Are your seatbelts worn and faded? Have the original belts been replaced with aftermarket belts? Are you changing the interior color of your restoration project? Whatever your motivation, seatbelts are an essential component of your interior. Poor seatbelts can detract from your interior's appearance. In this instruction we will cover the process for restoring your seatbelts to virtually brand new condition.

I wanted the seatbelts in my 1966 Mustang restoration project to have the appearance of original factory seatbelts. Unfortunately, my car no longer had the original seatbelts when I purchased it. I searched for original equipment belts but the prices for a full set of belts and seat belt hardware were far more than I wanted to spend. I shopped on eBay for used seat belts but everything I found was dirty, stained and not even the right color. After searching without success for a couple of months I decided to compromise and purchase aftermarket buckles and new webbing to complete my interior.

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Featuring over 9000 quality products from Scott Drake Mustang; the world's largest manufacturer of reproduction parts for classic Mustangs. Shop Now!

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Shortly after my aftermarket buckles arrived I found a complete set of original equipment Mustang seatbelts on eBay. The color of the original Mustang seat belts did not match my interior but I had discovered that I could successfully vinyl dye the plastic shell on the original buckles through experimentation with the after market buckles I had already ordered. I knew then that I could match the original equipment belts to my new interior.

When the original equipment belts arrived the metal hardware had 45 years of tarnish and rust. The plastic clamshells looked just as bad. I thought that maybe I had made a mistake in trying to restore these old seatbelt. I realized that more work would be required if I wanted to use the hardware from the original belts. Even if you have the original belts and they are the correct color for your interior you will still want to clean them up before you put them back into service.

Before you begin taking the belts apart take a good look at how they are put together. Measure the length of each belt. Notice the orientation of the mounts for front seat belts and back seat belts. If you have a camera take photos of how the belts are stitched together. You'll be thankful for this reference later on when you get ready to sew the belts back together with your new webbing.

My seatbelts measured the following approximate lengths, NOT counting the webbing that was folded back and sewn together at the ends:

Front seat metal flat piece (fixed length clasp): 22.5"
Front seat plastic clamshell (adjustable length buckle): 34.0"
Back seat metal flat piece (fixed length clasp): 18.5"
Back seat plastic clamshell (adjustable length buckle): 40.0"

NOTE: When you cut your new webbing be sure to allow about two extra inches on each end of the belts for sewing the ends.

Your first task is to disassemble the belts to clean up the metal and plastic surfaces. Again, make sure you have thoroughly documented how the belts go back together. For the 1966 standard interior seatbelts the plastic clamshell buckles are secured by pins on each side where the buckle pivots. The pins must be pushed or driven out to disassemble the buckle. A punch, ice pick, or even a long nail can be used to drive out the pins with a hammer or mallet. Patience is a requirement for this task. I spent over 30 minutes trying to get the first pin out. Once I learned the correct technique (by process of trial and error) the other pins came out much more easily. The pins only need to be tapped out just a bit so you can get a grasp on the head and extract the pins with pliers or the nail puller of the hammer. Be careful when extracting the soft aluminum pins. They can be bent and damaged by too much force. I ended up ruining a couple of pins that simply refused to budge. Fortunately, substitute pins can be fashioned with #10/32 5/8" stainless steel screws. In a later illustration you can see one seat belt where I used stainless screws in lieu of the original pins which were too damaged to reuse.

All the metal pieces can go into a tumbler with a mild abrasive to remove the rust and polish the metal surfaces. If you don't have access to a tumbler then use fine grade steel wool to remove the rust and tarnish. You will be pleasantly surprised with the cleaned up pieces. I hit the cleaned metal hardware with a coat of clear lacquer to protect the metal and slow the process of future rust and tarnish. I cut pieces of paper to cover the knurled piece that the webbing slides on from the lacquer clear coat.

   

 

The plastic pieces will need cleaning too. Hot water and dish washing detergent is the cleaner of choice here. Rubber gloves and a cleaning brush can be used to hand scrub each piece multiple times. Again, you will be surprised and pleased with the how much dirt and grime will come off with a good cleaning.

