[Dawai]

How I did it... held cardboard up there.. Took a mallet and Beat all around the edges.. cutting and marking cardboard. Then took scissors and cut it out, took the Plasma and TRACED the cardboard. (really).. it blackened but did not burst into flames.

Took the mig and stitched it in, then took stick welder and welded it in solid. 7018, weld, chip, grind, paint.. done.

Front suspension is a Aftermarket racing tubular Mustang3, (Mcpherson strut style) grafted onto home made upper a frame mounts for Mercury Marquis uppers-spindles and 11" disc brakes. This was to stop from having to MAKE a structure mount for that strut-shock way up there in the fender. Motor mounts were of course in the wrong place and had to be removed. Moved back about six inches. So, the Fie should have more traction than a mustang with motor set-back weight shift??

I NEED, the bolts that hold the mustang rack in place.. down here in the sticks.. can't find them.. where do you get them? FORD?? scrapper yard? Last time I went there for bolts they insulted me so bad I had to go home and eat a bowl of ice cream to calm down.

I actually bought a parts HONDA civic for bolts mostly.. really.. got tired of hunting.

 

[joe_padavano]

Front suspension is a Aftermarket racing tubular Mustang3, (Mcpherson strut style)

No, it's not. Macpherson struts eliminate the upper control arm and use the shock absorber (the "strut") as a structural member of the suspension and steering. The steering knuckles would be built right into the bottom of the strut housing. You simply have a conventional MII upper/lower A-arm suspension.

 

[Dawai]

No, it's not. Macpherson struts eliminate the upper control arm and use the shock absorber (the "strut") as a structural member of the suspension and steering. The steering knuckles would be built right into the bottom of the strut housing. You simply have a conventional MII upper/lower A-arm suspension.

Actually Yes it is, I trashed the upper mchpherson strut, the Spindles, the tiny mustang discs and USED THE MERCURY MARQUIS Aframe and discs and spindles.. the subframe I installed is a mustang unit with lower Aframes and steering rack. The upper Mercury Marquis.

Look at the home-built Top Aframe mounts there. I did about six hours of measuring, drawed them up in cad, then cut the parts with paper templates scribed onto the flat stock. Slotted them on the cnc bridgeport.

This is the top mount I had to make to match the Lower aframe ball joint position with the top Marquis ball joint position.. and yes.. I had a headache that day by the end of the day.. I swung a plumbob, rolled a digital protactor around, levels, measuring.. Finally tacked the mustang lower subframe into the F1 and jigged it around square with a hammer...

Here is a picture of the DONOR car.. the Mercury Marquis, one owner that belonged to my dad.. the 5.0/auto is sitting in the old truck right now, but I really don't care much for it. I got a HO5.0 and 5 speed I want in the truck.

What is really wild, After I torched out the original axle, I had the struts/subframe hanging from the spreader on a chain hoist, lifting all "that mess" into place under the F1 frame.. Tried to set the Marquis wheels onto the mustang spindles and rotors to get a visual. it would not fit.. Darned rotors had been "converted" to chevy bolt pattern.. I scratched my head for five minutes there till I figured that out.. This tubular subframe is from a mustang drag car.. it had chevy wheel pattern on it's rotors, the racer must have had a set of chevy drag wheels. I remember them to be ultra-light.. I swapped a old IH cub cadet lawn tractor for the subframe.. (*really) that 's how we do it down here.. help each other out. At that time I had no use for it.. I was considering building a Three wheeled motorcycle (two wheels in front) like one of the toys I saw in florida.

Right now, I removed the 9" rear axle from the truck that was in it when I bought it, got a bronco rear axle in it right now.. The spring hangers were right, but the wheelbase seems like the tires-rims will rub the bed..

I'd like disc convert the 9" and put it back in the old truck. Or there is a quick change a guy has in the next county.. which I can't afford.. right now.

I checked for bump steer, could not see any.. with the engine/trans sitting in the car the tie rod is a little below level.. God help me if it does not work going down the road.. I got camber slotted adjustment ability built in in and out, on the mercury they swivel the top aframe to get caster in and out.

 

[Dawai]

More F1 fab pictures

The smarter thing to have done? well cut the subframe from under the Marquis.. narrow it.. but my ruler said the Inner aframe Swivels would have near touched.. that lower Marquis aframe was about two feet plus long and about two feet wide. The top ones much shorter, unequal length.

