I recently purchased a 67 Mustang and between the hood and the windshiled is two grilled wells that are clogged with dirt and debris. What is the best way to clean this area and the best way to access it to clean? Any help is appreciated.
shop vac and pressure washer. be careful if the debris is old it maybe indication of rusted cowl vents. there is no easy way to remove the cowl from the 64-68 mustangs. it is a welded part of the original unit body. Some folks have pulled off the fenders and drilled the welds at the corners and cut and peeled them open there for rust repair and cleaning. Also you can remove the fresh air vent on the drivers side and the the box from the passenger side to acess the the cowl vents themselves, here again use a shop van with a small hose to get up in there. good time to look for rust and do minor repairs
I would advise against using the pressure washer until you have had a good look under the dash for rust holes. What does work is a steamer. Less water is involved, and it will soften up the crud if it is really caked on.
There are small ports at each end of the cowl area (hidden by the fenders). When a bunch of crud gets in there; which is a common problem; it holds moisture in like a sponge. This leads to rusting through into the cabin. If the drain ports are clogged, enough water can back up to overflow the Abe Lincoln hat styled vents like overfilling a bathtub... soaking the carpets, which can lead to rusting out the floor pan.
Use the vac and get whatever you can directly through the grills. You might need a straightened wire clothes hanger to loosen as much debris as possible. A flex neck flashlight (as is commonly used in gunsmithing - a bore light) is a BIG help, along with one of those small dental type mirrors. These allow you to see back into the recesses.
NOTE: Not knowing the situation under which you found this car, you may have critters nesting in there... wear gloves when working with the debris.
Then, gain access from under the dash and do the same by going up through the vents. Here, you might get someone to help by working the wire from the outside.
Look at the vents closely for signs of rust/rust through right around the openings. If it is bad, there are repair kits available. If it's REALLY bad all over (not just at the vents)... you don't want to go there. This is the worst repair task, and the most expensive. Even worse than replacing the entire floor pan.
If you have the time, and I would recommend you make the time, remove the fenders to get better access to the drain ports. Work the wire through the ports to make sure they are clear.
Once everything has been thoroughly cleaned out, and any repairs made if needed, there are two things I'd recommend....
a car cover for when the car is parked (which is when leaves and such get in there most often)....
and there is a gadget called a Cowl Cover (make sure the cowl area is totally dried out before installing). There are two types. One is magnetic, and the other used clamping screws. They are made of Plexiglas or Lexan. I would recommend using the second type and make it a semi-permanent install. This will block off the grills so water, leaves, etc don't enter. Of course, air won't enter either. I haven't done it yet, but I am seriously considering drilling a pattern of holes which will allow for air flow, while minimizing the amount of water.
H>I recently purchased a 67 Mustang and between the hood and the windshiled
Spike
1965 Ford Mustang fastback 2+2 A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok Vintage Burgundy w/Black Standard Interior; Vintage 40 16" rims w/BF Goodrich Comp T/A gForce Radial 225/50ZR16 KDWS skins; surround sound audio-video."When the time comes to lay down my life for my country, I do not cower from this responsibility. I welcome it." -JFK Inaugural Address
Hey Spike-
I wonder if the Plexiglas/Lexan is thick enough to drill into from the edge, the flip them over and complete the down-holes. That might almost completely eliminate water entry. Just a thought. I was considering buying the bolt-on type for GP.
Alias
You have 2 choices.
Don't inundate the area with water. There are little "walls" about 1" high around the openings to the heater box that are supposed to keep pooled water out of the heater system. Those little walls are made out of sheet metal and frequently rust through. So if you get any appreciable amount of water into the cowling, you wind up with water in the passenger side footwell when it starts pouring into the heater box. This eventually leads to the floor pan rotting out. EVERY east cost Mustang in the 65 1/2-68 range that I've worked on has had this problem. A pair of tin snips, some aluminum flashing and some silicone sealant can be used to recreate the water barriers and mostly cure this. If it was my car, I'd probably attack this from the bottom.
Cheers,
Just pull the heater box and vent and vacuum or scoop from below the dash. Mind the sharp edges. Put down lots of plastic or similar to keep a pretty interior clean. Your heater box and vent are probably full of debris anyway. After you get all the big stuff put it all back together and rinse the cowl out with a garden hose.
Hey Ritz, That sounds like a bummer. I have yet to run into a car with a rusted cowl here in California. I've owned roughly 25. Find a rusted floor or two, though. :)~
Yeah, if I ever do another '67 restoration (my favourite year 'cept for the 69 Mach 1) I'll start with a CA or AZ car. The weather on the right coast beats the crap out of these old Mustangs if they were driven in the winter or left outside.
