In the giant pool of talent out there in cougardom, we know there is some great wisdom that needs to be spread to the entire Cougar community. We are looking for folks to help us do some 15-30 minute “How To” videos. We will pay the airfare for you to come out and help us and if it would benefit your business we will gladly help promote it, Cougar Bill are you listening? So what is your idea? Several people have suggested we do a 1969-70 glue in glass video, I like that one because it also applies to Mustang. In the works right now is convertible top installation on a 69, power window pancake motor rebuild, headliner and vinyl top how to videos. Email me if you are willing to participate, post here with your ideas for future videos!
All great video ideas. I can see myself personally tackling the glass remove/install video so that would be neat to watch the correct way to do it.
I like how you guys include the links to parts used in the videos under the comments section as the I didn’t even know the rear view mirror had so much more to it then it just being a mirror and all the realted parts on your website. Not sure if you blurb this or not already during the video as a reminder to the audience watching the video that “links to these parts are located in the comments section below”.
Also, I don’t find a 20 minute how-to video install to be dry or boring. You guys can put together some great videos that are well put together. Keep em coming!
happy to come and do a video in right hand drive conversions
I’d say a video on the proper way to replace the fuel tank and lines would be cool, and something that lots of folks should do if they didn’t already (thanks for driving that home, Bill!). I really could have used a video like that when I did this maintenance a month or two back. Getting the tank out and new one in is easy enough, but it would be cool to explain what to do when the tank drain is inoperable, how to drain it without starting it on fire and whatnot… how to deal with the mismatch in the fuel sender pigtail’s 3-pin connector and the connector on a new sender’s single post. How to get that rear fuel line out and the new one in (I had to disconnect the parking brake cable and take off the rear tire to do it). How that clip by the rocker is supposed to work (mine broke off, sadly). How to connect the rear line and front line together, how to get that front line in and out through the torque box and into the engine bay wasn’t too tricky I guess. And exactly how to bend the pump to carb line to avoid heat that would cause vapor lock, that’s something that was a bit of a pain for me for sure.
There’s gotta be someone who’s done that job a few times and knows all the tips and tricks. I know a video like that coulda saved me an hour or two of my time and a few days of waiting on responses from folks here and on MCN when I was noobly asking for someone to hold my hand through the process.
Oh, and another good one would be how to replace motor mounts without an engine hoist. I have no idea if I did it right, I mean it worked, but I wonder if there weren’t things I should have done differently. And the trans mount too, I didn’t even do that one because I’m afraid I’m gonna mess something up jacking the trans up.
And a job that I haven’t done yet but will be doing probably in the springtime, replacing the PS system, I’d love a video on that one. I already bought the big block hose kit from y’all a while back for my 302, which I read that I’m going to have to drill out the frame brackets by the motor mounts or something? I also already got the new rag joint, so I’m gonna be doing the rag joint, steering box, control valve, hoses (including migrating to the big block setup as recommended on your site), and pump. I would love a video walk through of that with all the tips and tricks to do it best and not screw it up. By springtime. Please?
Great to hear you guys are doing this. The videos you’ve made so far are really great. Informative AND fun. Can’t ask for more than that.
Scott
Oh and fan shroud!! I still have no idea how that job was supposed to have been done. It included breaking metal tabs off the radiator that were there to hold the “overflow” drain hose in place (these tabs prevented the bolts from going through the holes), and cutting bits off the shroud to get it to sit in the right place… the stock hole locations on the shroud put the bolts exactly between the two different mounting holes on the radiator, so, I could either mount it too high or too low using the stock holes on the radiator and shroud.
At first I thought this was maybe my radiator being not original and an incorrect replacement or something, but a couple other people here said they had the exact same sort of issues and a solution that required having a heat gun to reshape the shroud. If there are tricks to doing that job a “right” way, that would definitely be an excellent walkthrough to have.
Don,
Here’s a couple of suggestion for you …
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One that we talked about had to do with rebuilding the power steering control valve. Again, another Cougar/Mustang audience for you. Although Jenny and I are beyond this point in our build … this has always been a replace or send out for rebuild part for me. I’d watch it just for the fun of knowing how to do it in the future.
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Installing seat covers. I’ve done this on a '67 Mustang fastback and really enjoyed the process. My brother and I took the afternoon one day and we figured it out w/o any problems. When you compared the old to the new … what a difference that made! Talk about a ‘Wow’ factor. Working the hog rings & pliers makes this an easy job if you’ve got the time, patience, and a good set of fitting covers. Jenny and I are going to have to have our seat covers made and we found a supply of original parchment comfortweave to help in this. Bad news is they want to install them for liability issues and I can’t blame them. But I think you could move more seat covers if people knew how easy it was.
