This is how the top part looks all reassembled. I pressed the pin in place with a small Channel Lock plier.
The rear quarter drain is a nice reproduction but is non - functional out of the package. You have to remove the rubber with an X-acto knife to make it work.
Someone replaced the rear quarter drop - offs on this car. It had the drain holes but not the hole for attaching the drain. I measured and the attaching clip is about 1.25" center to center with the drain. So I laid out holes using those dimensions.
I had to start with a .375" hole for each one. This one is in progress, I made a cut with my nibbler after using a fir tree rotary file to begin the hole towards a square shape.
Satisfied with the fit I applied some black RTV around the mating surface on each one. The clip is squeezed with a small pair of Channel Lock pliers to expand the back side. It doesnât take much.
Itâs been raining a lot here so progress has been hard. Today it was a little drier, so I was able to paint the previously blasted tail lamps and assemble them with new hardware and gaskets. The lenses are originals (from Mike Denney) that I polished with Meguiarâs cleaner wax.
A fellow Cougar forum member sold us these A - arms for the project. The PO had installed a bunch of reproduction stuff that was going to work fine but the 3 rivet Granada style upper A arms look out of place to me.
I spent this afternoon scraping off the years of accumulated tar, followed by a lot of time at the blast cabinet. Big difference from the way it looked before. Tomorrow the other one gets the same treatment.
I always thought the drop off drain plug was supposed to be a âflapperâ, and the little âscoopâ on it was for you to grab it and lift the flap so it would drain. I donât think Iâve seen any originals though.
Were they sealed in place from the factory?
Good question but I really donât know. They are always missing.
Another observation about the rear 1/4 panel - trunk drop off seals ( 1969 - 1970 ), Here are some links I found on the internet regarding this part, and its âtheorizedâ function :
https://www.concoursmustang.com/forum/index.php?topic=21575.0
http://1968mustangresurrection.blogspot.com/2012/12/right-side-trunk-drop-off-part.html
This blog describes the creation of a new drain hole ( + the square upper hole ) for the water drain and closing off of another in the trunk drop off.
https://www.vintage-mustang.com/threads/regarding-67-70-trunk-dropoff-drain-hole.1178363/
Interesting image of the hole ( plug / valve removed ) - you can see the upper square hole clearly, and itâs quite a perfect square unlike one of the images found in the two previous links ( more than likely a ânon-Royceâ imperfect attempt ! ). You can also see how the joint-seam between the quarter panel and the trunk drop off panel obscures part of the round drain hole. The whole concept of the drain, while in theory was good, was in execution and practice flawed.
I will attempt to get an image ( and post them ) from two 1/4 panels I rescued from Arizona ( hence rust free sheet metal ) which shows the intact rubber drains. In my experience these âwater valves / drainsâ did not have the inner rubber flap removed or scored to aid in water drainage. They were designed to keep dust out, and only if there was sufficient water behind them did the weight of that water push against the thinner rubber and exit the trunk. The rounded outer thicker rubber would assist in returning the inner flap back into position ( keeping the inner âmembraneâ taut ), once it had served its purpose.
I do not know about the use of an adhesive to keep the lower edges of the drain in place against the sheet metal, but that would seem logical. Perhaps the lower quarter panel / trunk drop off seam sealer, which was brushed on in this area, was still tacky enough at the point in time that the seal was pressed into place, would have helped it to âstickâ ?
Again when I get a chance to see the originals I will try to determine if they were held in place with anything other than the built-in pinch clip.
My 70 still had one original drain plug in place on the passenger side drop off. There was no sign of adhesive underneath - just clean original sheet metal with factory paint overspray. Thatâs just one data point, but no adhesive could be one reason they are usually missing. Seems a good idea to use some on the replacements.
LOL you are right - if they are indeed âdrainsâ then there would be at least a gallon in each rear quarter before they would reach the bottom of the round hole. I just call them drains because that is what the vendors call them. Maybe they just relieve air pressure when the trunk lid is slammed?
No the workers applying the sealant over the trunk drop to quarter panel pinch weld normally tried to stay away (stop short) when they were applying the brush on sealant there or when the other worker applied the pass around the inner edge around the wheel lip opening on the quarter panel, likely so that the seal would sit flat against the trunk drop sheet metal surface
Today I riveted the upper ball joints in place. Going to remove the upper shaft kits from the Granada style A - arms on the car.
Looks great! That required a heavy duty rivet press - any pics?
I donât have any pictures. I made an adapter for my hydraulic press using my lathe so I could use a waffle pattern rivet tool on these. It was easy once I had the tool. I was expecting to have to heat the rivets red hot with the torch but they were easy to press cold.
