Improving my Mustang's headlamps.

The easiest way to improve the lighting, besides polishing the existing head light lens, is to replace the original bulbs with higher output units. From what I've read, the brighter bulbs will not last as long as the original specification bulbs due to increased operating temperatures.

Who could have ever thought that this was a good idea?

When I bought my Mustang it had a cool looking set of dark tinted headlamps and turn signal lenses. I asked the seller if they had been a problem and she assured me that they were fine as long as I was driving in the city or urban freeway. Was she wrong! I had driven out to show my brother my new car and it had gotten dark before I left. That was the worst fifty miles that I've driven at night since I rode my Sportster home one night with the headlamp out.

I'm not sure exactly what the stock driving lights are supposed to illuminate because they don't do much to light up the road in front of you. I used the high beams but still had a very tense journey. I vowed not to drive the car late in the afternoon until I had replaced the headlamps. Luckily I found an almost new set on Craig's List. The seller's Mustang had been rear ended and totaled. He had salvaged several parts and I lucked out although new replacement units are widely available. I still have that tinted set of lights in storage, maybe I'll put them on CL someday for someone to use on their "show" car.

While the stock lights are not that bad, have you ever followed a six volt VW Bug at night? It's probably a combination of my aging eyes and the fact that I've grown used to the superior lights on both of my 2007 vehicles. Even those newer systems pale in comparison with the flamethrowers that are attached to the front ends of new cars!

I'll try the higher output bulbs first.

Another important thing to improve night visibility is to keep the windshield clean once it turns to dusk. A layer of bugs and dirt doesn't make it any easier to see. Especially on a two lane country highway. The glare of oncoming traffic is brutal to a pair of older eyes.

We used to visit family out in the Central Valley, returning at night. Sure enough I'd drive through a swarm of suicidal bugs that made a mess out of my windshield. The windshield washer was of little use. It got so bad that I started carrying a scrubber squeegee and a bottle of window cleaner with me. This always happened on a back road far from a service station. I'd just pull off the road and thoroughly clean the windshield.

Mounting additional lamps.

A clean mounting of a driving lamp
to a classic BMW.

Growing up in the 1960s through '70s I always thought that it was cool to have set of European driving lamps bolted to the front end of your GT or sports car. This was a lot easier when cars had metal front bumpers. Modern cars like my '96 Mustang have sloping plastic bumpers with no real spot to mount the additional lights.

I saw a Mustang like mine on a forum that had round lamps mounted inside the grille opening next to the running horse. It didn't look very clean and I wouldn't want to block any air from entering the radiator.

Where can you put them?

Back in my motorcycling days we (and manufacturers) used the rear tail lamp /license plate mounts for a variety of supporting duties. The simplest was to replace the mounting screws with a pair of eyebolts. This gave us a place to hook one end of our bungee cords to strap a small load to our seat and fender. A bracket could be attached across  the plate mounts and a pair of turn signal or running lamps could be mounted. Luggage racks were attached to the shock mounts and then attached to the plate mount. Various saddlebag mounting brackets could be hung off of them. For extra strength a steel backing plate could be placed behind the plate.


My plan is to use a length of angle aluminium between the mounting bolts of the front license plate. I can rivet a metal plate to this angle material to spread out the load. I could also use threaded inserts to provide a sturdy point to attach the bolts to the bumper. Then I will bolt the driving lamp to the cross bar. I can shape this aluminium and round off the ends and maybe drill some lightening holes and paint it wrinkle or matte black. I could attach this bracket to the top or bottom of the plate.

Before committing myself to spending a bunch of money on a cool set of Marchal driving lights  I decided to mock up the design using a set of rectangular KC lites that I picked up at a swap meet in Santa Rosa for 5.00. They both work! And they are very light weight. I'll wire them up using a toggle switch and an electrical relay under the hood. Using a relay is the safest way to set up the lights. I used a double relay system on my '70 Mustang's headlamps with great success.

The downside to this plan is that the lamps are hanging off the front bumper where they could be easily damaged. Luckily, parallel parking situations can be avoided most of the time.

Besides making it easier to see at night, the driving lights should contribute to that cross country, road warrior vibe I'm going for.

Brock Yates famous Challenger.

A little legal research is in order first, to be sure that my set up won't be an invitation to a traffic stop.

Road Adventures?

Sounds like good idea to me.

This an informal group that meets up to take scenic group drives.

