Tim's 1973 Mach 1 rebuild thread - it's done in 2023 on it's 50th birthday!

[mach71351c]

Amazing job Tim! Just amazing!

 

[timachone]

Wow.. you have done a lot of awesome work to this car. It is looking wonderfull. You have impressive skills and great patience. 

Thank you, Tony! I appreciate your words very much! 

Great work!  Nice to see someone go to the level of even detailing parts and areas that may not be seen again for years.  If you hadn't taken pictures like the ones of the topside of the fuel tank no one but you would ever know the lengths you've gone to on your restoration.

Thank you very much! That's the secret of a good restoration - keeping even the parts no one would ever see in good condition! No one would ever know - but YOU know it! That counts  :lollerz:

Amazing job Tim! Just amazing!

Thank you, Mike, your words are appreciated very much! 

Yeah wouldn't it be nice!? I'm afraid they will not ask permission 

Rubbers: found some... looks like I wasn't searching with the right words...

https://www.npdlink.com/product/bumpers-trunk-access-door-2/152157?backurl=search%2Fproducts%3Fsearch_terms%3Dtrunk%2Baccess%2Bdoor%2Bbumpers%26top_parent%3D200001%26year%3D

:rofl:  

And they aren't even that expensive! They make a huge difference. Your trunk floor bulge in the middle will appreciate them...  :biggrin:

 

[timachone]

Hi folks, 

I am sorry for not posting an update for so long. Although it was not that great summer I had to do a lot around the house for making family happy. Furthermore a hard time in job for over two months needed also most of the time in a week. That means time was short for my old friend Mustang and I only could do some of the planned projects. But winter season is coming so there will be much more updates in the future half year, driving on the roads in summer next year is the new mark! 

But first the update, my friends: 

After I installed all the new 'prebent' fuel and brake lines with the fastener kit from OMS I installed the new master cylinder along with the restored power booster. The OEM like brake lines needed some appropriate fittings so I cut them, changed the fittings and used a handy tool for the flares. 



It worked like a charm and now it looks like this: 



For bleeding I preferred the in-car-method and used the Dorman bench bleed kit: 



More updates coming next hours or tomorrow  :whistling:

 

[Klug]

Hi folks, 

I am sorry for not posting an update for so long. Although it was not that great summer I had to do a lot around the house for making family happy. Furthermore a hard time in job for over two months needed also most of the time in a week. That means time was short for my old friend Mustang and I only could do some of the planned projects. But winter season is coming so there will be much more updates in the future half year, driving on the roads in summer next year is the new mark! 

But first the update, my friends: 

After I installed all the new 'prebent' fuel and brake lines with the fastener kit from OMS I installed the new master cylinder along with the restored power booster. The OEM like brake lines needed some appropriate fittings so I cut them, changed the fittings and used a handy tool for the flares. 

View attachment 56068

It worked like a charm and now it looks like this: 

View attachment 56071

For bleeding I preferred the in-car-method and used the Dorman bench bleed kit: 

View attachment 56069

More updates coming next hours or tomorrow  :whistling:

Winter it's the moment to our car projects 

 

[timachone]

Next update is changing the bulbs in the instrument cluster with leds, renew the circuit board and changing the voltage regulator to an electronic one. It worked perfectly, the illumination is no more dim and changed slightly to a blueish green. I used some 194 sized T10 5w SMD LED which fits the original bulb sockets as you can buy them everywhere for a handful of dollars, not the expensive sets with 7 or 10 LED bulbs. They work perfectly and don't shine different than the kits... I kept the blue original filters in the cluster though. 

 

[timachone]

Next little step was changing the internals of the mechanical repro voltage regulator to the electronic ones of a NOS Motorcraft GR-540-B. Besides the really hard sticking glue of the cover of the NOS one it worked like a charm and looks identical. I cut off the plastic above the connections for a more OEM look and glued the cover and the rivets together. Nothing to see from the outside but a much more safer load and reload circle now  :whistling:

 

[timachone]

A little painting and preparing here and there... Also paint matched the end caps of the fenders and the sports mirrors, looks almost perfect, a good buff will follow. 

That was the difference:



Now light sanding, preparing and painting 











End result: 





Some other parts followed: 

 

[Klug]

Paint job it's already a hard job

I known it

 

[timachone]

A big step forward was the installation of the 3/4 vinyl roof. Before I was afraid of doing it, I have never done that before. Will I have the right glue? Will I have the right cut? Will it hold up or will it look like a bubbled moonscape? Although I had so many questions, I read so many articles and watched some videos the V-day came in and after sanding the freshly painted roof there was no way back. It went hours and hours of glueing and stretching and wrapping and guess what? It all went well and was all worth the efforts. It looks really good, in real too and for the first time I did such work I am quite satisfied. And it looks like this particular car needs it! 

Warm up



Seems to be pre-cut for all types of 71-73, sportsroof and Grandé. 













