Last week I changed out the AC compressor clutch the hardest part I think was getting the air gap right and belt tight.
It is now blowing cold again

The other day I changed out the starter relay for top of the line NAPA one.
When going back together I used dielectric grease on all connections even the battery posts.
Now before I changed it out a was able to start the truck a few times and that's where the issue comes in sometime it would start first try others a few tries before it would crank.
After the change it started a few time before I put the truck away till needed for trash on Saturday.
Dave ----

 

I got side tracked this week with whatever I was working on. Finally went to reclaim my 66 Mustang project. Been at my friends paint shop across from West Johnston since 2008. I guess it is back to square one!


Loaded up on the tow-dolly and heading back home. The hood scoop was not bolted down and started to raise up on the drive back so I pulled over and took it off.

Back where she belongs now. Daddy-Daughter project for someone who is now 30 years old. Shameful

The paint that he did put on 13 years ago is very sun-damaged and weather checked. It will have to be repainted.

I tried pushing the car into my shop but I couldn't get it up the slight incline! I just wasn't strong enough plus the grass was wet and my feet kept slipping. So I rigged up an old driveshaft and used the truck to push it. "There's always a way!"

 

I did not know the drivers side QT was just about done as the other side was just held on with screws.
The wheels on the car are they from a newer Mustang and 17"?

Remember 600 & 1200 wet / dry paper wet with a little dawn dish soap in the water then buff.

Well the new starter relay I installed on my truck seams to be working as it has not failed when starting.
Dave ----

 

Actually, I think Danny was saying "I'm just about to ready to burn in that quarter" for the past 5 years. lol
Yes, those wheels are 17x7 from a 2003 Bullit Mustang. Being that it is supposed to be a joint project with my daughter, I had let her choose wheels and that was what the wanted. At the time I tried to steer her towards a 15 that was more along the lines of a classic, like Torque-Thrust D, but she didn't care for them. Now that several years have passed I gently asked again, and she STILL likes those Bullitt wheels best. So I guess I am staying with them, they do look good but I just hate the 1 inch spacer / adapters that are needed to run the more modern wheels.

Here is a recap of the hood work that you saw yesterday:


Very dry, rough to the touch, not smooth at all. It will need a repaint, but this is just practice to see how good I am at reviving an old finish with polisher.

Step 1 was scotch-brite. I think I told you that was my second step, but looking through my pics I see that this is what I did first.

Step 2 was wet sanding with 320 and plain water.

Step 3 was scratch remover. I'm not sure is this is more coarse than rubbing compound or not, I may need to research more to make sure I am going in the correct order.

Step 4 is rubbing compound. As you can tell, the smoother and shinier the surface gets the more obvious the swirl marks are from the wet sanding.

Last, cleaner wax. Very noticeable swirls. I will do the other side following your advice; 500 then 1200, and putting dish soap in the water. You said "Dawn", did you mean that as specifically that brand, or can I just use whatever brand we have in the kitchen?

Finally I have a question about the polisher pads. Do you clean and reuse them, or toss them? I generally toss them in the washing machine with my polishing towels, but more than half the time the white felt pad on the back that sticks to the polisher comes off. It doesn't seem to do very well surviving going through the laundry.


I have been using a fresh pad every time I change product, so one for rubbing compound, one for polishing compound, one for scratch remover, etc. Should I just use one pad as I work instead of constantly swapping them out?

 

On the soap all I have ever used was Dawn. If its safe for ducklings its got to be safe for wet sanding LOL
Dawn also cuts grease & oil, again ducklings, and has been what I have always used.
You can try what ever you have and see how it works. The dollar store should have a small bottle of Dawn and it does not take much added to the sanding water to help with sanding.

I have never used them fancy foam pads when I had to "cut & buff".
I used a large wool pad on a large polisher with rubbing compound.
That would leave swrill marks so we would fit a fine wool pad over the wool pad and use a polishing liquid.
In your case maybe just hand wash the pads but you need to use a different one for each type of compound / polish you used.

On the wheels I hear you on the spacers / adapters.
My Javelin had 1/4" spacers on the front so the TT wheels would clear the 2 piston calipers.
When I swapped the calipers for 1 piston one, cant get parts for the 2 piston ones, I moved the spacers to the rear wheels.