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I’d also agree with a previous post about brake & fuel lines. One thing I’ve heard is the long lines are shipped “bent in half” to save on transportation costs. Recommendations on straightening these out would be a cool point to watch. I’m looking at replacing all of these just beacause I don’t trust potentially contaminated lines. They have been left sitting open for I do not know how long. If you wanted to come to Dallas to demo … I’d set you up in our upstairs suite, you have a car ready to go, and it should be a short video. I’d also look forward to shaking your hand.
Finally, I really enjoyed the video on the heater control box. Another step Jen and I had already completed … but hey, great memories. However, I bet I have more time between the removal of the lower dash and the re-install. I will be looking at over a year and a half.
I could do a big block 428 spark plug remove and replace in 30 minutes. How about a front suspension remove and replace with out using a spring compressor. We would need to edit as it is about 3 hrs or just do one side upper/lower/perch/coil/strut rod.
The suspension suggestion is a good one Kerry. Andrew and I are planning to install 1970 disc brakes along with new suspension components on Snowball.
I would be interested in seeing the front suspension/brakes video. Still got to re-assemble mine on my Cougar in the future and plan to do it myself so a video with some tips would be awesome.
This is something I wrote up for the 428 registry back in 2008.
This is how I remove front coils with out using the dangerous compression tools. Hope this helps someone. have done at least 2 dozen over the years and my spring compressor has not come out of the box.
1 Place front of car on two jacks stands (front frame)
2 Place jack under one lower control arm and load the suspension.
3 Remove wheel, strut rod,sway bar, shock, and lastly the rubber bumper stop
4 Lower Jack
5 Pull spring from upper control arm. ( The spring may have 15lbs of load at this point) I usually use a crow bar with shop towel and pry/compress slightly from top coil down. Very little effort and sometimes they fall right out from the bottom.
To reinstall push the coil up into the tower (it will be on a slight angle) place crow bar under bottom coil and lift handle up. This will compress the spring slightly. At this point if needed use a small hand mallet and tap the coil onto the perch. Note a spade end on the bar helps I welded a piece of flat stock to mine.
If you need someone for radio spots I’ll lend a hand. I have a FCC license to broadcast.
There is also door panel backer board replacement. When I made my first batch of them, I wrote up a, how to, but a video of it would be a much better way to do it. If I had a way to record I would do one for you, I think this is a great Idea having more videos available.
LMAO
The how to replace your heater core video was great Don. I have been sending people to have a look at it anytime I get a call from a Cougar or Mustang owner looking to change out there evap or heater core.
I really love what you are doing sir.
Ron Mineo
Classic Auto Air Manufacturing
Thanks for saying so Ron! Feel free to post that video on your site if it helps sell your products or saves you explanation time on the phone. That is why we did it, lots of frustrated people would call and beg for help and it just took too darn long to walk each person through it over the phone…
This is something I wrote up for the 428 registry back in 2008.
This is how I remove front coils with out using the dangerous compression tools. Hope this helps someone. have done at least 2 dozen over the years and my spring compressor has not come out of the box.
1 Place front of car on two jacks stands (front frame)
2 Place jack under one lower control arm and load the suspension.
3 Remove wheel, strut rod,sway bar, shock, and lastly the rubber bumper stop
4 Lower Jack
5 Pull spring from upper control arm. ( The spring may have 15lbs of load at this point) I usually use a crow bar with shop towel and pry/compress slightly from top coil down. Very little effort and sometimes they fall right out from the bottom.To reinstall push the coil up into the tower (it will be on a slight angle) place crow bar under bottom coil and lift handle up. This will compress the spring slightly. At this point if needed use a small hand mallet and tap the coil onto the perch. Note a spade end on the bar helps I welded a piece of flat stock to mine.
^^^Did AlphaCat’s the same way! ^^^
I would like to see the FE spark plug removal/replacement vid, and the door backing board vid.
Another suggestion would be repairing cracked/cut fiberglass hood scoops (if it hadn’t been done already).
Forgot to add that this method only works if the engine/trans are in the car for the weight! Otherwise, you won’t be able to compress the front spring enough to get everything back together!
True words! Just did mine with a spring compressor (luckily we have a perfect one here that fits inside the spring and uses the shock mounting holes).
Great suggestions! Here is one… We need a video on how to install 71-73 repro door panels. Anyone want to have us do the install for free? Not the panels for free, just the labor.