Ken's Red 65 Mustang 302 Coupe

Ken's done a lot of his own work to his Mustang and it's nearing completion. Ken's asked us to put the finishing touches on the car so he can have it available for him and his wife to enjoy this summer.

Work to be done includes:
-Completion of 4 wheel disc brake conversion including lines, booster and Master Cylinder
-Completion of exhaust system from Hedman Headers bac
-Installation of custom gauges
-Electric Fan and Relay wiring
-Tune-up

On January 21, 2005 we transported the car from NJ to the shop. The car is a beauty and for a 40 year old car is in good shape. Like many cars of the period though, there is some work that is going to need to be done. In addition to the items listed above that we new about, upon further investigation it was determined that the following would also be done:

-Floor pans, toe boards, Cowl Panel
-More diagnostics to be done but the engine may be rebuilt
-Transmission is going to need new seals
-Coil spring covers inside fenders need to be replaced.
-Rear frame rails at the forward leaf spring perch needs to be replaced
-New Tie-rod ends
-Tranny Cooling Lines replaced and re-routed
-Oil Cool lines re-routed
-Radiator mounts need to be replaced
-Speedometer repaired
-New Carpet, Seat Covers, and Headliner
-and frame, suspension, and engine detailing

This really going to be a great ride when done. Stay tuned for more progress reports and pics.

Teardown

We had already removed the interior to inspect the floors and then this week removed the left front fender, grill, engine, transmission and rear suspension in preparation for clean-up  and to repair the pans and frame rails. While at this stage there will be a lot of detail work to be done. 

It's also been decided to replace the engine. A fresh 302 pushing 345hp and 358 ft/lbs of torque will fill the engine compartment and provide that extra kick.  The engine will include an Edelbrock Performer Manifold and 650cfm carb, Hedman Headers, Comp Cam, Aluminum Heads, Flowmaster Dual Exhaust, and a 2500 stall converter.

Engine compartment completely stripped and the beginning of the clean-up. The hoses will be replaced and the wiring will either be re-wrapped and tucked away or replaced. The engine compartment, fender wells, and underbody will all be cleaned and detailed.

The floor pans, toe boards, rear torque boxes, forward leaf spring mounts and frame-rail sections will all be replaced. The drivers side floor was the first to be cut out. As sections were removed, the new pan was put in place for a test fit and to mark and measure where the cuts were to be made.

Cowl Replacement- Drivers Side

The cowl had both damage and rust. It connects together with several other areas and is a difficult piece to remove. Once removed the area was cleaned up and "Weld Primer" was applied to both the body and panel. The replacement panel was cut to fit and after several trials was ready to be welded in. Final step was to prime it to prevent rust from forming. Nest step if the Toe Board and Floor Pan for the drivers side. 

Also, several other areas had some detail work done. The top of the radiator support was straightened up some, the shock towers and support received some weld reinforcement, and a crack in the inner fender was repaired. 

Ken wanted to be a part of the restoration and pitched right in and has been helping with all the details. He has a lot of memories in this car and is going to have many more.  

Toe Board and Floor Pan Replacement (Drivers Side). Passenger side will also be replaced. 

Rear Torque Box and leaf spring mount removal and replacement. Unfortunately the affected areas were a little more extensive then could  be seen before tearing into it. The floor under the rear seat area as well as part of the rear trunk panel were in need of some attention. However, these will be taken care of while we are replacing the torque box and forward leaf spring mount. New Leaf Spring bushings and bolts will be installed at the time of final assembly to replace the dry-rotted and cracked originals.

Rather than just install replacement panels over the rusted areas, even in places that would never be seen, all accessible affected areas were cut away and either new panels will be obtained or fabricated. These areas will be repaired before the final installation of the torque box and floor pans. 

Repaired inner running board and fitting of new rear panels. Once the torque box is welded in permanently the rear seat panel and floor pan will also be welded in permanently. Each area will be primed and painted after all seams are sealed. 

Patching the rear fenderwell. All rusted areas were cut out, a cardboard template made, and sheet metal patches were fabricated. After welding the patch panels in, seam sealer was applied followed by undercoating. Looks good as new!

The rear drivers side patch panels were also fabricated and welded in. The rest of the floor pan was also welded in and seam sealer applied. The sheet metal will be primed followed by undercoating on the bottom. Holes in the body that are no longer used were also welded in. Additional support plates were welded into the rear pan area to provide a strong mounting for the new exhaust system.

Primed and Undercoated

Same procedures for the passenger side. 

Floors, Toe Boards, Torque Boxes and Leaf Spring Mounts, and Rear Extensions Completed

Subframe section repair cutout, cleaned up, and a patch welded into place. 

Transmission had the seals, gaskets, and filter replaced, and detailed and painted. The Torque Converter was removed and will be replaced with a TCI 2600 Stall Converter. 

Engine arrived right on time. This rebuilt 302 with 345hp / 358ft lbs of torque should do the trick. 

All non-factory wiring was removed from the car. The forward Alternator, Engine, and Headlight Wiring Harnesses are being replaced. The heater blower motor, heater core, and housing were all removed from the car to be repaired or replaced. This also allows access to the firewall and additional access under the dash for clean-up and detailing. 

The engine compartment and fenderwells were cleaned and painted. When the new engine is dropped in there it's going to look sweet!

We are now at a point where it all goes back together. All the parts have been either glass-beaded and repainted or in some cases new parts obtained. It's so nice to work with clean parts and put them on a clean car!!!

Bench assembly of the new heater box. Assembly included new blower motor, fan, heater core, seals, clips, and Rheostat. The original box had several very bad cracks and the metal hinges and rivets were all rusted through. 

Engine Compartment (New Wiring Harnesses, Heater Blower Motor, Brake Booster, New Radiator Mounts, new Electric Fan and Thermostat/Relay, New Tranny Cooler, Export Brace) detailed and coming together. 

Rear axle and new shocks installed with new hardware after detailing. Complete new front end including new control arms, bushings, ball joints, shocks, tie-rod ends, brake lines, etc. Along with the conversion to disc brakes a new power brake booster and master cylinder were installed along with a proportioning valve and all new brake lines. New Parking brake cables and hardware were installed as well as the fuel line. 

Pictures of the new exhaust system mated up to Hedman headers. The other shots below show the installation of custom stainless steel brake lines and fittings, Koni Adjustable shocks, and detailed rear.

Engine was dressed, prepped and dropped right in along with the transmission. Each part reinstalled was either refinished or replaced. The final result looks much better than the pictures can show. 

Out for the first road test and shakedown. Already running and looking good. 

more to come....