1979 Coupe-The Tangerine Machine

[82GTforME]

We made a decent dent. I want to be meticulous with labelling everything and taking lots of pictures for our use later for reassembly. I'm glad the electrical is quite simple on these. The vacuum stuff is all still intact including the smog pump!

We went from this:


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To this in one afternoon (which I thought was decent):


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Boy there is a lot of room in there with a six cylinder!

[82GTforME]

This is really in the most obnoxious place you could imagine.

I can touch it easier now at least! Still cannot get at the screw holding it though. The headlight panel is too close.


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[82GTforME]

After removing the battery tray and the radiator, you can see that there is a little rusting and salt damage in the hard to get washed locations. Methinks due to being a DD for the previous two years and sitting outside not used for many years before that took a little toll and let water sit. We want to make the engine compartment look mint while the engine is out. I am trying to convince my son that for the small investment we will be putting into this car including the car itself he may be better to park this for the winter and to get another car for a winter beater. Being so original I would like to keep it that way other than some bolt-on stuff.



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[82GTforME]

Not a lot has ever been touched on this car. EVER by the looks of it.

The upper rad hose was newer but the lower is original by the looks:


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The harnesses still have all of the factory part numbers on them. Some of the loom and tape has seen better days and the plastic is brittle. It didn't matter how gentle we tried, we broke both clips at the ECU to harness plug taking the engine harness off. Here is the alternator harness for example:


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The original coil still looks nice:


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Even the factory installed block heater. You southerners have probably never heard of that!


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I believe this to be the original vacuum line as well. It says 7-78 (year?) and 11/32 VL (vacuum line?):


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[jlehma13]

Great progress. Now that you have the hood scoop, this is the Ford factory wheel package that tops my list. You could most likely keep your wheels and just pop on the dog dishes.

[82GTforME]

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Great progress. Now that you have the hood scoop, this is the Ford factory wheel package that tops my list. You could most likely keep your wheels and just pop on the dog dishes.

He would love to find option K but for some reason I find that will be unlikely. Choice two I think will be option I, which I may have a line on. Definitely looking for cheap and easy to start with. The rims are black under the hubcaps on the 13's but I'm assuming all those with the dog dishes are for 14" no?

[ttop86]

nice pick up! love the hood!

[jlehma13]

My wheels are 14x6. I did measure the area that the cap pops onto and it has a diameter of approximately 9". They may work with your wheel and do come up on Ebay often enough. Mine is very close to the pinto hub cap design. I would think Ebay or a lucky junkyard find would be your best bet for option K. For handling and safety, anything bigger than the 13's will do you right.

[82GTforME]

We have been having a decent run of better weather, so warming up the work area isn't an painful. After removing most of the bolt on accessories and some others to help make the removal easier we were almost there. I rented a hoist from the local Auto Value store. It was supposed to be $30 + $200 deposit. I took the slip to the young guy at the desk and he made a huge mistake and actually refunded me the money. I squared up when I returned it, but the manager was quite unhappy with the young guy. He ended up not charging me the $30 either.

Note the size of the bulk of the hoist! It's built to take a tank apart; seven ton ram and heavy 3" HSS frame!

We ran into one issue where we couldn't get the exhaust bolts to the manifolds apart. Access was more of the issue then anything so we decided to disconnect the manifolds from the heads. It made things slightly more challenging to get the block up, but an extra set of hands from my son helped. The only other thing that snagged us was I missed three bolts on the block plate that was preventing the flywheel from lifting all of the way out.




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I Had to slightly modify my stand to get the block to bolt on. Problem was the bell-housing bolts are metric and I couldn't find long enough bolts easily. M10 x 50 mm were the longest I could find on short notice. I will just have to take it off later to do some of the work. Here it is, ripe for a tear down:


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[82GTforME]

So still thinking... Option "I", I have a line from another member. I like them and they will look good on the car. I am still planning on getting them. We saw a 1982 GL in the junk yard yesterday while there for 50% off weekend and guess what it had? Four of the option "K" steel rims. No caps on them, hmmm, for $9 each, "rims are never on half price, even for sales". Rubber is of course toast. If I passed them up, I may never have another opportunity. I went back today and got them. I had to get creative to get the really tight/rusty lugs off but persevered! They would need refinishing but big deal for the price!