Now for the 15" or 17" wheel / tire thing, have you tried looking for 15" tires?
Being cars now come with 17" and larger the 15" are getting harder to come by in some sizes.
My TT wheels and Key Stone Classic wheels are 14" and they are even harder to get tires for.
Think the size I want is 235 x 70 x 14 to fit the TT wheels and the wheel openings on the car, 245 x 70 x 14 hit the front fenders and someone cut them to fit the wheels.

Did I hit all the questions LOL
Dave ----

 

Well yes I have looked at 15's and I prefer them, but the 17" Bullit wheels is her choice. I do have a list somewhere (as this is a common question on classic Mustang forums) of what size wheel / tire combo will fit for which year-range, and I think for this (17x7 wheel) and 64-66 body, the accepted size is 215/45R17 for front and 225/45R17 for the rear. I know these 245's rub on the front because they already hit the fender just pushing it around the yard! But the back... they just look great with the wider tires. They don't rub, but I only have (barely) enough room to put my fingers in between tire and inner fender (this is the first place a tire will rub on an old Mustang), so I can imagine with passengers in the car and hitting bumps in the road, this would be rubbing right away.





Those buffer pads only cost about $10 for a 6-pack on ebay, or $15 for a 6-pack at Harbor Freight. I think I will try hand washing them as you suggest, maybe that is the key to making them last longer than 1 or 2 uses.

 

On the tires I like to keep them "square", same size on all 4 corners, this way I can rotate them when needed.
I think it also gives the car a road race look, my Javelin has some good size sway bars F/R and KYB shocks and would love to test them out some day
The thing is getting good performance tires in the 14" size and I think 15" will not be much better.
Dave ----

 

I know I made a list of all the classic muscle cars tire I could think of and went searching, the only one still in business was BF Goodrich. Kelly Chargers, GoodYear Eagle, Cooper Cobra, and Firestone Firehawk. They have all either stopped making tires for old 15" muscle cars or they have kept the name but made them into something else (like GoodYear still makes Eagle but now they are low profile tires for like 17 inch rim). If you want 14's you can still get BFG's but otherwise your choice is Walmart maypops in either blackwall or whitewall, nothing sporty!

 

I got Cooper Cobras in 14" on my Gold Chevelle

My other Chevelle has Hankooks because it is a white stripe in 14"

 

Well lets see what is still around when I get the car to the point of needing tires as it is far from buying a good set right now.
I may look for some used ones that hold air so I dont need keep b;lowing them up just to move the car.
Dave ----

 

Yeah, I keep a set of rollers around for this reason.

 

I sold my 14" Mustang wheels, hubcaps & BFG tires to a guy in my car club with an old Mustang project. They were perfect for rollers because the tires held air and had great tread and still looked good, but were about 10 years old. Didn't show any outward signs of dry rot but you know they said 6 years is the maximum life of new tires now so I was ready to let them go. And since AMC and Ford used the same bolt pattern they may have worked as rollers for you.

 

The heat down here has killed all the tires on my Gremlin, car is sitting on wheel dollies to move it in my garage, a spare tire for my car trailer and at least 1 maybe 2 on the Javelin.
The Gremlin & Javelin have not been parked outside since I been down here.
The tires just like blow up where the steel cords blow out the tread.

The wheels that came on my parts truck, 15", I have to measure the bolt pattern to see if they will fit either car in the rear, AMC has a large center hub with nut for the axle, dont think they will in front.
Dave ----

 

I'm going to sandblast the 15x6 wheels off that 82 F100 this weekend. I was thinking I could use them on the Studebaker when I upgrade it to disc brakes because the drum brake wheels won't fit anymore once I do that. Another option might be to use 1 inch spacers and reuse the original wheels. Those are 15x5 I don't think I could use them for anything else, except maybe a trailer.

 

You have a sand blaster? Or you tanking it to someone?
What is the bolt pattern size you need for the Stude?
You going to use full hub caps or does it use dog dish ones?

You would not have an extra steel Ford truck wheel in the 5 x 5.5 bolt size? I need one for a spare to put under the rear tank.
Sorry for all the questions
Dave ----