Original Parts with an Original Fit!

Posts tagged 1972 Mustang

De-rust Your 1964 ½ -1973 Mustang Door

Original Mustang doors have rust. This is common knowledge that 40+ year old doors are going to suffer this fate. How do you handle this? What do you do when you discover rust on your classic Mustang door? We have an economic and environmentally friendly solution to this rusty problem.  This guide will give tips on how to de-rust the bottom section of your Mustang door, as this is the main area that problem rust occurs.

Rust on the inside bottom seam is not visible to the eye, but is generally present.  This rust causes the bottom edge of the door to swell if it’s not eliminated.  No amount of sandblasting will remove rust from this area.  Thus, utilizing this environmentally friendly chemical dip is imperative to remove this hidden rust before swelling occurs.

Materials Needed

  • 4 – 5 gallons Apple Cider or Distilled White Vinegar
  • 1 54″ long piece of PVC pipe (6″ or 8″ diameter)
  • 2 end caps
  • PVC pipe cement (glue)
  • Rust inhibitor paint (such as POR 15)

The Process

This process will walk you through creating a container made from PVC pipe that holds vinegar.  The bottom section of the door is then submerged in the vinegar.

  1. Prepare the door:  Complete any patchwork, sand off paint, remove excess rust scale, and clean the inside of the door with a vacuum or compressed air.
  2. Using PVC pipe cement, glue an end cap to each end of the PVC pipe.  Allow time for them to completely dry.
  3. Cut out a section of the PVC pipe large enough to fit the door in it.  Once cut, it will resemble a trough, and look like a canoe with two blunt end caps.  PLEASE NOTE:  You can use or devise a different non-metal container that suits your needs.  I have found that cutting PVC pipe in this manner works well.
  4. Fill the trough with 2-4″ of vinegar.  TIP:  large containers of vinegar are often sold at grocery outlet stores.
  5. Submerge the door in the trough and prop it up so that it won’t tip over.
  6. Leave the door submerged in the vinegar for 7 days.  Check progress after 7 days.
  7. If rust still appears, leave it submerged for another 7 days.
  8. Remove the door from the trough of vinegar and rinse the door with water.
  9. Place the door near a heat source where it can thoroughly dry on the inside and on the outside.
  10. Using compressed air, blow any remaining moisture and water from the groove located on the inside bottom section of the door.
  11. Apply rust inhibitor paint to the inside of the door, along the seam.
  12. Your door is now ready to have the body work completed.

Copyright 2007: FastbackStack, LLC

Exterior, How-to guide, Restoration Information
, , , , , , , , ,

Drilling Spot Welds for a Unibody Panel Replacement

Drilling spot welds to remove unibody panels such as your cowl, rear quarter panel, floor pans and wheel wells can be tedious, but it is a fairly straightforward process.  This guide will help you tackle spot weld drilling like a pro.  Please remember to indicate below if this guide is helpful to you!

Tools Needed

  • Sand Paper and/or Wire Brush
  • Drill
  • Pilot Drill Bit: 1/8″ diameter
  • Spot Weld Cutter: 3/8″ diameter
  • Heavy Oil
  • Hammer
  • Flat Metal Chisel

Spot Weld Drilling Process

  1. Locate the spot welds needing removal
    This is done by looking for small, round depressions located every few inches where the body panel is attached to the vehicle.  If your vehicle is severely rusted or has been painted several times, these welds can be difficult to locate.  You would then need to clean the spot weld areas with sand paper or a wire brush to locate the welds.  Please see our  Locating Spot Welds for a Unibody Panel Replacement guide for more information.
    The drill bit is pointing at the small depression/spot weld.

    The drill bit is pointing at the small depression/spot weld.

  2. Using your 1/8″ drill bit, drill a pilot hole through the center of each weld
    A pilot hole is a centering hole for the spot weld cutter.  Helpful tip:  Dip the tip of your drill bit in heavy oil prior to drilling each spot weld.  This will prolong the life of your drill bit.
    This picture shows the pilot hole being drilled.

    This picture shows the pilot hole being drilled.

