Now that you have selected the Mustang to be restored and set up your workshop you need to start planning. Planning begins with building an inventory of parts that you can purchase new, then inspecting you Mustang to determine which parts will be replaced with new parts, which parts will be purchased used and which parts you will restore. Preparing an inventory worksheet will help keep you organized and provide a rough estimate of you budget requirements.

Where to find Parts

Fortunately there are a lot of reproduction parts available for the classic Mustang from lug nuts to window glass; almost every part for the Mustang can be purchased new at a reasonable price. For the best fit and quality as well as Ford Licensed products you should choose to purchase your parts from an authorized Scott Drake Mustang Parts Dealer such as AAPD.NET; they are an exclusive Scott Drake reseller.

Scot Drake Enterprises is the world’s largest manufacturer and supplier of quality reproduction parts for the classic Mustang

AAPD.NET is an exclusive Scott Drake Authorized Dealer featuring a fully illustrated online catalog with over 7,500 parts available for the classic Mustang

Inventory Worksheet

Once you have chosen your parts source you should request a classic Mustang parts catalog so you can begin the process of building your inventory worksheet. You will use the catalog to break your inventory inspection into categories similar to those in the catalog; this will help keep you organized, break things down into manageable chunks and serve as a reference point back to the catalog.

You should begin by highlighting every part in each category of the parts catalog that is available for your classic Mustang and then add those parts to your inventory worksheet; you will use the worksheet to inspect and inventory your Mustang.

 

• Catalog Request
• Catalog Download
• Worksheet Template
• Worksheet Example

Inventory Inspection

While performing the inspection be sure to look for parts that are missing or that are not on your worksheet and add the parts to your list; there are a lot more parts available for Project Playboy that are not shown in the catalog and a trip to AAPD.NET online catalog revealed quite a few. During the inspection you should take a lot of photos for each category, this will help later on when it’s time to reassemble the Mustang or if you need to use a photo to reference a hard to find item.

You can begin your inspection with any category however; when inspecting the steering, suspension, transmission and anything else on the undercarriage you should consider placing your Mustang on jack stands so you have plenty of room to take photos and get under the vehicle. I would recommend four jack stand that will get the Mustang at least 18-24 inches off of the ground, a 6 ton jack stand will do the job.

Your initial inspection may not reveal every part or its true condition and you may find yourself revisiting your inventory work sheet as you disassemble the car, so keep these on hand and have a few blank sheets available in the workshop.

Project Playboy Inventory Condition Photo Gallery

• Catalog Request
• Catalog Download
• Worksheet Template
• Worksheet Example

 

Before you get over ambitious and start tearing apart your Mustang you should evaluate your workspace. You are going to need some room to work on your classic Mustang.

 

First, you need to decide where on the floor you want to work on your project? Your Mustang should be positioned so that you have plenty of room to open the doors and ample room to remove and replace the engine.

To get an idea of the possibilities for your workspace, grab a pencil and paper and sketch out a few "best case" floor plans. Keep in mind that a disassembled Mustang will require twice the amount of space as an assembled one.

You will also need to factor in shelf space for the parts. If you donʼt have enough room, you may want to consider a new location for the restoration or putting the disassembled parts into storage.

The second most important thing is shelves and workbenches. Aside from shelving old parts you will also need space for new and restored parts and sub-assembled parts, so plan on having at least 6-9 shelf spaces.

A work bench is a must in any shop; assembling parts on the shop floor may leave you unmotivated to come back and do it again for another afternoon, so make sure you set aside an area for a decent size work bench.

Tools and equipment will also need an area where they are accessible. You may consider putting your tool box on your workbench and placing the floor jack and jack stands under the workbench.

Having enough workspace for your project will not only make it a better and more productive experience; it will prove to be most crucial when it is time to reassemble you Mustang, so plan ahead and keep your work space clean and organized.

Great tips for anyone considering purchasing a classic Mustang

What is it that the seller has to offer?

Determining what it is that you have or that you plan on purchasing isn’t too difficult, you just need a little knowledge. If you do not know a lot about the early Ford Mustang and the options available on the various models then you will want to pick up a “Pocket Size Data Plate Decoder”; this decoder book is nice to have along when you are out looking at any 1965-1973 Mustangs.

 

Vehicle Identification Number

The VIN will tell you some basic information about the Mustang including the model year, the production plant where the Mustang was produced, the body style, engine size and consecutive production number.

Where is the VIN located?

• Engine compartment on driver's side fender apron, at the cut out as seen in the photo to the right or under the fender in that same location.
• Inside the car where the windshield and dash meet on the passenger side for 1968, and on the driver’s side for 1969 and up.
• Inside the driver door jamb on the door data plate

Understanding the VIN information and how it breaks down is the most important thing when you think you may be getting a great deal on a classic Mustang. For instance, the car may have come from the factory with a six cylinder engine, and may have been painted Lime Gold. The seller believes that it is a factory eight cylinder engine and it was originally Red. Maybe the seller doesn’t know anything about breaking down and understanding VIN information, having a “Pocket Size Data Plate Decoder” with you should resolve any arguments. As an example the VIN from Project Playboy is used to demonstrate how the VIN breaks down.

Project Playboys VIN: 7R01C186352

7	R	01	C	186352
Model Year	Production Plant	Body Style	Engine Size	Production Unit
1967	San Jose, CA	Hardtop Coupe	289 2v V8	186352

Door Data Plate

The Door Data Plate reveals the true character of any 1965-1973 Mustang and is considered to be one of the most valued items during any pre-purchase inspection. The door data tag information can help you determine just how original the car is by identifying the body type, exterior color, interior trim color and appointments, production date, District Sales Office, Axle, and Transmission.

Occasionally the Door Data Plate is missing or does not match up with the VIN of the Mustang being inspected. Over the forty or so years of a Mustangs life it could have had the driver door replaced and the door data tag ended up at the scrap yard, or the door from another Mustang could have become the inexpensive replacement and along with it came its door data tag.

If your Door Data Plate is missing or you simply want a nicer new looking one you’re in luck! Door Data Plates can be reproduced and purchased online. All you need to do is provide the information from your original (if you have it) or you can take a shot at getting the tag information together based on the known options for you Mustang. The sales team at AAPD.NET can assist you with reproducing your door data tag.

Understanding the Door Data Tag information is helpful especially when it comes to the paint and interior, both of these areas have most likely been repainted or reupholstered and there is no telling what could have been done throughout the trends of the ‘70s, ‘80s and ‘90s. You may be looking at a Mustang that appears to have Deluxe Pony Interior but the door data tag information reveals Standard Ivy Gold vinyl, or the transmission may have originally been automatic but now has a four speed Top Loader. As an example the Door Data Plate on Project Playboy is used to show what type of information the data plate reveals; having a “Pocket Size Data Plate Decoder” with you should help you identify these features.

Project Playboy Door Data Plate

Body:	65A	2 Door Hardtop, Standard Interior
Color:		(No Color code in this data plate)
Trim:	2A	Black Crinkle Vinyl, Standard Interior
Date:	24B	February 24, 1967
D.S.O:	718000	Los Angeles (Special Order Unit 8000)
Axle:	0	2.79:1, Conventional
Trans:	W	C4 Automatic

Originality Check; is it all there?

You may look at a few classic Mustangs before you find the one that meets your criteria for a restoration project. Prior to deciding on purchasing Project Playboy I looked at half dozen or so Mustangs, all having their strength and weaknesses. Some were rusted and disassembled parts cars; others were all there but had been in a collision. I even looked at a pair of rolling unibodies that would have given me complete set of sheet metal and glass between the two.

My objective was to find a classic Mustang that was within my budget, was fairly complete, not disassembled and that retained most of its original components and features. I wanted to locate a Fastback body style but was willing to settle for a coupe since my budget pretty much dictated the value of the purchase.

Body Condition, Gaps, Overall Fit and Trim.

From twenty feet away any Mustang can appear to have all of its original body panels, and if it does in fact retain those original panels then it could be a good solid car, unless those original panels are rusted out. Taking a closer look at the body panels may indicate that the car had been in a collision or had some rust repair done at some point in its forty something year old history.

The classic Mustang has some nice body lines and it’s pretty easy to see if something does not fit very well or if some poor body repairs have been done. When you are looking at a potential candidate you should check to see if the panels line up well and that the gaps are consistent. If you see a door bottom edge hanging out one inch at the rear and it is flush at the front then there could be bigger problems.

Project Playboy was definitely showing her age, not centerfold material by any means. It was clear that this car had been enjoyed by somebody, had been modified a bit and looked like it may have hit or had been hit by a few objects.

The front end had some damage on the hood and stone deflector above the front valance and front bumper was missing. This indicated a collision with something but it was localized in a small area of the hood and stone deflector and didn’t appear to be a major crash.

The driver door had a slap shot repair job on it; it looked like it had been damaged so I was hoping that the original Door Data Plate was there. the driver door and the passenger door both appear to be original and the door data plate was indeed in place.

