Passenger Subframe Connector Preparation

The starting point for the floorboard replacement is the installaton of subframe connectors. These connectors serve as the structure of the floor when the floorpans are removed.

I cut open the rear portion of the front frame rail the weekend before last. Today, I straightened the metal a little and then stripped around where I will spot weld in the subframe connector.



The two tabs you can see on either side of the subframe were originally folded in to form the back. Many cut them off completely leaving a straight weld surface around the back. That would be a little easier but this way will keep it from having the straight cut and welded on look of an aftermarket piece. I don't care much but just want it to blend in a little.

There are a few holes around the stock frame rail. There is no purpose for these holes. They can cause dirt and water to get in the frame rail so I plan to just weld them all closed. I'm very new to welding so I'll obviously need to practice a little first.

The back frame rail was very easy to clean. I just used a course wire wheel in my cordless drill and a few minutes later everything looked ready for welding. I'll need to cover it and the subframe connector with primer so that nothing rusts while before I can paint the underside of the car.



I cleaned both the subframe connectors with mineral spirts and primed them with Krylon Rust Tough primer. I planned to use weld thru primer but have read it is not really worth the money. I'll clean the weld areas and then primer them after welding.

Subframe Connector Purchase

I had the day off work today but did not work on the Mustang.

I started thinking about the structural integrity of the Mustang during the floorboard replacement. If I took out the entire floorboard, the frame of the Mustang could shift slightly. Since I want subframe connectors, I decided it would be best to go ahead and install these to lock things into place.

I purchased a set of subframe connectors from Tin Man Fabrication for $165. The website stated they should be here by this coming weekend.

I'll need to practice a little with my welder so I can install these soon. I'd like to make plenty of progress with the Mustang over the Winter. Installing the subframe connectors is going to be the first step.

Dash Component Removal & Floorboard Inspection

I stripped the remaining components from the dash this morning leaving only the metal shell. The next step involves stripping the surface of the dash panels. Before moving to this step, I removed the carpet and seats so they would not be covered in debries.

I decided to stop for the day and went inside for much of the afternoon. I then decided there was no reason to refinish the entire dash only to possibly damage it when replacing the toe boards and floorpans. This caused me to return to the garage to work on the floorpans.

The previous owner cut out pieces of sheet metal and riveted them over the original floorpan from the inside. I drilled the rivets out easily and removed the replacement pieces. The date was written on one of the pieces an I believe it was May 2004 or 2007.

There was caulk around the replacement sheetmetal. This only helped to seal in the moisture between the two panels. This caused a great deal of rust to form on the floorpans. There was much more rust than was detectable from the bottom of the car. I knew there was enough rust to need an entire new floorpan so this really was more surprising than depressing.

The riveted sheetmetal was not the first repair to the floorpans. I could tell the driver floorpan had been repaired previously. It had an 1/8 to 1/4 inch of fiberglass on the metal. This was fairly easy to remove. I then started removing a bit more of the rusted metal just to see the extent of the damage.

Underdash Wiring Removed

I spent a little over an hour today removing the underdash wiring. I documented each connector as I removed the wiring with my digital camera. After removing the harness, I reconnected the door pins, flashers, ignition switch, and headlight switch. The purpose of the various wires is easily to determine with these items connected.

I'm tempted to replace the fuse block with one produced by Painless Wiring. This aftermarket fuse block uses the newer style fuses. Additionally, it would contain three extra circuits to run the constant power for the radio and other accessories without taxing the stock system.

I'm also tempted to use the aftermarket fuse block because of some damage to the stock item. The wires which led to the back of one of the fuses were cut at the back of the fuse block. They were then wires together using an inline fuse from an auto parts store. I'm not sure yet if this is because of something wrong with the block or just ignorance of the previous owner.

In addition to the wiring, I removed the defroster vent, fresh air vent, and a few other small items. I plan to remove a few more items so that I can soon start to strip the underdash area.

I was able to check the driver side cowl and it looks in acceptable condition also. This will allow me to use the plastic replacement cowl hat on the driver side without the need to replace the entire cowl panel.

Interior Parts Order - Shopping Therapy

I'm not one to go shopping to feel better but today was the exception.

I've been wanting a new steering wheel for the Mustang since I purchased the car. The steering wheel I'm currently using is the stock wheel which is cracked, large, and looks horrible. I passed time on Saturday looking at steering wheels on the Summit Racing website. A LeCarra Mark VI Elegante steering wheel caught my eye. The steering wheel looks great and is 14" which works well with my manual steering configuration.

I've also been thinking about how I'm going to handle the gauges in the Mustang. I need a better oil pressure and water temperature guage. Since I'm restoring the dash, I'd like to go ahead and decided how I want to mount these new guages. Ideally, I'd replace the two outside guages in the stock cluster. I've tried working with a cheap 2 1/16" guage I have to see if I could get it to look good in the stock bezel. Unfortunately, I've not had any luck.

I posted about it on StangFix.com and they suggested using a 2 5/8" guage. The guage could be mounted from the back or from the front. I searched Summit Racing and found two nice Pro-Sport series guages which would work well. I consdered buying one to see if I could make it fit properly but then started worrying how it would look next to the other stock guages. The lighting, guage faces, and lenses would look entirely different.

I'd love to have a 5" tachometer and speedometer. Since I was day dreaming, I decided to look at them also. I found the same Line Pro-Sport Autometer tachometer for $150. If you purchase one now, you can get a $100 rebate from AutoMeter. Additionally, Summit will give you $50 in Summit Bucks.

I was feeling down about recent events at work today and started thinking about the Mustang to brighten my day. I then decided to just go ahead and buy all of these parts. I'll test fit the guages to see if I can make them work. If it does not look good, I can always return them to Summit.