1978 Mustang II Restoration Project
1978 Mustang II Restoration Project
Read the full write-up at 1978 Mustang II Restoration Project ↗
Photo: 1978 Mustang II Restoration ProjectA 1978 Mustang II first restoration project, tackled solo
Bjorn bought a rough 1978 Mustang II in Michigan and began sorting out fuel delivery problems, a dead emergency brake, faulty gauges, and rust and bumper damage. The thread follows early mechanical fixes, interior repainting, and the start of body prep for a future repaint, as a first-time project owner learning as he goes.
Parts used
Parts named as used in the original write-up, grouped the way the Parts page groups them. Where one of the shops we index lists the same thing for this car, it is shown underneath with a link to the shop.
Fuel & Ignition 3
- Fuel pump
Replaced after diagnosing it as the cause of lean running and stalling
- Fuel filter
Replaced along with the fuel pump to restore proper fuel delivery
- Distributor cap
Old cap was bad and was replaced during the trip home
In the shops
Distributor Cap ↗
Racetorations· £7.50 GBP
Distributor Cap ↗
Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $4.25 USD
Lucas Classic Distributor Cap ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $16.99 USD
Brakes 1
- Emergency brake cables
Reattached disconnected cables to restore handbrake function
In the shops
Cable, emergency brake, left ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £106.50 GBP
Cable, emergency brake, right ↗Moss Europe (UK)· £106.50 GBP
Handbrake/Emergency Brake Cable ↗Bugeye Guys Parts Store· $42.95 USD
Interior 1
- Instrument panel and dash trim paint
Repainted dash, glove box, instrument panel and side panels from gray to black
In the shops
Instrument Panel Dash Bolt and Nut Set ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $9.25 USD
Dash Panel Clip ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $0.00 USDInstrument Panel ↗Moss Motors – Triumph TR6/TR250· $170.00 USD
Photos
14 pictures collected from the write-up, in the order they were posted, shown from 1978 Mustang II Restoration Project. A picture opens larger here, with the way through to the page it is on.
Bjorn · 2013-08-22T11:48:30-0400 9this post at 1978 Mustang II Restoration Project ↗
Bjorn · 2013-08-27T15:46:21-0400 1this post at 1978 Mustang II Restoration Project ↗
Bjorn · 2013-09-05T22:08:02-0400 2this post at 1978 Mustang II Restoration Project ↗
Bjorn · 2013-09-08T00:31:07-0400 2this post at 1978 Mustang II Restoration Project ↗
How it was done
Starting condition
The car was bought for $2,200 from a Michigan family with poor prior mechanical work. It ran very lean and stalled, had a non-functioning emergency brake, a hand-made blinker switch, a loose windshield wiper, rust near the rear wheel arches, a damaged front bumper, and a worn interior with a hole in the headliner.
Mechanical work
On the drive home the fuel filter and distributor cap were replaced. Diagnosis pointed to the fuel pump, which was dismantled and then replaced along with the filter, curing the lean-running problem. The emergency brake cables were found disconnected and reattached, restoring the brake.
Electrical troubleshooting
The tachometer and fuel gauge were unreliable, worsening after the dash was reinstalled. Bjorn traced a bent circuit wiring fault in the instrument panel's main electrical input, but a full fix was not confirmed in the thread.
Interior work
Both front seats were removed for replacement, though a suitable aftermarket seat width match was not found. The instrument panel, glove box, dash and side panels were repainted from gray to black trim.
Body preparation
Sanding began on the trunk and quarter panels, revealing multiple earlier repaint layers of primer and paint applied directly over existing finish. Bjorn was still deciding whether to sand to primer or strip to bare metal before repainting.
A summary in our own words. The full account, with all its detail, is in the original write-up: read it at 1978 Mustang II Restoration Project ↗
Worth knowing
- Electrical troubleshooting on old wiring is tedious and easy to get wrong
- Stripping old paint can reveal multiple hidden layers of prior repaints, complicating sanding decisions
- Aftermarket seats are often too wide for the Mustang II's narrower seat mounts