What did you do to your car today?

[tony-muscle]

Thanks... the cowl repair kit has an 8" flange

1971 M-code Mach 1

 

[Bentworker]

Glass bead blasting for 6 hours on the front. Epoxy prime next.

 

[Bentworker]

TinMan subframe connectors done. That was a chore! A little tweaking on the press and they were a good fit.

 

[Vinnie]

I just found out I have a 9" rear axle. I always thought it was an 8" 2.75 coz that's what my Marti report says but previous owners must've done more than I thought! I know it's 9" because it's got the bulge on the back. Now I have to figure out the gear ratio!

EDIT: Marti actually says "2.75 conventional". Can anybody confirm that this means 8" for a '73?

 

[turtle5353]

I just found out I have a 9" rear axle. I always thought it was an 8" 2.75 coz that's what my Marti report says but previous owners must've done more than I thought! I know it's 9" because it's got the bulge on the back. Now I have to figure out the gear ratio!

EDIT: Marti actually says "2.75 conventional". Can anybody confirm that this means 8" for a '73?

Vinnie,

If I remember right the 8" only came in the 6 cylinders and 302 cars. If yours is a 351 car then it will have a 9 inch from the factory. 2.75 conventional is just the gear ratio and open carrier....no posi. And as you said, the dead giveaway that its a 9" is the hump on the rear. An 8" is round and smooth.

If you want to check your gear ratio and you have an open carrier (non-posi). Jack up 1 rear tire, leave other tire on ground, and turn it 2 full revolutions, have someone watch the drive shaft and count how many revolutions it makes. If you have 2.75 gear then the drive shaft should make 2 and 3/4 of a revolution.

 

[20louie06]

Drove my 72 coupe 20 miles for the first time in 10 years. Ran good but would stall when coming to a stop. Adjusted the floats and then she ran pretty good. I noticed a wobble at speed coming from the rear. Not sure what it could be though. Ironing out the kinks is gonna take some time.

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[70sElvis]

Working on dash because I have no dashlights. Changed some blown fuses and found some wires hanging that looked like they had come loose from each other. Wired them back together and now I have dashlights all the time when the key is on. So I guess that was not a good move. Love tracking down electrical gremlins.

 

[Mister 4x4]

Drove my 72 coupe 20 miles for the first time in 10 years. Ran good but would stall when coming to a stop. Adjusted the floats and then she ran pretty good. I noticed a wobble at speed coming from the rear. Not sure what it could be though. Ironing out the kinks is gonna take some time.

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Check your tires. They could be flat-spotted from sitting so long... or some unwanted critters could've taken up residence on the inside surface of the rim - even fractions of ounces can throw wheel balance off, after all.

 

[Pastel Blue]

.....

 

[20louie06]

Drove my 72 coupe 20 miles for the first time in 10 years. Ran good but would stall when coming to a stop. Adjusted the floats and then she ran pretty good. I noticed a wobble at speed coming from the rear. Not sure what it could be though. Ironing out the kinks is gonna take some time.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Check your tires. They could be flat-spotted from sitting so long... or some unwanted critters could've taken up residence on the inside surface of the rim - even fractions of ounces can throw wheel balance off, after all.

Thanks for the tip. The wheels and tires are new though. I got them last year and had them in storage. I guess it doesn't hurt to get the balance checked again. I'm hoping it's not the drive shaft or rear end. Anyone have experience with that being bad as far as symptoms?

 

[Pastel Blue]

Errrr...

I finally put my completed dash assembly back in the car today, hooked up all the wires and went to connect the engine comp fuse block to the main interior fuse block and it would not fit...

You got to be kidding, not...

It appears that when I put the interior steering column brace back together (4 pieces), the small plate that holds the fuse box connection was put in upside down/backwards whatever... this causes the fuse block halves to be out of alignment when you go to connect them. You check, double check and still something is missed.

Oh well, now I get to go back out now and disassemble stuff... to turn the plate around so that the fuse box will fit correctly.

Unbelievable. So close... :whistling:

... Success... everything good to go.

 

[Bentworker]

Epoxy prime done!

Now for seam sealer up front and a single stage satin black

 

[Bentworker]

New suspension mock up.

Been wanting to do that for a decade.

 

[timsweet]

Looks great!!! All stock?

 

[Bentworker]

Lol. More like all aftermarket suspension. The only things stock in the photo are the body, the strut rod, and the spindle (but it came off a drum brake car).

 

[tony-muscle]

What brand are the coil overs? Any reason for keeping the stock strut rod?

Looks so new and so cool....

1971 M-code Mach 1

 

[Bentworker]

Upper control arms are Maier Racing.  Coil overs are JRI (made for Maier).  Lower control arms are Hotchkis.  As best as I can tell many of the Maier products are actually made by Chris Alston's shop for Maier.  When I went to Maier Racing a couple years ago I saw the ball and socket type strut rod mount they make and bought them.  They are very light, strong, and don't restrict movement at all.  They also keep the pivot as far forward as it can be so you don't alter your caster as much as your front suspension moves like you do with the kits that use a heim joint and move the pivot point rearward.  However they have no seal whatsoever and are not the best for the street because of that.

I ended up buying the Total Control strut rod setup since it is more of a street friendly setup... I just don't have it yet.

Here is a pic of the Maier strut rod pivot.  The cups are aluminum, the spherical halfs are a nylon of some sort.  

 

[tony-muscle]

Awesome...

1971 M-code Mach 1

 

[73pony]

Being that it is unseasonably warm (70's in Iowa in February) I got the steering box pulled to be sent off for rebuild and conversion to quick ratio. Also go the block all cleaned up and ready for paint so I am planning on doing that today at lunch.

 

[droptop73]

I drove mine to work today! First cruise in of the year tonight in honor of high 60s in February.

So far I've driven in January and February... 10 months to go! LOL