Original Parts with an Original Fit!

Posts in category Restoration Information

1964 1/2 – 1968 Mustang Autolite 1100 1V Carburetors

Autolite 1100 1V Carburetor

Autolite 1100 1V Carburetor

Autolite 1100 1V carburetors Was a good carburetor in its day.  Used on Falcon Mustang Sprint Fairlane Comet 170 and 200 inline six cylinder engines.  They are getting very hard to find and when you do find one only about 1 in 5 will function properly no matter who rebuilds or what they try to do to it.  This is probably due to some internal wear issue that is un-restorable.  Then a NEW one was reproduced but at a high cost.  And even those re-production carbs had issues.  About any carburetor can sit there and idle but other drive-ability issues are persistent.

Starting in about 1967 Holley made a 1V to take the 1100 Autolites place.  The replacement Holley is hard to come by but a far better carburetor.  They swap directly in place with little to no modification needed.  Nearly every time the Holley can be successfully overhauled with very few drive-ability issues.  i.e surging galloping hesitation stalling backfiring running rich or lean icing up flooding etc.The Holley uses the same air cleaner as the autolite 1100.  By about 1970 the Holley 1V was casted with the block letters AUTOLITE but is still the Holley style.  And likely also used on the 250 cid 6 Cylinder.

Holley Carburetors and Autolite parts can be found on www.fastbackstack.com

 

 

 

 

Reproduction Cowl Panel

Once your cowl panel is removed, you can look at its condition and decide which repairs need to be done. Often times, the lower cowl panel is in good shape and only needs to be cleaned and re-painted. However, if it is rusty, a patch panel will need to be installed. Dynacorn Industries offers a good reproduction repair panel. It is a complete lower cowl panel replacement, so you won’t need a patch panel.

I’ve used several of these and they work great. Keep in mind that this panel is patterned after a 1967 Mustang. So if you are using the panel on a 1965 or 1966 Mustang, you will need to drill an extra hole in the mounting flange of your left hand fresh air intake canister. 1967 Mustang fresh air intake canisters had more mounting stud holes than a 1965 or a 1966 did.

To achieve the proper placement of this extra hole, place your fresh air canister on the cowl prior to installation and mark the mounting flange.

Another thing to keep in mind: if you are repairing a 1965 Mustang cowl panel, make sure that your windshield wiper transmission protrudes high enough through the top of the exterior cowl panel. This ensures that you have enough of the wiper transmission protruding through to put the chrome bezel on it. If this isn’t done during installation, it is difficult to do once the painting has been completed.

Avoiding Paint Overspray inside the Cowl Panel

Here is a tip on avoiding paint overspray inside the Cowl Panel. After you have removed, repaired, and repainted your 1965-1968 Mustang cowl panel, you are ready to reinstall it.  Here’s a neat tip for avoiding any paint overspray in the cowl panel area.  Use aluminum foil!  The aluminum foil catches all the paint overspray that would accumulate in the vent area of the Mustang cowl.

Here’s what to do:  prior to permanently welding the cowl lid on your Mustang, line the cowl floor with aluminum foil.  Then, weld your cowl lid to your Mustang.  When you are ready to paint your Mustang, this aluminum foil will prevent any overspray build-up to the inside of the cowl panel area.

After your vehicle has been painted, simply reach up inside the air or heat intake holes, grab the foil, and pull it out.  This leaves a nice cowl interior without the ugly paint “scale” (paint buildup) that is commonly left in the cowl panel area.

Here’s an additional benefit of using aluminum foil:  If the aluminum foil is carefully placed, it will also prevent weld sparks or blobs of hot metal from burning the painted cowl panel during the welding process.  Aluminum foil works much better than any plastic or paper masking material.

Cowl Reinstallation Tips for 1965 – 1968 Mustang

Nearly all 1965-1968 Classic Mustangs and Cougars should have their cowl vent panel removed.  This area harbors hidden rust, ugly scaly paint overspray, and water leaks.  If not repaired properly, rust will continue to eat away at the cowl panel and then the firewall.  You’re better off taking care of the cowl panel before this nightmare happens.