  3. Once all pilot holes are drilled, use your spot weld cutter to drill a hole through each spot weld.
    Using a specialized weld cutter minimizes the damage to the panel underneath the panel being removed.  When drilling with the weld cutter, only drill deep enough to remove the desired panel.  When I drill a weld, I watch the drilling area change from clean metal to light surface rust.  This would indicate that I have just reached an area between the sheet metal panels.  At this time, there is usually a little “poof” of rust dust.  I stop at this point, since I know I have just drilled through the first panel without over-cutting the second panel.
    Here is one style of weld cutter.  This is a sheet metal bit, 3/8" size.

    Here is one style of weld cutter.  This is a sheet metal bit, 3/8″ size.

    Here is the weld cutter at work, drilling the top layer of the spot weld.

    Here is the weld cutter at work, drilling the top layer of the spot weld.

    The weld is drilled!

    The weld is drilled!


  4. After all welds have been drilled, carefully use your hammer and flat chisel to separate the panels.
    This is done by laying the flat edge of the chisel between the panels and gently hammering to loosen any bits of weld that were not cut by the drill.
  5. Now that your panel is removed, you are ready for the next process.  Please see our Patch Panel Installation – Unibody Panel Replacement Guide for further information.

You are on your way to spot weld drilling!  I have drilled over 5,000 spot welds throughout the last 15 years and I will probably drill 5,000 more in this year alone!

Copyright 2007:  FastbackStack, LLC

Exterior, How-to guide, Restoration Information
, , , , , , , ,

1965-1973 Ford Mustang Headliner Installation

Installing a new headliner into your Mustang is probably your first step when restoring your vehicle.  Use this “how-to” guide to help during this installation process.  I have installed many headliners and used to install headliners using clamps until I came across a new trick of using cut up pieces of windlace instead of clamps.  I’ve found that this way is much easier and tends to yield better results.  Installing a headliner should not be intimidating.  You can save a few hundred dollars by doing the installation yourself, while at the same time fostering the pride of completing this task all on your own.

Materials

  • Headliner
  • Sharp Scissors
  • Razor Blade or Sharp Knife
  • 3M Spray Adhesive
  • 32 Pieces of Cut Up OLD Windlace (cut into 2″ pieces)
  • New Windlace Strips

Definitions

  • Bow– the metal rods that hold the headliner against the roof of the car.  Mustang Coupes generally have four bows, while Mustang Fastbacks generally have three bows.
  • Windlace – the long plastic trim cap that runs alongside the door glass seal on the body.
  • Moonskin – the texture of the headliner material.
  • Roof Rail – the part of the roof frame where the headliner bows insert into.

Installation steps:

For best results, remove the windshield, rear window and weather stripping channel in the door openings.  It is VERY difficult to tuck and secure a headliner without removing the glass (besides, it will look horrible and have wrinkles if this is attempted).

  1. Before starting, lay your new headliner flat to remove any folds or wrinkles.  It may help to lay it in the sunshine to make it more pliable.
  2. Completely remove the old headliner, while taking note of exactly where the headliner bows are placed (this information will help you when installing the new headliner).  SPECIAL NOTE – it is important to know that each bow may vary a little in length and curve.  It may help to number the bows as you remove them and assign a numerical number from front-to-rear, while laying the bows in the order that you will insert them again into your new headliner.
  3. If the old insulation pad is still intact and in good condition, you may reuse it (depending upon your degree of restoration, you may choose to reuse the pad or purchase a new one).  If the pad falls apart, find a new insulation pad and securely glue it in place by spraying both the pad and the roof with 3M Spray Adhesive.
  4. While using your metal headliner bows that you have numbered from front-to-rear, begin with the forward-most bow piece and slide the metal headliner bows into the forward most sleeve of the new headliner.  Repeat the same steps with the other numbered bows, continuing to work from front-to-rear.
  5. After all bows have been inserted and CENTERED into the headliner sleeves, trim the excess sleeve material back, exposing about two inches of both ends of all the bows.  When trimming, just trim the excess SLEEVE material…DO NOT TRIM THE MOONSKIN YET!

