Willit? Update

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

Old Hippie, Hey Dude, not only is this a great little shop, but it's one of the old school. No laser beams or computerized stuff here. They use the old fashioned degree plates the front wheels go one, and spray the tire with white paint and scribe a line in the paint while it's turning to "Measure" the caster, camber, and tow-out/in. When the GT gets together enough, it's going to that shop for an alignment check with the new poly bushings, etc. all installed, and they'll finish up the exhaust for me while it's there.

[benncojr]

Rick, it does look like the wheels will work on my GT, although the back side of the mounting flange is different as you noted. All I have is two questions. First, did you have them mounted on a stock GT either front or rear? And, secondly could you double check the dimension between the inside of the bead flanges. It was hard to tell from you pics the width of the wheels. Mine measured right at 6 1/8" between the inside of the flanges. If yours are close to that, we just might make a deal for a pair. Your worst looking pair at that.

Ron,

First, I do not know if they were mounted on a stock GT. I received them with all the other parts and car that I purchased, I will contact the PO to check with him.

I will double check the dimension between the inside of the bead flanges tonight and get back with you.

And I add the photos on the earler message and the final photo is on this one. The last time I tried to put photo on they said it was to big.

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

Rick, to get the pics attached to the reply post block, I use PhotoShop and use the image button to get the major dimension to 600 pixels. There are other picture programs that will do the job also, it's just a matter of trial and error on some to get the largest file size or pixel size the site program can handle.

And, thanx for taking the time and effort on getting the info to me, it may seem to be a PIA, but I just gotta know if the wheels will fit. Not a good thing if they won't.

[benncojr]

No, PIA.

It has just been a very busy 2 weeks. I will get the dimisions for you.

The icing on the cake for the week is I got a speeding ticket (63 in a 45). I thought it was 55. That is the type of 2 weeks it has been!!

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

Rick, Take your time, no need to rush, (63 in a 45), It would be neat to have kinda matching wheels (polished on the rear and unpolished on the front, temporarily) on the car when I finally get the front end rebuilt and back on the ground. I've got the front end out and in the shop to remove the busted bolt. I've got to pull the engine/tranny one more time to finish painting the bottom of the car and the engine compartment, then, it all starts going back together for the last? time.

[nobody]

Ron I have a few sources on the rim and I think I know where to find another front crossmember. Seems to me there is a front cross with your name on it but has no ship to address. I'm going to ship it in care of "it will" just don't make me have to pull strings to get an address cause I will.

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

To "nobody" in particlular and everyone in general. I just got off the phone with the alignment shop that has my front suspension main beam, and there is good news, after being in the shop for 4 days they got the busted bolt out. I haven't had the time to check it out, they hadn't pulled the ball joints out of the lower arms and spindles yet, so I'll pick them up tomorrow. I asked what the charge was going to be and I was told for the whole mess, bolt and 4 balljoints removed, probably about $30. Now all I have to do is degrease the whole mess, strip it, derust it, and paint, then new bushings and install the whole mess with new shocks and rotors. Sometimes, life is good.

[Old Hippie]

Ron, that is a GOOD price for doing the nasty work! A little WD40, a tap and a rolling chair in the shade should make all those old threads seem like new. Yes, sometimes life is good!

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

I just got the main beam and LCAs back from the shop. I asked the mech how he got the bolt out, he said a lot of beating and pressing with the 12 ton press, and it finally came out. Total cost to me was $20, right now. They will get the car back for alignment and finish off the exhaust sytem from the down tubes back to the rear of the car, so I'll probably get caught up then on what I really owe them. Now comes the dirty job of cleaning, stripping, and derusting so I can paint it and install the new poly bushings, ball joints, shocks, and rotors.

Old Hippie, A wire wheel does wonders on the threads, and it doesn't take any metal, as long as they are good threads to begin with. I was extremely lucky in that only two bolts were frozen, and I got one of those myself.

Keith, I haven't forgot about the LCA bushings. As soon as I get them cleaned up I'll see about working up something to get them out without torching them.

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

I had a real nasty experience yesterday, with the POR-15 product "Marine Clean", so I thought I'd put the word out as a kinda warning. On the label and in their instruction sheet is says you can dilute with water up to 10:1. Logically thinking then, it should be really great full strength, and I 've used it that way for over 2 years on certain really loaded, greasy parts of the GT. I was cleaning the spindles and hubs yesterday with if full strength and my hands started to burn, so I stopped and hosed my hands off and noticed my skin was coming off like a jelly paste. Not a good thing, so use the stuff, it's good, but don't use it full strength and use gloves, they're real cheap insurance. Oh yeh, a couple of passes with a brush and all the grease on the spindles and rotors came right off.

[GTJIM]

Guess you have nice clean, pink hands now - hope you did not damage yourself! Bet they have "Use Gloves" right on the tin too.

I remember as a young, grubby handed engineer, plunging my hands into a vat of Caustic Soda solution and quickly washing the dirt and top layer of skin off them so I would have nice clean hands for Saturday night.

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

Well, Jim they were clean last nite, but not today, still have to work on the GT even though it really hurts to do it. I do have multiple open sores from the cleaner and it's a PIA to clean up after working. Eventually I'll get better and can get more done. To be honest with you I didn't check the label at all, it is just good sense to use the gloves with a solution as strong as that.