Upon removing the cowl panel, clean, repair, repaint and re-install it.  Here are some tips for how to re-install the cowl panel.

  1. Align the cowl panel.  Make sure when re-installing, that the position of the cowl panel is correct.  It should line up evenly with the rear edge of the hood.  It should also line up evenly with the front fenders. Temporarily install the hood and fenders to get the positioning correct.  Self-tapping screws work really well for temporarily installing body replacement panels.  When the cowl position is correct, attach the cowl with a few self-tapping sheet metal screws.  This will temporarily hold the cowl in proper position.  Remove the hood and fenders so that you have access to the cowl.
  2. Weld the cowl panel.  Beginning from the center of the cowl panel and working outward, make a plug weld every 2-3 inches.  A plug weld is a weld that fills a hole in the top piece and attaches to the bottom piece.  This type of weld is about 1/4″ size.  Complete the plug welds until you have welded the entire panel.
  3. Grind the welds.  Using an air or electric grinder, grind the excess welds so that they are flush with the cowl panel.
  4. Seal and fill the welds.  Using a quality seam sealer or body filler, fill any grinder marks or unwelded holes.  Once the sealer or filler has cured, sand the area smooth.

You are now ready to paint the cowl area and permanently reattach the hood and fenders.

Auto Rotisserie

1967 Mustang Fastback on an auto rotisserie

1967 Mustang Fastback on an auto rotisserie

For a professional quality vintage Mustang restoration, we highly recommend using an auto rotisserie.  This enables the restorer to perform undercarriage repairs and assembly with ease.  It’s also great for repairing inner wheel wells or patch panel welding while the car is upside down.  It eliminates over-head welding and is much easier.  Once you have one, you won’t regret it.

We have built our own rotisserie units, but you can also purchase one from various parts vendors.

1969 1970 Mustang Holley Carburetor Applications

1969 1970 Mustang Holley Carburetor Applications and Identification

When restoring your Boss 429 or 429 CJ to concours condition, look for the original carburetors.  Here are the carburetors that were originally installed in these vehicles.

1969 Boss 429 with manual transmission and thermactor emissions

  • Used a 750 cfm Holley 4V with manual choke
  • Identification number stamped on the front of the carburetor should read C9AF-S
  • Part number is C9AZ-9510-S (CA-708)

1970 429 CJ with manual transmission and IMCO (with or without Air Conditioning):

  • Used a 715 cfm Rochester Quadra-jet 4V carburetor
  • Identification number stamped on the front of the carburetor should read D0OF-B
  • Part number is D0OZ-9510-B (CA-771)

1970 Boss 429 with manual transmission and thermactor emissions

  • Used a 735 cfm Holley 4V carburetor with manual choke
  • Identification number stamped on the front of the carburetor may read D0OF-S
  • Or, the identification number stamped on the front of the carburetor may read D0ZF-G (H, U or T) followed by AA, AB, AC or AD.
  • Part number is D0OZ-9510-S (CA-776)
  • Replacement carburetor part number is:  D0ZZ-9510-H (CA-781)

Vintage and Classic Mustang Disc Brake Conversion Tip

If you install Ford Granada, Ford Maverick or Mercury Monarch front disc brakes on your Classic Mustang, keep in mind that the wheel rotor hub diameter is larger than your average Mustang hub.  Therefore, some wheel center holes will not be large enough to fit over these disc brake hubs.  Check your measurements before purchasing expensive wheels.

If you’d like further information and “how-to” tips on converting to disc brakes, see our Mustang Guide, 1965-1966 Mustang Power Disc Brake Conversion.

Removing Aged Undercoating

When going through the restoration process, all aged undercoating should be removed.  Undercoating is the factory protectant that is sprayed on the undercarriage.  Over the years, this protectant dries out and cracks, allowing rust and corrosion to hide underneath.  It is not always easy just to scrape it off.  If the coating does not easily scrape off, try using a propane blow torch and heat the undercoating until it turns black with red-hot spots and smokes.  This allows the undercoating to soften up.  Then, it should scrape off easily.  Once the undercoating is scraped off, use solvent and a wire brush to clean off the residue.  With the undercarriage properly cleaned, you could then re-finish the undercarriage with red oxide primer.   You could also use rubberized undercoating which is widely available in aerosol spray cans.

