• Hello there guest and Welcome to The #1 Classic Mustang forum!
    To gain full access you must Register. Registration is free and it takes only a few moments to complete.
    Already a member? Login here then!

Hi from the UK

limeyboy

limeyboy

Active Member
Hi all,

I've had my '70 for 3 months, steep learning curve ( steering wheel on the wrong side, red flashers which are illegal big time here and petrol at $8 a gallon so can't drive anywhere :rolleyes:) but every time I start it I smile :).
Anyway it's a mach 1 no tach ( though I fitted a Dixco copy onto the hood and it plugged straight into my MSD box and works really well) California car so no rot to speak of, I've replaced all the front suspension (Hotchkis springs) and all the steering arms ( rebuilt the cyl ram, pump and control valve and yes the valve does leak 2 drops when I get back from a run)
My question is -
What warning lights should I have, the seatbelt one works and I'm tracing the brake one ( bulb works but need to check the Prove out bit) but should it have an ignition idiot light?
I have the oil pressure, water temp, charging and fuel gauges, just dont know what warning lights I should have.

California emissions petrol tank o_O I would like to remove all the junk in the trunk but before I try I want to know if there is a "safe way" to seal the "assumed hole" in the top of the tank, any ideas / photos would be great.

Thanks for any ideas
JC20210205_093350 (1).jpg
 
Welcome! It sounds like you have an ammeter, so you won't have an alternator charging light. You can find a schematic for 69/70 cars by using the search function at the top right- type in "A Real Schematic" On the bottom right of page 2 is the Brake Warning Light. With the key in the start position you should get a prove-out of the circuit. You probably won't have a Parking Brake Light as those higher end options were usually on Cougar's.
About the only way to plug the hole in the gas tank is to replace it with a 70 non-California tank, or a 69. If you do I think that you could easily sell the emission system, since they are getting very rare, and I would think that Concours guys would be interested.
 
Welcome aboard!

It sounds like you have all the idiot lights. I'm not an expert on newer than 67 though.

Mel

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
 
Thanks guys, I'll give the schematics a look, I'm taking the tank out in the summer to to do the only bit of welding needed ( above the frame rail on the passenger side where the rubber bung was "a long time ago" I reckon it rotted from the inside out as the underside is perfect and original) I've looked at repair panels with the drop off but it's such a small area 5" x 4" its not worth it so a friend is going to plate it.
I want to replace the valley pan/ intake manifold gasket sometime but as "V8's" are few and far between over here it's not a job I've any experience with but I did manage to put a new oil pan on and it doesn't seem to be leaking ( on my back on the garage floor :() so at least I'll be stood up.
The car was supposed to be a 2V engine but with a 4 barrel Holley, when I started looking at it properly it's a Holley from the 427/8 engine on an alloy manifold with casting numbers matching a Boss 351 manifold and the heads are 4V ones. It starts very well and runs lovely ( bills from 2004 to 2011 include 2 trips to a dyno in Chino to set it up) but I think it's not been used since 2011 and being imported to the UK in 2020 according to the mileage.

Jeff20210407_174715.jpg
 
Welcome to the fix. Always nice to have another 70 on here.

Post some pictures of the car when you get a chance.

Sent from my moto x4 using Tapatalk
 
Its a vacuum switch that is controlled by engine temperature- that's why its mounted near the upper radiator hose. On my 69 351w, it sits vertically, and the bottom port is connected to the vacuum tee on the back of the intake manifold, the middle one goes to "ported" vacuum from the carburetor, and the top one goes to the distributor vacuum advance. You don't really need it but it is said that vacuum advance will give you better fuel mileage, and with your cost/liter I would think you may be interested. It switches between manifold vacuum and ported vacuum for the dizzy. Does your distributor still have a vacuum advance unit?
 
Last edited:
OK thanks for that I understand, I've got a complete MSD electronic system and as I'm changing the radiator hoses soon and going to try and flush many years of crud out of the block I might take it out and plug the hole to tidy it up.




20210409_151111.jpg20210122_120326.jpg
 
Grabber70Mach said:
Welcome to the Fix, nice looking 70 Mach.
Click to expand...
Thanks, it's a good solid car, what I don't have is any history before 2003 when all the MSD system was fitted and from then until 2011 there are bills for interior work ( seat covers, door cards etc), brakes, dashboard gauge refurb ( quartz clock motor) exterior trim and engine and trans servicing with the last mileage at 29,626.
I bought the car last year with 30,300 on it, what I don't know is "why it has 4* heads, Holley 4 bbl, boss manifold" etc it seems like somebody wanted far more than a standard 2bbl. If I can get a good picture of the partial vin off of the block ( its not the original engine) perhaps there is a way to see if it is an "M" code engine?
The shock towers have had plates welded (badly) each side so when I took the UCA's off to replace them I expected to see cracks in the mounting holes, there weren't any on either side, so my next thought is the long tube headers that are a VERY tight fit, I've read of people chopping out the shock towers and welding plates in for the extra room for the headers, could that be the reason?
What I have done is replace all the interior bulbs for LED ones as I managed to kill the battery one day as I worked on the inside with the doors open :rolleyes:
A friend with a 3 litre convertible is very impressed with the "flat handling" which is all down to the Hotchkis prog springs I put on the front, well worth the money.
Which Grabber colour have you got? As I'm in the UK it blocks certain pictures, the one on your post is "currently unavailable" :(


20210414_095936.jpg20210414_095951.jpg20210414_120644.jpg20210414_120714.jpg
 
Grabber Blue


70f3da823d2b77321f31531582fd1c1a.jpg
 
Grabber70Mach said:
Grabber Blue


70f3da823d2b77321f31531582fd1c1a.jpg
Click to expand...
Lovely colour, my front parking lights look too far "into the valance" and I'm not sure about the history of the front valance / bumper ( replaced parts, accident etc) how far back do the lights sit as they seem different on every car, your's look quite deep set and I've now bent the brackets on mine ( I found a picture of a bracket ) so they are a bit higher than in the pictures but they are still very deep. Any chance of a "sideways" picture to show how deep they are set? It's so difficult over here to find any other cars to look at to compare with.20210417_132734.jpg20210417_132758.jpg
 
Thanks for that, makes mine look OK, I guess they were meant to be that way. I'm trying to get in touch with a PO who lives in California and see if he can give me any history on the car, he obviously liked it as I have lots of bills from his ownership but the work ( engine mainly) was done before he bought it I think and I want to know if the Cam was changed along with the heads etc. He also had it dynod but I don't have the results.
I've cleaned and painted 90% of the underside just the tunnel by the auto box ( need to change the fluid and filter, it works fine but it was last done about 10 years ago and hasn't driven far but i guess fluid breaks down over time) and the leaf springs need looking at in the summer and the air shocks work fine, no clanking banging etc ( I've read everything about them breaking through so I only have them on a very low poundage) but the bottom stud on both of them is "offset / bent" now was that so the air fittings pointed in a certain way or just bad fitting? They are a lot more bent in real life!!!
Some brake pipes NEVER come loose!!
20210212_110600.jpg



20210212_173048.jpg
 
Get rid of those air shocks NOW!

Do you know a Peter Carvallo in England? He's a consistent customer of mine and he deals almost exclusively with Mustangs.
 
The shocks will be there until the leaf springs come off in the summer, everything is so much dearer here.
I've looked at your site, interesting stuff.

I don't know Peter, the only fellow owner I know is Chris from the MOCGB
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top