The rear valance and rear bumper were both missing indicating that possibility of a collision at the rear. The first place to look in this case it at the gas tank to see if it showed some damage or if it had been replaced; it was still damaged so it was the original, fortunately the tail light panel was not damaged and was also original.

 

The fenders appeared to be original although for some reason the front headlamp buckets and rear quarter panel extensions looked like they came from another car that was painted Lime Gold; It’s a mystery as to why they were replaced.

The quarter panels on Project Playboy are also original, they show no signed of damage and do not look like they have been replaced. You can usually identify quarter panel replacement or repair by looking in the door jambs to see if the factory welds and the well defined sheet metal edge are apparent and also checking the wheel lip edges for some body filler that was left unfinished.

Overall this Mustangs initial body condition is good. Aside from the visible damage, the gaps and lines are fairly straight and the damaged parts can be easily replaced with new parts.

The exterior trim on Project Playboy is severely lacking. All of the emblems are missing, the rocker panel molding had been removed; the grill and hood trim also missing along with the signature Pony and Corral; the front and rear bumpers are missing and the trunk trim is nowhere to be found. A lot of the trim items were probably removed prior to the blue paint job and never replaced, other missing items where for apparent aesthetic reasons.

Engine and Transmission

Knowing if the original engine and transmission is in the car can be hard to determine until you get it home and look a little deeper however, most people selling a Mustang will know what engine and trans is in it even if it’s been replaced or rebuilt. If you want to know what engine should be in the car then you can refer to the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) found under the hood on the driver side front fender apron and check the door data tag for the transmission code; a Pocket Size Data Plate Decoder will help you identify the engine code designated by the VIN.

The Engine in Project Playboy was designated to be a standard 289 2 barrel engine but the engine in the car had a 4 barrel carburetor on it and headers, it was also chained down to the frame indicating that there was probably a much higher performing engine in it now. Fortunately the seller knew that it was a 351 Windsor and the transmission was most likely the original C4 automatic. Unfortunately the car did not run and drive, it had been a while since it was last started and the seller could not get it running after replacing the points, distributor cap, rotor and plug wires and the battery was dead.

So far it's looking pretty good and I think this will be a great car to Resto-Mod; its showing potential and it’s got a nice 351W engine to get started.

Suspension and Brakes

A forty year old classic may see its share of owners; each owner adding to or  changing the Mustang to suit their driving style and needs. Suspension and brakes are two things that are commonly upgraded. Converting front drum brakes to power disc brakes is common, and if the Mustang was owned and modified during the late ‘70s through the ‘80s it may have larger tires and air shocks on the rear giving it a nice rake, and come upgraded with a larger sway bar and lowered front end.

Project Playboy was a tribute to one of its previous owner’s era; equipped with Cragar SS wheels (larger tires on the rear), air shocks, a lowered front end and larger sway bar. The front brakes also appear to have been upgraded to disc, and there’s no telling where they came from or what they came off of.

Structural Integrity, is this pony road worthy?

I already know that Project Playboy has had some damage to the hood area and the door so that prompted a closer look at those area and others as well. The most common and obvious collision replacement to spot is at the radiator core support, front frame rails and front fender aprons; if a Mustang had been in a severe enough collision at the front end these three areas will most likely show non-factory welds.

To see if the front end of Project Playboy sustained any damage other than the hood, bumper and stone deflector I check a few things starting with the radiator core support. I check to see if it has been replaced by checking for what appears to be non-factory welding, I look for the same factory welds (spot welds) on the fender aprons and the shock towers and also check the strut rod braces and frame rails.

 

I then checked the rest of the frame rails and undercarriage as best I could while lying on my back with a flashlight in my hand. What I am looking for is frame rail replacement or damage either due to rust or collision; this also gives me an idea of potential rust problems.

The structural integrity of this car is pretty good, no collision damage or replacements appear to have been done to the front end and the undercarriage and frame rails are intact with no rust issues.

Interior and soft trim

The interior of a classic Mustang can be spruced up pretty easily just by installing some new carpet, a headliner and new seat upholstery and it’s not too often that you will see anything other than a factory look on the interior. Although most Mustang interior will exhibit that factory look there are a few things some owners have done that can be considered detrimental and costly repairs. One of the most common things is losing the headliner bows and hooks; hooks are available new but the headliner bows are not and if they are missing you will need to find a used set. The other big issues are holes that have been cut in the doors to accommodate speakers and the original radio location being cut out of the dash for the installation of a modern stereo receiver. For 1965-1966 Mustangs there is a dash repair panel to cure the hole in the dash, and the only cure for the holes in the door is purchasing good used doors or buying new reproductions.

The interior on Project Playboy is a little bit taken apart, the front seats are mismatched, and the carpet and headliner have been removed along with the seat belts. Overall most of it is there with the exception of a few parts that went missing or that may be discovered in the glove box or trunk. Since the carpet had been removed it gave me the chance to see if the floor pans had ever been replaced or if they will need to be replaced.

While checking out the interior I noticed that the interior rockers and floor pans had pink paint on them. This got my curiosity going so I went to the trunk and other jambs and discovered pink paint there and pink paint under the hood as well. I immediately went to the door data tag to see the paint code, it was blank? “This could be a Playboy Pink Mustang”

Rust; is this a rust free Mustang?

Rust is a big issue with old classic cars and you should look for rust or rust repair on every potential classic you may purchase to help you determine if this is a project you want to get into. The Assembly Plant (found on the VIN) and DSO (District Sales Office, found on the door data plate) is you’re best shot at determining if a car may have rust issues. If the assembly plant was San Jose California and the DSO was Los Angeles California then you have a shot at looking at a rust free car. If the DSO was an area of the country where they make use of salting the roads during the winter then there is the potential for a lot of rust or rust repair. On the Mustang there is some very common area where rust begins to appear as illustrated in the photo slide show below.

Common areas to look for rust

Electrical systems

The electrical systems on some of these old Mustangs has held up pretty well over the years meaning; gauges, lamps, headlights and signals should all be working properly. You have to have a good battery and a running engine to check everything so if you don’t have either of these then you will have to determine if that is important in making you decision to buy.

Project Playboy didn’t run and its battery was completely dead so I couldn’t check any of the vital signs; that would have to wait until I got it home. I also could not take the car on a road test due to the lack of a well charged battery and a motor that wouldn’t run.

The evaluation on this Mustang went pretty well, it’s in good shape, it’s a pretty decent price and it meets the requirements for getting started on my project, and it’s possibly a Playboy Pink Mustang. After some discussion about extra parts being included in the sale, I settled on a purchase price and loaded the Mustang on the trailer for the trip to its new home.

The disassembly strategy concludes with a mostly disassembled Mustang unibody leaving only the minimum suspension required to roll it up onto a trailer for a trip to the body and paint shop.

This wrap up stage is focused on making sure every rubber plug and grommet is removed from the unibody as well as removing any remaining clips and attaching hardware.

Then final step is running the Shop-Vac throughout the unibody to clean it up and also pick up any loose hardware that may have gone unnoticed.

If you have been keeping your workshop and your project environment clean by sweeping and vacuuming you may want to check your Shop-Vac contents for any hardware that you may have vacuumed up throughout the disassembly.

Removing Mustang brake lines and fuel lines is one of the shorter tasks in my disassembly strategy. Although its pretty easy, it can get messy so be prepared to clean up as you go.

The lines to be removed include the fuel pump to tank line, front to rear brake line, and the rear end housing brake lines.

The brake and fuel lines are attached with a few clips and bolts. The illustration shows the clips under the floor pan; you can remove these clips with a pair of pliers from the interior by crimping the retainer clip together.

 

Project Playboy is near the end of the disassembly process with only the suspension and lines awaiting removal. This section of the disassembly strategy involves removing the suspension components from the Mustang.

Should you remove all of the suspension

My strategy for the suspension will leave a few remaining parts of the suspension so the Mustang can be rolled up onto a trailer and head off to the paint shop. The parts that will remain on the car are the front spindles, upper and lower control arms and coil springs; the leaf springs and complete rear housing will also remain attached to the car.

Front suspension

Remove the strut rods and sway bar: The strut rods don't have to be removed from the Mustang before going to the body shop but I want to have them available to restore while the car is out getting painted. Removing the strut rods takes a lot of torque and required a breaker bar and a one inch deep socket.

 

The final pieces to remove from the front suspension are the outer shock tower and shock absorbers.

Removing coil spring requires a coil spring compressor, however the coil spring will remain on the Mustang until later.

 

Rear Suspension

The rear suspension will mostly stay attached to the Mustang so the rear end stays on the car so it can be rolled around while getting ready for paint.

There are just a few items to remove from the rear suspension: The inner and outer axle bumpers, and shock absorbers.

This eighth step of the disassembly strategy moves me to the brake system. I already have the master cylinder out of the mustang and now its time to remove the front and rear brakes from the mustang.

Remove the rear brakes

To remove any drum brakes you will need a couple of tools as pictured here. You could use some screw drivers and vise grips but its much easier with these tools.

I will remove the wheel cylinders but leave the brake lines for later

 

Remove the front brakes

Remove all of the front brakes parts including the backing plates, leave the brake lines for later.

