Finally - the Bullitt begins! :-)

[mungus]

Thanks.

Me too. I never really accept a car as being "good" until I've had a look underneath etc. Lots of show ponies out there that have had little more than a "lick and flick". And plenty of so called "factory / numbers correct" cars I've seen that upon a brief look are nothing like it...

I've spent a small fortune on parts already, can't wait to get her together. But the body has a long way to go. No rust left, but a whole lot of fitting and fettling to go before she is ready for disassembly and paint.

I'm still conflicted about colour as well, however I think I'll keep going with the Bullitt thing. As much as I have grown to accept the loud bubblegum colour it was (Gulfstream Aqua), especially as spec'd with the GT group, etc. But it is a divisive colour and going Bullitt allows me some freedom to improve and update where its hidden or in keeping with the idea. The idea of cooking the family with no AC on 35+C days, or squirrelling around on period bias tyres or navigating the dark with the hopeless OEM headlights etc, would just put me off using it on anything but perfect days and even then, avoiding traffic. Not what I'm looking for, this car is to be driven.

[mungus]

Anyway next little project was the pedal box. I had to mod it to take the clutch pedal as part of the TKO600 conversion, and as it was the old pedal box was a bit crusty. While I was at it I installed the MDL optional roller bearing clutch pedal pivot kit (SD part).

That proved a little more hassle than advertised as the special pivot bolt supplied by MDL didn't quite reach the nyloc in the low profile nut they supplied. It didn't matter if it was bolted back into the car or on the bench of even clamping the box up tight as, there simply wasn't adequate clearance to let the pedal pivot unmolested by tension from the box frame. So some ghetto engineering ensued!




After trying to solve the problem by skimming the big thick washers supplied, I cut a few mm from under the very thick bolt head. Voila a perfect fit and the result is a very solid and slick clutch pedal pivot. Actually I needn't have bothered as the pedal box was made with the OEM zinc alloy pivot bushes installed and of course they had never ever been used, so I could have had a new OEM clutch set up without spending a cent! However I had ordered the upgrade from MDL as it sounded a good idea (hidden upgrade etc).

A bit of cutting, welding and grinding to produce an M/T brake pedal end from the OEM A/T giant sized version.




Then some 2K satin 30, a new switch and a set of new rubbers etc and here we have it, a completed M/T pedal box all ready to install. Once I've finished fitting the rear valance I'll probably trial fit the hydraulic clutch MC.

To test my patience I painted the whole setup SMG instead of steel on the upper half... GRRRR
So another disassembly and repaint. Ah well if I couldn't take a joke etc.

[mungus]

On the other side of the firewall the OEM Midland booster was a pile of pooh.
It needed a full rebuild and the accompanying MC was rubbish.
I thought about re-kitting it myself but in the end I sent it to Adelaide to be done by Power Brakes SA. Nice job but very exxy! Not sure about the light grey colour for the vacuum barb / valve though. There are excellent full rebuild kits available ex USA via eBay etc. So don't let anyone tell you your Midland cant be done here! I should have done it myself but I was away a lot at the time and wanted to get it out of the way.
Booster tag numbers were; C8AZ-2005-A & C-4278-E, which checks out as OEM correct for early 1968, so all good in that regard. Albeit the tag was barely readable and looked like some one had carved a bit off it at one stage.

I did go through the process of disassembling the old Wagner MC, but is was completely seized and blocked up, rusty and the bore pitted to buggery (once I did manage to extract the pistons). Will make a good paper weight! It wasn't OEM anyway, albeit 1970's US made. I wouldn't bother re-sleeving anything that's not a genuine 2227161 MC, with decent clones so cheap. So I've ordered a nice OEM type 2227161 copy from CJ's. Much more "authentic" than most, complete with stop bolt and dimple, etc. Whoo hoo! I simply couldn't justify the $ being asked for rebuilt OEM 2227161 MC's for a driver. I will however get a 2227161 core and slowly build one up for posterity in due course. The 2227161 copy's blurb states 69-72 but MC experts stateside (including the bloke who sells both copies and rebuilt OEM's to the concourse crowd), stated the only difference is the lettering on the cap, (of which I have the correct type here). So all good! Photo and link below.


http://www.cjponyparts.com/brake-master ... 2/p/BMC73/

Marcus Anghel has a great little PDF on caps though the ages... Link here;http://www.anghelrestorations.com/uploa ... ps_1.5.pdf

I'll re-use the old MC cap as the one the replica comes with is for 1969-72 (raised lettering) not 67-68'. My old cap was OK and is per OEM 67/68' pattern etc. So I've blasted and replated it (have a bench top outfit) to add to the replacement.
NPD supplied a nice replica MC fluid spec decal, and the whole set up will be sprayed semi gloss black per OEM 1968. When I complete this I'll add to the post so its altogether.

[nassi]

Your choice of Power Brakes SA is a good one from what I have heard. Those boosters are a bit of a pain and several people have come unstuck trying to revamp them.
In Perth I have had trouble having them refurbished from the reputable builders. The SA company was referred by others with similar issues.

