Rustoration of 1991 FOXBODY Mustang GT as a Cobra Clone

I treated the frame rail, k-member and radiator core support with phosphoric acid after removing as much rust and paint as I could get to. I will probably go over it a few times. This is the tedious part so I just have to stick with it until I am ready to tape and paint.

I am almost done with the degrease process in the engine bay. The radiator support and inside passenger frame rail are done.

So I finished removing everything from the radiator support. Ac condenser brackets, radiator bracket, crash sensor bolts, power steering pump and cooler hood prop, radiator support skirt. I vacuumed out the frame rails and scrapped the grime from the drivers side frame rail. There was a ton of sand packed into the drivers side frame rail around the k-member mount. I vacuumed out about half and then took the air compressor to it and the frame rails. Out of curiosity I blew out the other side and just a little dust came out.

Sometimes you have to choose not to go too far and that can be difficult. That rabbit hole can go as deep as you let it. Engine out led to cleaning the engine bay, cleaning the engine bay led to repairing surface rust. Repairing surface rust led to painting the engine bay. Painting the engine bay led to cleaning out the cowl and k member. Cleaning out the cowl led to painting the inside of the cowl. Painting the cowl lead to paint the brake booster and the wiper motor. Painting everything lead to wire tuck. Wire tuck lead to rewrapping the entire wire harrness. Wire tuck lead to removing the charging ports. Removed charge ports left room for washer fluid tank and closing the charging port holes. Now I can certainly do more, close all the inner fender holes. Repair the tiny frame rail ripple and the little chain mark from the frame puller, but I need to draw the line cause it's not a full restoration and it will always only be a driver.

With the return of the washer tank, the charging ports I put in the drivers side inner fender do not fit. Rather then fudging it I decided to close the holes I made. The steps: 1 tape single ply cardboard over the holes. 2 rub a dead blow hammer over the cardboard to make an impression 3 Cut out the impression 4 trim card board to fit in the holes 5 trace the cardboard into scrap metal with sharpy 6 use snips to cut out the rough shape. 7 snip to outside sharpy 8 mark top of shape and hole 9 use a magnet pickup to hold the piece and take little bits of metal until the piece is a tight fit. 10 clean the weld sites with a sanding cone. 11  put welding magnets behind the hole 12 tack away from the magnets where it is flush 13 Hammer the edge of the patch until it is flush and tack on opposite sides. 14 connect the tacks 15 grind excess weld flush 16 fill pin holes and low spots on other side of the panel 17 smoother with Flap disc 18 apply

I treated the brake booster to flap disc and a scuff with scotch brite, then phosporic acid. Finally i wiped down with acetone. I pulled the balancer again and cleaned it and added rtv to the keyway and snout because it will leak if not done that way. I removed the wiper motor because it's pretty rough and needs paint. Finally I added the washer fluid tank and wired it up so I can wrap up the drivers side harness.

Let's see how deep this rabbit hole goes. I pulled the wipers and the cowl to vacuum and clean the leaves out cause it's connected to the upper frame rail. No rust but needed to be done. Will give it a good scrubbing and probably pull the wiper motor since i needs to be painted.

So I'm way down the rabbit hole in the engine bay. I have removed the master cylinder and brake booster which was a pita. But the strut Towers and corrosion on the brake booster was only surface and came right off with a flappy disk. Next I can clean and degrease wipe down with acetone and use phosphoric acid to take care of any rust in the pits and etch the metal. Then I want to add in the connector for the washer fluid and wrap up the driver side wire harness with Tesa tape. While there certainly is corrosion where the master cylinder meets the brake booster, I see no active leaks. Looks more like they replaced a leaking Mc and didn't take care of the outside of the booster. I was able to bend the Mc and stock Porportioning valve out of the way without disconnecting them. Lots of junk built up between the firewall and the strut tower. Luckily no water got to it and there was no corrosion underneath. Some brake fluid must have gotten on the strut towe

I started the prep work on the drivers side engine bay. Nothing to crazy, just pulled the last of the accessories like the coil, charging posts that I connect my battery relocation cables to and a crash sensor bracket. Then I grabbed the grinder with a hamburger disc and a knotted wire wheel. I still need to flap disc the frame rail and get in behind the oe brake porportioning valve and booster. For just a few min with.a grinder, a ton of grease ended up on my pants.

3 ft more deloomed from the main harness. Started with #1 cylinder injector and went through the main salt and pepper connectors. I am zip tying each branch and re-labeling as I go.

  I decided to hunt down the washer fluid power wire. I had a feeling this might be the wire to the washer fluid pump. I added an alligator clip to my  multi-meter .    I set the meter to continuity I pulled the big fuse on the left I probed the fuse panel and pressed the washer fluid button, and my multi-meter gave a nice beep when pressed.  I just need to get a new pig tail, because it clips on to the pump directly, which are around $9 shipped.

Finished most of the drivers side wires. I want to lengthen 1 more ground to the low brake fluid sensor and ID the washer fluid wire and lengthen that, to revive the washer reservoir. I used the liquid electric tape but as a sealant under heat shrink, because it peels with a fingernail. I thought it would be more stiff like silicone but its closer to rubber cement. I soldered a few taped connections and capped a few wires that were cut. This had a stripped section that the tape allowed to corrode, I snipped it and soldered clean copper together and used liquid electrical tape under the heat shrink. A 12 ga fuse-able link was added to the headlight power wire, I soldered and sealed it up  2 headlight wires were snipped after the split from 1 to 2 wires. Just sealed up the ends. These seam to be deleted items which i believe to be, low coolant sensor, fan clutch, washer fluid reservoir. I use the low coolant for the MSD box key on signal.

So I got my cast off my right hand and of course come down with a nasty summer cold that got into my eyes ears and chest. Took 2 days to shake it. A week later and i am finally back in the garage.  The A/C was in the way and not functioning although there was oil in the system. I removed the A/C but will put it back although I doubt it will be restored to working order, just too pricey for this build. The  passenger side wire harness is bagged and  drivers side wire harness is passed through the fender apron.  There is a good amount of clean-up and repair I want to do to the wires before wrapping it all up. I purchased liquid electrical tape to seal the heat shrinks after soldering. I also moved the hood release cable into the fender.  So the cleaning and scuffing process can start. It is not getting body worked just a cleaning and a rattle can spray to protect the metal.   A/C removed     Passenger side wire harness bagged The drivers side wire harness is passed through