I am pretty sure that this mustang didn't have front disc brakes so I may have to round up the correct part to bring it back to original.

Remove the steering controls

use a pickle fork to knock the steering control arm off of the steering box arm and knock the tie rod ends off at the spindles. Then unbolt the idler arm to remove the steering assembly and then unbolt the steering box from the frame.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This step in the disassembly strategy is focused on removing the wiring harnesses from this classic mustang. Before I can remove the main under dash harness there is quite a few items that need to be disconnected and removed, some of these items have already been prepared for removal during the last phase of the disassembly strategy "engine compartment".

 

Remove the driver controls units

• Steering column
• Accelerator pedal
• Emergency brake assembly
• Air vent
• washer pump

I leave the hoses connected to the washer pump and pull them through the firewall.

 

Remove the heater box and ducts

 

Remove the main harness

Disconnect all wiring to headlamp harness, engine compartment and tail lamp harness and remove the main underdah harness from the mustang. Then continue and remove the head light harness and tail light harness.

Now that the engine and transmission have been removed from Project Playboy the disassembly continues within the engine compartment to remove a few remaining pieces before moving onto the the wiring.

This fifth phase of my disassembly strategy takes me to the drive train with engine and transmission removal. I will be removing the engine and transmission together and mostly assembled. When I re-install the engine I will be putting in a mostly assembled engine and transmission together so this will be a good practice run.

The major thing to have available for this task is and engine hoist or what some refer to it as a cherry picker. An engine leveler will make it possible to remove and install the transmission together so this is a must have piece of tooling. Aside from an engine stand you will also need a handful of tools to get the job done.

 

Before you begin the removal you should drain as many fluids as possible to minimize the mess and to keep you working surface stable.

 

Undercarriage preparations

Remove the drive shaft and plug the the end with a cap or with a drive line yoke if you have one available. Next remove the exhaust pipes and disconnect the speedometer cable and neutral safety switch and then remove the nuts from the transmission mount and cross brace. I also removed the headers to avoid any problem that may pose during engine removal.

Engine Compartment Preparations

Remove the shock tower braces, fan shroud, radiator and fan.

Disconnect the fuel line, heater hoses, battery cables and alternator harness, engine gauge feed harness, accelerator linkage and unbolt the motor mount from the motor mount brackets.

With everything disconnected and unbolted I proceed and put wheels back on the Mustang and remove the car from the jack stands.

 

When it is time to remove the engine its a good idea to have somebody helping you unless your very patient and very careful; I did this removal alone so it is possible and I definitely felt it the next morning.

 Veiw the photos taken during the engine and transmission removal

The disassembly strategy continues with removing the glass from this 1967 Ford Mustang. I could have removed the door glass from the Mustang when I was tearing down the interior but I wanted to make removing the glass a separate task so I could group the mechanical door parts together.

Removing the Windshield and Rear window

I started by removing the window moldings from the windshield and rear window. The molding is secured to the body by a molding retailer clip, and require a molding remover to release the molding from the clip.

Once the molding has been removed can cut away the window gasket so the glass can be removed. I utility knife works well to cut off the outer part of the seal.

 

Remove the window seal and clean up the opening. Sometimes this can be a messy task so be prepared to get sticky fingers.

 

Removing the Door Glass and Vent Window

Before you can remove the window glass you need to remove the vent window and you should also remove the window regulator. See "How To Replace a Classic Mustang Window Regulator" for additional information.

Remove the window regulator and then remove the window channel strips (the felt and rubber strips at the top of the door), I used a flat screw drive to remove them.

Remove the set nuts from the vent window adjuster bolts and then turn the adjuster until it is all the way out of the vent window frame. Remove the two vent window frame bolts and pull the vent window out.

To remove the door glass I removed the door to window seal and removed the bolt that holds the rear window track in place. The rear window track also has an adjuster screw on it that need to be turned to remove it from the track.

 

With all of the other parts removed or unbolted the window can no be lifted out of the door. This requires a couple of maneuvers so you can slide the rear track off of the window while you lift the window out.

Watch this slide show to see all of the photos taken during glass removal

This third phase in my disassembly strategy moves to the rear section of the Mustang where I remove the trunk lid, rear bumper, valance, fuel tank and tail lamps.

 Remove the trunk lid and trunk latch

 

Remove the rear bumper and bumper guards

 

Remove the gas cap and fuel filler tube

 

Remove the fuel tank

 

Remove the tail lamps

 

Remove the quarter panel extensions
View all of the photos taken during the rear area disassembly

 This second phase of my disassembly strategy is set for disassembling the front bumper, valance, grill, headlamp assemblies, front fenders and hood.

 Remove the front bumper to fender brackets, front bumper and bumper guards, my front bumper and guards were already removed so I skipped that step.

 

Remove the grill, and grill moldings so you can get access to disconnect the turn signal lamps.

Remove the front valance

 

Remove the stone deflector

 

Remove the bumper braces

 

Remove the  headlamp bucket assembly, you may have to remove the front fender splash shield to get access to the mounting hardware.

 

Remove all brackets and clips related to the grill, bag and tag them.

 

Remove the rear front fender flash shield

 

Remove the fenders

 

Remove the hood and hood hinges

 

View All of the photos taken during the front end disassembly 

When I took over the job of doing the body work myself I started with a dry build to see how all of the panels lined up then marked and photographed all of the issues. After that I began my progression toward completing the work that had already be performed in the hopes that I would make quick progress and be able to move onto the doors and fenders that hadn't been started yet;

I was in for a few surprises and ended up stripping all of the previous work and starting over from ground zero, read more on this at "Can you Trust your Body Shop"

 

Stripping the old paint

Since my Mustang had already been through media blast all of the old paint had been removed, however I did have to strip off the previous work and remove the primers and body filler that had been applied.

To accomplish this paint and body filler removal I used a sander grinder with 40 and 80 grit sanding discs. This is a really messy process so if you have to do it be ready to do a lot of clean up and floor sweeping.

 

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Sanding the surface Smooth

Once the majority of the paint and filler had been removed I sanded the surface smooth with an orbital sander and 80 grit paper. This method smoothes out the panels and will allow you to get a better feel for how flat the surface is.

 

 

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Drip Rails - Remove and replace the sealer

The old drip rail sealer may appear to be in good shape on the surface but trust me, its usually rock hard and most likely has some rust below the surface. The previous body shop made a attempt at removing and replacing the sealer on the drip rails, they did a pretty poor job of application and coverage as sown in the photo, and they could have used the proper sealer. 3M Drip Check is what I used to redo the work, its pliable dries firm and is paintable and you can really get it smooth.

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Identifying the issues

Some dents and rust issues will be very clear and will stand out easily but some of the smaller dent and high spots will not be as visible and will require that you run your hand over the surface to locate them.

The surface is pretty smooth but will most likely have a few spots where the sander/grinder got into the metal and these spots can be deceiving to the bare hand. To assist in locating the smaller areas I use a clean dry shop towel between the palm of my hand and the metal surface, run my hand over the surface and then mark the lows and highs.

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Dent Removal

There is are a few techniques to removing dents from your classic Mustang, one of them is demonstrated in the article and video "How to Remove Dents from your Classic Mustang". I used the dolly and body hammer technique and I also use a stud welder and leverage technique.

Both methods use the same principle as demonstrated in the how to video. The sheet metal has an impact zone (low spot) and a rebound area (high spot); the impact zone gets pressure or leverage applied and the rebound area is tapped with the hammer, check out the video.

A slide hammer is supplied with the stud welder kit but I rarely used it; I preferred to gain a bit more control and used a pair of vice grip pliers and pulled by hand to apply leverage or in some cases I used a 2x4 as the leverage point and leaned the vise grips into the 2x4 thus applying controlled leverage while tapping with the body hammer.

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Rust Repair

Rust repair - There wasn't really much to do on Project Playboy other than the floor pan that was completely replaced, and the battery apron which is typical. But I can share with you a little bit of information and technique that I learned from watching the welding; Take your time, don't try to weld a seem in one pass, small spots at a time no more than a half an inch, then let it cool a bit before you do the next half inch. Your after short bursts of welding, this will keep your surrounding sheet metal from warping to the point of having to do it over again.

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Epoxy Sealer

Once all of the dents are mostly hammered out of the body panels and any rust repair is done, the exposed areas get prepared for a coat of epoxy primer.

For Project Playboy I worked on the body shell first, stripped the previous work from the surface, worked on dent removal and rust repair, then prepped everything including the interior and engine compartment for the epoxy primer.

I'll continue perfecting the metal on the rest of the panels, apply the sealer attach all the panels to the car and then begin working with body filler.

After I removed my Mustang from Paint Shop Prison II (PSPII) I went to work starting with a Dry-Build to see how the sheet metal would line up and document those issues before I got into the body work and structural issues that remained.

I new that I had to take a good look at the floor pan replacement that PSPI had performed. I also knew that PSPI didn't' complete the job and some welding had to be done. I was fortunate enough to meet a local Mustang enthusiast that was a welder by trade and he provided me with a way to get the Mustang onto its side so it could be worked on without laying on the ground.

