Birddog0347 rescues a Fox

[Rick Modena]

Holy Bondo Batman!

That is some shoddy ass work for sure.
I can count 8 coats of Bondo and that black shit at the shoddy weld job looks like Marine Tex that used in the paint and body business to adhere fiberglass panels to metal and then finished off by plastic fillers.

[bird_dog0347]

So as I mentioned last May, the car is going in for a full paint/body setup. We also have a full T-top roof that is going on it, and a coupe shell that we will at a minimum be using the driver's rear quarter from, maybe the cowl too, we will see. The shop doing the work is K and K in Tennessee and you can see some of their work here. 2nd link is Kevin's personal coupe he's putting T-Tops on that will show his process, same as he will do on mine.

https://www.facebook.com/kandkcustommustangs/

https://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/%E2%80%9Crising-from-ashes-5%E2%80%9D-86-4-eye-t-top-notch-build.918378/

They already have the T-Top roof/glass/etc, and here's pics of the shell he is picking up tomorrow for $550.






My car had some driver rear fender damage before I got it, that some idiot covered in bondo after cutting it with a cutoff wheel so I knew that was going to be a big problem when I saw the bondo crack under the paint and sanded it down to see what we are working with... screw this fender! And especially fuck the asshole that did that!




Anyway, the car was picked up yesterday and is on it's way to K & K for the next 1-2 years, but it will get a complete makeover with show quality paint and some T-Tops.

[Broncojohnny]

I love picking up random tips like this.

It is like I have doing this shit for 30 years on the same POS car.

[Shorty]

In the future, always start with the last header bolt first and work your way forward. If you have to pry any tubes into place it is easier to pry the front tubes. I always tighten the bolts as tight as I can get them with a short wrench.

I love picking up random tips like this.

[bird_dog0347]

Nick, I've got a hoist and would spend a day helping out if you go this direction.

It would be an easy task to repair a thread with the engine out. I recommend a Time-sert but a Heli-coil would work.

I appreciate that, but I doubt I'll have time to do that at this point. The engine will be coming out, just not in my garage.

Never heard of a time-sert, I'll have to google that one.

[slow84lx]

I'm leaning toward full retard. If I do that, anyone want to help me pull the engine/trans? I don't have an engine hoist or experience with it.

Nick, I've got a hoist and would spend a day helping out if you go this direction.

It would be an easy task to repair a thread with the engine out. I recommend a Time-sert but a Heli-coil would work.

[Broncojohnny]

Chase it with a tap, as mentioned. If you have to repair it, use a timesert rather than a helicoil. The difference is that the timesert is a solid piece instead of a coil of wire. You should be able to repair it in the car if you will remove the header.

In the future, always start with the last header bolt first and work your way forward. If you have to pry any tubes into place it is easier to pry the front tubes. I always tighten the bolts as tight as I can get them with a short wrench.

[bird_dog0347]

I'd try removing the bolt and assessing the thread damage. Being aluminum it will probably be mangled but you may be able to chase it with a tap and get a bolt or stud in it to hold. The advantage to using a stud (if clearance allows) is that once in and holding you only need to remove the nut for service work. A helicoil will work fine in aluminum if it comes to that. As far as pulling the head or not, as long as you have good clearance for a tap or repair tools then you should be able to do in installed.

I might try that, but for now, the exhaust leak is going on the back burner and can be dealt with later... I've got to pull ALL the interior in the mean time and finish restoring the 1/4 windows that are sitting in the box in my garage.

Operation full retard is a go for paint and body, not going to spoil anything yet but it's a full send. The engine upgrades/changes, whatever else will have to wait.

[Gasser64]

Ummmm, yeah, it gets driven. And I'm only OCD about a few things. While I do intend to clean it up, I don't intend to jack it up and clean under it for anything other than I've got it in the air to replace something and I might as well. Fuck that noise... a collector can buy a pristine car and care for it like that.

lol! There's detail enthusiasts over at the detailing forums that do that kind of thing to their daily drivers every couple of weeks. But yeah I couldn't do that either. What I want is some kind of automation that does all that for ya. Effectively, not just the spray thing at the car wash

[shumpertdavid]

I'd try removing the bolt and assessing the thread damage. Being aluminum it will probably be mangled but you may be able to chase it with a tap and get a bolt or stud in it to hold. The advantage to using a stud (if clearance allows) is that once in and holding you only need to remove the nut for service work. A helicoil will work fine in aluminum if it comes to that. As far as pulling the head or not, as long as you have good clearance for a tap or repair tools then you should be able to do in installed.

[bird_dog0347]

Ok, sooo... I finished the brakes last year and drove the car a couple of times and really nothing since. To be fair though, I didn't really go much of anywhere other than the lake a lot last year and had no reason to say drive it to work or anything.

The car seems to have an exhaust leak now on the driver's side header, the farthest back bolt looked like it was not all the way in but when I tried to tighten it it seems cross threaded. I don't remember it being a problem when I installed them, but that was years ago soooo... My heads are TFS 170's, can you still use a helicoil with aluminum heads? Will I be able to repair it with the head on or do I need to pull it to properly repair the threads? If I have to pull it, maybe I do that and repair them then sell them and get 11R heads with a new custom cam. Then we are in a spiral of "while I'm in here".

Also, I'm seriously considering sending this thing in for body work, paint, and maybe a big surprise. I know this thing is wavy as the ocean and I also know there are some bad spots hiding under the absolutely terrible paint. Pretty sure it's gonna cost me $12k-$15k to do what I'm thinking...

Basically I have a running and driving coupe with a great drive train (other than exhaust leak) and interior but it needs paint/body bad. I know for sure I won't take less than $10-12k for it as it sits, but if I put another $10-15k in paint and body I don't think I'd get that back, unless I sit on it for another 10 years. And if I do that, I really would want to change it from Red to Blue, which means to do it right tearing it all the way down to do the engine bay and all. I dunno, I need to decide if I am just going to start plugging away at it, go full retard with it, or sell it.

I'm leaning toward full retard. If I do that, anyone want to help me pull the engine/trans? I don't have an engine hoist or experience with it.

[bird_dog0347]

mine is a Motive. purchased from maximum motorsports when it used to be on their site.

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Cool, I'll get one of those, if my vacuum bleeder doesn't work right, been years since I've used it.

[bird_dog0347]

Ok but we really need to see the whole underside scrubbed completely clean. And looking like new. Wheelwells, bottom of the engine, everything.

Ummmm, yeah, it gets driven. And I'm only OCD about a few things. While I do intend to clean it up, I don't intend to jack it up and clean under it for anything other than I've got it in the air to replace something and I might as well. Fuck that noise... a collector can buy a pristine car and care for it like that.

[Gasser64]

Ok but we really need to see the whole underside scrubbed completely clean. And looking like new. Wheelwells, bottom of the engine, everything.

[KBScobravert]

Only thing about that one, no reviews... There are others from Motive (I at least recognize the brand) for pretty much the same price, what brand did you guys get?

mine is a Motive. purchased from maximum motorsports when it used to be on their site.

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