One of the previous owners had removed virtually all the air conditioning parts in an attempt to free up horsepower. This meant I was chasing classic parts around the country. I had to locate not only the proper A/C compressor, but also the clutch, condenser, the receiver dryer, the various brackets and the idler pulleys.
We’ve all heard it before, it pays to follow leads no matter where they may seem to be taking you. During my search I had received a lead on someone who had accumulated many old Mustang parts. After speaking with him, he actually did not have the compressor I needed but referred me to another friend.
Long story short, the friend of a friend of a friend did indeed have the A/C compressor…but not just a used compressor. No, this gentlemen still had an NOS compressor unit in the original ford box! In turn he referred to someone else who had an NOS clutch.
While these parts were NOS, they were still 50 year old parts so I had them checked. Once they were confirmed to be in perfect working order the clutch was attached to the compressor.
NOS A/C compressorHere you can see the NOS A/C clutch installed onto the NOS A/C compressor.In this picture you can see the original engineering number sticker.
Despite our best efforts we could not locate an original condenser. So we purchased a reproduction unit from National Parts Depot. While the unit has a concours correct exterior it features redesigned internal circuits that replace the old style 3 circuit or core with a 6 circuit design.
A quick search of eBay yielded an original NOS receiver dryer unit, the proper A/C brackets and supports as well as a set of original idler pulleys. Unfortunately the idler pulleys turned out to be to pitted to be restored to show quality. Luckily, I was able to find another set of idler pulleys from All Classic Motors that were in far better shape.
NOS A/C receiver and dryer.This is the second set of A/C idler pulleys, after the first set was found to be too pitted to restore.
As I continued searching for the parts that had been removed by one of the previous owners, I turned my attention to chasing induction parts.
I started by attempting to locate the original factory cast iron manifold. Ironically, for years these were often discarded as more and more owners opted for a lighter aluminum intake manifold.
This made finding one with the proper date code challenging. After months of searching I was able to locate one that was in excellent condition…but it was in Florida. Nothing like shipping a 75 pound intake manifold across the country!
Factory original cast iron intake manifold. Date code, 9D14, means April 14, 1969.
With the proper intake now in my possession I turned my attention to trying to find an original, date coded, C8AE-A ported vacuum switch. Since my Mach 1 had come from California, the ported vacuum switch had long been removed due to the states NOX program. Luckily, I was able to find one at Dead Nuts On with the proper date code that had already been restored.
Original ported vacuum switch, now fully restored.Date code 7-H-69 means July 1969. In this case the H is simply the manufacturer code.
Now I had to find the proper color coded vacuum hoses that would have been attached to this vacuum switch. Each color designates its intended location and purpose. In this case Marti Auto Works offers a reproduction kit with the authentic hose markings. The factory coloring was not bright, but actually more muted in color.
Color coded vacuum hoses.
It was now time to turn my attention toward locating the appropriate carburetor. In 1968 all 390 Mustangs came with a Holley 4150 carburetor. However, for 1969 Ford switched to an Autolite 4300 carburetor on its 390 Mustangs.
So for months I tried to locate one with the appropriate date code for this car. After months of looking, I spoke with a gentlemen who specializes in Ford carburetors who explained to me that by the middle of June 1969 Ford had discontinued the Autolite and returned to using the Holley 4150 in anticipation of the 1970 model year. With this information in hand it didn’t take me long to find the correct date coded carburetor.
Fully restored Holley 4150 carburetor.If you look closely at the line below the word ‘list’ you can barely see the date code, 964, which means this carburetor was produced on June 4, 1969
One of the unique features on the 390 Mach 1s was the carburetor spacer which featured a pass-through connection for the heater hose. This was designed to allow the warm coolant to flow thru the spacer warming the fuel to allow for easier starts in cold weather.
This picture shows the unique carb spacer with the heater hose attachments.
Chasing classic parts doesn’t always entail mechanical or even cosmetic parts. No, sometimes it means chasing original paperwork that would have accompanied the car when it was first purchased.
As an example, Marti Auto Works is reproducing the temporary ownercard. This would have been placed in the glove box when the car was new and was used for any warranty claims that may arise before the owner received their permanent ownercard.
Reproduction temporary ownercard offered by Marti Autoworks.