 

Notisserie - Totaly AverageJoe!

To get the Mustang on its side I used what I like to call A notisserie, provided by my local friend and welder. It would be nice to have a real rotisserie, maybe one will magically show up on my porch some day.

The notisserie is comprised of six steel wheels and a length of 2.5 inch 1/8 wall square tubing all welded together to make it all work. To lift the car an engine hoist is used and then the contraption is braced with 4x4's to keep it stable and secure.

 

Floor Pan Replacement

The floor pan on Project Playboy wasn't completely rusted out and I could have just patched the sections under the passenger feet but I opted to do a full replacement to keep things clean.

The inner floor frame supports where pretty banged up from being bottomed out so the decision was made to replace those while I had the welder on site; the driver side strut rod bracket was also replaced since it appeared to be bent also from getting bottomed out when this old mustang sat low in front.

       

 

One thing you may overlook when replacing a floor pan is to remove any of the old brackets that you may need from the old pans before they go to the scrap yard. You also need to measure and document where these should be placed on the new pan. The parking brake cable brackets and the back seat brackets needed to be savaged and placed on the new floor pan.

 

Spot Weld Remover

To remove the floor pan, frame rails and just about any other part that is spot welded together you should use a spot weld remover. Using one of these tools can make things easier and maintain originality of your Mustang since you wont be drilling big holes all over the place or cutting things up get old parts out.

 

 

Sealing the Undercarriage

No, this isn't the step where I apply seam sealer and undercoating, All I want to do at this stage is apply some epoxy sealer and then get back to the body shell and panel work.

Sanding the surface

I used an orbital with 180 grit sand paper to scuff the major surface and then followed up with a scotch bright pad in all the nooks and crannies. Scuffing the surface insures that the epoxy sealer has something to get a bite into, if the surface was completely smooth the sealer may not adhere to the surface and later begin to flake off. The final step is to mix up the sealer and apply it to the undercarriage.

    

There was quite a few things to finish up on the undercarriage that didn't get wrapped up at PSPI, although I am very disappointed with PSPI in some ways I'm glad they never finished; there is less disappointment and I know that the work is now being done correctly.

 

After all of the paint has been removed from the body and all of the undercoating has been stripped a few surprised may appear that weren't apparent prior to media blasting. The panels may not align as well and there may be structural problems like rust and previous repairs that are not up to snuff. All and any of these problems should be identified prior to beginning the body and paint process.

Structural Integrity

The structural inspection will address rust that needs to be removed, previous repairs that need to be corrected and any cutting and welding that will be performed; if you have rust you will most likely have to do some cutting and welding.

Here is a good example of a structural issue taken from Norm's 1965 Mustang coupe. When Norm purchased this Mustang it appeared that the quarter panels were in good shape; but after removing the old paint and body filler from the previous repair he discovered a major problem.  

This photograph of the passenger side rear quarter panel and wheel well reveals a previous repair where a replacement quarter panel was installed and and pop riveted onto the vehicle, and a rusted out wheel well.

To identify all of the structural problems I use a white paint pen, mark each issue, make notes and then photograph each one.

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Sheet Metal and Panel Alignment

Where should you start aligning the panels? The hood may be your first choice and in some cases this is the best starting point however, when talking about muscle-era cars, "it's all about the doors," get the doors to fit right, and they'll serve as reference points for the fenders, which in turn frame the hood and the nose pieces.

 

Quote this Hot Rod Magazine Article
Ultimate Paint and Body Guide Part 5 - Panel Alignment
"Think about how the factory built the car. It's a logical series of events," explained Craig Hopkins, who runs Goodmark Industries' installation center. "The quarter-panels are welded in place, and the doors are fit to the quarters. You can't do the fenders and then try to bring the doors to that.

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Aligning the Doors

I begin the sheet metal alignment by hanging a door (with a helper) and aligning it with the rear quarter and the rocker panel. I used popsicle sticks to set the initial gap and then make small adjustments to get the body lines on the door to match the body lines on the rear quarter (See "How to Install and Align a Classic Mustang Door"). Once I feel I have a pretty good fit on the door I place the fender to check the gaps and see if the lines are flowing together, remove the fender, make a few adjustments to the door if needed and then repeat the process until the door is where I want it. 

Before you mount the doors you should rebuild or replace the hinges to make sure you get a good fit.

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Hood Alignment

 

Hood alignment starts at the cowl, I use the same popsicle stick method to set the initial gap at each corner of the hood at the cowl. Your going to need a helper to assist you with placing the hood onto the hinges; you can then adjust the hood forward and back and raise and lower the hood at the hinges to get the hood level and aligned with the cowl.

 

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Aligning the Fenders

The next step is to align the fenders with the hood and doors. I place one of the fenders on the Mustang and put a few bolts along the top of the fender to hold it in place and then install the bolts at the top rear, bottom of the rocker and bottom rear of the fender opening. Then I tighten the bolts just enough to secure the fender but just loose enough so I can position the fender and set the gaps; then I move to tuning the alignment at the door starting with the top rear bolt and work my way down to the lower rear bolts. You may end up adjusting the fender several times and maybe even have to readjust the door until all of the body lines and gaps are where they need to be.

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Front Panels and Fender Extensions

At this point in the panel alignment the lines and gaps should look pretty decent unless there a serious problem that needs to be addressed. If things look good, that's great but don't stop here. The next step is to install the parts that bring the front end together.

 

 

 

 

The headlamp buckets, front valance and stone deflector all need to be installed to complete the front end. The headlamp buckets are not factory precision parts and you will most likely find areas on these parts where the fit is not satisfactory.

 

 

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Rear Panel, Quarter Panel Extensions and Trunk Lid

To complete the panel alignment all that remains is to install the quarter panel end caps, rear valance and trunk lid. There shouldn't be any major issues with the rear valance fit but the quarter panel extensions suffer the same non precession casting as the headlight buckets and they will likely have issues with how they fit to the quarter panels.  

All of the panels have been mounted to the mustang and with a little luck, the body lines and gaps all look pretty good and the only major problems are fit of the fender and quarter panel extensions and a few high and low spots among the sheet metal.

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Identify the Issues

I like to identify and photograph all of the problem areas from structural, welding, alignment and those dreaded dents (from shopping carts or collisions) prior to beginning and repairs or body work.

Using this approach allows you to put together a task list and a starting point, and will give you a pretty good idea of difficulty and time that you may spend addressing each issue.

I've already identified the structural and welding issues earlier and tagged them with a white paint pen. The next step is to identify the the fit and body issues using a yellow paint pen, make notes and photograph each one. Using the two colors of paint pen makes it easy to discern the problem area at a glance and reference them easily with photos.

Depending on the severity and difficulty and your ability to address the issues will determine if you higher a qualified craftsman to do some of the work or if you will do-it-yourself (See "How to Paint a Classic Mustang").

If you have any question, comments or would like to share your experience feel free to post them below.

Should you take you Mustang to a body and paint shop or should you do-it-yourself? This is a big decision and will hinge on your budget and you ability to complete the job yourself. There are pros and cons that come with either choice; continue reading this article for some insight to help you make your decision.

Body and Paint Shop

Finding a body shop can be as easy as or referral or meeting a shop that you like however, you should be warned that not everybody that can do body and paint will actually deliver a quality finished project on time and within budget. Most of the stories I've head involved longer than usual production time, confrontation, inferior quality and craftsmanship as well as estimates escalating well beyond the projected budget.

If you get lucky, have the budget and find a paint and body shop that can actually produce results then you will spare yourself from having to purchase the supplies and tools to get the job done however, the is always the possibility that your project can end up in paint shop prison.

Pros

• You keep the mess out of your shop
• You wont have to purchase the tool required to do the job
• You wont have the educate yourself on body and paint procedures
• you can concentrate on restoring other components of you project while your car is out being worked on

Cons

• A complete job can cost between $3,000-10,000
• Progress could go much slower than you would like
• You could end up disappointed with the finished product
• You may end up with a good paint shop gone bad and potentially end up in paint shop prison

Do it Yourself Body and Paint

Doing the body and paint yourself will provide a lot of flexibility with your time and budget, can save you thousands of dollars and you project will be under your complete control and direction.

If you decide to go the DIY route then you should be prepared to put in some long hours of hard work, purchase the tools to get the job done and educate yourself on body and paint techniques.

As a do-it-yourselfer you'll also have the option of sub contracting out portions of the work like welding and structural repairs, or you may higher some help from the local high school. You will also avoid all of the pit falls that come along with sending the entire project to a shop and you'll never end up in paint shop prison.

Pros

• More affordable, usually half the cost of sending it to a shop
• You can choose what to contract out or even high some help
• You are on your schedule and your project is completely in you control
• You never have to worry about paint shop prison

Cons

• It's messy work, you will spend a good portion of time sweeping the floor
• You will need to purchase the tools to get the job done
• You will need to educate yourself on body and paint techniques
• you may need to rent a paint booth

Does it make a difference if you restore your Mustang with imported or U.S. reproduction sheet metal? Should you purchase Ford Licensed or products produced with Ford tooling? I think in some cases yes, but it really depends on your budget, your goal and whether or not you are concerned about receiving a part that's not quite up to spec.

