Build Thread '83 T-top Coupe - Welding Holes in My Rear

[Davedacarpainter]

The oilite bushings have probably dried out. The bushings are sintered bronze and are oil impregnated. if possible, remove them from their mounting. Put them in the oven at 350° for 30 minutes or so. Then put them in a pot with some lightweight motor oil (synthetic if you have some sitting around). put them on the stove and heat at 300° for about 15-20 minutes. The sintered bronze will soak up the oil and work as good as new.

See https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=oilite+bushings&*&spf=68 for sources of replacement bushings

Want to know more about the Oilite process? see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oilite

Wow Joe, you are a fountain of wisdom!

Though I think i'll just pay the $44 and get a new one. Getting that bottom bushing back out will be a chore. Putting it back in it's place was enough for me.

How interesting though. Had I known this before putting that bottom bushing back in it's place, I would've tried this.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

100 pages and I don't have the car in my garage.

Anyhow, I got the heater box mostly put back together today finally.

I had to strip the rust off the rods for the blend doors and I coated them with a black self etching paint.

That seal kit didn't include some things like the new foam for between the blower/fresh air/recirc air section and the main box.

I just used some packing foam. I had to glue two strips together for part of it.

I reassembled the section that directs air to the side vents or defroster. Replacing the staples was fun.

I had to make the hd foam covers for the blend door in the defrost/side vent section. Got them glued on.

So, the box has a new a/c condenser, heater core, fan resistor, blend door actuator, it will have a new fan motor tomorrow and I replaced most of the clips, and of course the seals. AND it's sparkling clean on the inside!

Including that bitc*in' new heater box to firewall seal made from floor mattes!

I'm still waiting on some of the clips that have to be special ordered now.These clips used to be a regular part of bodyshop hardware shelves.......damn......i'm getting old. Ah well, so is my mustang. It also needs some new vacuum lines, this is the time to do it, I really don't wish to be this deep into the heater box again for a long time.

So, maybe tomorrow the heater box will be going into storage, maybe not.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I've got time, so I stripped the t-top ends. I'll mask them and shoot them in just a little bit.

 

[90sickfox]

I just need you to do one thing.....







Fly out here and do all thus stuff to my car....minus the t top stuff. I'm not cool enough for that yet.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Here's one of them, trim grey. These are the last pieces of exterior trim, btw. Woohoo!

I still need to dig the seals out of the boxes in waiting. Also I'll need to get the t-top lock cylinder rekeyed to my new lock set.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Unmasked, one in the sun and one not. Hard to see the difference in the pictures. They're just beautiful to me.

 

[old_blue]

It's amazing the progress you have made on this in your spare time. I'm stripping my hood and it is taking longing than I would like but it seems like it is something you would do in a few minutes.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I was going to pick up my "new" hood tonight. But God decided to send a storm instead. The storm does have hail! We in the bodyshop industry really, really need a hail storm right about now.

So, tomorrow night I'll pick up the hood.

Finishing the day out I reassembled the dash with it's metal frame. I decided not to paint the frame and just sand off the worst of the rust instead. Why? I'm too paranoid about the grounds that are in that frame. I don't understand the grounds well enough in the dash to be sure I'd provide the appropriate bare metal connections between the wires, frame and to the body. Bare metal was good enough for Ford, it'll be good enough for me. BTW, I thank God that I took pictures during the disassembly process!

 

[Davedacarpainter]

It's amazing the progress you have made on this in your spare time. I'm stripping my hood and it is taking longing than I would like but it seems like it is something you would do in a few minutes.

Hah! You actually made me laugh there Jon. Go back earlier in this thread and read about my hood adventure.

 

[stangboy]

Finishing the day out I reassembled the dash with it's metal frame. I decided not to paint the frame and just sand off the worst of the rust instead. Why? I'm too paranoid about the grounds that are in that frame. I don't understand the grounds well enough in the dash to be sure I'd provide the appropriate bare metal connections between the wires, frame and to the body. Bare metal was good enough for Ford, it'll be good enough for me. BTW, I thank God that I took pictures during the disassembly process!

I know what you mean. I WISH I would have took pics of the dis-assembly process of my dash. I'm still puzzled when I look at some of the stray wires and connectors under my dash. It really makes me want to find another roller and just transfer my drivetrain and suspension to it. But my bank account won't allow that any time soon.

 

[95BlueStallion]

Dave, the paint on those T tops looks great! I cant believe the work you do with what a lot of us consider junk, AKA that whole heater box. I really really cant wait for you to get your hands on the actual car.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I know what you mean. I WISH I would have took pics of the dis-assembly process of my dash. I'm still puzzled when I look at some of the stray wires and connectors under my dash. It really makes me want to find another roller and just transfer my drivetrain and suspension to it. But my bank account won't allow that any time soon.

+1 to that my friend. I had a better memory when i was a young guy. The fifties aren't being kind to me. But, in my twenties I didn't have a phone in my pocket that would record everything I need either.

 

[Davedacarpainter]

Dave, the paint on those T tops looks great! I cant believe the work you do with what a lot of us consider junk, AKA that whole heater box. I really really cant wait for you to get your hands on the actual car.

Thanks Nick, I want to work on it so bad it hurts!

Work has been so slow for so long though. That will hold things up. If work picks up, then I have to catch my bills up. Then I need a set of coilovers for Doby to get him out of my garage. THEN I can bring Roby home. So, hopefully soon? I'm real close to actually picking up the driver's door though. That's my kick off point for getting the car swap done.

 

[RaggedGT]

Jus' sayin'.
Probably even set up a Stangnet group buy

 

[General karthief]

You gotta supply your own box-hat though.

 

[a91what]

Or pretentious hat... like if you come to help with the cabriolet

 

[Davedacarpainter]

I got the hood scoop this morning, yes, I know I was supposed to get a hood with it. The hood had a rot hole under the scoop. The hood wasn't the type that came with the hole from the factory, so I just got the scoop.

I still payed the guy $80 for it and I'm happy with that.

It's been painted a few times. I'll strip it, primer and block it, then paint.

I'll be two sided taping it to my hood. I'll need to build up the edge with some PBA to give the tape a "shelf" to stick to since the edge is just to small to offer solid adhesion.

@95BlueStallion , were you going to do something like that with yours?

 

[Davedacarpainter]

It's stripped

 

[90sickfox]

A hundred pages....

 

[90sickfox]

And now I'm the 2000th post. haha !

Great job, Dave. Not long now, huh ?