Not another Mustang restoration thread.

The bracket on the mirror is designed with two sets of mounting holes. One set is threaded so you can clamp it on the windshield frame, the other set is beveled so it can be mounted on a flat surface like the dash where mine was. The windshield mounting would require a different link between the bracket and the mirror, so mine is definitely a dash mount.

After much consideration I decided to use the Holley 600 marine carb with vacuum secondaries on the Mustang. I took it in for rebuilding Monday. I am going to keep the original Autolite automotive carb on a shelf just because. I believe that safety is more important than originality in this matter.
I also emailed Holman Moody with a distributor question. I was amazed when Lee Holman responded. I printed the response and put it in the boat file.

I have made some progress on my Mustang, "Theseus Paradox".
I finally decided to go with the Holley 600 carburetor instead of the original Autolite 600. I took it to Uremco in Schiller Park, IL and had it rebuilt. I sent the fuel pump to Arthur Gould rebuilders. Both came out very nice. I am happy to have them back.

I talked to Ed from a hot rod/ race car fabrication shop in Addison IL today regarding the exhaust system. I am considering going with Trident Silicon rubber 3" VHT hose all the way back, but wanted to explore the possibility of using stainless steel or possibly copper. I found that copper does not like being radiused, even with a mandrel bender. Stainless steel bends nicely. The set up I am considering is having 3" SS tubing fabricated to fit in two pieces so I don't have to to cut the rib under the back seat to get it in. It would connect to the H/M manifolds with trident silicone hump hoses, and connect to the tips with about 18" of trident silicone 3" for the slight bend up to the tips.

While talking to Ed I was shown around the shop and saw a number of custom fabricated ceramic coated headers. I learned that many are coated on the inside as well as the outside for additional protection (the custom fabricated ones Ed makes are expensive). Ed referred me to a coatings company in the Chicago suburbs that does the coatings for him. I called and learned that my H/M aluminum exhaust manifolds can be internally coated with ceramic, preventing corrosion on the aluminum, a major cause of failure. I am going to take them in and get an estimate within the next couple of weeks.

I dropped off the original fuel tank at Gas Tank Renu today to be cleaned and internally coated to seal the tank and prevent future corrosion. It will be done next week.

Things are looking up and I really think it will be ready in the spring, provided that there are no unforeseen engine or transmission problems. I know Eric can turn the trans around in a hurry, and the fluid looks nice and clean and it seems to work properly, but I only ran it for a couple minutes in the driveway. The engine has good oil pressure and seems to have no major mechanical problems, but you never know about something that has been sitting for nearly a decade. If I am really lucky I may hear something about the seat frames I am hoping for.

I looked into having the SS steering wheel restored, but it is not original to this boat and I didn't think it was worth $1,100.00 to have it done. I bought a new Grant #201. It has very nice quality chrome and has walnut grips. It looks very similar to the original SS wheel. I am in the process of fixing the crack in the original white plastic wheel, but I don't want to use it for every day. I observed a few hairline cracks in the frame, and it cracked when I tried to catch myself with it. With the abuse a boat steering wheel takes pulling yourself out of the seat with it, I don't think it would last very long. I will keep it on a shelf next to my Autolite carb, spare Carter X fuel pump, prop shaft, strut, and other misc parts.

Gary got in to the plater before me, so I am afraid he bumped me on my next load of parts to be plated. No problem, spring is still a long way off. We will both have our stuff back well before spring. Gary's boat DESERVES the finest plating, it's jewelry for the fine girl.

Now I need to get back to the buffing. The rub rail is a major pain, I am not looking forward to buffing / sanding the scratches out. I tried a small test area. I then went back to pulling out my fingernails and driving nails into my foot. It is more fun that working on the rub rail.

8122pbrainard wrote: John, Man, my ADD sure kicked in on this post!! OK, all I want to comment about is the copper tube bending. Your guy doesn't know what the he** he's talking about. ALL the old boat manufactures bent it and I have even done it myself. All that's needed is a good annealing. Trash that guy!! He must be smoking something in the back room!

I never asked Ed, the fabricator, about bending copper pipe. I was told that by one of the biggest pipe distributors in the midwest, Porter pipe and Supply. They told me that type L would work well for straight runs, but it doesn't radius well, especially the 110 degree radius I need. Just a note here, the porter guy has never sold it for this purpose. It is a wholesale pipe supply house and commercial plumbing is done by sweating fittings, not bending pipe.
I would never consider ending my relationship with Ed. He does the highest quality fabrication. His work is in most auto related shows featuring aftermarket products and race cars, both trade and consumer. He is an amazing fabricator, and charges accordingly. Here area a couple of projects.