 

There is always the option of going used, but finding good used parts can be time consuming and your definition off "good used" can differ greatly from that of the sellers view; an experience I wish I could have avoided entirely.

Project Playboy needed a replacement driver door and I was hesitant to get a reproduction fearing that it wouldn't line up or needed a lot of work to get it aligned, so I chose to start looking for a good used driver door.

 

I looked at a lot of Mustang doors, drove a lot of miles and only found one door that was good enough to use but it was for a deluxe interior car and had holes in the lower interior portion where the door grills mount.

Other doors I looked at were described as being perfect and ready to install and paint, well my definition of perfect was apparently way out of scope when it came to these doors. They all had something welded, replaced or bondo'd, one of them even had a heavy coat of fresh primer on it and it looked perfect, except that the primer was still very wet and running... my quest continued.

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Dynacorn Mustang Door - A near perfect fit

After weeks of searching, ten doors and two full tanks of gas; I finally came to the realization that going for a reproduction door would have been the most productive path to take.

I had been told that the Dynacorn Mustang door shell was pretty nice, and I also knew that Dynacorn was now producing brand new complete body shells and they included the doors, this was probably the best reproduction door out there so I put one on order.

The Dynacorn door shell arrived at the body shop a few days later. I didn't get a chance to look at the packaging but I was told it was the best the body shop had ever seen, they were impressed.

I took one of my weekly trips up to the body shop to hang the new Dynacorn door shell myself, I have to say that it fit really well. This wasn't a precision fit procedure, I was just after a preliminary look to see if it was way off base or was indeed what I had been expecting.

I set up a video camera to capture some of the action in the body shop while I hung the door and checked its fit and then went to work.

Before fitting the door to the hinges a tap was ran through the door mount plates to clean up the threads. The door lined up exceptionally well without any adjustment. There was just a large gap between the door and the quarter panel that was adjusted out. I don't think there will be any complaining about the quality of this Dynacorn door shell.

 

Should you have your Mustang blasted? I would say yes, others will say no; it all depends on your depth of restoration. If you want to expose any possible problems that may be hiding under the old paint job or road grime on the undercarriage media blasting is the way to go, but be prepared for those surprises; what may look like a small rust problem on the floor pan can turn out to be a complete floor pan replacement.

If you are pretty confident that the Mustang you have selected for restoration is in really solid shape you may decide not to go the rout of media blasting but I would recommend that you at least have the exterior of the vehicle blasted and leave the undercarriage alone; this will save the body shop a lot of hours sanding and exposing any problems and will leave your undercarriage and interior untouched.

Project Playboy got the full media blast treatment; interior, exterior and undercarriage and there were a couple of surprises with the floor pan which was to being replaced; the front floor to firewall extensions had some minor rust issues and would be replaced.

The driver door also had more problems than I was willing to let slide into the body work phase; besides showing more damaged now that its been blasted, it also has rusted out areas on the inside of the shell.

Now I will need to start looking for a good used door, I'm not to sure if I am ready to venture into a reproduction door shell just yet.

Having all of the parts available for the body shop is important if you don’t want to hold up the progress, but it’s inevitable that you will more than likely have something on backorder that causes a delay or you will have one of those surprises that requires you to order parts that you didn’t think you needed.

Try to anticipate any sheet metal that you need to replace and get them on order and shipped so they arrive at the body shop soon after they receive your Mustang.

Deliver all of the small parts in a box together so the shop can keep them with your Mustang. If you’ve done a complete disassembly you will eventually notice any screws or body trim that you overlooked and forgot to remove, be sure to identify those items and have them removed if needed.

 

For this project I've decided to replace the complete floor pan rather than do partials, and also replace the front fender apron where the battery sits. There are a couple of other things that I may need to repair or replace; the inner cowl did leak and I wont really know the condition until after the car is media blasted.

 

 The driver door may need a replacement but I'm going to wait to determine what to do on that after the car is blasted. I know that finding a good used door could be a challenge and I'm not to sure about going with a reproduction door shell yet; I'm sure I'll have a story to tell about the endless search for a Mustang driver side door shell.

 

The preparation you do to your Mustang prior to body and paint will depend on the level of restoration that you are after. If you just want fresh paint on a daily driver then you can probably drop it off at the paint shop and let them go at it, leaving any disassembly and removal of parts up to the body shop.

 

If you’re doing any level of restoration such as replacing weather stripping and seals, moldings, emblems and electrical items like turn signals, headlamps and brake lamps then you may want to remove most of the parts yourself to save a few dollars that the body shop would have charged you for removing these items.

In the case of Project Playboy it’s all about removing everything all the way down to the spot welds, with a few exceptions. A complete restoration requires the complete disassembly and anything that I leave bolted to the car will eventually be removed at the body shop (See section 2. Mustang Disassembly).

 

Aside from removing all the nuts, bolts and screws and cleaning the goo from the windshields and pulling all the weather stripping and plugs; I also tagged and photo graphed all of the problem areas that needed attention that could be addressed at the body shop.

This gives the body men an opportunity to see what concerns you may have and if you photographed it it serves as a great reference as the work moves forward.

never assume that the body shop will automatically know what to repair, for all they know that hole in your floor belongs there.

 

There are a few parts that I leave on the car that will later be removed by the body shop. The remaining parts include the rear axle and leaf spring, upper and lower control arms and spindles and the doors. The suspensions components remain so the Mustang can be loaded onto a trailer and moved around the shop. The doors go to the body shop mounted to the car so the body men can get an idea of how the doors are mounted before they remove them; the back edge of the doors sit about 1/8 inch high at the rear after all of the components have been removed, they should be remounted to this location before the Mustang is painted.

 

 

I've just received the latest shipment of classic Mustang parts for my 67 Mustang coupe, now I can begin the door and window restoration project.

There are a lot of new parts like door panels, window cranks, door handles, window regulators, weather strip and rubber seals, see parts list.

 

 

The existing parts to be restored include the internal and mechanical parts of the doors and quarter window, then the stainless steel trim and window moldings will be polished.

The vent window and quarter window frames will go out to the chrome shop, they have been disassembled with the glass and trim removed.

I've had my door and window broken out into project groups so I can manage my parts purchasing and restoration requirements.

• Vent Windows
• Doors
• Quarter Windows
• Front and Rear Windshields

For organizing and ordering parts this is great but this is not how I want the restoration part of the task grouped; so I've decided to group things by the type of work to be performed.

• Mechanical and internal (clean, blast, paint)
• Glass (clean and inspect)
• Stainless Steel Moldings (clean and polish)

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Mechanical and Internal Parts Restoration

This task will deal with the internal and mechanical parts of the doors, quarter and vent windows. The work to be performed consists of cleaning, bead blasting and painting.

The major mechanical parts like the window regulators, door latches and strikers will be replaced with new reproduction or good used parts if they are broken or beyond simple restoration.

The window guides and tracks, brackets and bolts all get cleaned thoroughly, bead blasted and painted when required.

Door Latch Restoration

Although I could purchase new door latches and strikers I am going to spend a little time restoring these, and then I'll make that decision. If I decide to go new I will have a restored set that I can make available to somebody through craigslist.com or Ebay.com.

My door latches and door strikers like so many other had been painted over; but they are in really good shape and worthy of restoration. To remove the paint I used some lacquer thinner to scrub it off, then I continued with the thinner and a tooth brush cleaning the remaining paint and old grease from the assemblies.

After an initial cleaning the door latch assemblies and the door strikers got a low pressure run through the bead blast cabinet, then received a a dusting of protective paint. 

 

 

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Glass Inspection and Restoration

Purchasing new Mustang glass can be expensive, and in my case if I buy new tinted glass I would have to reuse the existing stainless trim and window frames. If I had clear glass I could purchase new assemblies that come complete. I don't want to put out the expense or labor to replace the glass so I'll clean and inspect all of the glass to determine the usable condition of each piece.

 

Each piece of glass is cleaned with lacquer thinner and then washed thoroughly with soap and water. I then inspect the glass, stainless trim and frame to make sure its usable. Most of my glass had water spots so I used 3M Perfect-It rubbing compound and super fine steel
wool to remove them; this is a lot of work so if you know an easier way then please leave a comment.

The front windshield and back window both need to be replaced so I'll be ordering new or try to locate some nice used pieces.

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Stainless steel Restoration

Polishing the stainless steel
is the most labor intensive task among the three, takes the most time, requires a lot of patients and your full attention if using a high speed buffer. If you relax for just a moment the buffing wheel will take the piece you are working on and throw it across the room or wrap it around the wheel.

This process takes a lot of hard work and dedication but the results are well worth it, even on new parts.

Vent windows, door window and quarter window trim all get polished to a high luster finish, then the roof rail, windshield and back window moldings get polished.

Door and vent window glass should be protected with duct tape along the trim as a precautionary measure.

