Restoring a piece of American Muscle Car History one blog at a time. Part-Time Restorer/Owner/blog

  • Restoring a piece of American Muscle Car History one blog at a time. Part-Time Restorer/Owner/blogger: Gary Penna

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Blog #11 Visit and Engine Work



I went down for my first visit since the restoration began on Monday.  I wanted to be involved in the some of the restoration as I said.  However, a 5 hour one-way drive is painful. So I may not be able to do this very often.  I spent the day down there armed with a wire air brush and a lot of sand paper and cleaning supplies.


Engine cleaning 101:

#1:  This will take more than 1 day.  Be patient and take your time if you want great results.  I would only have time to knock off the heavy grime and some of the old paint which was plentiful... 

#2:  Have the right equipment.  Here is a list but it is certainly not an all inclusive list.
         An air tool (Dremel type with wire brush attachment).  See below picture.
         60/120/320 grit sandpaper. 
         A spray on degreaser (gunk etc)
         Airplane paint stripper (its in a spray can)
         Hand held wire brushes
         A scotch bright Brillo pad type attachment.  This will help strip the last layer of paint 
         A scraper type tool.  (basically a wide-body razor blade attached to a handle).
         A air blower attachment.  Looks like a gun that shoots compressed air, like your dentist has.
         High pressure power washer

#3 Although this may be obvious, but wear a jump suit of some kind or overalls.  Shit gets messy.  I looked like movie Zoolander after he was working in his father's mines by the end of the day. You may want to bring a change of clothes as well, otherwise you drive back for 5 hours feeling like you were laying at the bottom of a swamp all afternoon.  

#4  Any screws/bolts you remove, you should keep them in one box and possibly label them.  Some are longer and different thread patterns.  You don't want to do a kickass job only to strip out a screw/bolt socket after trying to thread the wrong screw or bolt back in.

Side note:  I decided to remove the fenders myself. Fairly easy task even for one person,  but it is much easier with two.  The first one Noah and I removed but I removed the second one myself.   To remove the fenders. There ten 1/2"  bolts. You can make life easy on yourself if you have an air driven ratchet wrench and a 1/2 " long socket.  Other wise there will be awkward angles to get leverage with.  Start with the top 5 along the engine compartment.  #6 & 7  are two in the front headlight bucket. #8 is on the bottom of the fender where the fender meets the bottom of the door section.  #9 is in the door jam about halfway up.  The 10th and last is inside the vehicle under the drivers side door and the passenger side door, about where the parking brake/or hood release latch would be in most other cars.    It will be in the same general location on the passengers side.  There is a rubber seal stopper over the hole you will need to pry out.  This one is the tricky one because you have to get the socket in place first then attach the wrench because the nut has paint on it and fits very very snug.   Once you get that last bolt off the panel will pull of fairly easily.  It can be done by one person, as I have done, but it is much easier with two.  As you start removing the bolts it will seem that they are not coming out.  They are, but because they are held in place by metal fasteners it will seem like they are just spinning.  I assure you they are not.  Be Careful not to pop the fasteners off since they may fall into the door jam.

#4  Start with the scraper and  then the wire brush.  This will help knock off the heavy stuff that the degreaser will have trouble penetrating.  If you use the degreaser first you will have a mess that will spray everywhere when you use the air brush attachment.  After you get the heavy stuff off you can spray down the engine bay with the gunk cleaner then use the pressure washer. Obviously do this somewhere outside if possible due to the grease, oil and grime that will wash down.  
    

#5  Let it dry and then use the airplane stripper.  After that penetrates and begins dissolving you can use the pressure washer again to get as much paint as you can off. Once that dries use the Brillo attachment to remove the final bits of paint.  Then its time to get on with the suck portion of the job.  Begin with lowest grit sandpaper and work your way up.  When you have an even smooth surface you will be ready to paint.  Below is the first picture right after the engine was pulled.  The next ones are after the wire brush but before the degreaser and paint stripper were used.  I ran out of time, so the boys at PMP will finish it up.  Should be ready for paint right after Christmas break.  They will be using a high heat black gloss paint.  It will look awesome with the blue engine block, chrome valve covers, chrome air cleaner and the polished serpentine drive belt pulleys.  

I hope this helps any first timers.  There are plenty of videos and other articles on the web, both restoring with the engine in and with it out.   I will say this, if you really want a great engine bay you need to pull the engine and really break everything down.


I also included pictures of the floor pan replacement.  I will cover that in a later blog.



























Sunday, December 22, 2013

Funny story from the Home Depot

Just a small sidetrack from the car blog.



The wife and I are huge fans of parks and rec on NBC.  Especially Ron Swanson.  There is a scene where he goes into Home Depot and the guy asks him if he can help him and he responds. "No I know more than you".   