Off the unnecessary









Now sanding... The worst part of the whole work... 





As the glueing process takes its time and had to be fast I tookno photos. But that's the result now: 

 

[timachone]

Paint job it's already a hard job

I known it

Yeah - it could be very frustrating. But hire a paint guy equally... 

 

[Klug]

Yeah - it could be very frustrating. But hire a paint guy neither... 

I had one for next summer, will paint it with Nardo Grey....

 

[timachone]

Next steps will be - and now we are in time - welding a sheet of paper sized metal piece in the front driver area, renew the sound deadener and install the new carpet. 

As I removed the carpet and cleaned up the floors of the car I recognized first that this was not the original carpet. I never thought about it before but now it was obvious: this was a sportsroof or coupé carpet, not a Mach 1 carpet. So I ordered a new one from ACC and some sound deadener material. Second I sadly recognized some pin holes in the front driver area. From decades of wet and moisture from the inside some rust took its toll. Some welding made it not better, the sheet metal in this area is to thin. So I ordered a front sheet metal piece from Dennis Carpenter and end of week I will give it a try. Hope, all goes well, so I can lay down the new carpet soon and make some progress... 





New one 



Old one









Remnants of cutting the original headliner... 



Found some remnants of former activities. Could somebody identify the hardware? 







Remnants of the original built sheet I rescued years before 





The bad side



The good side













Trial fit test - not bad although I need only a third of it



Thanks for watching, see you next time  :thumb:

 

[NOT A T5]

Hi folks, 

I am sorry for not posting an update for so long. Although it was not that great summer I had to do a lot around the house for making family happy. Furthermore a hard time in job for over two months needed also most of the time in a week. That means time was short for my old friend Mustang and I only could do some of the planned projects. But winter season is coming so there will be much more updates in the future half year, driving on the roads in summer next year is the new mark! 

But first the update, my friends: 

After I installed all the new 'prebent' fuel and brake lines with the fastener kit from OMS I installed the new master cylinder along with the restored power booster. The OEM like brake lines needed some appropriate fittings so I cut them, changed the fittings and used a handy tool for the flares. 

View attachment 56068

It worked like a charm and now it looks like this: 

View attachment 56071

For bleeding I preferred the in-car-method and used the Dorman bench bleed kit: 

View attachment 56069

More updates coming next hours or tomorrow  :whistling:

I always thought that you should bench bleed a master cylinder on a bench and not installed in the car, hence the name bench bleeder kit! 

 

[timachone]

I always thought that you should bench bleed a master cylinder on a bench and not installed in the car, hence the name bench bleeder kit! 

Yup - but it's essentially the same without grabbing it hard on a bench and pushing with a screwdriver - much less effort and it is already installed  :thumb:

 

[rio1856]

Hey Tim when you add the chrome trim to the edge of the vinyl on top of the roof, would you mine posting a couple of pics on how you do it. I will be doing the same thing you did and adding the SMS vinyl roof material to my sled so you would be a big help to me. Thanks!

Rio

 

[timachone]

Rio, 

will do it for sure, glad to help! 

 

[NOT A T5]

Yup - but it's essentially the same without grabbing it hard on a bench and pushing with a screwdriver - much less effort and it is already installed  :thumb:

Bleeding a master cylinder in the car, you'll never be able to get all the air out since your lines aren't connected while you're bleeding it. Ask me how I know!

 

[timachone]

Bleeding a master cylinder in the car, you'll never be able to get all the air out since your lines aren't connected while you're bleeding it. Ask me how I know!

Could you please explain that further. What's the difference between bleeding outside the car and in the car? You have your car lines not connected in any case, bench or car. I have to bleed the whole system anyway after complete Installation because I have all new lines. My intention was only to remove the trapped air in the master cylinder before installation. As you can see in the picture with the lines unconnected and the plastic tubes I have done the same setup in the car as supposed outside the car. I pumped slowly a few minutes until I saw no bubbles front or rear reservoir anymore. From my point of view it seems to bei technically the same. So please explain your point, like to learn everytime

 

[mjseakan]

Could you please explain that further. What's the difference between bleeding outside the car and in the car? You have your car lines not connected in any case, bench or car. I have to bleed the whole system anyway after complete Installation because I have all new lines. My intention was only to remove the trapped air in the master cylinder before installation. As you can see in the picture with the lines unconnected and the plastic tubes I have done the same setup in the car as supposed outside the car. I pumped slowly a few minutes until I saw no bubbles front or rear reservoir anymore. From my point of view it seems to bei technically the same. So please explain your point, like to learn everytime

I wouldn't mind an explanation either. Any master cylinder I've bled has been on the bench, just because that's the way I was taught to do it, but I've wondered what the difference really is. 

Mike

 

[Fabrice]

Hey Tim, you're sure you're not restoring my car??? Amazing how many things are similar!