 

 

 

Vent Window Restoration

Vent window posts are typically in bad shape and I've seen a few cases where nothing is done to make them look more appealing. Take a few simple steps to get this piece to look 100% better than it does. Before you polish the frame, tape off the entire vent window leaving only the post exposed, run the vent window through the bead blaster to clean up the post. After polishing the frame, tape off the vent window again leaving the post exposed, sand the post and then apply a coat or two of chrome paint.

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Preserving your hard work

If you took the time and had the patients to polish your stainless steel trim and molding the last thing you want is a scratch on these freshly polished parts.

I've saved up quite a bit of packing paper that was delivered with the new interior and door parts in anticipation of wrapping restored parts with it for protection from the elements and potential damage.

 

"I'll be posting some of my findings on removing dents from stainless steel window molding in the "How To" section soon."

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Classic Mustang Parts List

Mustang Door Parts List

380552-K	MUSTANG STANDARD DOOR PANEL CLIP KIT
T-87650	64-73 MUSTANG DOOR PANEL REMOVER
C7ZZ-65239423BK	67 MUSTANG STANDARD DOOR PANELS BLACK
C7ZZ-6524100-BK	67 MUSTANG ARM REST (BLACK)
C6OZ-6221818-B	67-68 MUSTANG RH DOOR HANDLE SHAFT ASSY
C7AZ-6222050-MK	67-69 MUSTANG IGN/DOOR/TRUNK LOCK SET
KIT-DH-4	65-7 MUSTANG DOOR & WINDOW HANDLE KIT
B7A-7022624-A	64-67 MUSTANG DOOR HANDLE/CRANK SPRING
C7ZZ-6522404-5P	67-8 MUSTANG DOOR HANDLES SHOW QUALITY
C3AZ-5422841-A	64-70 MUSTANG DOOR HINGE BUSHING
C5AZ-6221952-AR	67-73 MUSTANG OE LOCK ROD RETAINER
C5AZ-6221850-A	67 MUSTANG DOOR LOCK KNOBS
C5DZ-6221999-B	64-70 MUSTANG DOOR LOCK KNOB GROMMET
C2AZ-6223030-K	64-68 MUSTANG DOOR BUMPER SET
DT-1	64-9 MUSTANG DOOR TAG PLATE W/RIVETS
C7ZZ-6520588/9B	67-68 MUSTANG FRONT DOOR TO WINDOW SEAL
C7ZZ-6521458/9S	67-68 MUSTANG WINDOW CHANNEL STRIPS
C5ZZ-6521762	64-8 MUSTANG DOOR GLASS STOP BUMPR
C7ZZ-6523200-AR	67 MUSTANG RH WINDOW REGULATOR(REPRO)
C7ZZ-6523201-AR	67 MUSTANG LH WINDOW REGULATOR (REPRO)
C7AZ-17696-ER	1967 MUSTANG REMOTE MIRROR SHOW QUAL
C7ZZ-6520530/1A	67-68 MUSTANG DOOR WEATHERSTRIP
C5ZZ-6551222/3C	64-66 MUSTANG ROOF RAIL SEAL (COUPE)

Mustang Vent Window Parts List

C6OZ-6322280	67-8 MUSTANG VENT WINDOW/DR WEATH STRP
C6OZ-6522916/7A	1967 MUSTANG VENT WINDOW HANDLES PAIR
C7ZZ-6521448-AR	67-68 MUSTANG R.H. VENT WINDOW SEAL
C7ZZ-6521449-AR	67-68 MUSTANG L.H. VENT WINDOW SEAL
C7ZZ-6522332/3	67-8 MUSTANG VENT FRAME TO DOOR SEALS
C7ZZ-6521546/7A	67-8 MUSTANG WINDOW CHANNEL GLASS RUNS

Mustang Quarter Windows Parts List

C5ZZ-6530306-L	64-67 MUSTANG LH QTR WINDOW REGULATOR
C5ZZ-6530306-R	64-67 MUSTANG RH QTR WINDOW REGULATOR
C0AB-6423240-B	64-68 MUSTANG WINDOW ROLLER & CLIP
C5ZZ-6530146-B	64-68 MUSTANG RH QTR. WINDOW SEAL
C5ZZ-6530147-B	64-68 MUSTANG LH QTR. WINDOW SEAL
C7ZZ-6528182/3	67-68 MUSTANG QTR. WINDOW TO BODY SEAL

Mustang Windshield and Back Window Parts List

C7ZZ-6542404	67-8 MUSTANG COUPE REAR WINDOW MOLDING
C5ZZ-6503137-BR	64-68 MUSTANG LH WINDSHIELD MLDG EXC.CNV(REP0
C5ZZ-6503145-BR	64-68 MUSTANG LH UPPER WINDSHIELD MILDING (REPO)
C5ZZ-6503144-BR	64-68 MUSTANG RH UPPER WINDSHIELD MILDING (REPO)
C5ZZ-6503136-BR	64-68 MUSTANG RH WINDSHIELD MILDING EXC.CNV(REPO
C5ZZ-6503148-BR	64-68 MUSTANG LOWER WINDSHIELD MILDING (REPRO)
C7ZZ-65423A26-A	67-8 MUSTANG REAR WINDOW MOLDING RET. CLIP
C5ZZ-65423A26-B	66-68 MUSTANG MOLDING RETAINER CLIP
C6ZZ-6503100-T	65-68 MUSTANG WINDSHIELD TINTED
C5ZZ-6542006-T	64-68 MUSTANG COUPE BACK GLASS TINTED

While I wait for my next order of parts to arrive for the Door and Window restoration I've got some down time. I take this free time to start on some of the smaller restoration projects for my classic Mustang; the windshield wipers is one of those projects.

I don't have any of the new parts here yet for the windshield wipers like the wiper arm and blade kit, washer hose, washer nozzles, washer bag, and pump pedal pad but I'm going to go ahead and get started since the new parts will just go on the shelf next to the restored assembly.

I've disassembled my windshield wiper assembly by removing the wiper motor trans arms and wiper motor from the mounting bracket; and I have the washer pump and hardware all laid out ready to restore.

The mounting bracket, trans arms, washer pump and hardware all get ran through the bead blaster and receive the proper paint and protection. 

 

The Wiper motor itself is cleaned up, sanded and then painted with a coat of primer and then semi flat black. Running the wiper motor through the bead blaster is something that would probably cause problems later down the road.

 

 

 

The wiper pump will receive a new washer hose kit, but I'll still probably clean these up just to see if they are in good useable condition. The wiper pump gets taped off so glass bead does not get into the pump and then its bead blasted and painted semi flat black, the diaphragm is taped off so black paint does not get on it.

 

 

 

This task took me just a few hours to complete, including cleaning painting and assembly, and its done so I can check it off of my list. I'm still waiting for my next shipment for the doors and windows, so I'm going to see if I can find another small project... maybe the fuel system?

 

 

 

Windshield Wiper and Washer Parts

C7ZZ-17A475-BL	67-70 MUSTANG WIPER PIVOT SEALS LEATHER
C7ZZ-17603-A	67-68 MUSTANG WASHER NOZZLE (PAIR)
C7ZZ-17601/5	67-68 MUSTANG WASHER HOSE KIT
C7ZZ-17664-P	67-68 MUSTANG WASHER PUMP PEDAL PAD
C1AZ-17618-D	66-67 MUSTANG WASHER BAG (GOLD LOGO)
KIT-WIP-6	66-8 MUSTANG WINDSHIELD WIPER ARM/BLADE

I've decided to begin the restoration process with the interior of my Mustang. I've ordered all of my parts. I've broken down the interior into task based project groups and I'm ready to get started.

Supplies that were used during this phase of the restoration consist of various spay paints including primer, semi flat black, satin clear, dull aluminum and interior paint. I also needed some scotch bright pads, 600 grit sand paper, steel wool shop rags and tools.

Heater core assembly, air vent and controls

Restoring a Classic Mustang heater assembly is not that complicated and can be done in an afternoon if you have all of your parts and supplies in order.

Heater core restoration

The heater assembly needs to be taken apart so the housing can be cleaned, painted and have new gaskets installed.

 

Opening up the heater box is really easy, all you have to do is remove the heater box clamps that hold the assembly housing together; place the tip of a standard screw driver in the slot on the clip and apply a little leverage to remove it.

After the heater box assembly is apart I remove the air flow directional control and then scrape all of the old gaskets off.

If your fortunate enough to have a blast cabinet as I am, you can bead blast the heater assembly to remove old paint and rust and also give the housing a refreshed and consistent look.

Once the heater assembly housings have been cleaned I spray a light coat of clear satin to all surfaces for protection and beautification, after that the housing pieces are taped off in preparation for painting the semi flat black surfaces like the heater door and blower housing.

Now that this Mustang heater assembly looks like a new factory original I need to install new gaskets included with the heater seal kit I ordered. The seal kit comes with illustrations and basic instruction.