So I'm in Home Depot about ten minutes ago.

Me: So excuse me do you have any folding tables the square kind?

HD dude: Yes follow me.

Guy takes me to a shelf with tables.  They are all rectangular.  

HD dude: Here you go. 

Me: I need a square one 

HD dude: Oh!.. here on top.

Me: No those are just smaller rectangle tables. I need a square one.

HD dude:  Oh you mean square square....?

Me:... blank stare.......blank stare....ummm yes square square.  My apologies for confusing you by questioning your basic knowledge of shapes, and my apparent lack of...

Long live Ron Swanson!

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Post #10 Ordering parts

        So I figured I should do a post on ordering parts.  The first thing I decided to do was establish a spending budget.  Without one, this project could easily spiral out of control.  With a budget cap in mind +/- 10% for unforeseen expenses included.  I figured that at some point during the tear down of the car we would find unexpected problems that would have to be addressed.  Therefore I would put a 10% reserve over budget to cover those "unexpected" costs.  

     Now lets look at the down and dirty of ordering parts.  The first thing you need to do is lots and lots of research.  One of the hardest areas is learning the lingo, if you don't know the exact name of the part it is very hard to do a search for that part.  The engine brace for example is referred to as an export brace.  The name comes from when Carroll Shelby started to export the cars to foreign counties, they added an engine brace (hence the name export brace) to help stabilize and add support to the engine bay when the cars were transported outside the US; as well, a lot of the areas they were going to had sub-standard roads, therefore the extra brace helped with engine life and body rigidity.  Just doing a google search for engine brace did not bring up the exact one I was looking for.  My solution was to scour the internet mustang forums and soak in as much information as I could.  The lingo started to make sense.  Google pictures helps a lot too.  If you can get part of the name you'll at least see pictures of items that are close and they usually have descriptions beneath them.  Interesting enough the hardest par to find was the Shelby GT350-R lower bumper (see below picture). Man this one gave me fits of rage...I must have spent three days looking for something that had the exact name of the bumper you see below.  I had seen it in a magazine but there are literally dozens upon dozens of  lower bumpers, valances etc that came up.  I finally bumped into a website that had the exact name.  When I googled that correct name in a shopping engine, 8 websites popped up with the exact bumper for sale.  I picked the one with the best price; it just so happened to be that first one.

  What about price?  Surprisingly enough, as I mentioned earlier, parts are not as expensive as I was expecting.  I personally am a HUGE fan of eBay.  I believe with their buyer protection policy and massive network, you can really find some great deals.  However, buyer beware:  You should only use vendors that utilize PayPal.  It is your "get of jail free card" if someone tries to stiff you.  They will go to bat for you and recover your money if a seller sends you the wrong product or even if they fail to send it to you at all (believe it or not this happens)!  I have had only two bad run ins in the past 10 years and they both were resolved to my satisfaction.  You have the "watch" feature on eBay that can be used to save items you may want to buy or compare to others.  I usually categorize them by lowest to highest price first to include shipping.  I may not always take the cheapest.  Especially if the vendor has a low feedback rate.  I never buy from a seller who has less than a 98% feedback score no matter how low the price is.  The extra few bucks is worth it if you don't have to spend time filing a complaint.  Look at the feedback and see if they have any negative feedback and what it was for.  If a seller has sold 15000 items and has a 100 bad reviews he will have a 99% rate.  However, it can be misleading.  He may have sold 14,900 rare coins and 100 fiberglass hoods (somebody writing this may have made that mistake) and it is all relative.  His success rate for what you want is poor, so stay the HELL away!  If a seller has poor communication that is a warning sign as well.  Every seller has the option to input tracking information about your shipment.  If they don't, you will be just guessing when it will show up.  If they seller doesn't use this feature I won't use him again.  Be honest in your feedback when it comes time to submit it.  This is really the only way to put up flags. It only takes a minute.

   After I did all my research I began ordering and inputing everything into a log book.  This is necessary to both track what you have spent and track where it is.  A running tally has kept me from going over budget.  Except for two of the vendors everybody was so helpful and nice when I spoke or emailed them, they explained anything I had questions about and were subject matter experts on the parts they sold.  Mustang Depot and Scott Drake were two of the standouts part companies they really knew their stuff and kept me on target.   CJ pony parts have great youtube videos that provide a great breakdown of what each part should look like and how it you go about installing it.  I have spent countless hours watching Bill from CJ Pony parts installing new seats, frame rails, front valances, etc.  They also have great deals on parts too!  The internet makes my life soooo much easier that much is for certain.

