Project Mustang. Larry Lyles
vehicles have symmetrical engine compartments. This makes taking alignment measurements very easy. I’ve stretched a tape measure across the engine bay from the right rear corner of the fender apron to the front left corner of the core support and noted the measurement. In this case, it’s 56¼ inches. This same measurement is taken from the left rear to the right front; in this case, the measurement is 56 inches. When compared with the first measurement, I have a difference of ¼ inch. Dividing that number in half tells me the front structure of this car is
Remember the Taiwan fender found on the initial inspection of the car? I already know it fits like a ’53 Cadillac fender on a ’99 Toyota; this poor fit is more than likely the cause of the hood on the Mustang not fitting properly. However, being reasonably sure the front structure is in good alignment, I’m going to forgo aligning the hood until I have all the chrome, glass, moldings, and other hardware removed from the car. I’ll start that in chapter 2. Also, check out photo 10. No, this marker lamp isn’t about to fall out of the hole. The mounting hole was actually stamped that crooked. This fender has other alignment issues that will require some heavy-duty realignment procedures, but that’s for chapter 4.
PHOTO 11: It’s a little difficult to tell what portion of the car this photo shows, but this is the floor pan under the rear seat, a common area to find rust on early model Mustangs. The arrow points to a series of rust holes.
PHOTO 12: The radio surround trim panel will need rebuilding. We’ll send it to Just Dashes for a professional restoration.
INSPECTING THE INTERIOR
Inside the car, I find the typical Mustang problem of rust in the floor pan. The rust is slightly more extensive than most in that it has migrated under the rear seat. However, the rust isn’t bad enough to create any major problems. Aftermarket floor pans are readily available for this vehicle, and installing them won’t be that difficult.
The interior components are in very good condition considering the age of the car, but problems do stick out, and the padded radio surround will require some extensive repair.
Now that I have completed a walk around the car and have determined its overall condition, the next step is to mark all the problem areas found on the body. Every dent, misaligned panel, rust hole, crack, and broken part needs to be marked with a colored water pencil.
Now that I have completed inspecting the Mustang’s exterior and interior, I have a much clearer picture of the work that will be involved in restoring the car. Before I can begin working on the car, however, I need to gather a few tools, have the air conditioning system tested, establish a good working height, and drain the fluids. Once this is done, I can begin the exterior teardown.
TOOLS
Putting this Mustang back on the road is going to require a little more than just the desire to get the job done. I will also need a few tools, starting with an assortment of common hand tools found in almost everybody’s toolbox: end wrenches; sockets; screwdrivers, both flat-blade and Phillips-type; pliers; and hammers.
The tools not found in most toolboxes are those more specifically designed for auto body repair work. Most of these are one-of-a-kind tools and serve a specific function to aide either in tearing down a vehicle or in making needed repairs to a vehicle. These are the types of tools that may not be readily available at the local automotive parts store but are nevertheless necessary for restoration work.
The Eastwood Company supplies many of these hard-to-find tools. Along with each tool that I list, I’m going to include its part number so you can find it easily in the catalog. As I move deeper into this project, I’ll show you where and how these tools are to be used.
Eastwood auto body repair tools include:
• Body Hammer #31219: removes dents and other imperfections in the metal
• Panel Gap Gauge #31129: aligns doors, fenders, hood, and deck lid to achieve a uniform gap between adjacent panels
• Planishing Hammer #28116 PH:shapes replacement patch panels when repairing rust damage
• Reversed Door Trim Tool #52297: safely removes door trim panels attached with metal spring clips
• Shrinking Hammer #31034: removes small areas of stretched metal
PHOTO 1: Specialty tools from Eastwood. From left to right: body hammer, shrinking hammer, reversed door trim tool, wide blade trim tool, door handle clip tool, windshield reveal molding tool, tubing bender, and panel gap gauge.
• Trim Removal Set #52021: includes a wide blade trim tool primarily used to remove plastic door panel clips, a door handle tool, and a windshield clip tool
• Tubing Bender #49041: fabricates brake and fuel lines
Eastwood metalworking dollies include:
• General Purpose Dolly #31032: the work horse of metal-repairing dollies with a unique saddle shape that makes it comfortable to use, and it is almost unlimited in its applications
PHOTO 2: Metal working dollies. From left to right: general-purpose dolly, heel dolly, and metal shrinking dolly.
PHOTO 3: Pneumatic tools. From left to right, top to bottom: ½-inch impact wrench, air chisel,
PHOTO 4: Pneumatic tools. Left to right, top to bottom: DA sander, mini grinder, mini DA sander, and right angle mini grinder.
PHOTO 5: Sanding blocks. Left to right: 16-inch plastic body filler block, (top) 16-inch wooden handled primer block, 8-inch primer block, and round finish sanding pad; (bottom) 8-inch block, 5-inch block, and soft foam block.
• Heel Dolly #31225: shaped like the heel of a shoe, this dolly is used primarily on curved panels
• Shrinking Dolly #31083: used in conjunction with Shrinking Hammer #31034 to remove small areas of stretched metal
Tools you will find at the local automotive parts store include the following commonly used pneumatic tools:
• Air chisel: makes short work of removing rusted-out panels
• -inch drill: covers tasks from drilling needed holes to drilling out old spot welds
• ½-inch-drive impact wrench: removes those “stuck in place for 20 years” bolts and nuts
• Die grinder: cuts metal, removes excess metal after welding, and does a number of other operations that come up only during the heat of panel replacement
• Metal nibbler: valuable when trimming or fabricating new sheet metal replacement panels
Pneumatic