Back to the Blue Oval

[langleylad]

This build really reminds me of my Cougar project . Disassembly , cleaning with Simple Green and lots of scrubbing and welding in new metal . It feels great at the end of the day to see progress . What are your plans for the rear suspension and rear end ? .

[mlcraven]

This build really reminds me of my Cougar project . Disassembly , cleaning with Simple Green and lots of scrubbing and welding in new metal . It feels great at the end of the day to see progress . What are your plans for the rear suspension and rear end ? .

I've found that looking at Cougar/Mustang builds on-line has been a big help -- there's enough commonality between the pony cars and intermediates to be usefully informative.

During the fall I pulled the rear end and leaf springs as one unit. Springs were shot, each of the pair had two broken leafs. The PO had added helper springs but it wasn't a good solution. The differential was in good nick (as near as I could determine from a couple of passes through the neighbourhood), as were the brakes and lines and emgy brake cables, although all covered with scale and crud.

So I sprung (sorry about that) for a pair of new springs. Took apart, cleaned and reassembled the brakes. Hit the rear end with degreaser and the wire wheel to remove all the scale and clean it up. Then rattle canned the works with gloss black Rustoleum and reinstalled with new hardware, rubber pads, shackles and bushings. And didn't get one danged photo (wife had the digital camera in Nova Scotia while visiting the daughter and g-daughter for two weeks).

Wasn't looking forward to re-installation with nothing but a floor jack. But it turned out to be straightforward: installed the leaf springs at the front bushing only, left the back spring eyes unhooked and the back of the spring resting on the garage floor. Rolled the rear end over the spring perches, raised each spring in turn and installed the U-bolts. Then jacked the rear end up until the rear spring bushings hit the frame rails. As I kept the pressure on with the jack the springs extended along the frame rails until I was able to connect the rear shackles. Piece of cake!

[SuperBuickGuy]

"in good nick".... who's nick?

[mlcraven]

"in good nick".... who's nick?

Sorry, British submarine speak...meaning something's in working order. Probably related to Santa Claus (St Nick), you know, the fat red-suited guy who brings working toys to good boys once a year!

[mlcraven]

Rear Suspension Refurbishment

Here it is overhauled, cleaned up and reinstalled.

[mlcraven]

Rear Window Channel Fix Stage 1

Thanks to a toxic combination of the elements, a vinyl top and associated trim, the rusties devoured a chunk of rear window channel. Top photo shows what things looked like when I took possession of the car. Bottom shows the rot cut away. Going to make some templates out of cardboard and cut/shape sheet metal for the repair(s). Also have to weld in the trim holes.

Sayonara vinyl top.

[mlcraven]

Front End Clean Up 3

Here's what things look like today, after yesterday's degreasing and cleaning effort and a couple of passes with the angle grinder and wire brush attachment this morning. Once I've got the Swiss cheese firewall sorted I'll hit it with primer and black underhood paint.

[milner351]

WOW Nice work! that's a lot of work! Simple green straight works even on 50 year old chassis gunk? impressive.

Did you clear the bare steel fuel tank or is that silver paint? I'm not sure if I'm going to clear or black the falcon tank before I put it in.
(after the mini tub work is done).

[mlcraven]

Not just Simple Green. Started scraping by hand using a putty knife, then Engine Gunk after I warmed up the garage, then Simple Green with lots of hot water and a good stiff scrubbing brush.

Similar process for the gas tank, except outdoors. Scraped all the undercoat and crud off first to get down to bare metal, then hand-rubbed with increasingly finer grades of steel wool and finally a Scotch-Brite green pad. Once it was nice and shiny I rubbed it down liberally with Liquid Wrench silicon spray. Pretty effin' labour intensive but my time is the cheapest thing in this project.

The tank is only sitting in position right now (easy storage!). Once it goes in for good I'll probably give it some coats of clear.

[milner351]

Sweet mother of manual labor - that does sound like a lot of work!

I'm tempted to try one of those needle de-scalers - I bet they would work pretty good taking of caked on old gunk and hardened undercoating.

[mlcraven]

I've heard good things about the oscillating multi-tools, which seem to be all the rage nowadays. But I really don't need another hand tool.

Were you able to read the Ford alternator article in your Falcon thread? If not I'll e-mail it to you.

[milner351]

I can't zoom in far enough without loosing clarity on that article - you have a PM.

Youy don't need another hand tool? cmon.....

[OldMachinist]

I'd be surprised if the silicone spray doesn't cause fisheye in any paint sprayed on it.

[DanStokes]

Silicone spray is a bugger to clean off. If you get on an area you want to paint I suggest starting with lacquer thinner and those disposable paper rags - and change them every time you get fresh solvent out of the can so you don't contaminate the solvent. After a few wipes of lacquer thinner switch to Prep-Sol and repeat. Yes, it really IS that hard to get off.

I have a Fein tool. If you were closer I'd be happy to share it with you. You don't need 'em often but when you do nothing is as good.

Dan

[milner351]

Dan - please expand on this "fein" tool.....