Restore your 1969 or 1970 Mustang A/C Dash Vents

1969/1970 Mustang Dash Vent

1969/1970 Mustang A/C Dash Vent

Original 1969 and 1970 Mustang and Cougar A/C dash vents aren’t reproduced.   So what do you do if you have an original, but it is missing the felt or the felt is loose?

You will need to replace the felt.  Doing so ensures that, when your vent is installed in your Mustang, your vent remains in the desired position.  The felt helps to hold the plastic vent assembly in place.

To replace the felt, you will have to take the vent apart. This involves using a dremmel tool or small grinder to grind the heads off of the swedged pot metal studs. Once this is done, you can take the round plastic vent out and clean and repaint the housing. Then, line the inside of the vent housing with black felt purchased from a fabric store. The felt should be about 1/16″ thick and about 5/8″ – 3/4″ wide and long enough to line the area of the inside of the housing. Before cleaning the housing, check for evidence showing where the original felt was and let this be your guide as to where the felt would go (look for glue residue, fading, etc.)

When you put the vent back together, you would need some kind of epoxy to stick the housings together. This takes the place of the swedged studs that had been ground off to take the vent apart.  Looking for original 1969/1970 A/C vents?  Check out our inventory.  We will be listing a lot more A/C parts soon.  So, if there is something that you need just contact us.

Remove your 1965 – 1968 Mustang Cowl Panel?

Exterior Cowl Panel

Exterior cowl panel once removed

Many restoration shops don’t take the time to remove the exterior cowl panel. Should you insist this be part of your Mustang’s restoration? Here are some things to consider when restoring your Mustang.

1. Hidden Rust. Rust forms around the heat and air intake, then spreads to the door post, cowl side panel and firewall. This rust remains hidden unless the cowl panel is removed. Once the panel has been removed, the area can properly be inspected.

2. Leaks. Rust holes cause water leakage from under the dash. If the cowl panel has not been removed and restored, rust can go unnoticed until bigger problems surface. If your cowl does not leak, rust still might be forming inside. You would still need to examine the area by removing the cover.

3. Proper Inspection. Inspecting the cowl from under the dash is not adequate. To completely see all of the areas, the cowl panel must be removed. It is a lot of work to remove it, but will be worth it to inspect this area now and properly restore and seal this area to protect the longevity of your Mustang.

4. Concours Restoration. Once the cowl has been removed and restored, the cowl area can be painted. Mustangs that have had this area painted look much nicer. There is no longer any scaly paint inside the cowl vent grills (a common problem with Mustangs that have not had their cowl panels removed).

This picture is from our current restoration project, a 1965 Mustang factory GT Fastback. It was thought to have a rust-free cowl since there were not any leaks. After removal of the cowl panel, however, you can see the moderate surface rust located around the air intake area. This rust is minor now, but if the cowl was not removed, this area would continue to rust.

1965 Mustang left hand cowl air intake (driver's side)

1965 Mustang left hand cowl air intake (driver’s side)

The picture below shows the cowl heater intake vent (passenger side of the Mustang).  It has moderate surface rust located near the door post. It is still solid, but given time, this rust would cause serious problems.

Right hand side of the cowl panel, heat intake vent area

Right hand side of the cowl panel, heat intake vent area

It took several hours to locate and drill all of the spot welds.  But this time is well spent as it will save many hours of grueling repairs in the future.   The cowl will now be sandblasted and epoxy primered to eliminate any possibility of future rust.

Tips for removing a cowl panel:  see our Mustang Guides, Locating Spot Welds for a Unibody Panel Replacement and Drilling Spot Welds for a Unibody Panel Replacement for removing spot welds.

Important Note: When re-installing the cowl cover, make sure the alignment is perfect. This is critical for proper hood and fender alignment. If your original cowl cover will be used, simply align all the drilled spot welds. If a replacement cowl cover is used, fenders and hood may need to be bolted on and aligned to achieve this proper cowl alignment. Without proper alignment, you can be sure to need some Tylenol, as you will be faced with many headaches!