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Look what followed me home, can I keep it?

3K views 22 replies 10 participants last post by  DaleB 
#1 ·
Arcadian Blue '66 coupe, 289, C4. Power steering, no AC or PB. Two previous owners had (if what I am told is correct) started working on it, then lost steam. My intent is to do a complete but not concours restoration to stock, or very close to stock condition.

It's our fourth Mustang. #1 was a '77 Mustang II Ghia 4-speed, bought in 1979 when my wife and I were newly married. It lasted a couple of months before it was totaled by a Malibu in an intersection. #2 was a '73 Grande bought to replace it. I drove that until 1986-ish. After that it was a long time before #3, a '98 V6 coupe bought new. Drove that until 2003, have been driving a pickup ever since.

I've done a fair amount of body and mechanical work in the past, but never a complete restoration. Right now I'm just pulling it apart and getting a handle on what I'm up against, and how badly the previous owners screwed it up. I am assuming that everything is s*** and the engine and tranny are toast (and budgeting accordingly), so hopefully there will be only pleasant surprises.

About me: Geezer (late 50s). Geek. Private pilot, so when it's super nice, screw the car, I'm flying. Married, kids, youngest one is a gearhead who will be helping out occasionally.
 
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#2 ·
Question for the assembled experts...

I've done rockers and a distributor and countless tuneups on a '73 351C. I've resurrected a '69 Karmann Ghia enough to drive it for a couple of seasons when required. I've used enough duct tape and bailing wire to get a '64 (or was it a '63?) Corvair known as "The Mosquito Fogger" around the autocross course. I've kept a long string of family cars and kids' high school beaters running. I've done jugs, pistons, cams and oil pump in a Harley Twin Cam. I've maintained a couple of airplanes and built half of one (long story). But...

I've never touched a 289, and this is my first 60s vintage Mustang. What books should I get right off the bat to help me determine what I'm looking at, what's missing, what should be where, and what parts of this car have been broken, altered, dropped, chopped, stolen, cut, welded, rusted and/or otherwise molested in the last 43 years, and what to do about it?
 
#3 ·
Pics or you don’t get to keep it! ;-)

Start with the Ford Shop Manual, color coded wiring diagram, and when you are really ready to dig in get a set of the Assembly manuals.

Set VMF as your home page, and put NPD on speed dial.

Sounds like you have a great project. Rust will likely be your biggest issue. You will likely have to replace/ repair the cowl, floorboards etc.
 
#4 ·
Welcome to the VMF collective.

Interesting personal history. I am likewise on the later side of 50, engineer/nerd/geek, have or had a dozen Mustangs, currently have a dozen air cooled VW's, have a '63 Corvair, got both kids through high school and college in older used cars (including Mustangs, Miatas, and VWs), but never had a Harley nor a pilot's license. I have designed many helicopter parts but not built half of one (had one or two built though).

Get a factory printed (not repo) 1966 shop manual (repo illustrations don't have a very good resolution since they are copies). Get an original 1966 Ford Vacuum & Wiring Diagram (same issue with repo resolution). And since you are a nerd, get Bob Mannel's Mustang & Ford Small Block V8 for the heck of it (details you would never even dreamed about).

Memorize them all and get back with us on VMF for questions. It is a blast.
 
#5 ·
Welcome and good luck as you get going on this fun new project!
 
#6 ·
I’ll post a few pics tomorrow. I also have a blog where I’ll be keeping track of what’s happening.

Why NPD instead of CJPony? Haven’t ever dealt with either. Parts quality? Pricing? Shipping? I checked out a couple of other places, but pricing was pretty far off. The last time I needed to buy Mustang parts, about the only place to go was called The Paddock. That was a long time ago, back when your printed catalog was dropped on your porch by a passing Pony Express rider.
 
#7 ·
Why NPD instead of CJPony?
NPD stocks parts, so when you order them, they ship them. You don't get a notice your part is back ordered and you may never see it.

NPD has quality customer service and works with you if something doesn't go right. See the current thread on CJ not answering the phones. It's also a call for everyone to complain about their service. You wont find similar NPD threads.

Rick@NPD is here and frequently provides great insight on parts and the business to help us with our projects. Support from the top down.

I am sure there are more reasons.
 
#8 ·
Gotcha. Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it.

Here are a few pics of what I'm working with. Most of the body work from the firewall forward is of exceedingly crap quality, and a lot of sheet metal will just need to be replaced. The bones appear to be OK... so far. It will need fenders, probably door skins (maybe shells), probably a fender apron. Other than that, it seems to be not too bad off.





 
#14 ·
Well, we'll see what's hiding under all that primer. I did find one of the two "most ghetto" coverups ever the other night. Big hole rusted through the right fender apron rear extension. No big deal, right? Cheap part, easy to get at. But someone had filled it with clear RTV silicone caulk, then primed and painted over it. Simply awesome. The bottom of the right fender is brazed to the rocker panel. This will be fun.