    6. DSC01020 DSC01022


  6. Next, begin to insert the headliner into the vehicle, starting with the rear bow.  Insert the rear bow into the holes of the roof rail.  Then insert the other bows into their corresponding holes of the roof rail.  Your headliner will be “baggy” and hanging at this point.  The bows are hanging downward.
  7. Beginning with the front bow, rotate the bow so that it is snug against the ceiling of the vehicle.  Repeat this step, working from front-to-rear, until all bows are snug against the ceiling of the vehicle and are no longer “baggy”.  The bows are now upright and in the correct position.
  8. Working with the rear bow, hook the center of the bow with the two springs that connect to the rear window opening (you probably noticed these two springs when you removed your old headliner).  SPECIAL NOTE – If the two springs are in poor condition, find a suitable replacement (I have actually used spring steel wire and cut and bent it to fit as a replacement).DSC01028
  9. Now it is time to begin to stretch your headliner.  This is where the old cut up pieces of windlace comes in handy!  Starting in the center of the front windshield opening, pull the headliner material gently through the windshield opening, holding it on the roof, and secure it with a few pieces of windlace.  This is done by pushing a piece of windlace (using the channeled groove) onto the sheet metal edge of the window opening.  This will hold the headliner securely to the sheet metal.  Repeat this step at the rear window opening, again using windlace to secure the headliner to the sheet metal.  Best results are achieved when using approximately eight pieces of evenly spaced windlace at both the front and rear windshield areas.
    DSC01032DSC01031


  10. Next, continue to stretch and secure your headliner to both door window openings.  Again, use approximately eight windlace pieces per side.  Thus, you have now used 32 pieces of windlace.  SPECIAL NOTE – for a Mustang Coupe, the rear pillar has a metal tack strip that holds the headliner in place.  You’ll achieve better results if you keep stretching and re-securing the rear pillar portion of the headliner.  This needs to be done carefully, as the headliner may begin to tear.  I have found it helpful to cut a piece of window screen, spray it with adhesive and stick it to the back of the headliner where the tack strip will puncture the window screen.  This aids in preventing any serious rips in the headliner.
  11. Do a visual check of your headliner to locate loose or wrinkled areas.  If these areas are present, continue to work your way around the vehicle, removing windlace pieces and gently pulling the headliner and re-securing the windlace pieces.  The headliner should be wrinkle-free, but not too tight.
  12. The headliner is now ready for adhesive.  Remove 3 or 4 pieces of windlace from one area (I usually begin with the windshield area opening).  Spray adhesive on the headliner backing and on the metal window opening edge.  DO NOT ATTACH THESE TOGETHER YET!  Allow a few minutes for the adhesive to dry before re-securing the headliner to the metal window opening edge.  This is the recommended method of the spray adhesive (see the adhesive can for further instructions).  Once the adhesive is ready, re-secure the headliner to the metal window opening edge.  Repeat this step until all edges are glued.
  13. Now the headliner is ready to trim.  DO NOT REMOVE THE WINDLACE PIECES YET.  Using a sharp razor blade, carefully cut the excess headliner from the front and rear window openings.  Leave about 3/4″ of headliner material so the rubber window seals will cover them when later installed (REMEMBER, DO NOT REMOVE THE CUT WINDLACE PIECES FROM THE FRONT AND REAR WINDOW OPENINGS UNTIL THE GLASS IS TO BE INSTALLED).
  14. For the side window openings, have your brand new windlace strips ready.  Remove one windlace piece at a time, while pressing your NEW windlace strip in place.  Doing it this way will prevent any headliner movement.  Do this to both window openings, installing both NEW strips of windlace.
  15. Now the sides of the headliner are ready to be trimmed.  Simply run a razor blade along the outside edge of the new windlace strip.  Do not leave any extra headliner material hanging on the outside edge of the windlace strip (installing the weatherstrip channel will hide the outside edge of the windlace).
  16. The headliner is almost complete.  Now, you’ll need to finish the inside windshield pillars.  Locate the screw hole for the trim piece that covers the seam and cut the headliner so that the trim piece will hide the edge of the headliner material.  This may require some adhesive.  Repeat this step with the rear window opening (that is, if are installing a Fastback Headliner).  SPECIAL NOTE – For a Mustang Coupe (referring back to STEP #10), re-stretch the area if necessary.  The rear pillar of a Coupe is the most challenging area to achieve wrinkle-free results. 

Congratulations! Your headliner installation is complete.

