Some serious work got done today. By the end of the evening Donna was sans engine, front rolling gear and rear end. Along the way the radiator, fuel, coolant and electrical connections for the engine, parking brake, hydraulic brake lines, and misc other bits and pieces were removed. The boys started working with Cody before I … [Read more…]
Well, it’s been a while since Donna got any attention. We made an attempt to get Donna onto the body dolly while she was in the driveway… We got the front end jacked up high enough to get the dolly under and mounted. Then we looked at the rear end and realized we were going … [Read more…]
Weather, schedules and lack of parts have kept us from getting much done. We have continued to clean up parts, paint or powder coat, and try to be prepared for a break in the weather and our lives. That break came today. We had already put the Upper Control Arms in a few nights before. … [Read more…]
After a little bit of a wait, the parts for the front end suspension are all finally here. We ended up getting: Blueprinted Upper Control Arms, Roller Bearing Lower Control Arms, Roller Bearing Spring Perches and a Roller Bearing Idler Arm, all from Open Tracker Racing Products. The roller bearings replace standard rubber bushings and remove some … [Read more…]
Or should we say, “springs.” We need to decide if Donna needs new springs, and if so, should they be stock or aftermarket. Donna has coil springs in front and leaf springs in back. The springs resist the movement of the spindles in the front and the axel in the back but do allow the … [Read more…]
Donna is part of a pretty impressive bloodline. Today we went to the Auto Show and got to meet a new arrival in the Mustang family. In October of 1968, right about the time Donna was born, an iconic movie was released. Bullitt. A no glitter, all guts cop named Frank Bullitt – with two other cops … [Read more…]
That is a Joe Paterno quote, but I think it applies well in our situation. In spite of my education and background in engineering, none of us has actually done most of what we plan to do. Like changing out Donna’s locks and keys. When Donna came to us, she had three keys. One for the … [Read more…]
We ordered a Marti Report for Donna. Marti Auto Works is the licensee (contract #5012) to Ford Motor Company’s entire production database for the 1967-2012 model years. They can tell you everything about any Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury made in the United States or Canada during 1967-2012. What color was your car? Easy. What rear axle ratio? … [Read more…]
Today Donna underwent the first of several major surgeries. We removed all of her steering components. Donna’s steering is referred to as Power Assisted Steering. Hydraulic fluid (power steering fluid) is pump under pressure from the Power Steering Pump to the Control Valve. When you turn the steering wheel, the Steering Box moves the Pitman Arm which moves … [Read more…]
Today we transferred the title and got Donna a new tag. It’s pretty amazing what a VIN number tells you about a car. In addition to being the unique identifier for the car (like a car social security number,) it also carries most of the important info about what the car is, when it was … [Read more…]
Today we brought Donna home. Donna is a 1969 Mustang Hardtop Coupe. She rolled off the assembly line in San Jose, CA, on October 8, 1968. She was (and still is) Wimbledon White with a black vinyl interior, a 210HP 302ci 2 Valve V8 with a C4 automatic transmission turning a 2.79 rear end. She … [Read more…]