I set the plastic pieces out in the sun to dry before spray painting vinyl dye spray paint. Don't rush the painting process. Don't try to entirely cover the pieces on the first or the second or even the third coat. Experience is the best instructor and experience has taught me that 10 very light coats of spray paint yields far better results than one or two thick coats. Hold the spray can about 12 inches away and keep the spray moving quickly all the time. Remember, spray many light coats. To make the clamshells really stand out I added several top coats of clear lacquer. The clear coats appear to help protect and harden the vinyl dye finish. Clear coats also add a shine to the dyed finish which has a rather dull finish without clear coating. Let the painted surfaces dry completely overnight.

  

New webbing in most major colors is widely available over the Internet. Domestic webbing will be delivered much quicker but it will cost more, too. If you have the luxury of time (I'm talking about nearly 4 weeks) and you don't mind buying webbing from Hong Kong or mainland China you can get replacement webbing for a real bargain. You will also need heavy duty thread, as heavy as you can find. If you are not picky about the color you can probably find black heavy duty thread at an upholstery or awning shop. As each length of new webbing is cut you should run a match or lighter across the cut edge to melt the thin polyester threads and prevent fraying. Move the flame quickly so you don't melt too much. You will pick up the proper touch with just a few attempts.

You may need a heavy duty sewing machine to sew through the folded layers of webbing. I volunteered my wife, an experienced seamstress to sew my new webbing. I gave her the thread, I cut the webbing to length, I even handed her each piece and showed her exactly how it was to be sewn. I also took her out to dinner the next night for helping me out. It was a win-win situation for both of us. If you can't enlist your wife or sew yourself contact an upholstery shop or awning shop that has a commercial grade heavy duty sewing machine.

Your new seatbelts will look great and you will enjoy them in your favorite pony for many years.

 

Copyright 2012, Robert B. Whitaker, all rights reserved

 

After 40 plus years of operation the outside door handles on a Classic Mustang will not only look pretty drab and dull, they'll operate poorly and should be replaced. This article will show you how to do the installation; it's fairly easy to do it yourself.

 

We'll be using quality Scott Drake parts for this demonstration provided by none other than Average Joe Restoration Mustang Parts. The installation is performed on a 1967 Mustang but it is the same procedures for 1965-1966, 1968 and 1969 and 1970 Mustangs; 1970-73 Mustang door handle are a flush mount - lift style but the operational principals are the same.

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How the door handle works

When you push the button on the outside door handle it operates a bell crank, that is attached to a rod that operates the door latch. Put all these things in motion and they release the latch from the door latch striker.

 

You can adjust the push button depth so the door opens with a shallow or deep push.

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Removing the old door handles

You will have to get inside the door so you can access the attaching hardware and latch rod connection; this means that you will have to remove the inside door handle and window crank, the door panel and possibly a moisture barrier or water shield. When you have all of these goodies removed, roll the window up all the way and then reach inside the door body to get a good idea of where the attacking point are.

1. Unclip the door latch rod retainer clip at the bell crank with a flat tip screw driver
2. Remove the nut from the stud
3. Remove the screw from the handle
4. Pull the door handle up and out. You may have to give the handle a slight twisting motion to remove it.

 

Your old door handle may have a factory rod clip, you can use the new aftermarket one supplied with the new handles or buy new door latch rod retainer clips.

 

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Door handle Installation

 

 

Before you install the door handle you should do a trial run on the hardware installation to make sure the screws and nuts install without problems - check once / install once.

 

The door handle stud will remain attached to the door handle for installation. Screw in the stud at the handle end, finger tight.

 

Installation Steps

1. Place the door handle pads into position
2. Slide the bell crank portion of the handle into the door first, with a slight twist; then the handle end with the stud
3. Attach the door handle screw, finger tight
4. Inside the door body, attach the retaining nut to the stud
5. Check you door handle pads position and then tighten up the nut and screw
6. Place the door latch rod and seat the retaining clip.

 

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Purchase all of the parts featured here from Average Joe Restoration Mustang Parts

• outside door handles
• door latch
• door latch rod retainer clip
• door latch striker
• door panels
• window crank

If your daily driver is showing it’s age you can restore your gas cap, emblems, and instrument bezels to original condition.

 

By Robert B. Whitaker, copyright 2012, all rights reserved.