No room for a engine between them so I thought. Perhaps someone else has better luck? The engine in this truck sets low now. Set back about six inches and much lower than normal but the same height from the ground as a mustang. I kept the motor pad height, just moved them back.

Aww well.. here's why my beard won't grow anymore.. it keeps getting burned back to the welding helmet..

Tube grille, tied in with wire to look at and mock up

Fabbing tube grille with die bender.

Fender pan, made one for front, one for back where the fenders are cut. So they won't rub the cab.

THIS is the DUTCH & MARTY COMSTOCK method.. I had three swivels and two air cylinders in it.. this only needs one. Simpler is better.. I rebuilt it to their design..

Where I cut the fenders, needs rubber strip now.

Before the hood was added in.

It all still needs ospho, primer.. ugly as sin.. With the motor sitting in the truck, in the mustang subframe.. it is down there.. I had to tilt the front end, My arms were not long enough to change plugs without getting up onto the fenders.. and I weigh 300lbs.. so.. that is not a option. Have the same problem with the 41 ton-half cab and fenders on the one ton frame.. can't reach the engine.

 

[mike the painter]

Glad to see ya getting some work done on the old gal david,should handle pretty good.I got those bolts you need right here. :thumbup: :thumbup: Careful mentioning Ospho ,Many unbelievers.

 

[Dawai]

Thanks Mike.

I have not done anything on the old truck since I bought the El Camino. I was in a hurry before to build a daily driver.. it was going together RAT ROD..

Not sure what I am doing to the dash. it had a 65ish mustang dash welded and bondoed in. I got the instruments from the Marquis, they look oldish.. kinda neat.

I cut the rear seat foam down with a serrated knife, cut the seams on the ends.. The marquis was about a foot and some wider inside. I curved it to fit the F1 rounded cab. but no adjustment track.. so? not sure if I will use it or not. The wife would have to have a pillow to reach pedals.. or tape 2x4 blocks to them huh?? HA..

I wanted one of these old trucks since I was little. I don't think it is or will be ever for sale. I sure screwed it up for a nostalgia rodder.. ha.. huh?

 

[mike the painter]

LOL...little?????? I heard you weighed 17 lbs when you were born.You must mean younger....hehehe. I just build them the way I like em.Let someone else catigorize it. I'll bet you'd like the photo manipulation these guys do.You can get some great ideas...a guy called "rodder 18" has been helping me out alot....

 

[timothale]

M II rack bolts

In the factory the tool to install the rack weighed agout 60 pounds, after it torqued the rack nuts it crimped them. If the nuts didn't get crimped they could loosen and drop the rack. the dealer install was to use locktite .

 

[Dawai]

Drop the rack.

Drop the rack

OMG.. it is 6:15 Sunday and I feel a Beavis and Butthead moment coming on.. Huh-Huh-Huh...

NOBODY lists these bolts, Speedway, nor any of the rack sellers I found. I do have the rubber biscuits that insulate the tubes on the subframe. no bolts. When I picked this subframe up, I had to dig one side out of the mud where a ditchbank had washed out onto it. It was missing various parts like calipers and "coils" this model had coil springs like a mustang 2, but struts -shocks like the newer models. What year model is that? I have a picture of it before installation somewheres on this computer. (thousands of pictures)

 

[mike the painter]

We built a bunch of rustang race cars with those cross members in them.My buddy Chris knows all about them but I believe the bolts are all the same since the racks are very popular around the tracks but Ill give him a call today and get back to you.We might have a bunch of stang stuff laying around,you could use.I just gave a couple of electric seats to a guy out your way,I'll round up some stuff for you might even have a couple electric buckets around.I got a bunch of universil joints for the steering colume and a tilt colume from a camero,Im changing mine out for and electric caddie colume ,its got a electric telescopic along with the tilt plus a bunch of other stuff I can use,its in the 48 right now but your welcome to it.

 

[techinspector1]

I rescued a couple of power seat tracks from 2 '93 Tempos. They're only power on the driver's side, so I bought 2 complete driver's seats at the boneyard and dismantled them, tossing the seats but keeping the tracks. What's neat about them is that the control is on the front of the seat. One hot wire, one ground and you're done.

 

[mike the painter]

That would come in handy,there's surprisingly little room on the side in my 48 ,maybe 2" tops you can barely get your hand in there.