hearts content

floors should be ok, i'll check out those posts, i have seen a couple of good vids on youtube as well. I just need to be patient and take my time. Parts arrive mid March so i will work on detailing wheel arches and engine bay.

 

[OzCoupe72]

Oh and forgot to mention you can use the earlier 69/70 rear floor sections(under seat)

Just need to hammer down a rib

 

[baz70]

Found my build sheet which I hope is not an omen.....



In other news, no pics but i removed most of the spot welds on the battery fender apron, hope to have the old rusted and poorly patched panel out tomorrow and fresh steel in over the weekend.

On the floor pan then I may just patch rust areas then Por15 it rather than complete new floor. I'm not bottling it, but i would like to keep it simple... also reading some other posts, i need to understand where the water ingress is, i'll check the cowls. Has anybody cut an inspection hole out above the cowl, repaired and seam sealed cowl, then patch welded the panel they cut out back in ? Was also thinking of that approach. Lots of thinking and little doing right now....

 

[Stanglover]

Build Sheet...….. well at least you know it had one!

I feel it's a pity the PO was not totally up front with condition issues. I'm sure he must have known water was getting in somewhere. Could have been something as simple as a window left open in a rain storm...… or two or even extreme humidity.

While you're in there, check the "Sills", rocker Panels to the rest of us, for rust. Hate to bring that up, but better now than later.

all the best with it,

Geoff.