 

Turn this worn out fuel cap	Into this cleaned up original

One of the great things about a vintage Mustang restoration project is that replacement parts are available from Average Joe Restoration Mustang Parts.  anyone who has  restored a vintage Mustang knows that small parts can add up to big money.  Even if you are fortunate enough to restore a car completely intact you will notice that emblems, bezels, and gas caps that are over 40 years old will look worn and dated.

If your classic Mustang emblems are showing their age they can be restored to factory new appearance by following these instructions. 

Materials list

• fine and super fine steel wool
• enamel modeling paint (red, white, blue, and black)
• tiny modeling brushes for paint application
• blue painters tape or masking tape

Gas Cap Restoration

Because of their size fuel caps are fairly easy to work on.  They are also a good test piece to try out before moving on to smaller and more difficult pieces.

For 66 Mustangs the gas cap is attached with a cable bolted to the car.  A 7/16" socket is needed to unbolt the cap.

Start out by giving the gas cap a thorough polishing with fine or superfine steel wool.  You'll be surprised at how good your gas cap will look just with steel wool polishing.  Spend enough time to work the wool into every tiny surface you can reach. Next, tape off any areas needing protection before applying paint.  For gas caps and emblems I use enamel modeling paint and the tiniest paint brushes I can find at the hobby store. Make sure your modeling paint is stirred to a consistent blend before you begin.

With the right amount of paint loaded on your brush (about a drop) you can cause your paint to flow into and fill the paint recesses and cavities by capillary action.  You will want a fairly thick layer of paint to fill the cavity.  A second or third coating may be needed for complete coverage and paint saturation.

Don’t worry if you get paint on the chrome surface or on the edges between the paint cavities (as you can see in the photos above.)  Let the paint dry over night.

After the paint dries you can clean up the over flow.  My finger nails were hard enough to remove excess paint on the chrome dividing bars just by sliding across the top surface.  A knife or razor blade can also be used to scrape away the excess paint.  Finish the clean up with fine steel wool.  With the surface paint removed your recessed letters should stand out just like new. You will be quite pleased with the results. A light coat of clear spray lacquer can be applied to preserve the new finish.

Instrument Bezel Restoration

For restoring the paint on my interior control knobs I used a slightly different technique with spray paint.  First polish the bezels with steel wool.  Then mask off everything except the surface directly surrounding the letters to be painted.  Next, hit the surface with heavy shot of spray paint.  While the spray paint is still wet rub the surface with a soft cloth or paper towel to remove most of the surface paint.  The paint in the cavities of the letters is unaffected.  Finish with another polishing of super fine steel wool to remove any remaining surface paint after the paint is thoroughly dry.

Attention to small details like this will make your old emblems look factory new.

Contact:  Robert B. Whitaker

© 2012, all rights reserved

1967 Mustang headlamp bucket assembly is actually pretty easy to do and the procedure is similar for 1965 and 1966 Mustangs as well as the 1969 and 1970 Mustang.

This How To features the new Scott Drake Ford Licensed Halogen Headlights with authentic FoMoCo markings.

 

Parts List and Tools

Mustang Headlamp (FoMoCo) 7 inch Round Halogen Sealed Beam

Now available from Scott Drake, FoMoCo Halogen Headlamps featuring authentic Ford markings and upgraded Halogen performance. Product ID C0DZ-13007-A

67-68 Mustang Headlamp Bucket Assembly

Reproduction headlamp bucket assembly. Kit contains most mounting hardware. Product ID C7ZZ-13008-CR and Product ID C7ZZ-13008-CR

67-68 Mustang Headlamp Assembly Mount Kit

A complete kit to mount a 1967 and 1968 headlamp assembly to the fender, everything you need. Sold each, it takes two per car. Product ID C7ZZ-13008-MK

 

 

Tools

• Philips screw driver
• Headlight bucket spring hook or a coat hanger

See "Classic Mustang Tool Discussion - It’s Tool Time!" for other specialty tools

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Part inspection

Inspecting your parts before having them painted may turn over some needed repairs, alignment or finish details that need to be corrected.

Below are a few thing that I discovered while preparing this article

Notice the large square holes in the bucket, there should be three of them. These OEM, off the shelf Ford replacements did not have the third hole punched out. I drilled a series of 1/8 inch holes along the break point seam, once I had a nice beak line I grabbed a pair of pliers to to break the rest of the seam and the piece came out.

