Back to the Blue Oval

[fast Ed]

Damn vinyl roofs, that's where my 68 Cougar was worst too.

Looks like a nice find overall, a lot of people will have no idea what a Cyclone is ... great score.


cheers
Ed N.

[mlcraven]

Milner351: You're going to be disappointed in me...but I have a sweet spot over the next 4-6 months when I can get the body put entirely to rights (so I say in all seriousness and with wild optimism). So the tear-down happens now. And I dunno, for me I enjoy the restoration/repair as much as the driving. Heck, I enjoy washing and waxing and just staring at a nice car as much as driving it.

[mlcraven]

Some Progress and Surprises (Good and Bad)

I always remind myself that the disassembly phase is the easiest...the honeymoon period. But so far so good. Discoveries to date:

Right quarter has issues.

Rear bulkhead in excellent condition.

Shade tree body job on the driver's quarter panel (a patch and loads of bondo).

Rocker panels OK.

Bumpers are crap (rear shown - $350 to replace at Tri-City in Elizabethton, TN)

81471 orig miles (according to odometer and the guy who sold it to me )

Battening down the hatches for this weekend's big wind and rain; at last report we're right in the path of Irene here in Norfolk/Va Beach.

[Beagle]

I don't know how I missed this thread - very cool car. Crites has some Cyclone fiberglass if you want to get carried away.

http://critesperformanceparts.com/

[milner351]

Crites rules for these things.

Hey man if you have the time talent and motivation - tear into that thing and make it uber shiney and straight - I haven't had time lately and my junk is sitting as a result.

I would get a mig sooner instead of later looking at those rust holes - buy the best gas welder you can afford and have the electrical capacity to run - hopefully you have a 220 plug in the garage - or an electric dryer close to the garage you can get power from.

We've had this discussion a couple times already - but flux 110 welders and body work don't go together too well - they work, but frustratingly so. You want gas shielding with .023" wire - a real 110 mig will serve you well for a long time. Harbor frieght flux core will work for rough jobs -but makes for a ton of additional grinding doing body work.

[mlcraven]

I don't know how I missed this thread - very cool car. Crites has some Cyclone fiberglass if you want to get carried away.

http://critesperformanceparts.com/

Yeah, I was looking at their site...lots of good stuff. Headers, subframe connectors, glass body parts, bumpers, etc. Car has a very straight non-scoop steel hood. The glass scoop version is $345 but I could really use the cash to execute other project-related priorities at the moment. She-who-it-is-wise-to-obey has decreed that the bumpers will be re-chromed real steel (coincidentally, at $350 per, almost exactly the price of the glass hood).

[mlcraven]

Hurricane Irene Diversion

With the big storm raging all day today, and having battened down the hatches yesterday, I headed out to the garage for a few hours. Now have almost all the stainless moulding off; only bits remaining are the driprail pieces. Have to figure out how to remove them without wrecking them. By and large I'm impressed how easy it is to work with this car compared to a late model, computer and cup-holder equipped, plastic fantastic piece of junk. Saving everything for re-use, given that (as the man formerly known as Rebeldryver already pointed out) it's not a cookie cutter car and assuming the worst regarding parts availability. For instance, the lower windshield moulding, which required removal of the cowl to get off. Don't suppose the moulding or the retaining clips can be found anywhere now.

[mlcraven]

Crites rules for these things.

Hey man if you have the time talent and motivation - tear into that thing and make it uber shiney and straight - I haven't had time lately and my junk is sitting as a result.

I would get a mig sooner instead of later looking at those rust holes - buy the best gas welder you can afford and have the electrical capacity to run - hopefully you have a 220 plug in the garage - or an electric dryer close to the garage you can get power from.

We've had this discussion a couple times already - but flux 110 welders and body work don't go together too well - they work, but frustratingly so. You want gas shielding with .023" wire - a real 110 mig will serve you well for a long time. Harbor frieght flux core will work for rough jobs -but makes for a ton of additional grinding doing body work.

