Oh, I see whose car I am going to be looking at when it comes time to swap to a newer A/C compressor!!!
Classic Auto Air, got them in both my 70’s, ask for Ron.
Looking freakin’ nice, Sal!
I can’t wait to get mine close to something even resembling that caliber.
Sal,
The hood will come down in the back if you ad a shim under the front part of the hood hinge where it bolts to the under side of the hood. If you already have a washer or shim between the hood and hinge closest to the cowl take it out and the back will drop.
I gotta laugh at myself. Notice the car start rolling back at the very end of the video.
http://s847.photobucket.com/albums/ab32/zilsal/first%20video/?action=view¤t=GEDC0900.mp4
That is funny. Don’t know if I would have noticed if you didn’t point it out.
Question, where did you get the stock cowl braces in chrome? Did you have originals chromed? I never saw a set of them in chrome, only export braces.
The car looks very nice Sal, you must be thrilled.
Bob
Bob, those are stock chromed. The Mustang crew around here chrome them all of the time. Yes I’m thrilled, don’t have the desire to drive it now that it is drivable but it gives me great satisfaction to just look at it. I’m sure I’ll work through my “psych” issues before long.
SalD
Electrical Gremlins: I thought I had this squashed but my neighbor told me that the brake lights on the passenger side were not lighting up. I was fooling around with it today and the turn sequence on the left side will not work. I get a solid three lights in the left side when they blink and they are not as bright as the right side. The running lights are the same brightness across the back and the right side will blink in sequence. Everything else works the way that Mr. Mercury designed it. The dash lights started working last night even the turn signal indicator to the left that was not working but they get brighter when the car revs fast and dim when it is idling. A nice ground strap from the motor to the chassis just might straighten out this problem. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
Now the alternator light is starting to come on and go off. I guess the smart thing to do is to test and see if it is generating 12 volts.
Cougar2 the hood had shims between hinges when we took it off and I kept them so thanks for the suggestion. The restorer that did my body work and paint will adjust it.
SalD
Could someone post pictures of the area that blocks off the trunk from the passenger compartment on a 69 or 70 vert. The company that installed the top made a new windage tray of vinyl but I can still stick my hand around the back seat into the trunk. I have ideas on what to do to seal it off but don’t have a clue of what it should look like.
I have lights working but the drivers side tail lights and brake lights are lower intensity than the passenger side. The left turn signal is also not in sequence, they all blink at the same time.
SalD
Pics of my rear lights
A look at the trunk and What am I missing?
Any help would be appreciated on either problem.
SalD Cougar GEEK
Sal,
The two pieces of metal lapped and welded together in the first two pictures (of the last three) is normal, those are top well gutter to wheelhouse support brackets.
Not sure what you are illustrating in the last picture except perhaps that your well liner does not have the backer board.
Hope this helps.
Bob
Bob so that backer board is the only thing that separates the interior of the car from the trunk? I can stick my hand from the inside of the car around the back seat into the trunk. That can’t be right. Can I purchase the backer board?
Well not exactly Sal. The top well liner (vinyl) screws into the front side of the tacking strips all around with these unusual very flat headed phillips head screws (the top material staples to the back of the tacking strips). The front edge of the well liner is a sort of pocket and it goes over the top of the plate that the rear seat mounts to/hangs on. A stainless grooved strip that the boot cover plugs into screws to the back of the plate, through the well liner material. So the well liner in and of itself creates a separation between the interior and the trunk.
A piece of backer board is sewn to the bottom seam of the well liner (sits in the vicinity of the shocks/two-thirds of the way down the rear seat back) and the board top lays up against the trunk torsion springs (although I have mine retained to the sheet metal a little forward of that, laying on the springs was not good enough for Moi).
You do not technically need the board, but it finishes the interior of the trunk more so than seeing the well liner material at the forward part of the trunk. Your convertible guy should know about this whole deal I would think.
A trunk mat would be nice for you to get too, to cover the sound deadener.
How’s that, better?
Bob
Thanks Bob, Looks like I have most of those pieces in place except for the backing board, did you make yours or is there a place that sells them? I just thought that there would be more insulation or backing to shut off the trunk noise from the interior. I have made a friend that has a 71 mustang vert so I’ll ask if I can look in his trunk to give me a better idea.
BTW, I didn’t intend to start an argument on MCNET, I have the greatest respect for you and your work.
SalD Cougar GEEK
Sal,
A vert top guy should have or be able to get what you need. The pattern to make it from might be the problem. Call Tom at KTL, I sent him my original cut into 4 pieces to use as a pattern. No doubt he kept it or a pattern made from it.
On the rest, no worries! 
Sal your car looks great. Slightly off topic, how do you like the T-Bird? Peg likes the baby birds, but rather than lining up another project for myself I’m hoping a newer one will be a good compromise.
The 2004 Tbird is a great car for two people. We use it to go on trips although I’ve had to get creative when packing because there is not a lot of trunk space. Peg will love it around town, it handles well and is pretty peppy when you need it. The wife also likes the attention that she gets when she’s driving it. The bad would be that it’s not a true sports car and when your on Louisiana interstates the back end tends to bounce when you go over the slab supports. The top is removable but you really need two people to but it on and off because it’s over 100 lbs and hard to handle by yourself. I have just done regular maintenance to the car and have been satisfied with the performance. Its a 4.6 liter V8 with 279 horsepower. I could be wrong on the hp, the wife only lets me drive it to gas it up and wash it! LOL We’ve got 22000 miles on it so it is barely broken in. The good thing about these cars is that they are very affordable now. New they went for $50000.00 and now you can pick one up for $15000.00 with little to no mileage. There is also a web site that is owner driver that addresses the problems that owners have with their cars and functions that they plan to do with their cars. {thunderbirdnest.net}
SalD Cougar GEEK
I have been very busy lately, down but not out! I was able to install a new light switch in the console but have not corrected my rear light problem. Everyone that I have talked to point me to a bad ground but I have not found my gremlin as today. I have a ground (jump) wire from the body to one of the light sockets. I have running lights, turn signals, stop lights but when I have my lights on and hit the brake, my rear lights go dark all together.
On top of that My Green standard has developed a problem where I have to jump from the battery to the coil to keep it running. Looks like another bad wire in the ignition harness.
Then at the beginning of June, a friend inherited a 1966 Mercury Monterrey, 2 door. It has been sitting in a garage for about 20 years, has one repaint, Copper color with a black interior, silver head liner with the original interior, a few (improvements) added along the way such as CB radio, and security on, off switch under the dash, will have to go. Paint is about a 20 footer. Original black vinyl top with a few bubbles around the back window. Motor starts and runs quiet, transmission is sluggish and brakes will need to be redone.
Since I’m the only FORD Mercury guy he knows, he wants me to have it. He rebuilds Pontic GTO’s so he’s not interested in the car. The price is $8500.00 and when I called to tell him that I didn’t have time now to even look at it, he said “It’s yours, I want you to have it, take your time and when your ready, its here.” I’ll get some pics up as soon as I can, but the last thing that I need is another 40 year old car. He wants the car to stay original (AKA) no air bags, 40 in DUB, boom box sound etc. That’s a no brainer! I’ll have a busy schedule through the middle of August but will send news when I have it. SalD
Ran by the car today and took some pics. Seems not to be many of these left.
I like the original stuff under the hood. It has a 390 2 barrel, I hope it runs as good as it looks.