This part also needed to be filed in a few areas; the head light bucket spring attaching point had some material left over from the casting process that would have created an installation problem after final paint. The square holes for plastic headlamp door nuts also needed to be cleaned up.  

 

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Hardware installation

Insert the plastic headlamp door nuts

 

 

Insert into the bucket so they are nearly flush with the surfaces.

I had to do a little bit of filing on a few of the square holes where the inserts go; they where just not big enough for the plastic nuts to go in all the way.

 

 

 

Install the headlamp adjusters into the bucket assembly.

 

 

These install from the backside of the bucket with the screw heads facing forward, if you've never assembled one of these you may be a little perplexed if you try to install them from the front side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Head light Bulb Bucket Installation

Install the head light bucket into the housing.

 

 

This part has two slotted flanges that correspond to the slots on the adjuster screws, it's design is so you can install this piece by sliding it into place however, I prefer to remove one of the adjuster screws completely, slide the bucket onto the adjuster that remained attached and then place the one I had removed.

 

 

The slots in the tabs on the headlight bucket are aligned with the groove in the screw heads and the spring is inserted as shown below:

 

Install the head light bucket spring

 

 

There is a specific tool for this job (see tools MM), but if you don't have one you can use a wire hanger to get the job done. Hook on end of the spring to the hole in the bucket, be sure that the spring is positioned so the hook end will properly attach to the bucket assembly.

 

 

 

 

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Headlight bulb installation

 

Install the headlight trim ring screws in to three tabs in the headlight bucket, only screw them in about half way. Place Headlight bulb into the bucket, install the ring as shown, give it a twist and tighten up the screws. The last step is to install the headlight door, you may want to wait until you get the bulbs aligned properly before installing these especially if they have final paint on them.

 

 

 

 

Today I had a question from a fellow reader about removing the trim around the windshield of his Mustang; the question:

How is the trim around the windshield held in place? Presumably by some sort of clip, but what kind and how to remove the trim without destroying it? Are replacement clips available?

The trim is held in place with molding retainer clips. There are several options for clips depeding on the year of your Ford Mustang and if the clips are for the windshiled or the back window.

1965 Mustang uses the same clip for both the front and rear window Part #: C5ZZ-65423A26-A

1966-1968 Use the same clip for the front and rear window (Part #: C5ZZ-65423A26-B) with one exception: The 67-68 coupe has a specific clip for the rear top molding Part #: C7ZZ-65423A26-A

How to remove the window trim moldings

Removing the trim requires a Molding Remover, which actually works on the clip to release the molding from its grip. Part #: T-87800; here is a short video demonstrating how the clip works and how to remove the molding.

How to install the molding clips

The method for installation depends on the tools that you have on hand, here is a short video presented by myol66.com on how to remove and install the clips.

 

 

 

Does your Classic Mustang leak oil? Most of them do at some point, and its typically from the rear main seal at the back of the oil pan. So how do you repair the leak? It's pretty easy and if you do it yourself you can save hundreds of dollars.

This article details the procedures for removing the oil pans from you classic Mustang. Although this article illustrate the undercarriage of a Mustang, the same procedures apply to other early Ford models including the Falcons, Comets, Fairlane and other models; and applies to both the V8 and six cylinder engines.

The first step is to removed the negative battery cable, raise the front of the car, and drain the oil. Then remove the tubular cross member (illustrated in the photo) that ties the front frames rails together.

The cross member is held to the frame by two large bolts, one on each side of the car. These bolts are tough to remove and may require the use of a breaker bar and cheater pipe or an impact gun. The cross member orientation is important so tag one side of with a piece of tape and mark it "driver or "passenger" so you reinstall it correctly.

You may also need to drop the front steering controls to allow removal of the Mustang oil pan. You don't need to completely remove the steering; just unbolt a couple of things to give you the room needed to drop the pan. The idler arm on the passenger side need to be unbolted from the frame rail, and then remove the center link from the pitman arm at steering box.

 

There's a couple of tricks for separating the center link from the pitman arm; one is to use a pickle fork, the other is to loosen the castle nut up the stud so its flush and then strike it with a large hammer to break it loose.