[GTJIM]

Ron - a trick from a younger engineer/mechanic: I always use "food grade" PVC (or vynel) disposable gloves ( Not the laxtex "surgical" type as they are not resistant to oil and petrol ). Available at Engineering Supply houses here and at food distributors. These gloves will resist even perchlorethylene drycleaning solvent! They cost $9 per 100 pairs here and the grease/oil just never gets near your hands.

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

Jim, I get the mechanix gloves here, they're supposed to be good for all the stuff a mech will get into, I hope. So far they've held up to POR-15 solvent, stripper, and all the rest of their products fairly well. The only thing was Xylene makes them fall apart after a bit.

Keith, The LCA bushings are a PIA to get out, but I got them out with out burning them, although it was a mess just the same. I read on the site someone used a small drill bit and drilled around the rubber to get it out. I have in my model racing boat tools an Exacto knife handle that holds a 3" long saw blade. I drilled enuff holes in the rubber bushing to start the saw blade and then cut around the steel sleeve and got it out then pulled the rubber bushing out by sliding an Exacto knife blade between the rubber and the outer sleeve. I'll finish up removing the rest of the rubber with a Dremel wire wheel that is fairly well worn down. Again, another tool from my boat toolbox. HTH.

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

Yesterday, I took 11 pieces of the front suspension in to get sand blasted at a local commercial outlet, and was impressed by what I saw there, a MACH 1 Mustang convertible, unibody no less, totally stripped to the base metal, and some powder coating that was just beautiful. They told me I should expect a call sometime Wednesday to pick up the pieces and expect to pay about $100. What I took in were both hubs, axles, brake backing plates, Upper Control Arms and Lower control Arms, and the main suspension beam. All the rest I can clean here at the house. After vapor blasting all the parts, cleaning, again, metal treating and then the POR-15 painting. It's getting closer folks. Now if my hands will heal a bit faster, I can really get with the program. :o

[benncojr]

Ron,

I finally got the to sit down and get your last size you requested (Sorry for the delay).

From the inside of the lip of the rim to the other inside lip is 5 5/8 inch. From Outside edge to outside edge it is 6 3/8 inch.

Take a look at the photo

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

Rick, thanx for the response, it looks, by your measurements the wheels are 1/2" narrower than mine are, which shouldn't pose a problem. I need one more measurement to finalize this and it looks like I'll need all 4 wheels to make them all the same size. Could you measure the distance between the inside of the mounting flange to the edge of the wheel, just like I did on post #8 of this thread? I laid the wheel face down, put a straight edge acorss the top of the wheel and measured down to the mounting flange. My measurement was about 3.5" on the wheels I have now. Also send me an e-mail or PM with a price for all 4 wheels if you don't mind. TIA.

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

I've pretty much decided to keep the restoration part of this project under the Willit? Update, thread, and keep the actual V-6/T-5 swap in the articles section. I've got 2 more articles to do as I start the re-assembly phase, the next, Article VI will deal with integrating all the unfinished stuff of the previous articles into one, and Article VII will deal with the outcome of the finished project, hopefully to include a trip to the local dragstrip for a run or two to see what will happen. Further upgrades may be required, I've had lots of inquiries as to why I didn't do this or that. Basically what I want to do is see if the V-6/T-5 is feasible to just drop into a kinda box stock GT without needing further upgrades. An upgrade I have already done and touched on is the NOS ZF posi-traction rear-end. This was a personal choice based on driving my 75 350 monza on the streets here inSANe DIEGO, during the rare times is does rain, with the power of the 350, there is no traction on wet roads at all, so the decision to put a 3:08:1 Auburn posi in the monza naturally gravitated to doing the same to the GT.

Now for the update, and there actually is an update. I got the front suspension disassembled, including removing the busted UCA bolt from hell, and took the pieces to the sandblasters, for $100 all 11 pieces were blasted, the main beam was cracked, probably from a ball joint letting loose before I got the car. I gave it to my friendly welder and not only did he weld up the crack, he decided it would be a good idea to put beads around most of the attaching sheetmetal in lieu of just spotwelds. Also he ran a bead around both UCA bolt tubes. Nice guy. Attached are a couple of pics, before and after POR-15 treatment to the suspension pieces. Poly bushings will be installed next and new brakes in the front to compliment the new ones in the rear. Then the engine/tranny come out for the last time and painting the underneath, closing up the holes in the footwell and wiper well, then the rest of the interior of the car will be given the POr-15 treatment. Sorry this is so long winded, but now we're finally getting nowhere.

[nobody]

what kind of rear brakes did you use with that rear posi? I'd also like to see some pics of the gusseted front cross.

[namba209 (R.I.P.)]

Dave, The Posi for the GT is an NOS ZF unit that goes in the Opel differential housing, so I didn't need to change the brakes at all. They are still the stock rear drum and shoe. On the main suspension beam, there are two pieces of sheetmetal inside the spring cavity that are spot welded in, those are the pieces the welder ran a bead around as well as the UCA bolt tubes and the crack I had earlier. HTH.