Back to work on the 69!

[Sketch]

Just in time for the holidays and what better way to celebrate then with a weeks worth of progression on the 69. My cars been up in the air (literally) for the past couple of months well I sorted through suspension options. After some careful consideration, allot of price checking and digging through forum after forum I finally ordered everything I needed for a complete front and rear suspension upgrade; to include front disc conversion. I ordered everything through Opentracker Racing, they came highly recommended by allot of other 69 mustang owners for keeping stock appearance with improved performance. Well here is the list of all the goodies.

1" Shelby drop template
560 1" drop coil springs
1/4" Poly coil spring insulators
1 1/8" Front Sway bar
Moog street upper arms & Street Roller Lower Arms
Roller Spring Perches
Moog Power replacement power steering kit w/roller idler arm
KYB front gas shocks
Grab A Track rear gas shocks
4.5 Reverse Eye 1" drop performance leaf springs & new shackle kit
Front disc brake kit.
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/07GTCSFB/VSCN1848.jpg

[1low03gt]

Xmas came early for you!!Nice new toys.She should handle well!

[my4stangs]

Thats a sweet pile of goodies. I like the project you have going there it is coming along very good.

[hammerhead2]

Can't wait to see this thing all finshed up.

[ArkansasMystic]

Very nice, that should make a huge difference for the '69!

[oxman]

ahhhhhhhhh yes,,looks like you're starting the new year out right! Any chance we may see this car at some shows this coming year ?

[Sketch]

There is a good chance I'll have it ready by spring time with the exception of a few things.

[ArkansasMystic]

Great, look forward to seeing it in person!!!

[Sketch]

Well, I've got all the front suspension out and most of the preps done. I'm just waiting on a warm day to paint a couple things, then start putting it together. In the mean time I started a quick rendering over the weekend while at the extravaganza to show my intent for what I hope it will look like come spring time.
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/07GTCSFB/VSCN1910s.jpg

[oxman]

ahhhh yes, very nice sir!

[1low03gt]

Cool stuff!!

[Sketch]

Well, all the tearing apart is done! Took the rear end out over the weekend and spent the morning drilling the "Shelby drop" holes for my front upper arms. Have to do a little clean up and prep and start putting it all back together.
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/07GTCSFB/DSCN1915.jpg
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/07GTCSFB/DSCN1913.jpg
Before the Shelby Drop
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/07GTCSFB/DSCN1916.jpg
And After
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/07GTCSFB/DSCN1917.jpg

[Sketch]

Just an update. Everything is cleaned up on the front end and I got the front suspension in, just have to tighten up a few nuts/bolts and install the disk brakes tomorrow. I'll do the rear end over the weekend and hopefully have her back on all fours next week.
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/07GTCSFB/DSCN1919.jpg
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/07GTCSFB/DSCN1921.jpg

[ArkansasMystic]

It's coming together, keep up the good work!!!

[hammerhead2]

Its really starting to look great.

[1low03gt]

That looks sweet!Awesome job!

[Str33tr]

http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/07GTCSFB/DSCN1915.jpg
this looks familiar, I've been living in a very similar cramped space!

[Str33tr]

Any more progress?

[01LonestarBullitt]

I'm am still very jealous of this car....

[Sketch]

had to work this past weekend, so didn't get anything accomplished on it. However I have a 3 day weekend starting tomorrow, so I'm going to start in on it some more tonight with hopes of having her back on the ground by Sunday evening.

[Str33tr]

However I have a 3 day weekend starting tomorrow, so I'm going to start in on it some more tonight with hopes of having her back on the ground by Sunday evening. More hands help you get it on the ground faster?

Love to see this thing at the get together Sat nite...

[Sketch]

Wouldn't mind the help, but I know it won't make it Saturday. Still waiting on my power steering control valve. The only part I really needed to get my steering working and it goes back order. Got to love it LOL

[Sketch]

Well, front disks are on (should have painted the calipers RED), just have to connect the lines, install the master cylinder and steering linkage. I'll work on all that bright and early tomorrow along with getting the rear end ready to go back in.
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/07GTCSFB/DSCN1923.jpg

[Str33tr]

The only part I really needed to get my steering working and it goes back order. Got to love it LOL AAAaargh! "backorder" is a 4 letter word!!!

