Mirror, Mirror, on the Door
I'm having a problem obtaining a rearview door mirror with the same screw-mounting locations as my old one, which measures 4 13/16-inch screw centers. I purchased new mirrors for both a '65 Mustang and a '67 Falcon, but their centers are 4 1/4 inches. I have tried wrecking yards to no avail. Can you assist in the procurement of a larger one so I don't have to repair and repaint the door?Dave EdwardsBowling Green, KY
Outside rearview mirrors were not standard equipment on '65 Mustangs, so there is no specific mirror found on all cars. Many mirrors were installed by dealers who generally used the factory-style mirror with 4 1/4-inch bolt centers, as you mentioned. Of course, many mirrors were installed by owners. With so many variables, it's difficult to determine the mirror you have.
I suggest shopping outside the typical Mustang vendor arena to find a mirror you like with a large enough bolt pattern to suit your needs. Look at other early Mustangs to see what those owners chose. Just be sure to avoid one with another brand's logo, such as the Bow Tie, if you still want other Mustang owners to talk to you!
Gauges and Radiator
I'm the original owner of a '69 Mach 1 with the 351 four-barrel engine, air conditioning, and manual transmission. My first question deals with my gas gauge, which recently stopped registering. Can you tell me the sequence of checks needed to locate the problem and repair a broken gas gauge?
Also, the engine temperature in hot weather gets alarmingly high at low speeds or idling. I'm considering replaceing or recoring the radiator. The current radiator was recored in 1984, but the inside appearance indicates a replacement may be in order. The car has 123,000 miles but only 4,800 since the recore.
Which radiator should I look for, two-, three-, or four-row, and how do I identify the one I have now? The current radiator measures about 24-inches wide and 18-inches tall. Should I go with a recore or a total replacement? Are new radiators generally available? Should I be considering some less costly options before replacing the radiator?
Randall Bean
Via the Internet
Mustang gauges themselves are generally trouble-free. Most often, an inoperative gauge is usually caused by the sending unit for that gauge. By simply grounding the wire to the sending unit, you can effectively eliminate the sender from the circuit. If the gauge functions without the sending unit, then the sender is obviously the problem. The same holds true for temperature and oil pressure indicators as well.
Disconnect the fuel-gauge wire from the sending unit, and use a jumper to connect the wire to a clean ground. With the ignition key on, the gauge should slowly pulse up to a full scale. The pulsing action, as opposed to a continuous sweep, is normal because the gauges' voltage regulators send out a pulsed 5-volt supply. Should the gauge still not function, the wire from the gauge to the sender has probably been damaged. I doubt the problem is in the dash cluster because a problem with something like the voltage regulator would affect all the gauges, not just the fuel gauge.
The radiator in your Mach 1 is the largest Ford offered. It's listed for all big-block engines with extra cooling needs, like those with air conditioning or a Boss 429 engine. It's a three-row unit that is usually more than adequate. However, any internal deposits will drastically affect performance. Scale and mineral deposits, regardless of mileage, may diminish cooling effectiveness. New replacement radiators are offered by most parts vendors and are relatively inexpensive. Oversize four-row radiators are also available. However, fan-shroud fit may be affected.
Whether or not recoring your existing radiator is viable depends on the condition of the tanks and the cost of the labor to clean the tanks and brackets, along with soldering them to a new core. I'd check with a local radiator shop to get an opinion on the condition of your radiator and an estimate. Either route will correct your cooling situation. However, with a recore, you'll maintain the original date and part numbers for the car, if that's important to you.