Some are one day loops others are three day overnight trips. They even have an annual 10-12 day  long group tour.

They lay out the route, and make a few planned stops for activities,

There is no charge to go on a Day Drive.

There are not any restrictions placed on the type of vehicle that can used. They even recommend flying in and using a rental car to make the run.

What a refreshing change from the sometimes snobby marque clubs that are restricted to only certain models.

Sure it makes sense that a Mustang or Miata club would like to make a run with fellow members but the idea that anyone is welcome is such a breath of fresh air.

While there is no restriction on age, I would imagine that most of the participants would be younger people

They don't place any difficult requirements on the participants, except the vehicles used should be road ready and reliable.

While they don't come out and say it, I'm sure that they would expect everyone involved to act like an adult and follow the rules of the road.

Day Drives are 100 to 250 miles long. The meet up place and basic itinerary are posted on line. Contact the event coordinator and sign up. It doesn't seem that there is any limit placed on most drives, but I imagine that if the group finds a lot of popularity attendance might need to be limited.

Road Tours consist of three day mini tours. There's more commitment involved here. Hotel reservations have to be made in advance.

Biannual Epic Tours are 8-12 days long. Your going to have to plan this around your annual vacation. It may take a day or two's drive to reach the starting point.

Drive requirements are simple, They recommend having a two way radio and a well maintained vehicle.

This sounds like a lot of fun to me. Finding like minded, car people that are primarily interested in touring can be difficult.

I recounted my experiences on a couple of motorcycle rally tours that I participated back in my youth.  It was great way to see some new territory, get in some serious riding time, and socialize with like minded people.

They also offer off road adventures that look like a great way to initiate yourself into the off highway sport. I would imagine that there are lot's of folks that would like to try this, but are unsure how to start and hesitant to go out there alone.

I would like to try out a Day Trip sometime and report back on my experience. Just another thing to add to my agenda.

Check out their site


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Date shakes and a Dole Whip. Yummmm.
The reward at the end of the road.

I just completed a 1000 mile road trip to Southern California. I had reported last week that I was preparing my Explorer for the trip. The addition of new front shock absorbers made quite the difference in ride and handling.

I bought my Explorer used and with a lot of miles, but it came with a thick folder of repair and maintenance invoices. I will admit that this is the first used vehicle that I've ever bought that came with any repair history. Since there were over 250,000 miles (no typo!) showing on the odometer I was looking for a little reassurance before putting down my money!

I've had the truck for a couple of years now and I've driven it enough to have confidence in it's basic mechanical integrity. 

It's never a good idea to leave on a long trip with a vehicle that is not in good running shape. Problems are not going to work themselves out on their own. Overheating, leaking radiators, screeching brakes, worn out suspensions, and "iffy" transmissions can be limped through on short local runs. Sometimes you don't have any choice, and just have to make it until the next payday. Just don't try to plan your vacation trip around an ailing vehicle. Serious breakdowns are not the kind of adventure that you need.

Especially if you are travelling the "path less traveled."

My destination was Indio California. Starting out I took the fastest and most common route, I-5. As I approached the Grapevine, the navigation system suggested a different route than my usual trek through the greater L.A. metropolitan environs to avoid traffic congestion. It suggested cutting east south of Gorman, taking the high desert route through Antelope Valley, Lancaster, Palmdale, then through Pearlblossom and Littlerock via the Pearlblossom Highway. I would then drop down into San Bernadino and Riverside then continue east of I-10  past Palm Springs, Cabazon, then onto Indio.

Several years ago I had taken the northern part of this route when returning from Arizona via Route 66. I was looking forward to seeing a part of Southern California that I was not familiar with.

First of all, it is quite true that most of So Cal is a desert! It was amazing to me how empty and unsettled the land could be only a hour or two away from Los Angeles itself. Commuters have pushed out to Lancaster and Palmdale which have become typical suburbs, but smaller towns like Antelope Valley, Pearlblossom and Little Rock are genuine small desert towns. If you want to get away from the crowd here's your chance!

Mormon Rocks, an amazing view you can see on the back road to Palm Springs.

The route has scenery which is usually flat and dull, but looking out into that great desert valley is quite amazing. Then you encounter an area like Mormon Rocks and you can imagine how the early settlers were awed by the incredible rock formations.

Before the release of "Jurassic Park"
this was as good as it could get.