Thanks for that advice milner351, I appreciate it and have made notes. I certainly would like to get a MIG welder and spent last night reviewing Thumpin455's 65 GTO (Lazarus) project for inspiration. My God, that's some impressive work there; lots of dedication, time, and talent. I only have two of the three (sadly, it's not the third)

I need a good air compressor that will run a DA sander and allow me to do paint (well, primer at the very least). Presently, I have neither (MIG or compressor), but that may change at Christmas -- assuming Santa's getting the mail. Given where my talents (or lack thereof) lie, I'm thinking it will be the compressor and I'll throw my baby to the mercy of the most reputable and competent shop I can find in Hampton Roads for the metal work fixes.

[DanStokes]

Fine59 is in Va. Beach and he might know a good shop that can be trusted. Still, a bit of practice and you CAN do this stuff yourself. I started DOING it about 1963 or so and just kept on doing it. Remember, many body guys are named "Bubba" and have -15 IQ and THEY learned, so you can too. (And some are brilliant and make me look like an idiot). Get some old body panels and practice a bit with your new MIG. I just got a Eastwood 175 and it looks pretty good - but I haven't actually fired it up yet. I also have a Lincoln 100 but it's too small for any structural iron so I got the bigger one. Anyhow, Eastwood also sells a 135 for a decent price - worth looking at. You'll use it more than you can imagine.

Dan

[mlcraven]

Fine59 is in Va. Beach and he might know a good shop that can be trusted. Still, a bit of practice and you CAN do this stuff yourself. I started DOING it about 1963 or so and just kept on doing it. Remember, many body guys are named "Bubba" and have -15 IQ and THEY learned, so you can too. (And some are brilliant and make me look like an idiot). Get some old body panels and practice a bit with your new MIG. I just got a Eastwood 175 and it looks pretty good - but I haven't actually fired it up yet. I also have a Lincoln 100 but it's too small for any structural iron so I got the bigger one. Anyhow, Eastwood also sells a 135 for a decent price - worth looking at. You'll use it more than you can imagine.

Dan

Thanks for the encouragement Dan; I took myself over to Northern Tool today (store relocated to a location very close to us) and had a look at the Hobart units. I'm starting to see that it might be more cost-effective to buy a MIG and do the work -- which isn't that extensive -- myself. As it is, I don't have 220 handy but apparently not a problem given the range of 110 units available.

[mlcraven]

Plugging Away

More progress. Removed the front bumper and grill. The bumper was a real pig to get off with every bolt fused in a solid mass of rust. Had to grind the heads off the bolts to separate it from the brackets. The four bolts that secure the brackets to the frame were just as piggish; three came out with lots of penetrant and muscle, but the fourth required a nuclear extraction . The grill and associated sheet metal, eyebrows, etc, are all in good nick. And praise to the auto hobbyist in the sky, the left and right hand turn signal assemblies came out of the bumper with no issue whatsoever. By the looks of the AC condensor and creases in the rad support, the car has been in at least one front end event in its life.

Need to buy some hand cleaner. And maybe mechanics gloves. Regular soap hardly dents the grime and I'd forgotten the exquisite pain of skinned knuckles. Manly for young guys but dang it hurts when you're over fifty!

[mlcraven]

An Afternoon's Work

Yesterday afternoon's disassembly effort. Hard to believe the time and sweat it required just to get this much done. Tired of hand tools and really have to get off my ass and buy a proper air compressor and impact wrench.

It goes without saying how pleased I am that the front turn signals came out of the bumper in such good shape -- they should clean up nicely with a little elbow grease. The bumper...well, not so much. AC condensor is massive and (although it doesn't show well in the photo) creased and fragged. On the assembly line, in order to get the AC lines from the condensor to the compressor, a chunk of rad support was burned off with a torch. Craftsmanship or what? I doubt Henry would have been impressed.

[mlcraven]

Best $$$ Spent

Went online tonight and splurged on some books: (1) 67 Fairlane/Comet Shop Manual; (2) 67 Fairlane/Comet Body Assembly Guide; (3) 67 Fairlane/Comet Interior Assembly Guide, and (4) Barry Rabotnik's High Performance Ford FE's

[mlcraven]

Shop Manual

This arrived yesterday...a treasure trove of information.

[mlcraven]

Good, Bad and Ugly

Pulled the front seats yesterday and lifted the carpet and underlay. Front passenger side floor is going to need complete replacement, front driver-side floor partially so. Everything else is in good shape. Any advice on the best place to source pre-formed panels?