  Make sure you get tracking numbers for everything!!!  This will be a crazy process when you have 30 plus parts traveling from all corners of the country.  It would be very easy to purchase a part and forget about it.  I have had everything shipped to Poor Noah at PMP.  He is probably running out of room and patience.  I have, to my shame been texting him daily to check on parts.  However, the last parts came in today and to be honest he has been a champ.  Taking pictures for me so I can post them here, Thanks Noah. I will be traveling down there next week to check on the progress and look at the Christmas tree full of parts I have ordered.  

So with that, I have included most everything I've ordered below for the car. Everything else is already on the car or will be ordered by Noah as part of the original deal. I think when this is all done it is definitely going to be a one-off.  So far I have searched and searched the internet and I have not seen the set-up we are creating.  I don't want a cookie cutter so I am really psyched.  If you have any questions shoot me an email at gpsmustang@gmail.com.  If I don't have the answer, I at least know where to look.




I decided to upgrade the following:

1. Front and rear valance (top picture bottom bumper will look like this one).


2. Side Scoops (shelby style)



3. Wood Grain steering wheel


4. Wheels (Torque thrust black)


5. Four new tires 235/50/17

Tires look like all tires.  Use your imagination...


6. Fiberglass hood and trunk lid w/end caps


7. Upgraded Fan for the radiator and engine cooling w/ fan control unit



8. Billet style radiator cap


9. Serpentine Belt kit for the motor

10. Export brace

11. Monte Carlo bar

12. Exhaust trumpets with chrome exhaust rings for the new rear valance

13. New 6 gauge instrument cluster with RPM and Matching brushed aluminum glove box door



14. Air Cleaner for carburetor with pony wing nut


15. 3-Core Aluminum radiator

16. Floor mats

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Post #9 Before and After

Don't need to say much here the pictures should say it all.

Before



After

Post #8 First Hiccup

Today marks the first real hiccup in an otherwise seamless parts order process.  About 75% of the parts needed for the restore showed up today at PMP.  Unfortunately the one part that I was worried about the most is the one that is jacked up the most.  I am replacing the stock hood with a low rise type hood.  The vendor is Hoods4sale or otherwise known as Liberty Fiberglass.  I spoke with the gentleman on the phone after viewing his listing online.  The hood was advertised as New with a white gel coat on it.  This helps with the priming and painting process.  This is what was advertised on the website:



This is what showed up:






Not even close.  No white gel coat, looks like it was on his back porch since 1965, and its has a repair mark on the left front section.  This can happen without viewing items in person.  Not a big deal if the guy is willing to replace, however, he is not returning phone calls or emails.  These are the ups and downs I was referring too.  Unfortunately, due to the unique nature of old school rebuilds you cant just run down to NAPA for these types of parts.  You are sometimes forced to purchase through online sources.  This was the only one that has let me down.  I will most likely stick with the hood that is currently on the car, although it is not exactly what I wanted.  Don't be discouraged when this happens, the beauty of eBay and pay pal is they cover you when these scams happen.  They go after the vendors so you don't have to.  Of the 5-600 ebay transactions I made over the past 10 years this is only the second time I have had a problem.   This guy is a jackass plain and simple.






  

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Post #7 Engine repaint and breakdown time!!

       Today Noah and his team broke down the engine to clean, sand and re-paint.  As you will see from the pictures the engine has very little surface rust.  The timing cover being the only real issue.  The engine will be painted Ford Corporate Blue.  As I mentioned in my earlier posts, Ford didn't start painting the engines blue until 1966.  However, I am not looking for a re-production, but rather what I like. So for all you purists out there, sorry, but this is not going to be one.  The Serpentine Belt pulleys and drive will be here this week.  I am excited about how sharp this is going to look.  Finding parts for the mustang is actually much easier and much cheaper than I originally thought, although it still adds up!!  To use the pilot vernacular however, I am still right on my glideslope budget.  With only the brakes and tires left to order I am almost done with my purchases.   Noah, is taking care of a large portion as part of the restore as well.  The agreement is it will be in good solid mechanical condition, free of rust with a factory restored paint job with if I desire racing stripes.  Which I do.  I finally reached a decision on the color, but I am not going to reveal that until it gets back from paint.
    
        The windows and weather stripping were also pulled today.   This will allow for several things, namely a better paint job, the ability to replace the dash and new seals..

        Noah is also thinking about removing the front fenders to be able to prep everything more consistently for paint.  I am very happy about that as well, this will also allow us to see the condition of the wiring and body towards the engine compartment as well as the forward or front frame rails.  The most common place for rust.  Fingers crossed.  

Take a look at the latest pics:

The exaust system is in good condition.   We will be adding a GT rear valance and Scott Drake exaust kit.