I dont remember what we order for the woodies but it is specifically for fuel and is copper. I think the choices are 3/8 and 7/16". Anywho, it can easily make 90%%d bends with less than a 4inch radius.

I love that steering wheel, is that specifically '71 correct craft?

John,
You are listening to a supplier of copper and not a fabricator. I'm in the fab bussiness and, been around the copper in old wood hulls for quite some time!

Im lost- why do you need to bend anything? Will corrugated hose not bend enough to get to the vertical H-M risers? If not, Id have a good fabricator weld some pieces of SS together rather than trying to custom bend something. You can get good SS bends relatively inexpensively here:



Verocious Motorsports

Do you have options on the finish for the ceramic coating? Id want to keep the original blue paint color... or maybe you can paint over it? My Hi-Teks are ceramic coated (polished) and look decent- though not as nice as a true polished SS (or aluminum). The coating has held up well though- no discoloration on the runners, and no peeling anywhere.

I cant see the picture of your steering wheel, but I would encourage you to use an original one instead. I think both the simulated wood grain and white plastic versions look good. I would not recommend using the wheel as a means to get into and out of the seat- its simply not meant to take that kind of abuse!

Still no progress on the seats, but Im hopeful I will get to them soon.

Hi Tim,
The ceramic coating would be on the inside of the manifolds where the exhaust gasses pass. It is just to prevent corrosion in the future. Color really doesn't matter since its internal. I will go through the engine next winter and have it freshened up, painted, and detailed if it makes it through the summer. It will be the original Ford blue.
Pete, I will ask Ed about bending the copper. It was just a salesman at the copper distributor that told me that. I don't know why he believes it won't work, but I believed him. He never heard of using it for boat exhaust before.
I will have the repaired white Mustang wheel, but I don't want to break it again. The wheel that was in the SS like Gary's is rusty and I can't justify the expense of repairing it. This one is similar. The reason i was thinking about doing the exhaust in SS or copper is because Ed can do it quite a bit cheaper than the Strident hose would cost, and the original hose has distorted into an oval at the bend and I don't want to restrict the flow that way. I love the way the exhaust you fabricated looks on your boat Tim. I may restrict the flow with mufflers depending on if I find it too loud.
Well, the exhaust and steering wheel would be the only incorrect parts. Maybe I will go with the hoses. Ed fabricated automotive exhaust from T304. It works for race cars, but I think he recommended T316 for marine use, and it is more expensive.
Kocian has my hourmeter and I will have them refinish my Airguide speedo face. I will need to figure out how to put the damper in the line. I am not sure, but I don't think the 69 has one. I need to get the 69s pitot and install it on this boat. It was frozen in when I was up north a couple weeks ago.
Thanks everyone, for the help and advice!

John,

How much did Uremco charge you to rebuild your carb if you do not mind me asking?    Also, did they provide the kit or did you provide the kit. Does this price include having the secondaries replaced? What was the turn around time?

I need to have my carb freshened up.

Thanks,

Donald

Hussler wrote: Oh you want to bend 2.5 inch copper? Must have missed thazt. Would be kinda tough but if you packed it full of sand before hand you might get a decent bend

No, the exhaust is 3".

Bruce, what style? Ive bought SS tips from both Eddie Marine and Rex Marine. They wont look quite like the originals from the early 70's and prior though- I believe those used polished pipes and trim rings rather than 1-piece tips. They dont match the later style either, but can be modified to look very close. Pete was able to trim the length on our BFN tips to give them the same proportions as the originals.

Bruce, do you even need to cut it at an angle? I cant recall what my Skier looks like... but I want to say that Sage's original 2.5" tips were cut straight on both sides. I could be wrong.

Either way, you can get 3" polished SS tubing in shorter lengths for $18/ft from the same place I got the rest of my (non-polished) 304L tubing:

Verocious Motorsports polished SS tubing

I'd skip the flaps as well!

Good deal.

It took me a while to find the right angle, but I think the later (71+) tips are cut at a slight angle as well.

Those look straight, but there isn't much difference. Pete wouldn't even pick up on it.

Edit: Looking at the 2nd photo, they look beveled, too.

John, I'm planning on using corugated for the bends from the exhaust manifolds to straight copper pipe beneath the floor. I think corrugated would work well all the way to the through hulls, but want to see if the boat has a better tone with copper under the floor.