How about the other paperwork that would have been provided when you purchased the car new. All of the following items shown below are original issue Ford paperwork and are not reproductions. Often times it’s harder to find items like this then the actual parts for the car.
Ownercard information booklet, insideOwnercard information booklet, outside.Temporary warranty statement, inside.Temporary warranty statement, outside.Warranty Facts BookletHelpful hints for a safer ride booklet.Original owner’s manual, front.Original owners manual, back.Original owners manual, inside cover showing the printing date.
The restoration of a classic muscle car often entails chasing classic parts. As such, you are faced with a few decisions. The first, and possibly the most critical, question…does the overall condition of the car warrant returning it to bone stock or should you create some level of restomod?
In this case, that decision was fairly easy for me to make. This car had been sitting in a nice warm California garage for 30 years. That meant there would be little rust and the wear and tear on the vehicle would have been lessened by it prolonged slumber. This Mach 1 deserved to be restored back to bone stock.
So then I had to decide for any part that was either missing from the car, or was too far gone to have restored, whether to use original Ford parts or aftermarket reproductions. Reproduction parts are generally less expensive and easier to find but may not fit or work exactly like the original.
Conversely original Ford parts can be hard to locate and may be more expensive but you know they are going to fit and work as originally intended.
I decided for this restoration that I would use original Ford parts wherever possible but I knew if I weren’t careful here I could easily spend more restoring the car than the car would be worth when completed.
Finally I had to decide the intended purpose for the car once it was complete. As an example, would this car be driven to and from car shows or trailered?
Well anyone who knows me will tell you, I don’t believe in trailering cars. It is, and has always been, my belief that cars like this are meant to be driven and enjoyed.
But here is where I am different than many Mustang enthusiasts. Despite the fact I will be driving this car to and from car shows and taking it on the occasional pleasure cruise, I intend to do a full nut and bolt restoration. This means every aspect of the car will be restored to factory new condition, including the undercarriage.
Why would I go through that level of effort for a car that I intend to drive? The answer is simple, reliability. By returning this car to the same condition it was in when purchased new, I know I can drive it anywhere and at any time. It will be just like owning any other new car…except this one is sexier.
Missing Power Steering Parts
I knew the first course of business would be to locate the power steering components that had been removed by a previous owner. This included the power steering pump, pulley and brackets, control valve, slave cylinder, center link and all the accompanying hoses. Yes, they had removed virtually everything related to the power steering (see Sins of Our Youth).
I was able to locate a correct power steering pump, as well as the correct pulley and brackets and had everything restored by All Classic Motors to like new factory condition.
Front view of the newly restored power steering pump. Note the correct blueish color.
I then located a date code correct Bendix power steering control valve, and again had it restored by All Classic Motors to like new factory condition.
Newly restored Bendix power steering control valve.Here you can clearly see all the different finishes. This is how they looked when new.Embossed with ‘BENDIX’.This is the date stamp, indicating this unit was built April 29, 1969 on the B shift.
Next came the slave cylinder. Here again, I was able to locate a date code correct Bendix unit and had it restored to like new factory condition.
View of the newly restored power steering slave cylinder. Here you can see a close up of the factory correct yellow clamp.This is the date code, which shows January 13, 1969 on the A shift.This is the correct 1969 Bendix logo.
Of course, I also had to find the proper power steering center link. Luckily I was able to find one fairly easily. This particular one had already been restored to like new condition including the proper yellow paint daub marking.
Restored center link with the yellow paint daub marking.
Finally, I had to locate someone who was reproducing accurate power steering hoses. Yes, I could have gone down to the neighborhood parts store and just purchased an over the counter replacement, but I wanted the hoses to look as good as they perform.
Blue Dot Specialties offers these hoses that not only feature the proper materials, textures and markings, but even have the appropriate parts numbers stamped into them. These reproductions are as close as you’ll ever find to factory original pieces.
Power steering ‘shortie’ hose. Note the ribbed material and correct yellow stripe.Hose came embossed with the proper Ford engineering number, C60A-3A714-A. The second ‘Shortie’ hose.This one has the Ford engineering number, C60A-3A717-A.Valve to pump power steering hose. Yes the gold cad finish is factory correct.Ford engineering number, C8ZA-3A713-AHigh pressure to valve power steering hose. Here again you can see the gold cad finish.Ford engineering number, C8ZA-3494-AHigh pressure from the pump power steering hose.