 

 

Once the steering controls are dropped you can swing them out of the way so you have ample room to access the oil pan and bolts.

 

If you have a factory style starter installed you should remove it to make getting to the the oil pan bolts in this area a lot easier. The starter in this photo is and aftermarket unit and is a lot smaller in diameter so it will remain in place since it does not pose a problem.

 

 

 

Now your ready to remove the oil pan; a ratchet, a long extension and couple of sockets will do the job. You will probably need a screw driver or gasket scraper to slip between the oil pan and the block to work it loose.

 

 

This article applies to:

1964 Mustang, 1965 Mustang, 1966 Mustang,1967 Mustang, 1968 Mustang, 1969 Mustang, 1970 Mustang, 1971 Mustang, 1972 Mustang, 1973 Mustang, and some other models....

If your doing a full restoration or need to replace your Mustang trunk lid because it's been damaged, there is a good possibility that you will need to realign the deck lid.

In most cases you will only need to align the trunk lid front to back and side to side, in some cases you may need to adjust the height of the deck so the body lines near the back window and quarter panels all line up nicely.

 

I'm doing a full restoration on this Pink Mustang and I've elected to leave the trunk hinges and tension bar installed; I would recommend that you do the same unless you want to deal with the aggravation of installing the tension rods.

Installing the Trunk Lid

I began my deck lid installation by removing the old trunk seal, installing the trunk latch striker and then mounting the lid to the hinges.

 

Install the quarter panel extensions

Next I take a general look at the overall fit, install the trunk latch and then mount the quarter panel extensions; the extensions also have to be lined up with the quarter panels and trunk lid.

   

 

 

There is a quarter panel extension seal available for 64-73 Mustang that you should install to make those body line adjustments, buy two sets; one for fit and body work stages and one for final assembly.

 

 

Aligning the Deck

There are four positions that can be adjusted to improve the alignment and fit of the deck lid on the Mustang, one of these is the trunk hinge that sets the deck height. In some cases an adjustment may not be required here but you should confirm that by temporarily installing a new trunk seal/weather strip; the new gasket may cause the deck to rise depending on its thickness.

 

 

 

 

Install the trunk seal so the narrow part of the V is inboard and the thicker part is outboard.

 

 

 

Here is the breakdown for the adjustment points and positioning:

Hinge to Body: Sets the deck height, primarily the front half of the trunk lid.	Trunk to Hinge: Positions the deck lid forward or back, sets the gaps at the rear deck filler panel and alignment with quarter panel extensions.
Trunk Latch: Sets the rear deck height, aligns trunk lid with quarter panel extensions at rear.	Trunk Latch Striker: Can assist in setting the gaps between the deck lid and the quarter panels

 

Aligning the quarter panel extensions

Two parts on the classic Mustang that stand out the most when it comes to poor factory fit is the front fender extensions (head light buckets) and the rear quarter panel extensions. The quarter panel extensions typically line up pretty well on the sides of the quarter panel bit the fit at the top is poor.

The top edges of my extension sit a little high in some areas where they meet the top of the quarter panel so I've used a rat tail file to shave off some of the metal for a closer more inform contour fit with the quarter panels.

  

The final step is to smooth everything out with an orbital sander; now its time to remove the deck lid and prepare to strip it, seal it and install it again. 

 

 

Here is another weekend project you can accomplish in just a few hours. Lets say your Mustang automatic shifter is loose and sloppy, your going to have the assembly out of the car; why not take it a step further and rebuild the entire assembly with all new parts. Watch this video, order the parts and do this project!

 

 

[VIDEO]

Remove the Shifter Assembly

Before you can begin the restoration you either need a good core or you have to remove your existing assembly from your Mustang; for information on removing you assembly read and watch the video "How To Replace Mustang Automatic Shifter Bushings"

 

Get your tools and parts together

This small project requires only a hand full of basic tool: Standard and Philips screw driver, ratchet and sockets, an Allen wrench and of course a hammer.

 

 

 

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Automatic Shift Dis-Assembly

 

Taking this assembly apart is pretty easy just follow these steps

Remove the shifter handle using a very small Allen wrench to loosen the set screw; then just pull up in it.