We hope these steps have been helpful, especially using the tricks with the cut up pieces of windlace.  If you are an experienced headliner installer, perhaps this guide offered you some new tricks to try during your next headliner installation.

Copyright 2007:  FastbackStack, LLC

How-to guide, Interior, Mustang Information, Restoration Information
, , , , , , , , ,

How to decode your 1965-1970 Mustang engine block number

Classic Mustang restorers who are looking to restore a vintage Mustang to concours condition will need to understand how to identify the casting number and date code number on an engine block.  Matching numbers are important to collectors.  The correct casting numbers ensure the Mustang is rebuilt to its original condition and has the correct numbers that would have been assigned at the factory years ago.

This guide is written to help you determine what numbers to look for when accurately restoring your Mustang.  Please remember to indicate below if this guide is helpful to you.

How to decode your 1965-1970 Mustang engine block number

Where to find the engine block numbers:  look toward the back of the engine block on the right hand  side, above the starter. You will find the casting number at this location.

For the purpose of explaining each individual letter and number, we have created asample engine block number and date code.  Then we have broken these numbers down, explaining what each number and letter represent.

Sample engine block number: “C5AE-6015-E   7C20”

C – Designates the decade that the engine block was made.C = 1960’s; D = 1970’s; E = 1980’s and so on

5 – Designates the particular year that the engine block was made.
5 = 1965; 6 = 1966; 7 = 1967; 8 = 1968; 9 = 1969; 0 = 1970

It is important to note:  a more accurate date of when the engine was made is reflected in the date code which follows the casting number.  Casting numbers were sometimes a year or two ahead of the block’s date of manufacture (sometimes they were even behind the date of manufacture).

This is evident, for example, in a 1964 1/2 Mustang with a 289.  The casting number “C5AE-6015-E” and the date code “4D17” show differing years of the engine block’s manufacture date.  One might think that “C5” indicates the engine block was made in 1965.  However, according to the date code, it was actually manufactured in 1964.  Always look to the date code for the correct manufacture date.

A = Designates the vehicle the engine was designed for.
A = Galaxie; D = Falcon; F = made outside the USA; G = Comet; J = Industrial/Marine; M = Mercury; O = Fairlane; P = Autolite or Motorcraft; R = Rotunda; S = Thunderbird; T = Truck; V = Lincoln; Z = Mustang

E = an engineering number used by Ford
(The 289 was originally designed for the Ford Galaxie and the letters AE stayed on the engine block number even after other models were added to the lineup)

6015 = Designates an engineering number used by Ford.
“6015” meant “289 Engine Block”

E = Designates the location that the engine block was made.
Engine blocks were made in Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, Canada
The next set of numbers, “7C20”, indicate the date code.  In this example, even though the casting number reads “C5″, it doesn’t mean that the engine was made in 1965.  You would need to look at this date code to see when it was made, which in this case is 1967.

Breaking the ” 7C20″ date code down:

7 = designates the particular year that the engine block was made  (remember to look at this date code for an accurate reading of the engine block’s manufacture date)
5 = 1965; 6 = 1966; 7 = 1967; 8 = 1968; 9 = 1969; 0 = 1970

C = designates the month that the engine block was made
A = January; B = February; C = March; D = April; E = May; F = June; G = July; H = August; J = September; K = October; L = November; M = December
(the alphabet letter “I” was not used in the sequence)

20 = Designates the day of the month

Deciphering the code:

In summary, the engine block sample number ” C5AE-6015-E    7C20″ tells us the following:

At first glance, one might think that this is a 1965 Galaxie 289 engine block.  However, according to the date code, this engine block is a 289 block made on March 20, 1967.

Ideally, you would want the engine block date code to be 2 – 6 weeks BEFORE your car’s build date.  If you had a car that was built June 1, 1965 and you found an engine block with a date code of 5E10, which is May 10, 1965, this would be a match made in heaven!

Good luck deciphering your dead Mustang scrolls (not to be confused with the “dead sea scrolls”, although I have a few Mustangs that look as if they spent some time on the bottom of the ocean)!

Copyright 2007:  FastbackStack, LLC

Casting, Decoding, Mustang Information
, , , , , , , ,

Connect with Us!

FastbackStack, LLC is not affiliated with the Ford Motor Company.