It was dark as we passed Palm Springs. If you are in the area stop to visit the Cabazon dinosaurs. They are located right off the freeway. Roadside development has made them harder to spot as you drive by on I-10. Take the exit, they are worth the visit!

We arrived in Indio at 9:00 pm. and it was still 100 degrees. Welcome to the desert!

The next day my Son wanted us to visit the nearby Salton Sea. He had toured the area a couple of years ago on his motorcycle. We passed some impressive date orchards outside of Indio. These are huge orchards of Palm Trees which are the source of the dates. We traveled on highway 111 on the east side of the lake. First stop was the visitors center where we viewed the exhibits and watched a video that explained the formation of the Salton Sea. The quick explanation was that in 1905 a levee on the irrigation system of the Colorado river broke and remained broken for two years. The river flowed into the Salton Sink and engulfed the smaller run off lake with a small ocean of water.

The fortunes of the lake have risen but generally fallen over the years. After being known as the "California Riviera" during the 1950s the area was beset by environmental calamities that destroyed the tourist trade. It is now mostly abandoned with only a few small communities of diehard residents.

photo sorce: atlasobscura.com
The Salton Sea provides a dramatic, surreal,  landscape. 

Bombay Beach was once thriving tourist resort, it's now quite uninhabited. There is a thriving artist community that frequents the town. Think of it as a mini "Burning Man" experience.

Lot's of grafitti.

internet photo

The temperature was 107 degrees but as the cliche goes, it's a dry heat. Next stop was Niland.

Salvation Mountain was one man's dream.

Located a short ways out of this well kept little town is one of So Cal's most distinctive
and curious folk art locations. Salvation Mountain was the brainchild of Leonard Knight. He began work on his monument in 1984. He met with initial failure but improved his method of construction with his second monument. Leonard has passed away but his monument continues to impress visitors of his religious fervor.

I was honestly very impressed by the Salton Sea and the communities that surround it. It was well worth the visit and I would like to return sometime to take advantage of the star gazing opportunities that it's isolation provides.

This trip provided me with an experience of a part of Southern California that I wasn't at all familiar with.

Oh, and that date shake was one of the most delicious frozen confections that I've ever enjoyed. Cross that off my bucket list. Leppart's is right off the freeway in Palm Desert, next to the Stater Brother's market.

Progress report: Mark VII.

As found after years of slumber.

Like many old car projects the time comes when you run into a brick wall. Most projects are not exactly easy, but sometimes you set yourself up for some real headaches.

I had made some real progress:

A new set of wheels in an easier to find tire size.

I removed the brake hydraulics.

There were plenty of challenges in disassembling the wheel cylinders. I was successful in rebuilding them.

I ran into a real dead end in trying disassemble the master cylinders. The piston and front seal came out easily enough. The internal seal is deep inside the unit and can only be removed by unscrewing the end plug. This plug has had a life time to rust in place. I'm thinking that I'll just throw them in a jug of vinegar and let them sit.

It was so easy with my Mustang. Everything was available new, so I just threw away all the old stuff and replaced with new. I didn't think that it would be easy or cheap to find parts for the Mark. Would it be worth it to spend a bunch of money to rebuild obsolete equipment? Or would it be better to source and adapt a modern replacement?

I started looking at just replacing some of the components. The Wilwood website had a few possibilities. These were reasonably priced at less than 60.00

I think that these could be adapted.

I searched different sites that specialized in brake upgrades and custom set ups.

I found this bolt on set up for around two grand.

It's not like the Mark doesn't have a performance history.

The Mark VII was the overall winner in 1956.
It came in sixth place in it's first competition in 1952.

The car is definitely worth investing some money into, but I may not be the person to do it. Anyway there's no hurry to do anything yet.


                                              ---------------------------------------------------

A little more progress with the Explorer.

Ever since I bought it a couple of years ago I knew that it needed shock absorbers. There was a definite porpoising motion that followed freeway whoop de doos. It also contributed to a vague "busy" feel to the suspension when you were just driving normally. I am anticipating taking the Explorer on a long roadtrip so I've been keeping an eye on things and fixing what I can.

This model Explorer comes with torsion bar front suspension and the shocks looked to be easily accessible. They were. All I had to do was lift up what was left of the splash guard and I had a clear shot at the shock top mount.

Access was outstanding.

I just drove the truck up the ramps.

As you can see from the photo I had plenty of room to work under the truck. I was also able to sit on a mechanic's stool while I unbolted the top mount from the side. It wasn't even going to be necessary to remove the front wheels.