[Shaunp]

Call Ray at Knights old school brakes in Wynnum Brisbane he will sleeve your old Master cylinder, he did my booster as a well, less then $200 to do the booster. Ray makes/does heaps of stuff for Mal Wood Transmissions.

http://www.knightsoldschool.com.au/

[nassi]

Thanks Shaun, the booster is the issue. Good info thanks.

[mungus]

Your choice of Power Brakes SA is a good one from what I have heard. Those boosters are a bit of a pain and several people have come unstuck trying to revamp them.
In Perth I have had trouble having them refurbished from the reputable builders. The SA company was referred by others with similar issues.

Yup I asked around a fair bit before I sent it to them. Lots of clowns in the brake game I discovered. Most hadn't even heard of a Midland booster, those who had either didn't want to touch it or didn't give me much confidence in their abilities. Anyway aside from the vacuum valve I'm happy with their work.

[Shaunp]

Mine was an XB falcon one I used in th RHD converion , But has always done the boosters etc for John Greene all he works on really, is mustangs. Ray makes custom size clutch masters for Mal Wood so that those internal slave cylinders work properly with correct travel and as light as pedal pressure as he can. He a nice Rocker billy bloke. I suspect he makes the braided clutch lines for Mal as well.

[Husky65]

Mine was an XB falcon one I used in th RHD converion , But has always done the boosters etc for John Greene all he works on really, is mustangs. Ray makes custom size clutch masters for Mal Wood so that those internal slave cylinders work properly with correct travel and as light as pedal pressure as he can. He a nice Rocker billy bloke. I suspect he makes the braided clutch lines for Mal as well.

I thought the clutch master that malwood supplies on the pedal conversion is a BA falcon unit?

[Shaunp]

For the LHD mustang conversion it maybe, but Ray alters the size of bore and makes new pistons for early Falcon ones when running the internal slave, XR- XC and others etc for Mal, . I know Ray does a fair bit for him. When I as picking up my booster and as it happens my Clutch Master, which is XB one, Mal rang wanting a couple of rush jobs sent up to Warwick ASAP.

[mungus]

Anyway it will be a few days before I add much to this story. I've decided to finish off my 1939 Velocette MSS which has languished in the barn since the Mustang arrived. Beautiful old thing, hand made from the golden age of pommie bikes, and very nearly done.

I'm as much a bike guy as a car one. Have 8 in various stages in the barn, mum is telling me I better sell a few to make space. Particularly my 80's MX and enduro bikes, as I'm apparently too old to ride them... And in truth it's been years since I raced, as I simply can't afford to be off work and I don't seem to bounce as well as I once did.

I'm also waiting for another decent sized parts shipment from CJ's via surface shipping, so I can finish a few systems etc. However in the meantime I'll keep pottering away at the rear valance etc.

[ozbilt]

I have worked on the odd Velocette in the last couple of years. Bit earlier than yours though .......

http://www.mustangtech.com.au/Forums/vi ... =6552.html

[mungus]

I have worked on the odd Velocette in the last couple of years. Bit earlier than yours though .......

http://www.mustangtech.com.au/Forums/vi ... =6552.html

Aha, so I am not the only one with that disease. The 39' MSS is the oldest I have right now. Just fitting a new front guard then shes finished. I did have a 1927 Indian Scout years ago, which I shouldn't have sold, as the value doubled after the Burt Munroe movie came out... Bloody primitive thing to ride though, felt more like a bicycle than a motorbike in many ways. I'll post a photo of the MSS when I get her back together. Better not post too many bike things here though. It is a Mustang forum after all.

The others are mostly 1980's MX and Vinduro bikes that I salvaged and restored to try and re-live my youth; Yam TT600L, YZ465G (Rick Burgett works replica), IT200L, etc (all from my "hey-days" of bike racing, if I ever had such a thing!). Their resto's are detailed on the Yamaha IT forums.

Also a couple of wee 1970's bikes as projects for my kids (Suz TS90, Gemini 50 & 65). My only modern bike these days is a 2010 BMW F800GS, that I bought new in late 2010 after watching too many "long way round" type shows. I had a gap of 2 years with no bikes after shifting back to OZ and was going to get back into superbikes again. However the wife convincing me that so-called "adventure touring" was a better fit for me in my frail dotage! Nice every day bike but really not much good at anything in particular. In truth I think she just wanted me to get away from racing the superbike class (albeit just club "masters") now that we had 2 rug rats. I do miss my Ducati's though...

Couple of photos of the most recent ones...

[Astro]

This beast is the reason I'm into mustangs theses days - My third Gen 1 Busa.

A high side in the snowy mountains at 35klm p/hr 8 years ago destroyed nerves in my shoulder, which have come

back through surgeries, currently in a sling for 5 weeks after a cadaver donated tendon last

Monday will hopefully release more movement - still have one more time on the cutting table later this year.

Could have ridden again but my darling loves it too - not fair to put her in danger, over 50 mortality meter kicking in I guess.

There are old riders and there are bold riders - but there are no old bold riders.

Still miss it of course.



Cheers J

[hybrid]

Love those stroker Yams!
This is the only one I have registered at the moment - one day it will probably hurt me too, but at the moment it's just love