Hey, no biggie. I knew I was going to find stuff like this. When I was driving the Karmann Ghia one night in a rainstorm, I hit the brake to slow down and heard a sloshing sound. The passenger side was full of water almost to the top of the tunnel. No water would accumulate on the driver side, because the floor pan was "well drained". Anyway... I found a 6" hole rusted through the right side, right in front of the tire. It had been patched by bending an old license plate to sort-of fit and sticking it in place with Bondo.

You can't make this kind of stuff up. :) Going to attack the floor pan seams with a wire cup brush today to see if the new floor pans were welded in, or just glued. It's a nice clean job, I'm hoping I don't have to tear them all out, strip everything and weld them in.
 
#15 ·
If the floors have been replaced it’s almost a guarantee the cowl is leaking. Unless it as cut opened and new metal welded in, then properly sealed, it is likely going to leak again. You’ll need to get up 7ndre tabdash and take a look at the bottom of the cowl. Problem best go remove the heater box first then run a hose into the the cowl vent. You’ll quickly see where it leaks. If you can weld, it isn’t a hard repair, just long because it has so many spot welds to cut out.
 
#16 ·
If the floors have been replaced it’s almost a guarantee the cowl is leaking.
I'm counting on it. I took a wire brush to the seams today. The floor pans were welded in, thank God. Crappy, ugly welding, but who am I to criticize? I can't weld. I'll probably want to grind some down and add some more, but they did get welded. I was really afraid I'd find them stuck in with RTV or PL-400.

The heater box is broken. I was going to lay up some new glass and fix it (I can do fiberglass work), but it's so brittle and old that I'm not going to bother. I put two more cracks in it just trying to get the flapper coaxed out. Bummer since it's not cheap to replace, but it's an area where I'll trade money for time and only have to do it once. I'm pretty certain the heater core is toast too, since the hoses were disconnected and bypassed. I'll pressure test it, but again -- new heater cores are cheap.

I also went after the primer on a few spots I suspected might be hiding nasty surprises, like the bottom of the A pillars and around the rear window. All solid factory metal, so that's good. Next I'll see what is hiding on the rear quarters.
 
#18 ·
Welcome DaleB. Looks like you've a decent 66 to work on, all the best with your build.

The factory type assembly manuals are very helpful, along with all those mentioned above. I'm sure you'll find plenty
of hidden secrets in the car, but with your motivation it shouldn't be a big deal, just enjoy the build.

I've had pretty good luck with CJ and NPD, also Mustangs Unlimited when they have the parts. The Paddock, haven't heard that one in a good while.

If you get some time you may want to watch Barry at JoDaddy's you tube scene, he does real good for a one man show, and has several decent YouTube videos with 60s mustangs.
 
#20 ·
On the stand now. I pulled the exhaust manifold and head from the left bank. It doesn’t look bad, but there’s evidence of a little rust on the cylinder wall from sitting for several years. The lifter I pulled looked not terrible, but it’s worn and a little pitted. I’m guessing the cam is really tired, not that I really care because it’s getting replaced anyway.

Local guy has a set of original 4V heads, intake, and a few other parts for sale. A different guy has a pair of GT40P heads. I haven’t decided which way to go on this engine, but it’s definitely going to get a little more oomph than Ford have it in 1966.
 

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#22 ·
Well, the car has sat for a while. The engine is completely disassembled. Cylinders are all 4.000, with no taper or ridge. All but one. One cylinder measures 4.005 to 4.006. All crank journals are perfect. Entire valve train is shot.

Tonight I’m going to go look at a ‘68 block that’s already been bored .030 over. The guy is asking about half what it would cost me to get my block bored, honed, cleaned, and new cam bearings installed. I’ve pretty much decided to go with GT40P heads, new cam and springs, Weiand manifold and a Holley 600 carb unless I come across a good deal on an Autolite 4 barrel. Will probably swap out the front drum brakes for disc also.

I’m still looking for a shop to do the sheet metal replacement, but figure I better get moving before this turns into a permanent garage fixture.
 
#23 ·
Last night I went to look at a block a guy had for sale. 302 block "bored .030 over and only run a few hundred miles after being built"... which I mistakenly thought had been recently bored out, then built. Not so. Someone took an old block, built an engine, ran it a few hundred miles, then took it apart and built something else. Well, duh. Cylinder walls were smooth as glass... I passed. I was thinking if I could pick up a block with the machine work already done for less than it would cost me to get mine tanked, bodes, honed, bearings installed, etc... but this ain't it. I did score a new heater box with the heater core, new blower motor, duct, etc. for $125, which was a pretty good deal.

So, onward. I think I'll just load up my block and take it to the machine shop and discuss what they can do. There's only one cylinder that needs anything more than a hone, and even that one -- I'm just not sure. It's only .006 over, and no taper to speak of. Can that just be honed and re-ringed? I dunno. Interested to hear what others think.
 
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