Step 65 - Prep Door Panels

The Mach went back to the paint shop to have some re-work done to the hood and front end.  No car - no problem.  I purchased replacement door panels from the Mustang Market (http://www.mustangmarket.com/door.htm) - in my opinion these duplicate the originals better than what anyone else offers.  The original panels were beyond repair and passenger side was even stamped REJECT.  Cleaned the wood grain panels.  Polished and repainted the the running horse.  Sanded, buffed and polished the stainless trim (amazing how many dings the seat belt puts in them...).  My car came equipped with two driver-side door courtesy lights (one of which was installed upside-down on the passenger side) - I found an original passenger-side bezel on ebay.  Swapped out the light bulbs for some LEDs (these are polarized - so make sure you ops-check them before final installation).  Stripped and repainted the original door cups.  Door felts are new from Re-Pops, lock inserts are new from Mac Auto, hardware from AMK.  Everything transferred over to the new panels with out any issues.

Step 64 - Headlights

Installed new headlights and original retainer rings.  Upgraded to Wagner Brite-Lites - don't worry, relays are tucked in next to the battery - this car used to play 'blinking headlights' on me (all the time) while returning to Dover AFB from Carlisle.  Reproduction buckets required a little tweaking to fit the original retainers.






Parts: new headlights, original retainers, all hardware new from AMK

Step 63 - Door Internals and Windows

Installed all of the door internals and door windows.

• Windows: original tinted (some light scratches and slight pitting), cleaned glass and polished window trim, installed new vertical rubber seals and new window weatherstrips
• Wiring Harnesses: original, cleared and repaired
• Locks: original, polished and lubricated, installed new gasket
• Inside Door Handles: new reproductions
• Window Regulators etc: all original with the exception of the window bracket gaskets and stop bumpers (new via NPD), cleaned, lubricated and adjusted - over and over again...
• Hardware: new from AMK

Step 62 - Roof Rail Trim and Weatherstrip

Stainless steel trim from yesteryear is awesome.  I buffed (using a $36 bench buffer from Harbor Freight) the Roof Rail Trim pieces back to like new condition - granted it took me a couple of hours - but the results were outstanding.  The original passenger-side trim piece was in excellent condition - not so with the driver's side - it was dinged, dented and cracked beyond repair.  I managed to find a good replacement up in Ocala (thanks again Roger).

Step 61 - Splash Shields

LH Front Splash Shield

RH Front Splash Shield

Installing the splash shields was not an enjoyable mustang experience. The originals were long gone so I did not have a template to compare against. This pair came from MP Products - not sure what other vendors reproduce them. Anyway, be prepared break out the heat gun and scissors - because I had to bend the crap out of both sides and trim a good 3/4 inch off of the LH side. The holes for the wiring clips were way too big - so I glued in a couple of washers to keep the clips in place. Should keep the headlight connectors from getting 'splashed'.

Parts: Reproduction front splash shields from MP Products, bolts from AMK

Step 60 - Fender Extensions

Installed the LH and RH fender extensions. Both original extensions were in excellent condition and came back from the paint shop looking great.  The original grilles had multiple layers of over-spray and required a little TLC with some Easy Off followed by a fresh coat of trim black.  The original headlight buckets were rusted out - I replaced them with new reproductions.  All hardware from AMK (extension studs, bolts, grille screws, and headlight bucket adjusters).

Parts:  original extensions and grilles, new rubber seals, reproduction headlight buckets, all new hardware

Step 59 - missing Holes

Driver's Side

While pushing ahead with the door wiring harnesses, I noticed that the paint shop forgot to drill the harness holes in both doors - aaargh...  Rather than take the doors off and attack the problem with a hole saw, we elected to use a 2 1/4 inch punch to make the holes in the front of each door.  Worked perfectly with minimum hassle (since the doors remained in place).