Picking up from the last post, I managed to get the distributor out, but not in any reusable state. As a reminder, here is where I left off.
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Tag: convertible mustang
A New Engine for the Convertible
On my quest to make the convertible work well, and keep it period correct, I ran into the engine transplant. While doing the power steering, the front end and exhaust started getting in the way of period correct replacement parts. I got the idea while at Rick’s the other day that maybe I could tinker on an engine rebuild using all period correct parts outside of the block and rotating assembly. So I brought home the engine Rick and I pulled out of a recent 68 he picked up for salvage parts. It’s full of surprises, but I’m willing to see if it will fit the bill.
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Restoring Original Power Steering
When I bought the convertible, it had an issue with vibrations around 50 mph. I thought it might be related to the suspension and bad alignment that was evident with the wear pattern on the front passenger side tire. When I replaced the brakes with disc and refreshed the front end, I expected the vibration to go away, but it didn’t. With everything else replaced, the only part left is the power steering, so now its time to rebuild that.
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67 Washer Pump Follow Up
The intermittent wiper function of the convertible isn’t working, so I took this as an opportunity to pull the pump and see what’s going on. This is a follow up to add more detail to my previous post on rebuilding the pump found here.
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New Convertible Top
While the convertible is pretty solid, it does have a few items that need attention. The most pressing is the convertible top. It is pretty ragged and has several holes in it. While it is a summer car and the top is down for the most part, its pretty important to me to have a structurally sound top for the times where unexpected weather happens, or even just needing to park it outside over night at some point. So, that’s project number one.
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Update: Carburetor linkage upgrade
I got the parts in for the linkage and took a few minutes to put it together. I should get a couple nuts to lock it down, but I don’t think it’s going to do any moving anyhow.
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New Instrument Bezel and Lenses
The dash lights on the convertible don’t work. The bezel is faded with the chrome areas turned to faded grey and peeling. The lenses are fogged, though not as bad as my coupe was. All of this combined tells me it’s a good project to replace some parts and see why the lights aren’t working. Maybe some upgraded bulbs along the way.
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Carburetor and Pedal Replacement
Digging into the convertible, I found a manual choke pull lever under the dash. On the carburetor end, I found a bent cable and a poorly operating choke. Combine this with an early 70’s cable throttle and a jury rigged gas pedal, and I found my next project.
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Front Suspension Replacement
With the spindles loaded with the new brakes, it is time to tear apart the front end and rebuild it with all new parts. I have new upper and lower control arms from OpenTracker Racing, as well as Street or Track adjustable strut arms, and a roller spring perch from OpenTracker. Since I am replacing drum brakes, I will probably have to fabricate some lines as well, so they line up with the new disc demarcation point for the flexible lines.
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CSRP Stock Style Disc Brakes
When I picked up the convertible, the front end shook and it was nearly uncontrollable when I hit a pothole. The pothole problem turned out to be the front right lower control arm not being tightened down, so the camber went all over with every bump. After fixing that, it still shakes. I decided to get a fresh starting point by replacing the control arms, the strut rods, the spring perches, and the idler arm. I think the shake may be the idler, so I will replace that first and give it a test drive. I ordered all the parts at once though, so no waiting a week in between for parts.
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