 

 

 

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Remove the shift cover with a Philips screw driver; four screws out then lift it up off off the shift lever.

 

 

 

 

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Remove the shift cover retaining plate; remove the four screws..

 

 

 

 

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Pop out the housing plug using a standard screw driver; if this piece is in good shape you can probably clean it up and reuse it.

 

 

 

 

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Removing the shift bracket and arm required a 9/16 socket and most likely a tap with a hammer to disengage the two from each other.

 

 

 

     

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If your fortunate enough to have a blast cabinet you can get the shift housing and bracket cleaned up really nice, if you don't have a cabinet then go with old fashioned soup and water

 

 

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After cleaning up the shifter housing and bracket, shoot a light coat of steel colored paint on the surfaces for corrosion protection

 

 

 

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Automatic Shifter Assembly

 

 

Now it time to reassemble the shifter. Lay out all of your new and restored parts, get your tools on the table along with some grease and a shop towel.

 

 

 

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To prevent excessive wear and provide smooth operation grease is applied to the shifter bushings where they make contact with the shift bracket; one on the inside of the housing and one on the shaft of the bracket.

      

 

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Now it time the install the shift bracket and arm into the shift housing, but before you do that you should attach the shift indicator lamp to the shift arm prior to placing it into the housing; it's a lot easier to do this before the arm and bracket are bolted in place.

      

 

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Time for an adjustment

Shift arm and bracket are installed and secure, now its time to install the shift handle and check the adjustment to make sure the shifter will engage each gear properly.

The shift arm has a cable that runs through the middle with a pivot mechanism at the top and an adjuster nut and stud at its base.

To install the shift handle use your thumb to actuate the pivot mechanism so you can get it in line to drop the handle onto the top of the lever.

 

 

Place the shifter in the lowest gear position, get a wrench that has a curve or step down at the end so you can reach the adjuster nut from the top side, use a screw driver to either hold or turn the adjuster stud and make the adjustments needed to get the shifter working properly.

Making this adjustment now is a lot easier to do at the bench than it will be once the assembly is in the car.

Don't forget to remove the handle once adjusted so you can continue assembling the unit.

 

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Feed the shift indicator lamp wire between the housing and the retaining plate base now, its more difficult if you try to do it later.

 

 

 

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Push the new or restored shift housing plug into place

 

 

 

 

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Install the shift cover retaining plate

 

 

 

 

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Install the shifter cover

      

 

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Install the handle and you done with this project!

     

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Parts List

C7ZZ-15A808-A	67-8 SHIFTER LAMP W/O CONSOLE
C8OZ-7213-BK	67-73 DLX SHIFT HANDLE BLACK
52720-SK	64-68 AUTO SHIFT COVER SCREW KT
C5ZZ-7210-A	64-66 AUTO SHIFT LEVER
C5ZZ-7A133-A	64 1/2-73 AUTO SHIFT BUSHING
C7ZZ-7D394-P	67-8 CONCOURSE SHIFT COVER ASSEMBLY
C5ZZ-7213-F	64-67 AUTO TRANS SHIFT HANDLE
C5ZZ-7C147-B	65-73 SHIFT POD BOLT PLUG
1893	64-73 SHIFT INDICATOR BULB
C5ZZ-7B233-A	64-8 AUTO SHIFTCOVER RETAINING PLATE
C5ZZ-7370	65-66 AUTO TRANS SHIFT HOUSNG SEAL

If your doing a classic Mustang restoration you've probably thought about resetting your odometer to zero; so how can you achieve this? I've read about people using a drill and hooking it up to the odometer and letting it wiz away until they reach the mark, this could potentially take hours. There is an easier way to do this by rolling the odometer back by hand.

This article and video demonstrates the procedure on a 1967-68 Mustang Odometer but should apply to 65-66 Mustang and 69-73 Mustang as well, and the procedures would probably work on a lot of other Muscle Cars from the era.

[VIDEO]

Removing the Odometer

The first step is to remove the instrument gauge cluster form the dash; you'll need to do this so you can remove the odometer from the speedometer housing. The Odometer is held in place with a spring clip, a very small screw driver and a little nudging will remove the spring clip allowing the odometer to be removed.