Speaking of paint...any suggestions as to the color or type of paint would be best for this application?



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[jlehma13]

Wow, you found option K! Someone's got to have those centercaps. Very cool.

[mustangmania]

Wow, you found option K! Someone's got to have those centercaps. Very cool.

You see them on eBay from time to time.

[Travis T]

I really like this car and am glad you are keeping the 2.8. They are neat little engines. Too bad, a few years ago I sold my original option I wheels that came on my 84 GT, they were pretty nice too and would have looked good on your car.

[4EYED85]

Sweet find. You and your son have a great car too work with. I am sure there will be some father/son bonding here. Keep the pics coming.

[In2Fords]

Look into powder coating shops around you.
my uncle charges $30 a rim to PC single color if you have them sand blasted.

[82GTforME]

Well a little more disassembled today. Actually most of the stuff is off. Just the rotating assembly left. We've got a lot of work to do to get this car done to the level we (I) would like for summer.

A couple of interesting things to note during today's part:

This neat little yellow spray of paint on one side of the oil pan. I'm assuming it's from the factory. It started to come off when I wiped some of the extra gunk off It was yellow in the middle too, like a sun Maybe it signified something on the line?


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A little closer look of the hand-completed valve cover decal. Maybe due to being early for '79?


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From my experience, the oil leak at the distributor is probably an o-ring. Take the old o-ring to the store with you so you can match it up to the new one. Oil it before you install the o-ring.

Well if there is supposed to be an o-ring in there, this is why is was leaking so bad; there were none!



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Here is where we are right now:


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[82GTforME]

You see them on eBay from time to time.

It looks in the brochure that they have chrome beauty rings as well. Hmmm?

[82GTforME]

I forgot to post these pictures of some cool stuff I got Jackson for Christmas.

1979 Accessories Guide. Pretty "neat" stuff for the time I guess. I liked it because it had a similar looking Tangerine hatchback on the cover.


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You could buy a three spoke Sport Wheel for $132 new out of the catalog! No wonder nice ones are worth a lot still!


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And who wouldn't like the 1974-1979 Ford car Master Parts CD? Lots of pictures and exploded views!


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Here's the bargain '92 GT GMP I got off Kijiji. Complete with floor mats and antenna in the plastic.


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This image is on the sales brochure. Oh it has option "K"... I guess this was the 15 years collector plate.



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Cool stuff.

[82GTforME]

Can anyone tell what model number this carb is from looking at the tag? I suppose the Haynes would tell me.


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[82GTforME]

I got home from work yesterday and my son is off on semester exam break. I saw he had the engine rebuild book out so asked what he was up to. It was colder out and he isn't allowed to run the heater unsupervised so he said he pulled the front seat out. There are some holes in the driver carpet that he doesnt like so I guess he's hinting we should do the carpet. I expected it to be in the garage but he carried it to the basement. It's in very good shape with only one small crack on the left seat vinyl


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I was asking Jackson if he had trouble getting it off, like rusty or anything. He said one nut got stuck and the stud came out, but otherwise no problem. I flipped it over to look at the feet of the seat for rust. Wow look at how clean they are There is still a bunch of the plastic from when the covers were torn off.


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Wait, something looks a little out of place there...

[mustangmania]

Can anyone tell what model number this carb is from looking at the tag? I suppose the Haynes would tell me.

D9YE-DA = Motorcraft F2-2150

Fits 77-79 Ford 2.8L

[mustangmania]

Wait, something looks a little out of place there...

Do I spy a build sheet?

[Sinister]

beautiful couple, I love the color.

[boardmaster]

Nice find on the build sheet if that is indeed a build sheet stuck in the springs!!

[82GTforME]

That's right!. It took me a second to see it myself and it was right in front of my face!

Upon closer inspection I noticed that the same mice that had put a couple of holes in the carpet were looking for nest material here too.


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I pulled it out and it was like a child making a snowflake out of paper. The ones where you fold it and cut the shapes out Except I would say there is at least 30% missing, but still cool to see!




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