Mav1970's Insane 69.5 Street Project

Yes Everett, the bearing is a sealed bearing

1.) I'm going out to the garage now and take a look at it. I'm thinking of making a flat plate the exact size and shape as the inside plate and going through the original mounting locations to sandwich the firewall in between the inner and new outer plate. Then cut the hole in the plate to mount the firewall carrier bearing and that will support the bottom of the steering shaft.

2.) It is my understanding that no 69.5 Mavericks came with a floor shifter and my original 69.5 column was an automatic shift column. I tried to plate the shifter hole and the indicator hole but it came out looking pretty bad. I needed a column that has no key switch (69.5's are under dash) and no shifter or indicator ever installed (mine is a floor mount 4 speed shifter). The 69 Mustang fit the bill as that was the last year of the Mustang having the key switch under the dash and all Mustangs came with floor shifters. Last night I noticed that my original Maverick outer column tube was exactly the same as the Mustang one. After combining the 69.5 Maverick mounting brackets, this column fit like a glove.

 

Very slick!

 

Ok Bob! Forgot to wish u and family HAPPY NEW YEAR!

1. How do u plan on attaching the sandwich to the fw?
2. I recall -as u mention the 69 Stang did have flr shift and key in the dash. My wife had a 2dr. fastback in tan w/ 302. We kept it till 1977 when we bought a Cutlass Supeme. Compared to cars of the era, I thought the Stang really handle well - esp. in the realm of body roll and cornering.

 

Happy New Year to you and your family also, Everett

Got the mounting plate made - it covers all of the evil looking things no longer needed on the stock firewall - now going back out to the garage to get that carrier bearing location hole sawed into the plate and the bearing mounted - stay tuned

 

Another little piece of the puzzle complete

Used a piece of 1/8 inch thick plate steel and traced the inside column firewall bracket on it and used that as a basic beginning point. Drilled the mounting holes to match and then began carving away to make it fit tight in the steering column/clutch linkage hole area of the firewall (going hydraulic clutch release so don't need the hole anymore in firewall). Cleaned up some un-needed brackets and other crap on the firewall while i was at it. The mounting plate and the master cylinder went in and out a dozen times before the plate was finished. Modifying it a little bit at a time. Finally was able to mark out for the center of the column and ran a 2 1/4 hole saw through it and mounted the firewall bearing.

Only 5 hours to make a bracket - on to part 3,543

 

Nice work Bob! Following ur progress.
It's clear now, how u planned on mounting the plate. I did'nt know anyone kept count on parts they have/put on their cars.

 

Thanks Everett

I gave up counting parts and money long ago - I'll re-phrase what I meant as "on to the next dilemma "

 

Nice work!

 

Appreciate it - thank you

 

Time For A Torque Box

This past week, I received a decent Texas driver's side front torque box from Rick Brooks so that was the basis for today's little project. This driver's side front was the only torque box, on my Maverick, that had any rot on it.

Surface rust, on the replacement box, can sure make things, at first, look a lot worse than they really are but wire wheels, a rotating paint removal disc in a drill and a sawzall are real re-newal tools. Rick cut the box out leaving parts of the frame and other attaching points intact so I went to work cuttlng everything away that didn't look like a torque box plus I removed the front angled frame gusset since I have new Mustang ones to use on both sides. The used box cleaned up really nice so hopefully tomorrow I can get to look at what I have to cut away on the Maverick before I get the welder out and knit the replacement box in

 

Looks good! wanna do mine? Lol.......

 

Hell, I don't want to do my own

I'm still coughing up rust and crud

 

I started on mine but had to take a break due to neck surgery. I've been walking out to the garage swearing at myself and thinking Hell, i can live with tingling fingers for the rest of my life!!!! I'll get back to it!

That stuff will get ya!

 

The 1st. pix is showing where the new part will go? Looks like u cut some of the metal out. Im asking, cuz Im not familiar w/ torque box repair.
I have not inspected that area on my car yet. The floor did'nt have any holes in the inside so have not really gone there. Im sure there is some rust there but don't believe it's a safety issue at this point. What do I have to remove to inspect this area?

BTW: That part cleaned up like new. Did u use any chemicals on it?

 

Hey, that box looks good. Man there are a lot of spot welds in thta little part.

Rick