To make things even easier there is a nut welded to the shock body.

I used an adjustable crescent wrench to hold the body while I undid the top nut. The bottom of the shock was held by these two studs. I laid on my back to undo these.

A very simple mounting set up. I failed to hit these with some Kroil
before trying to loosen them. Still, not much of a problem.

I only replaced the front shocks. I had checked them by doing the jump on the bumper test and the fronts were definitely rebounding a couple of times. After over a hundred miles of test driving I discovered that there was a definite improvement in ride and stability. Of course I had minimized any funky handling traits before this. It wasn't dangerous, just not the optimum set up.

I decided to use Monroematic replacement units instead of the recommended KYB gas charged shocks. I had read some reviews that indicated that the KYBs rode a bit harsher and I wanted the best ride possible. They were also a bit cheaper. An important point since I was buying them from my local parts store. Yes, I made a conscious decision to support my local business! I checked the air pressure in the tires. The recommended air pressure was only 26 lbs. As you will recall, early Explorers were infamous for blowing out tires and rolling over. Investigation revealed that faulty, undersized tires that were specified to run at lower air pressures weren't up to the job. Car and Driver did a simulation where they used a remote control blow off valve to simulate a tire failure. I read the original report at the time it was released, and they determined that there wasn't a real loss of stability and control.

One thing that I have noted is that my Explorer has a tight turning radius. This makes it easier to park but I imagine that cutting the wheel all the way to the stops in an emergency might cause a real problem. I've seen the videos of Explorers rolling over and it's not reassuring.

I always run pretty high tire air pressures, It gives a sharper feel of control and will minimize tire roll under in an emergency maneuver. It also helps keep tire temperatures down. I chose to run 32 lbs. in front and 34 lbs. in back. My front tires were already at 36 lbs. and dropping them down made a noticeable improvement in ride quality.

Things are wide open under there.

Look at how easy it would be to pull that starter.

I was quite impressed by the accessibility of the undercarriage components and layout of the Explorer. When I replaced the fan blower motor I was amazed that it was sitting right there on the firewall, instead of buried inside the bowels of the dashboard like a typical Ford of this era. I remember changing the fan motor in my 1984 Mercury Cougar and my 1970 Mustang.

Ease of repair is a real important aspect in the old car hobby. Strong availability of aftermarket repair and replacement parts is a real plus. My Explorer might not be really fuel efficient but that's not a real deal killer. It's not my only everyday vehicle. It's a trade off that I can live with.

I'm liking my Explorer more and more each day.

It was even easier than I hoped it would be.

Anything would have to better than this.

First of all, a lot of the prep work that I had done wasn't necessary. There was no need for spring compressors, no need to disconnect sway bar links, and especially no need to disconnect the steering rack.

The car was already lifted up on ramps

There was a lot of concern on the Jaguar forum that I was going to injure myself (or worse) when one of the springs  would somehow break free and hit me upside the head. That was not a frivolous concern. Coils springs store a huge quantity of energy. Mishandling them can result in death or  damage to an important body part. Like any of them!

In my plan, I was never going to completely release the spring. Originally I thought I could drop the lower inner pivot only. The wheels would be supported on ramps. The use of coil spring compressors were a safety back up. The lower arm assembly was always going to be supported by a jack. In fact I had one under the front cross member.

I started on the left side.

A handy tool. I've used it a few times but didn't need it now.

I used another floor jack to support and position the arm to align the pivot bolt. I had a small trolley floor jack supporting the back of the arm.Then I drove the pivot back using a long socket extension as a punch. I was prepared to use my cool slide hammer/vise grip puller to yank the old bushing out, but it wasn't needed.  I easily removed the old bushing using a pair of locking needle nose pliers. I cleared out any shredded rubber, wiped the interior surface clean, and was now ready to insert the new bushing.

Just as I hoped, it came out easily.

I fiddled with the jack until I had the pivot in the center of the opening.

I dipped the new bushing in some dish washing liquid for lubrication.

I dipped the new bushing in dish washing liquid then just shoved it in with my hand. It went almost all the way in. I used a large socket with an extension to drive it in the rest of the way. I manipulated the suspension arm with the floor jack centering the bolt as best as I could. I drove the bolt forward striking it from the back side. Once it was all the way forward I installed the washer and nut on the pivot and snugged it down.

Moving to the right side was even easier.