The stock 289 V8 in its bare ass form.  Man I can't wait to see the serpentine kit, restored headers, chrome air cleaner and valve covers against the ford blue engine!

No rust!  Great Great sign!!  Even on the lower suspension.  Hell yeah!

    

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Post #6 Interior getting stripped down.

So while the engine is being brought back to its original glory, the next major project is the stripping down of the interior for a complete restore.  Some folks are traditionalist when it comes to restoring the interior of classic cars.  I thought long about this, but what I concluded was that I wanted something that had a traditional muscle car look but had some modern updates to make the daily drive enjoyable.  Quite frankly puke green and the baby ass blue of the mid sixties have never screamed manly to me. Looking at the floors after pulling the carpet there is a little surface rust but very few bad spots, that being said the boys at Precision Mustang Performance will be replacing floor pans, cleaning and stripping the floors and then re-coating the entire floor before installing new carpet.  The seats are in pretty good shape, but the goal is to eventually replace them with higher back seating.  The original seats have nothing but lap belts and no head rests.  My only concern is the safety factor in the car, We'll see where the budget is after the major interior restores are done.  If there is anything else left I'll be replacing the seats with upgraded higher back seats and 3-point shoulder seat belts. The gauges are pretty rough, those will be replaced and the dash and headliner.  Some will accuse me of ruining the interior by changing out the classic steering wheel, but the simple fact is I don't care for the old style, I've never liked it, so a nice Mahogany 14" Scott Drake will be installed.  With a beautiful polished billet aluminum "running pony" stamped  horn button assembly.  That was a mouthful.  The original sweeping style speedometer instrument cluster is in bad shape, I am undecided if I am going to go with an updated 6 gauge round dial cluster bezel or just put in reconditioned original sweeping one.  I have time on that decision. 

Post #5 Engine Mods

The engine needs some updating to help with performance and durability.  Parts ordered today:

Serpentine belt, this will help increase performance and reliability.  One belt versus multiple.  Summit Racing had the right one and it was priced reasonably.  This will give the engine a sharp look with the engine painted Ford Blue.  A side note: Ford didn't have the blue until 66, but I think this looks a hell of a lot better over the black.   Chrome valve covers and polished air cleaner covers will top off the mods.  As well as a chrome export brace and strut brace.  The entire engine will be blasted, sanded and repainted.  This will give PMP the chance to Inspect and repair any damaged or substandard areas.  Headers will be polished as well. I really am spending most of my time and money on the engine compartment and paint.  Since that is the area most susceptible to the environment.   The interior can be done over time.  The paint should be done right the first time.  Do overs are costly with that section.


A Derale shrouded puller fan and new aluminum radiator.  This is a necessity in an environment like Arkansas during the summer months.  I also bought a fan control unit to turn the fan on and off at a specific temps.  If you are considering a puller versus a pusher you should look at whether you have a 2 or 3 core radiator, the amount of horsepower your pushing out, and the look your going for.  The difference being one pulls the air through the radiator, the other pushes, hence the name.   I personally didn't want a rock or a lot of bugs hitting the fan blades if it was front radiator mounted as with a pusher fan.  Therefore mine will be mounted on the backside of the radiator. Plus everyone I talked to told me puller will work better in this application.  Electric fans will cool an engine and radiator down considerably versus a traditional belt driven one.  Typically on a V8 basic 289 model, you're looking for a CFM (cubic feet per minute) of around 2200-3000.  The one from Derale tops at 2200 for this model.  The more horsepower the more CFM you need to pull. Especially if you have an A/C unit, my does not. Be careful about buying cheaper versions online that have a fan installed on the radiator.  Most likely they are cheap plastic and low CFM.  In reality if you paying less than 300 for the combo you're probably going to be replacing one or two by the time the better quality one craps itself.




Post #4 Engine pulled ready to be cleaned and painted

Decided to spend a little extra to have the engine pulled cleaned and repainted.  This would also make the engine easier to repair, seals, gaskets, etc. Engine is actually in pretty good shape.  


Post #3 The Beginnings

With a plan in place, a car and restorer found.  Noah and his team at Precision Mustang Performance based out of Forney, Texas began work this week.  PMP came very highly recommended and Noah is a solid trustworthy mechanic with a vast knowledge of Mustangs.  He returns emails and phone calls very quickly.  This is an important step in the so called seller/buyer relationship.  In my opinion the Mustang is so iconic, that it can become an emotional investment as much as a monetary one.  Therefore you need to build a high degree of trust with whomever you are paying to restore your car.  


That's Noah looking at the car saying "holy $#!&" I have some work to do.


The back of the Mustang has such a baddass profile, it looks tough and fast even in its raw form.