What did you do to your car today?

[tony-muscle]

Lifted the hood!

 

[computercarguy]

Lifted the hood!

Is that anything like "raise the roof"? lollerz

 

[mach71351c]

I hear you on the removal of the manual being easy. I was just trying to avoid having to take my exhaust apart again.

I always install motor and trans together. To me it's so much easier to bolt them together on a pallet then send them home. I did my my brothers Boss 302 2 years ago and the engine bay is a little tighter than the 7173.

 

[tony-muscle]

I am currently toying with the fuel system as I prepare to install a FiTech EFI system. As part of the inspection work I see that my car has a 5/16" line from the fuel pump to the carb. The line from the tank to the carb is 3/8" so I would have expected the line from the pump to the carb to also be 3/8". Is 5/16" the diameter what's supposed to be, or it fell victim of an improper replacement?

I also have to deal with a leaky new sending unit. This one was from CJP and it leaked through the electrical connectors as it has been reported many times. Unfortunately, I bought it some time ago when it was discounted before researching. I am contacting Don at OMS for a good replacement.

 

[Fraz2112]

Decided my bad boy has suffered long enough doing without. I'm a single Dad raising 2 boyz so my 73 Mach gets the back burner as far as attention and money but I decided to spend $5000 on it. It will be fun shopping. Clutch and brake booster and more soundproofing definitely on the list.. Carpet and door panels, Corbeau seats, cutouts,...Dang, I just spent my $5000. lol that was fun.

 

[Pastel Blue]

Spent some time reassembling the p/s hoses, accessory brackets, P/S pump, alternator, etc.

 

[mwilson7]

Ken,

That looks awesome!

Keep the pictures coming!

 

[tony-muscle]

Spent some time reassembling the p/s hoses, accessory brackets, P/S pump, alternator, etc.

Looking somewhat refreshed from when I got her 16 months ago...

Awesome looking engine. Which valve covers are those?

 

[mwilson7]

The valve covers are stock 429 CJ covers.

 

[Pastel Blue]

The valve covers are stock 429 CJ covers.

... Not quite stock when considering that I did have them refinished in a low hue chrome finish to prevent future issues with the factory aluminum finish. PIA to keep clean in stock form.

 

[tony-muscle]

The valve covers are stock 429 CJ covers.

... Not quite stock when considering that I did have them refinished in a low hue chrome finish to prevent future issues with the factory aluminum finish. PIA to keep clean in stock form.

I noticed they were not as shiny and I liked that. I am one of those that doesnt like the shiny chrome in the engine.

1971 M-code Mach 1

 

[timsweet]

Gave the 351C a paint job!!

 

[will e]

Went and picked it up from Mom's house. It was a beautiful day in the 60's today so having the top down was a blast. A few spirited runs and a glance down at the tach and I saw I was getting just past 6K. Fun!

 

[Fraz2112]

Still working on getting my March serpentine system to line up correctly. Did manage to get my valve covers drilled for oil cap, etc. New plugs, serpentine belt, water neck, and dip stick bought. Maybe Thursday night will be a little more productive.

I had the same issues with my March. Thought it would be a 1 evening ordeal. 2 weeks but worth it.

 

[Mister 4x4]

Finally got a chance to get back to the dash rehab (LED bulbs, RCCI tach & voltmeter) after a month-and-a-half (between Christmas gigs and bad weather, my weekends have been shot).

Here's where I left off:



Got the instrument cluster and center gauge pod back together. All the LED dash bulbs are working great - but the flash on the camera washed 'em out. Glad I pulled the blue diffusers after all.

Here we are idling at 750-ish:



Ran it up to 3000 - works like a champ!



The new Bosch voltmeter's also reading as it should:



I pulled the Red wire from the + side of the coil and ran it to the keyed power for the defroster switch I'm no longer using - works great, except the electric fuel pump still registers on tach when I turn the key on. I guess I'll have to come up with some kind of isolation circuit or something for the fuel pump now.

I still need to get the center console back in, finish getting the last of the fasteners, the glove box, and the side trim pieces back in - the cold front blew in while I was still working on it, and since it was 81 when I started I was wearing shorts and a T-shirt - it dropped from the low 80s to the 30s in about 2 hours.

Hopefully, I'll get it all back together next weekend, since we're supposed to be back in the mid-'60s by Thursday.

 

[will e]

I installed some KYB shocks on the back. What a pain! They are gas filled and hard to compress. After several attempts I finally figured out a way to secure them compressed so I could install them. I didn't get to do a test drive. I still have to install the front shocks but those will be easier.

 

[Mister 4x4]

That's why they put those straps on the shocks while they're compressed.

It gets me every time as well - I always cut 'em off before I start actually installing them. :shootself: rofl

 

[will e]

You have to cut the strap in order to get the washer and rubber grommit on. Unless there is a trick..

 

[Mister 4x4]

Oh sure, just use logic and sense on me why don't ya. :whistling:

lollerz

 

[mwilson7]

Today was a good day!

I saw my 1971 Mach 1 for the first time in person today. I bought my car off eBay in August sight unseen and had to go off what the pictures and description showed in the auction. Truth be told I didn't think I was going to win the auction as I put what I thought was a low bid but I ended up winning. Problem is I currently live in Shanghai, China and the car was in California. Eventually I figured it all out and the car has been sitting at the shop since mid September and I've been requesting various pictures over the last 3 months to get an idea on how good the car really is.

I'm happy to report that the car is pretty much as I expected. Suspension is 46 years old and the bushings are dried out so I went through and replaced them along with the shocks and tie rods. I also completed brake jobs front and rear and did an overall inspection identifying a list of projects to work on when I need a break from the nut and bolt restoration of my 70 428 CJ. Overall the car is a really nice original driver that will make an excellent cruise night ride.

Now for the Mustang geek in me to come out. This car was originally sold in Japan and has been modified to meet Japanese rode regulations which is pretty darn cool. The more I look at the car the more interesting things I find. My car has extra bulbs wired into the outer most brake lot on each side as well as the lower turn signal lights in the front which act as driving lights. There is a separate switch (one of 4 extra switches on the car) that activates the driving lights. I also have two extra lights each located on the front fenders which are extra turn signals that can been seen from the side of the car. although pretty cool the wiring is a mess to say the least. The car also features a unique import plate on the drivers side front fender along with a number stamped into the drivers side shock tower. It was difficult to read so I'll bring a crayon tomorrow to fill it in to make it easier to read.

I'm also very happy to report that the 429 CJ is definitely the original engine and if you can believe it it still has an AUTOLITE distributor cap on it. All of the date codes I could find match approx 5 weeks before the car was built. All the rare and high dollar parts are in place and untouched making for an interesting find. Looks like there is some work to do on the vacuum lines as they reroute no the ram air to the front vacuum system vs the junction block in the back. I'll change that quickly.

For me it's always exciting to get to know an old car for the first time and figure out the story of what's happened and where it's been over all the years. This ones definitely got a lot of interesting stories to tell........

I'm heading back tomorrow to spend a day taking pictures and figure out what parts I need to start hunting down. Then I'll say good bye to the Mach 1 for 6-8 months until I return for the summer.

As I said..... It was a good day today. Tomorrow should be even better.......

I think I will start a make over thread as there are some pretty interesting things on this car.