Mustang Rebuild

I’ve taken time off from working on the mustang to upgrade my electricity options in the garage. Currently, there is a 30 amp 110 circuit feeding the garage. I’m going to swap out the panel in the garage with one that gas more space for additional breakers. Then I plan the change the breaker in box that supplies the garage with a 220 breaker. I’ll need the add a ground wire at the garage. I’ve been working on digging the trench to bury the rod so I get get enough of it underground. The top soil is only 18″ deep at best so I cannot drive it in vertically.

I’m doing all of this so I can upgrade my compressor to something that will keep up with my air consumption when using sanders, die grinders, and cutoff wheels. Also, I’ll be able to add a plasma cutter to the arsenal of tools. Many times I wished I had a plasma cutter when switching out blades on my body saw.

I was recently asked why I gave up on trying to use the quarter skin and used the full quarter instead.  There were a few reasons but they all had something to do with the fit of the replacement part and the amount of work it would take to make a skin work.

The primary reason was the radius of the skin did not match the stock radius and it did not fit the wheelhouse very well at all.  If you look at the photos above you can see where I’ve clamped the outer wheel house to the skin.  The radius of the skin was almost 2 full inches greater in diameter.  A 1/4 inch difference is easy enough to work with but there was no way to make this fit.  I’d have to cut the wheelhouse and reshape it to match the skin. (The skin is wrong not the wheelhouse half)

Additionally, there is far more welding involved in replacing the skin.  On top of that, it is a butt weld from the front of the quarter to the rear.  I’ve done enough welding on this project that my skills have improved enough to accomplish welding the skin.  Even so,  that’s still 2 million small welds to fill in all the metal, a ton of grinding to make the welded surface smooth enough to finish the job with body filler before paint.  Pray or hope you dont warp the metal when welding it up.  

I think it’s just easier to replace the whole quarter. Sure, it costs more. It’s about $150 more after the extra money for the part and the extra cost in shipping motor freight because of the size.  In the end however.  The biggest task in replacing the full quarter, in my opinion is removing the lead from the sail panel.  You have to drill out the spot welds under the lead but at this point in the rebuild I’m very comfortable at drilling out spot welds.   All that remains is prep work to fit the parts.  Clamp all the parts togather. Make sure the panel gaps are good.  Make sure the deck lid will fit corectly and taillight panel lines up. Once your satisfied with the fit weld it.

Work progresses on the quarter panel and wheelhouse on the passenger side.  I gave up on trying to get the outer wheelhouse I bought originally to fit. I also opted to replace the entire quarter and not use a quarter skin.  

I had to remove the lead from the factory.  I used a propane torch to melt the lead and a small wire brush to brush the lead away as it melted.  Instead of stripping and sanding the paint and body filler away I just heated it with the torch until it bubbled up and then used a window scraper to remove the filler and paint.  It was much faster and easier.   Of course I wore my painter’s mask since I didn’t want to suck down the fumes.

I have do the final fitting of the wheelhouse where it meets the quarter panel.  Then I’ll take off the quarter,  weld in the outer wheelhouse half and then weld in the quarter panel.  Simple right?!?