     

Heater blower motor

Don't make this mistake! I wanted to remove the squirrel cage from my heater blower motor.. we'll I blew this one up, as you can see from the photo the armature shaft is sticking out of the back of the motor housing; the result of using a hammer instead of my head.

 

 

Air vent assembly and defroster ducts restoration

Restoring the air vent assembly and defroster ducts is one of the easier tasks to complete, just some cleaning, bead blasting and painting. The air vent cable should be removed from the assembly and restored separately from the vent itself; I needed to preserve the chrome parts of the cable and treat the knob to a fresh coat of polyurethane clear, the air vent and defrost ducts get a light sprits of satin clear to complete the restoration.

Heater controls restoration

The heater controls will receive new knobs and cables, the rest of the original assembly has to be cleaned up to restore some luster to the control arms; if the control arms are in decent shape you can shine them up using super fine steel wool.

   

 

Heater Related Parts List

C7ZZ-18519-AK	1967 MUSTANG HEATER CONTROL KNOB SET
C5ZZ-18500-C	65-68 MUSTANG HEATER CORE END CAPS NON AC
C7ZZ-6501934-A	67-68 MUSTANG  AIR VENT ASSEMBLY
C7ZZ-18500-A	67-68 MUSTANG  HEATER SEAL KIT W/OUT AC
C2OZ-6501999	64-68 MUSTANG LH AIR VENT GASKET
C5ZZ-18472-W	MUSTANG ORIG HEATER HOSE (WT STRIPE)
372850-S	64-70 MUSTANG DEFROSTER DUCT CLIPS
B5A-18556-C	64-70 MUSTANG DEFROSTER HOSE
C7ZZ-18518-A	67-68 MUSTANG W/O AC HEATER CABLE SET
C5ZZ-18A569-A	64-70 MUSTANG HEATER INLET GASKET
C5ZZ-18471-A	64-70 MUSTANG HEATER CHAMBER PLENUM
C5ZZ8287-8 4-66	67-68 MUSTANG 289 HOSE CLAMP SET 4-66
C5DZ-18476-A	MUSTANG HEATER CORE

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Mustang dash and related

This task based group is set up to cover all of the dash panel related items including the switches and knobs, radio, glove box, ash tray, instrument cluster and dash panels. A large chunk of the dash related items will be new so I won't be restoring any of those items, they include the dash pad, instrument and radio bezels and knobs.

 

Dash panels

The dash panels will be replaced with a new three piece set, however there is one items that does not come with this set that you may have overlooked as I did; the dash panel emblem. This piece can be cleaned up and restored if its nice enough or you can purchase a new one. The new one is adhesive backed for easy installation. The old one, if I can restore it; has to have the tabs bent over on it.

Instrument panel restoration

I begin the restoration by removing the instrument bezel from the instrument gauge cluster so I can remove the light tubes and instrument lens retaining rings. The cardboard tubes you find inside your old instrument cluster need to be reused along with any rubber ant rattles that you find. The lens retaining rings an be cleaned or repainted so they are as good as new.

   

 

After restoring the lens retaining rings I can install the new instrument lens set into the new instrument bezel. You will want to be careful when handling the lenses, they scratch easily and you want to avoid having to clean them.

Don't throw away your old instrument lens set, you may need the clock delete button that goes on the center lens

 

 

The instrument gauges themselves may need some cleaning and freshening up. To clean the gauge faces you can use a quality glass cleaner or wax and grease remover along with a soft cloth like a 100% cotton diaper.

The gauge needles almost always need a fresh coat of bright orange paint, find a good match and then take extra care to make sure you don't get paint where you don't want it

 

My Mustang instrument cluster is now as good as new and ready to be installed.

   

Glove box restoration

Restoring the glove box door is the main component of this task. I bead blasted the entire glove box and the glove box hinge, as well as lightly blasting the hardware even though I will probably end up with the complete interior fastener kit. I applied a few coats of black primer, sanded the glove box and then painted it with the correct black metallic charcoal paint; I also used this paint on the new ash tray.

I completed the restoration by installing a new glove box insert, glove box button bezel and glove box latch.

   

Dash Related Parts List

C6OB-62060A12	67-68 MUSTANG GLOVE BOX DOOR BEZEL
C7ZZ-6506010-A	67-68 MUSTANG GLOVE BOX PLASTIC
380239-S	67-70 MUSTANG GLOVE BOX DOOR BUMPER
C5ZZ-14413-A	64-68 MUSTANG GLOVE SWITCH WITH LIGHT
C6DZ-6506072-A	1967-68 MUSTANG GLOVE BOX LATCH
C7ZZ-10838-C	67 MUSTANG INSTRUMENT BEZEL BLACK
C7ZZ-10887-A/C	67-68 MUSTANG INSTRUMENT LENS SETS
C4VY-10B870-B-8	INSTR.PANEL FILTER BLUE SET/8
C7ZZ-6504410-K	67-68 MUSTANG DASH PANEL 3 PIECE SET
C7AZ-15052-K	67-70 MUSTANG CIGARETTE LIGHTER
C4AZ-15055-B	64-70 MUSTANG LIGHTER SOCKET & RET.
C7ZZ-6204810-A	67 MUSTANG DASH ASH TRAY - WONT FIT 68
C8ZZ-18842-AR	67-68 MUSTANG RADIO BEZEL W/O CONSOLE
C0AZ-13763-A	64-66 MUSTANG UNDERDASH LAMP BRACKET
C6OZ-11584-A	67-68 MUSTANG IGNITION BEZEL
C7ZZ-11650-A	67-8 MUSTANG HEADLIGHT SWITCH RETAINER
C7ZZ-10852-A	67-68 MUSTANG LIGHT SWITCH BEZEL
C7ZZ-11661-A	67-8 MUSTANG LIGHT SWITCH KNOB
C7ZZ-11A590-B	67-8 MUSTANG IGNITION SWITCH RETAINER
C7ZZ-6504290-BK	67-68 MUSTANG BLACK DASH PAD-USA
C7ZZ-6504292-BK	67-68 MUSTANG LOWER INST.PANEL PAD-BLK
L-4464	67-73 MUSTANG LACQ MET.BLACK CHARCOAL

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Steering Wheel and Related

This restoration project tackles the steering column and turn signal switch; the steering wheel and steering wheel hub emblem and trim where both backordered at the time and will have to be covered later.

Steering column restoration

I completely disassembled the steering column, cleaned and sanded it and then put a fresh coat of primer and painted it with the same black charcoal metallic interior paint I used for the glove box.  The steering shaft itself was cleaned up using a wire wheel.

 

After letting the paint cure for several hours I set up to reassemble the restored steering column and outfit it with a new turn signal switch.

To install the new turn signal switch I used a trick that many people overlook and its quite simple. Before you try to run the new turn signal switch wires through the column you should run a string or some wire through and then secure the new wires to it to assist in feeding the turn signal wiring into the column.

I needed to refer to the exploded view illustration manual when it came time to reassemble the column.

The new turn signal switch required the use of the old connector, see the Mustang How To article How To Install a Mustang Turn Signal Switch for details on this procedure.

    

Steering Wheel Parts List

C7ZZ-13305-A	67-73 MUSTANG DIRECTIONAL LIGHT LEVER
C7ZZ-13341-F	1967 MUSTANG TURN SIG.SWITCH W/O TILT
C7OZ-17513-A	67 MUSTANG EMERGENCY FLASHER KNOB
C7ZZ-3600-BK	67 MUSTANG BLACK STEERING WHEEL
C7ZZ-13A805-A	67 MUSTANG STANDARD WHEEL HORN RING
C7ZZ-3649/56-K	67 MUSTANG STEERING WHEEL EMBLEM AND TRIM
C6OZ-3564	64-67 MUSTANG STEERING COLUMN/BOX INSULATOR
B5S-3512	65-67 MUSTANG STEERING COLUMN/FLOOR GROMMET
C7ZZ-3513	67-68 MUSTANG STEER COLUMN/FIREWALL SL
L-4464	67-73 MUSTANG LACQ MET.BLACK CHARCOAL

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Floors - Seat Belts and Shifter

There are only two things on the interior floor of the Mustang that I need to restore, all of the other items where purchased new.

The shifter assembly is one of the parts that I need to restore the other is the seat belts. 

Shift assembly restoration

The shifter housing and lower selector arm received the bead blast treatment and then got a light dusting of paint to preserve the new finish; then the assembly was completed with all new parts including bushings, selector lever, shift cover, shift handle, indicator lamp and plug.

Before I buttoned everything up I made sure that my shifter was adjusted so it works correctly the first time its installed.

Running the adjuster nut up the threads a few times should be done before you install the shift lever into the housing for final adjustment.

 

      

Seat belt restoration

Mustang seat belts are fairly easy to restore if they are functional and in good condition. Old seat belts typically need a thorough cleaning with a strong cleaner, and the chrome freshened up with a little super fine steel wool.

To restore this set of belts I used a few methods of cleaning including lacquer thinner, degreaser and steel wool. After the belts are dried out they will get some treatments with black vinyl die and a light dusting of clear satin on the seat retractor covers.