Cheers,
Same here. First was a 65 FB from WA which was only 5 years old at the time and in excellent shape. Bought a 66 FB from Las Vegas which had originated in San Jose and spent it's life in Chico. Now this 65 FB which was built in San Jose, and spent it's life in Sacramento area, and now moving to Redding. All in excellent shape, and the latest one has been sitting for about 13 years (covered). Had a Mustang II in the Mojave Desert also in excellent shape (but a pig 302 4V).
The only one bought outside was a 71 with a CJ FMX combo. That came from Kentucky. It was only 2.5 years old when I got it.
However, I have ridden in cars owned by various people in places like Indiana, where the water from pooled water on the roads washed up and across your feet, and the mat would float. Peel it back and you could see the road passing by below you.
That said.... cars get switched around all over the country and you have to be very careful. The VIN may say San Jose, but you might find the car was moved to the northeast or southeast at some point where the rust set in. Then someone from the west bought it in hopes of restoration, gave up and passed it on.
When I bought the 66 FB in Vegas, my buyer looked at another one (the one I actually sent him down to get) and a magnet would not stick to anything below the belt line. Nixed that one quick and he looked around and found the substitute.... which still had the original wiper bag... even tracked down the original owner. Sold that car to a couple from.... Las Vegas....
Spike
1965 Ford Mustang fastback 2+2 A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok Vintage Burgundy w/Black Standard Interior; Vintage 40 16" rims w/BF Goodrich Comp T/A gForce Radial 225/50ZR16 KDWS skins; surround sound audio-video."When the time comes to lay down my life for my country, I do not cower from this responsibility. I welcome it." -JFK Inaugural Address
Now this 65 FB
Hey Spike, That doesn't happen to be an A code car does it?
I just bought a '69 Mach 1 not to long ago. Only 4K running. I intend to paint it Ferrari red and roll 2K3 Mach 17x8s on it. A little pricier on the parts.
Spike
1965 Ford Mustang fastback 2+2 A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok Vintage Burgundy w/Black Standard Interior; Vintage 40 16" rims w/BF Goodrich Comp T/A gForce Radial 225/50ZR16 KDWS skins; surround sound audio-video."When the time comes to lay down my life for my country, I do not cower from this responsibility. I welcome it." -JFK Inaugural Address
The next one for me is going to be a custom job rather than a restoration...probably something along the lines of a GT500 clone. I've been archiving a 428cj from a wrecked Torino and a 4sp toploader. Someday I'll actually have the time to put those parts to use...sigh.
Cheers,
Original color poppy or signalflare red? Is it black right now with blue fenders/doors? Got a wrinkled roof like some kids walked on it?
Nope. Was originally Caspian Blue w/black standard, A Code, C4, no AC, AM radio, oem console, stock dual exhaust, disc front/drum rear.... but never been seriously wrecked... or walked on : ).
When I got it, the engine was in pieces in the well, the disc brakes had been removed and put on a different car, the right front fender was gone, the left front fender was beige, the grill was all missing... but the interior was pretty choice. : ) Now it's all as it should be.... like new... with a few light mods. Sitting here at home, I have a closet full of assorted pieces parts to add (stereo, overflow tank, halogen lighting, etc) as soon as I can get it here.
Why? Are you missing one? I could send you a picture... a complete photo record of the restoration was maintained.
In 1970, I returned from Vietnam and bought a 65 FB 289 2V, C4, AM radio, poppy yellow. In 1971, I sold it to an uncle in Los Molinos (a
2 horse town north of Chico and south of red Bluff). He never registered it as far as I know. It just sat >Original color poppy or signalflare red? Is it black right now with blueSpike
1965 Ford Mustang fastback 2+2 A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok Vintage Burgundy w/Black Standard Interior; Vintage 40 16" rims w/BF Goodrich Comp T/A gForce Radial 225/50ZR16 KDWS skins; surround sound audio-video."When the time comes to lay down my life for my country, I do not cower from this responsibility. I welcome it." -JFK Inaugural Address
Ok, I was just wondering if it was one I sold. :)
Spike
1965 Ford Mustang fastback 2+2 A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok Vintage Burgundy w/Black Standard Interior; Vintage 40 16" rims w/BF Goodrich Comp T/A gForce Radial 225/50ZR16 KDWS skins; surround sound audio-video."When the time comes to lay down my life for my country, I do not cower from this responsibility. I welcome it." -JFK Inaugural Address
If I did, I'd buy it back. ;)~
Spike
1965 Ford Mustang fastback 2+2 A Code 289 C4 Trac-Lok Vintage Burgundy w/Black Standard Interior; Vintage 40 16" rims w/BF Goodrich Comp T/A gForce Radial 225/50ZR16 KDWS skins; surround sound audio-video."When the time comes to lay down my life for my country, I do not cower from this responsibility. I welcome it." -JFK Inaugural Address
MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.