Surfacer, which is also part of the PPG Global refinishing system
• D8005 2K A-Chromatic Surfacer: a light gray primer/surfacer taken from the PPG Global Re-finishing System and used to cover the epoxy coated surfaces as well as all areas of the vehicle that have been filled or repaired
PHOTO 8: DeVilbiss GFG 670 Plus gravity feed spray gun and the DeVilbiss Sri 630 mini-spray gun.
• PPG DP74LF Epoxy Primer: an epoxy primer that is red oxide in color to match the base primer coat color Ford applied to the vehicle during manufacturing
• Base color coats: colors selected for this car are PPG Global BC #43644 Augusta green poly, and PPG Deltron 2000 DBI 9600 black
For applying the above listed paint products, I’ve selected the following spray guns:
• DeVilbiss GFG 670 Plus spray gun: comes with three different spray tips, 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4 mm and requires 9 cfm at 30 psi when spraying clear coats
• DeVilbiss Sri 630 mini–spray gun: ideal gun for getting into all those tight areas
• Binks M1-G HVLP spray gun: primarily used to spray primer coats and base color coats
SOME GROUND RULES
Total restorations begin from the ground up, and normally that means finding a good working height for the car itself. But in this case, the car is air conditioned, and that means before the car can be disabled and placed on jack stands, the system must be checked by a qualified air conditioning service center to determine if it still holds a charge (many old systems are not charged because of their age). If charged, the service center will drain the system using the appropriate capture equipment. This is not a do-it-yourself operation. Air conditioning system repair requires specific equipment used by certified technicians. Most important, these systems must never be drained into the atmosphere. It is illegal and extremely harmful to the planet.
The good news is that this air conditioning system contains R-12 Freon worth between $30.00 and $90.00 per pound once collected and cleaned. I’ll use that as a bartering chip, I hope, to make a trade with the repair station.
With the car back at the shop, my first step will be to disconnect the battery. My next step will be to place this car at a comfortable working height. I stand about six feet tall, so 18 inches off the floor is about right for me. Depending upon your height, you may want the car positioned either higher or lower. To achieve that height, I’ll set the car on jack stands. To ensure a degree of safety, I’ll also add a 12 x 12 x 1–inch thick wooden platform under each jack stand to prevent the steel jack stands from slipping on the hard concrete floor. Normally, jack stands are placed under the suspension components just inboard of each wheel to properly support the vehicle. But since I will be removing the suspension from this car in the near future, that placement won’t work.
A Mustang is a unibody vehicle, meaning this car doesn’t have a bolt-on frame assembly supporting the drivetrain and suspension components, so placing the jack stands under the frame assembly is out. What I can do is place the jack stands under the unibody frame rails to give the car sufficient support without having the jack stands in the way once I’m ready to remove the suspension components.
The next step in jacking up a car is to compensate for overhang once the car is on the jack stands. Overhang is a body shop term used to describe a condition caused when a vehicle is supported by means other than the suspension, which leaves the engine to basically overhang the front of the unibody structure. This overhang causes undue stress on the body and can result in twisting the body out of alignment. A telltale sign of this overhang effect is to mount the car on the jack stands and open the doors. With the engine still in the car, the doors may not shut. They are suddenly out of alignment due to the weight of the engine straining against the unibody structure.
PHOTO 9: Project Mustang positioned in the shop and placed on jack stands. Notice the wooden platforms under the jack stands to prevent the stands from slipping on the hard concrete. The height measures approximately 18 inches from the floor to the rocker panel.
To compensate for this strain, I place a hydraulic jack under the front cross member and apply just enough upward pressure with the jack to relieve the stress on the unibody structure. The stress has been compensated for when the doors once again open and close without binding. At this point, all four wheels can be removed from the car to allow for better access under the car.
TIP
A little duct tape wrapped around the wheel studs will help protect the threads from damage once the drums are removed from the car.
DRAIN THE FLUIDS
The next step is to drain all the fluids from the vehicle. In this case, that means draining the radiator of antifreeze, the engine of oil, and the transmission of fluid. The Freon has already been drained from the air conditioner.
Radiators are drained via a petcock found near the bottom radiator hose. Be sure to remove the radiator cap to prevent a vacuum within the system. Engines are drained of oil via a drain plug found at the lowest point on the oil pan. Don’t forget to remove the oil filter while under the car. The automatic transmission is drained by carefully removing the square pan on the bottom of the unit. Begin by loosening all 13 of the pan bolts by at least two full turns. Gently pry the pan loose from the case housing. Fluid should begin to flow from around the edges of the pan. Slowly remove the pan bolts one at a time, allowing the pan to tip and begin to drain. Once drained of fluid, the pan must be reinstalled on the transmission to prevent contamination. Properly dispose of all of the old fluids at a local recycling center. Check the Yellow Pages for the center nearest you.
THE TEARDOWN BEGINS
If it is bright and shiny, soft and spongy, or clear and hard, it needs to come off. I want this car stripped of everything but the drivetrain and sheet metal. The drivetrain stays for now because it is easier to remove its items once everything else has been removed. The sheet metal stays because there are too many body lines on this car that don’t line up. Once everything else has been removed from the car, I’ll spend a little quality time with a body hammer and pry bar getting the panels aligned. I’ll concentrate first on tearing down the front of the car then move to the back of the car. I’ll save the interior and glass removal for chapter 3.
PHOTO 10: To compensate for overhang caused by stress on the unibody structure from the weight of the engine, a hydraulic jack is placed under the front cross member with just enough upward bias to support the weight of the engine.
As I disassemble this unit, I note the condition of each molding on the master list for use later when I’m ready to start placing orders for new parts. I also take the time to lay out each part in the order it was removed from the car in an exploded view (much like the illustrations in parts catalogs) and take photographs. These photographs will become extremely valuable a year from now when I’ll be trying to determine what goes where. Don’t forget to number and date all of the photographs once they are developed. This not only gives you an exploded view but also gives you a chronological sequence of events that can be reversed once assembly begins.
TEARING DOWN THE FRONT
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