I'm not even going to state the obvious. Just look at the last few posts and you know already. So let's not beat a dead horse (or Mustang) and move on.
The time for me to spend 12 weeks in Canada has arrived too quickly. In fact, I am updating this from the Tim Horton's in Thompson, Manitoba. That's how nuts things have gotten.
The tasks and mechanisms I needed to put in place before my departure were monumental. Opening the family cabin. Doing the Spring season work at my Mom's house that included demolition, assembly, and installation of a new boat dock. Then there was doing the things needed around my everyday house. Trim replacement and painting. Lawn equipment maintenance. Leaving instructions and information for my wife so that she can manage the property. Car maintenance. Security system upgrade. Buying what I think I'll need that may not be available in Thompson, Manitoba. Packing for weather that could be anything from snow to sauna.
And in there somewhere is the Mustang.
Time ran out to do what I wanted which was to get everything that was bare metal in DP-74 epoxy primer. I got recent purchases (see previous post) boxed and stored. While getting parts packed and organized, I had come across this teeny tiny box of hood hinge nuts that I bought to replace the ones that were ripped out of the right fender apron back when the car was wrecked and parked in 1973. I was afraid I would loose them. So I figured I might as well put them in. It shouldn't take THAT long, right?
I spent time getting the garage in order that seems to have become a regular ritual. That actually took the better part of an evening and half a day. Go figure. Again, I had to have things organized so my wife could easily find tools, screws, nails, and the like.
First order of business on the fastback--install the weld nuts for the hood hinges. I ordered these a long time ago--a LONG time ago. The nuts come in a set of 6 for replacing all of them if needed. I could have purchased a Dynacorn rear fender apron, cut out the section with the nuts already installed, and spliced it into the original fender so that it looked factory. But you know my feelings on aftermarket parts. These nuts will not be visible after installation of the hood hinge and fender. So it may not be "factory exact" but should work just fine. That's the way it goes.
The metal where the factory nuts were pulled out was in descent shape. It just needed a little welding up of the cracks and the tears needed to be hammered back into place. Those nuts from the factory are actually a pressed in nut and not welded...at least that's how it looked comparing the driver's side that is undamaged with the passenger side shown below...
After some hammer and dolly work, I cleaned up the metal in preparation for welding up the damage.
Then it was weld time. Man! I should have bought that Hobart welder years ago...or at least back in 2011 when I got serious about this restoration. I used my Harbor Freight copper backup and the stitch welds came out great without a lot of burn through.
Grinding down the welds and then filing the opening gave the proper fitment for the weld nuts.
In went the weld nut...
...and then the welding and cleaning up the welds on the nut...
...times 3...
Below is the engine side of the splash apron. Those welds need to be cleaned up if I want to be totally anal about it. But the important part is that they are in and won't get lost. I can always go back and dress them up pretty after I get back from the land up north of the border.
Next on the agenda was dealing with both front fenders and the rear quarter panels that were developing some flash rust from sitting around with no meaningful protection. With an 80 grit pad, I used my DA sander to clean the surface up lightly on the fenders...
I did the same for the driver's side and passenger side rear quarter panels...
Then I wiped on a coating of Eastwood's "After Blast" metal protection that should preserve the surface until September when I expect to be home and get these parts all in DP-74. It gives the metal a phosphate coating that should do the job. I'll find out when I return.
To keep pieces from getting damaged and organized while waiting for my return, I mounted both front fenders loosely and set the hood in place.
So this is how my baby will sit for the next 3 months at least until I can be back home and work on her...
Sleep tight Eleanor. See you in September.
The time for me to spend 12 weeks in Canada has arrived too quickly. In fact, I am updating this from the Tim Horton's in Thompson, Manitoba. That's how nuts things have gotten.
The tasks and mechanisms I needed to put in place before my departure were monumental. Opening the family cabin. Doing the Spring season work at my Mom's house that included demolition, assembly, and installation of a new boat dock. Then there was doing the things needed around my everyday house. Trim replacement and painting. Lawn equipment maintenance. Leaving instructions and information for my wife so that she can manage the property. Car maintenance. Security system upgrade. Buying what I think I'll need that may not be available in Thompson, Manitoba. Packing for weather that could be anything from snow to sauna.
And in there somewhere is the Mustang.
Time ran out to do what I wanted which was to get everything that was bare metal in DP-74 epoxy primer. I got recent purchases (see previous post) boxed and stored. While getting parts packed and organized, I had come across this teeny tiny box of hood hinge nuts that I bought to replace the ones that were ripped out of the right fender apron back when the car was wrecked and parked in 1973. I was afraid I would loose them. So I figured I might as well put them in. It shouldn't take THAT long, right?
First order of business on the fastback--install the weld nuts for the hood hinges. I ordered these a long time ago--a LONG time ago. The nuts come in a set of 6 for replacing all of them if needed. I could have purchased a Dynacorn rear fender apron, cut out the section with the nuts already installed, and spliced it into the original fender so that it looked factory. But you know my feelings on aftermarket parts. These nuts will not be visible after installation of the hood hinge and fender. So it may not be "factory exact" but should work just fine. That's the way it goes.
The metal where the factory nuts were pulled out was in descent shape. It just needed a little welding up of the cracks and the tears needed to be hammered back into place. Those nuts from the factory are actually a pressed in nut and not welded...at least that's how it looked comparing the driver's side that is undamaged with the passenger side shown below...
After some hammer and dolly work, I cleaned up the metal in preparation for welding up the damage.
Then it was weld time. Man! I should have bought that Hobart welder years ago...or at least back in 2011 when I got serious about this restoration. I used my Harbor Freight copper backup and the stitch welds came out great without a lot of burn through.
Grinding down the welds and then filing the opening gave the proper fitment for the weld nuts.
In went the weld nut...
...and then the welding and cleaning up the welds on the nut...
...times 3...
Below is the engine side of the splash apron. Those welds need to be cleaned up if I want to be totally anal about it. But the important part is that they are in and won't get lost. I can always go back and dress them up pretty after I get back from the land up north of the border.
Next on the agenda was dealing with both front fenders and the rear quarter panels that were developing some flash rust from sitting around with no meaningful protection. With an 80 grit pad, I used my DA sander to clean the surface up lightly on the fenders...
I did the same for the driver's side and passenger side rear quarter panels...
Then I wiped on a coating of Eastwood's "After Blast" metal protection that should preserve the surface until September when I expect to be home and get these parts all in DP-74. It gives the metal a phosphate coating that should do the job. I'll find out when I return.
To keep pieces from getting damaged and organized while waiting for my return, I mounted both front fenders loosely and set the hood in place.
So this is how my baby will sit for the next 3 months at least until I can be back home and work on her...
Sleep tight Eleanor. See you in September.
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