I just used a single floor jack to support and position the suspension arm.  I removed the cotter pin and was surprised to find I could unscrew the nut with my fingers!

It's safe to say that this part may be worn out.

I went through the process of driving the pivot back and removed the old bushing. Boy, were those old bushings really chewed up! I again dipped the new bushing in the dish washing liquid and pushed it in with my hand. This time it only went in about two thirds in. I used the socket and extension to drive it in a bit more, then drove the pivot back into place,  I used a very thick washer left over from a harmonic balancer replacement I had done years ago behind the nut. I manipulated the suspension arm with the jack as I tightened the nut which helped line up the bushing and it slid home. I snugged it up but would wait to tighten it up completely.

This thick washer that I saved came in handy.

Replacing the right side bushing only took me an hour and fifteen minutes, Not bad.

Reattaching the rack and pinion turned out to be a much bigger hassle. Even using a floor jack, fighting with the bushings was a real pain. I had to force the assembly into alignment to put the mounting bolts in place. I also kind of forgot how the thing was supposed to go back together, with some heat shields and stuff providing me with a bit of mystery. Putting the whole thing back together consumed several hours. I dropped the nuts several times and lost them among the clutter. I even dropped a socket extension onto my face giving me a small laceration above my eyebrow. I couldn't find the last nut and I had to search through my bolt/ nut stash to find a suitable replacement. Good thing that I save all that stuff!

I first started posting about this repair in March of this year. The car was already up on ramps since February. It had been sitting for about four months. It's not like I wasn't busy with other things, I was. It's not like I hated lying on my back, working under a greasy car, because I certainly do. A non running, non driving car is a dangerous car. It's dangerous because it's very likely it might never move under it's own power again.  A partially disassembled car is even more dangerous because it may stay that way and it is very hard to sell for a fair price in that condition. Many are the projects that have stalled and ended their days in the scrapyard.

So what did I accomplish?

First of all, I was determined that the car was going to be put back together again. It was a running and driving car before this. Smogged even. Even if I didn't replace the bushings it was going back together.


Second, I actually made an improvement in the car's condition. The front lower bushings take the hardest beating. They were really chewed up it was apparent that they weren't doing the front end geometry any favors! Replacing one out of four bushings can be seen as making a 25% improvement!

I would imagine that I will notice an improvement in the steering feel. While this was not a textbook repair I kind of wonder if the factory had anticipated the front lower bushings were going to be a high wear item and made an allowance to make their replacement fairly easy. I'd like to think so.

The main thing is that the car is back together and will be back on the road again. I can still make other repairs and improvements as I endeavor to hold onto the car. That's what really counts. 

I can't be like those lucky guys in Octane magazine if I don't hold onto my car. I know that I'll have more time and a little bit more money to invest sometime in the future.

I'd like to close with an admonishment on DIY car repairs and safety. Working on cars can be dangerous,  even deadly. Some things are more hazardous than others. Working on the springs and suspension is obviously more dangerous than changing a fan belt. Unless you forget to turn off the motor first!  Working on the suspension, under a raised car can go bad very quickly, if you are not careful and do not have the proper safety equipment in place.

And for the record, I did the final tightening of the pivot bolts and installed new cotter pins.

                                       ------------------------------------------------------

As in any Jaguar venture it is very easy to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. In this case since the car hadn't been started in months  I thought that it might be a good idea to "prime" it, before trying to start it. I turned the key to the run position and counted to five to allow the system to build up a little pressure before I tried to start it up. I did this three times.

I turned the key and when it didn't start initially I held the accelerator down and the engine caught and started running rough. I held the throttle down and the  engine began to increase revs while smoke began pouring out of the exhaust. I held it at four thousand rpms for about fifteen seconds and then tried to let it drop down to around a thousand rpm. That was a mistake as the engine died. I should have just held it at four grand but I wanted to back the car out of the garage as smoke was building up inside.

Usually I will just keep the revs up until it clears itself out.

I managed to restart it enough to get it to crawl out of the garage into the driveway where it died again. I added a couple of gallons of fresh gas but I must have flooded the engine enough that I couldn't get it to fire up again. I had it push it back into the garage by myself.

I put that starter motor through it's paces mercilessly. I thought that it would be better to quit while I was behind. I didn't need to burn that thing out.

I just need to pull the plugs and change them out, if they are fouled. I think it might be wise to pull a few of them that more easily accessible to aid my diagnosis. That shouldn't take long, Who am I kidding!