Floor Parts List

382627-K	64-73 MUSTANG CHROME SEAT BELT BOLT KT
MUST-6768-C	67-68 MUSTANG FIREWALL INSULATOR KIT
C5ZZ-6513086-BK	65-66 MUSTANG PONY FLOOR MATS BLACK
C7ZZ-65-WS	67-68 MUSTANG WATERSHIELD (COUPE)
CAR65-CP-BK	65-68 MUSTANG COUPE CARPET (BLACK)
UL-CP	64-68 MUSTANG COUPE UNDERLAY KIT 8 PC
C5ZZ-7A133-A	64-73 MUSTANG AUTO SHIFT BUSHING
C5ZZ-7210-A	64-66 MUSTANG AUTO SHIFT LEVER
C5ZZ-7370	65-66 MUSTANG TRANS SHFT HOUSNG SEAL
C7ZZ-7D394-P	67-68 MUSTANG CONCOURSE SHIFT COVER ASY
52720-SK	64-68 MUSTANG AUTO SHIFT COVR SCREW KT
1893	64-73 SMUSTANG HIFT INDECATOR RADIO BULB
C8OZ-7213-BK	67-73 MUSTANG DLX SHIFT HANDLE BLACK
C7ZZ-15A808-A	67-68 MUSTANG SHIFTER LAMP W/O CONSOLE
C5ZZ-7C147-B	65-73 MUSTANG SHIFT POD BOLT PLUG

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Seats

There is not a whole lot that I can do to the seats other than restore the seat tracks and get all of the new hardware together. I could install the new seat cushions and seat upholstery but I have decided to sub it out to a professional.

Seat Track Restoration

I was contemplating bead blasting the seat track assemblies, but decided it was best to prepare them with a wire wheel. The seat adjuster knob should be taped up and protected from the wire wheel unless you want to purchase new pieces.

After a run on the wire wheel and a degreaser cleaning I painted the seat tracks with semi flat black paint. The adjuster knobs were re-taped prior to painting; after the paint cured the adjuster knobs get a coat of clear urethane.

      

Mustang seats parts list

C7ZZ-65616167MK	1967 MUSTANG SEAT SIDE SHIELD MNT KIT
373249-S	65-73 MUSTANG SEAT HINGE WASHER
352358-SK	64-70 MUSTANG SEAT RETAINER CLIP SET
C5ZZ-6561692/3B	64-67 MUSTANG SEAT HINGE COVERS BLK PR
67CP-S-FULL-BK	67 MUSTANG STD. UPHOLSTERY (BLACK)
C1DZ-6461643	65-67 MUSTANG SEAT BACK ADJ. KIT
C7ZZ-6560050/1S	67 MUSTANG STD. SEAT CUSHION'S

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Interior Trim

This task does not involve a lot of restoration or assembly of any kind, just some time, effort and some painting.

I really only have two items to restore; the interior quarter panels and the dash pad trim panels. Both of these items should be stripped of existing paint, if you only sand the quarter panels and do not strip the paint you may begin to loose the grain pattern with every additional coat of new paint. 

 

   

Interior trim parts list

KIT-67Z-65A	1967 MUSTANG COUPE STD INT FASTNER KIT
B2A-7029025-A	64-66 MUSTANG CV & 67 CP COAT HOOKS
C5ZZ-6546656	64-68 MUSTANG PACKAGE TRAY
C5ZZ-6513208-BP	65-68 MUSTANG CONCOURSE REPRO DR SILL
C7ZZ-6513208-T	67-73 MUSTANG DOOR SILL SCUFF TAG
HL-CP-PAD	64-68 MUSTANG HDLINER INSULATION PAD CP
HL-FM-CP-65-BK	65-70 MUSTANG COUPE HEADLINER BLACK
C5ZZ-6552136/7	65-68 MUSTANG HEADLINER PILLAR TRIM SET
C7ZZ-6504104-BK	67-68 MUSTANG CP/FB SUNVISOR (BLACK)
C7AZ-6204144-A	67-70 MUSTANG SUN VISOR BRACKET & ROD
D1DZ-6204115-A	64-73 MUSTANG SUN VISOR TIPS
C5ZZ-6502906-BK	64-68 MUSTANG WINDLACE BLACK
C5ZZ-6545728	64-68 MUSTANG REAR SEAT DIVIDER
C7ZZ-17690-A	67 MUSTANG INSIDE REAR VIEW MIRROR ARM
C7ZZ-17700-A	67 MUSTANG DAY/NIGHT R/V MIRROR
C7ZZ-65023445BK	67-68 MUSTANG CP&FB KICK PANELS-BLACK
C7ZZ-6503598-BK	67-68 MUSTANG W/S PILLER PAD R.H. BLK.
C7ZZ-6503599-BK	67-68 MUSTANG W/S PILLER PAD L.H. BLK.
L-4464	67-73 MUSTANG LACQ MET.BLACK CHARCOAL

When you receive your shipments of classic Mustang parts you should unpack your order and verify the contents are in good undamaged condition and check off the contents of the order against the packing slip.

If you have any parts that have been damaged you should notify the company you purchased the parts from within 24 hours; this will help speed up the process of receiving a replacement.

If your order was shipped with a freight carrier (typically sheet metal is shipped by this mode), you should unpack your parts while the driver is present to make sure nothing is damaged. If something is damaged you can refuse the part and make sure that the bill of lading is noted with the damage. If you do not discover and note damage and you sign off on delivery then your chances of getting a refund or replacement go way down.

I've been ordering my parts based on the requirements of my project groups as explained in Planning and Organizing Your Restoration; unpacking my parts and organizing them into these project groups will speed up the process of verifying the packing slip to see if anything is missing, on backorder or damaged.

My first shipment is for the interior group and should contain parts for these interior project groups: Dash, Floor, Heater/AC, Seats, Steering and Trim. After unpacking and separating the parts into the perspective project groups I can then riffle through verifying the packing slip quickly.

If you have a helper to call out the parts on the list its even faster and more fun; this is a good time to get your son or daughter involved and they'll probably look forward to helping you with the next shipment.

Once the packing slip is verified you will need to find a place to put the new Mustang parts. Your old parts may be occupying most of your shelf space and you may be a little perplexed as to where to put the new stuff.

Since I started with the interior group I can make some space available by sending the seats out to the upholstery shop to have the seat cushions and seat covers installed, I'll move them off the shelf now so I can use the space to store my new parts.

 

 

You will notice that the shelves will start to condense since you new parts are in boxes and packaging, this will continue as you progress. To further condense the shelves I try to put related items into existing packaging as shown in the Glove Box photo.

 

 

 

Although I have shelved all the new classic Mustang parts I will soon begin pulling them out again as I restore existing components.

I've got some interior restoration to do so I'll get started on that and then order the next group of parts some time mid stream and then repeat this process again.

Now its time to do something with all those parts that were removed and shelved back when you disassembled your Mustang. If you shelved your parts in groups as I did back in Section 2. Mustang Disassembly then your pretty organized which will make things a lot easier during this planning and procedures phase of the restoration.

 

This phase is one of the most time consuming and laborious steps to get through, but the results should be very rewarding when the project is complete.

Throughout this section I will reorganize the parts into projects and task based groups that will be more manageable and easier to execute. This approach will keep things focused and task based allowing me to budget each group, locate and purchase parts, restore the group and ultimately concentrate on assembly when the Mustang returns from the body shop. I'll also have my parts needs sourced out so I can plan on dealing with any backorders that may put hold up the progress.

Knowing what Classic Mustang parts may be on backorder ahead of schedule is nice. If you're planning your restoration and want to know; send AAPD.NET your parts list and they'll get back to you with stock status.

I've come up with a ten step process to sum it up.

1. Regroup parts into task based projects
2. Photograph project group
3. Inspect and build parts list for the group
4. Don't forget supplies and tools
5. Shelve the group
6. Validate parts list new/used
7. Locate and purchase parts
8. Restore the group
9. Shelve the group
10. Assemble the Mustang

I ran steps 1-6 above on the first couple of groups and then placed my first order for the interior group, then repeated 1-6 on the remaining parts while my initial order was on its way from the parts warehouse to me.

Major advantages

• Dirty work is done while Mustang is at the paint shop
• Parts are sourced out ahead of time so you can deal with backorders
• I can focus on assembly when the Mustang returns
• Allows me to budget by project group
• It's task based so it stays organized

The interior group will be the first to be restored and posted to this section followed by the rest of the groups in some sensible order that I have not determined yet. Below is the list of project groups I've already staged up to step six above.

• Brakes (Pedal, Front Brakes, Rear Brakes)
• Decals
• Doors and Windows (Doors, Quarter window, vent window, windshields)
• Electrical (Engine, Headlight and Turn Signals, Interior, Tail Lamps)
• Drive Train (Engine, Transmission, Exhaust, Cooling)
• Exterior (Bumpers, Emblems and Molding, Grill)
• Fuel System
• Hardware
• Interior (Heater, Dash, Floor, Seats, Steering, Trim)
• Rubber
• Steering and Suspension
• Supplies
• Trunk
• Wheels
• Wiper