When you remove the odometer you will see a series of tabs between each if the digit barrels, these tabs are the piece that keep the numbers in line and in place until the number to its left passes nine. Don't panic if these tabs and numbers start spinning around as you handle the odometer in preparation for setting it to zero, your going to spin them anyway.

Rolling back the odometer

So you've taken a good look at your odometer and noticed the rings between each of the digit barrels; each having two tabs exposed. The odometer reading is always between these two tabs and this is where we want to line up all the zeros while conforming to the tab alignment.

The first step is to set the left most number on the odometer to zero; turn the entire assembly until this zero is facing you; don't worry about the tab position when doing this that will be set next.

With the zero farthest to the left facing you; secure it with your thumb so it stays in this position. Then turn the rest of the assembly away from you until the digits lock in place; unlock the tab between the zero and the number next to it by turning it toward you until it lock in place. Repeating this procedure will bring the tab around until it is in position where the zero you are holding is between the tabs.  

To align the remaining zeros and tabs, repeat the procedures above. Start by bring the next number (working from the left) so the zero is facing you and is lined up with the zero to the left. Now secure both zeros with your thumb and give the rest of the assembly a spin and repeat the tab movement until it's in line.

Confusing, yes! You should watch the video.

If your going to do your own Mustang body work or just want to know the procedures an experienced body shop my use when removing dents from your Mustang, AverageJoe will explain the concepts and demonstrate how its done.

Anatomy of a Dent

A dent in your body panel my be caused from a baseball, a shopping cart, another car door, you name it. No matter what the dent is caused from it's the result from some type of impact.  

A dent is much like an impact crater. When an impact to the surface occurs it's clear that it leaves a crater, what's not so visible is the rebound zone or ripple effect. Imagine a drop of water into a puddle in slow motion; the drop hits the surface, creates an inverted zone (the dent) and then creates a ripple that is typically higher than the overall surface like a wave (the rebound).

 

The Science of Removing the Dent

[VIDEO]

Removing the dent would seem pretty easy, take a hammer and pound out the crater; there is a much easier way with better results.

An easy fix for a lazy body man is to layer some Bondo over the dent, not realizing that there is most likely high spots that resulted when the dent was created; let me explain

The dent really wants to return to its original position in most cases and if you can get under or behind the dent and apply a slight amount of pressure you can help it return to its natural conforming position. Remember that rebound zone mentioned earlier; the key to getting the metal to return to its natural position resides with this area.

       

It's I good idea to identify the troubled areas before you begin, it helps you determine where you need to go next as you work on each area. I mark the lows with "L" and the highs or rebound area I need to tap on with a line through the "H" as shown above.

 

Place you're body dolly under the center of the dent, apply a slight amount of pressure and then tap the rebound area; you will actually see the metal (dent) return to its natural position. The result should be a surface that in much better shape and will only require a small amount of body filler and in some cases none at all.

 

 

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Pulling a Dent

Sometimes you can't get behind a dent and perform the procedure mentioned earlier, rather than taking the uneducated body man approach and filling in the crater with body filler you should try pulling the dent.

As an example Project Playboy was treated to the lazy uneducated body man procedures by a previous body shop (read Paint Shop Prison). This long crease in the roof top where it transitions down to the quarter panel was uncovered after stripping the 1/4 inch of body filler. Since I can't get behind the dent to apply some pressure I'll have to pull the dent out.

The concept for removing the dent is the same as mentioned earlier but rather than pushing on the dent you pull on it while taping on the metal around it with a soft rubber hammer.

Before the days of stud welders you would drill a hole in the surface to perform this procedure and most likely use the slide hammer. Stud welders make the procedure much easier and give you precise control, you don't always have to use the slide hammer.

The photo to the right shows the use of a pair of pliers clamped onto the stud or draw pin rather than using the slide hammer. I like to work a few steps at a time so I only weld on a stud or two at one time.

I begin by working my way toward the middle of the dent, so the first couple of studs are welded somewhere between the center of the dent and the transition and then eventually to the middle; along the way pulling on each stud and tapping the rebound area or solid part of the body.

I had to use the slide hammer for a couple of light pulls once I got to the center of the crease, overall the work I performed is 1000 times better than the work performed; or should I say, that was not performed by the previous shop.