[Sketch]

Well, took a little longer then I had hoped for but she is finally sitting back on the ground. The entire process took quite a few late nights but all in all went very well. Even decided to put my new gas cap and spoiler on. its not quite drivable yet, I still have to get the brakes and power steering functioning. Finally got word that my steering control selector valve was shipped today so thats a plus. Posted some pics hard to tell, but it sits about 1 inch lower then stock and should settle about another inch once i get to driving it. Next step will be rewiring everything in the car with a "painless" wire kit. should only take me a day to do that.
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/07GTCSFB/2010-02-18141603.jpg
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/07GTCSFB/2010-02-18141627.jpg
http://i598.photobucket.com/albums/tt66/07GTCSFB/2010-02-181417102.jpg

[icbrkr]

Looking good man!

[ArkansasMystic]

Man that thing is looking good! I'm in love with that color, still amazed how well it came out.

[Sketch]

Well, come the end of last week things were looking up for getting my 69 rolling again. Both front and rear suspension installed, drive-line back in, short days work to install the brakes and best of all I had finally received my "back-ordered" power steering control valve; my final and vital part for getting my steering working. Figured maybe 30 min or so to twist the valve onto the connecting rod, align the sector arm with steering Idler arm hole, slide the nut on and torque it down. Simple right, i thought so till the sector arm wedged itself in the idler arm hole at an angle. Tried to pry it out, even hammer it out with no luck. So in short I'm having to remove all of the steering linkage. :-(:-(

[1low03gt]

Looking reaaaaalllll good!Awesome job!

[my4stangs]

Awsome, your stang is looking great. Good job!

[Sketch]

Well since my last post I have spent several evenings installing my Painless wiring kit. Installation part is fairly easy as I had anticipated. Painless simply suggested letting the taillight section lie on the floor under the carpet and seats, I didn't like this so I elected to use the original routing through the left door jam and over the left wheel housing. All the rest laid right into factory placing with only having to reroute a few wires through different sections to make all my connections. Now repining all the plugs required a little more thinking. Taillight, headlight and under-dash sections all simple. Engine and ignition on the other hand only got more confusing with each review of the instructions. Because they set up the circuitry different then factory it took several hours to sort it all out since they have to different setups. One for points and one for with out points. They wrote the two setups together in the same paragraphs and neglect to differentiate between which connections to make along the way. The diagrams were not much help either, but eventually with some knowledge of the old circuitry and through some good old trial and error I got it figured out. With this all done it came time for function check of everything minus the wipers, interior lights, instrument gauges, heater, radio and a couple of other things not yet installed. But I could now turn the engine over and cycle through all my outside lights. Painless suggests using a battery charger to check all this stuff since its built in fuse would protect the circuits. Great Idea but only one problem my charger will only provide enough juice individually work the headlights, break lights or blinkers at a time, dimly at that and not enough of anything to even get a sqeek out of the starter. So this meant actually installing the battery and I'm happy to say it all works, for the most part. I did discover that when you press on the brakes the left brake light comes on and the right 'dimmer' taillight comes on, but if you flip the light switch on the the right brake light comes on and the left taillight then comes on. Great trick, it makes my rear blinkers in-op too and I checked it all through to make sure everything for the lights matched the installation. So this is where I have stopped for dinner and plan to figure out later tonight. I will say that the painless for the most part is not that bad but there are a few bugs as I have found out and could be quite aggravating at times.

[Sketch]

Haven't posted anything in quite awhile, but it finally looks like my car might make it to a show before the summer is over. Had allot of problems getting it to run. Checked everything through several times and rebuilt the carburetor and it still would not run. Finally went and bought a new edelbrock and it runs like a champ. Even starts the first time you crank it.