Mach PinstripesI'm in the process of restoring my father's '69 Mach 1 to an original 100-point concours car. When the paint shop was preparing the hood for paint, they showed me the templates for the stripe around the edge of the blacked-out hood, and it was a good 11/44 inch wide. I remember that stripe being narrower, perhaps 11/48 or 31/416 inch. I've been looking through old pictures, original brochures, and just about everything I can find to see this stripe. How wide is it supposed to be?
Also, when you open the hood and see the cowl piece (that sits below the windshield with the slats for the air vent), how far down on the cowl is the black painted? There appears to be a line there about halfway. Is that where the black stops and the body color shows, or is it just overspray through the gap where the hood is closed? Or is it black all the way to the end?Jeff KaiserVia the Internet
The pinstripe on the hood of the '69 Mach 1 was applied with a 11/48-inch striping wheel. If you look closely at an original-paint hood, you can see the teeth marks from the wheel. Also note the stripe on the cowl stops about 11/44 inch from the front edge and the rear edge by the windshield trim due to the application of the stripe, which was also after the hood and cowl were finished.
The cutoff line on the cowl for the blackout varies by assembly plant. Again, there seems to be a pattern for each plant, and I don't believe you can be specific.
Shelby Intake?About 15 years ago I bought an aluminum high-rise intake for my K-code Mustang. At the time, I was trying to add things I needed to make my Mustang into a Shelby. The intake has "Shelby" in block letters on the front. I've seen ones with Ford and Cobra on them, but not Shelby. What is this intake from? Shelby American sold aftermarket equipment, but was it cast with Shelby on it? Is this from a Shelby engine?BillNewton Falls, OH
The intake you have was sold by the Ford Parts and Service Division through its Autosport program, which sold Shelby-lettered items such as your intake manifold. Your intake is the same as the Ford- and Cobra-lettered intake with the exception of the insignia on the front runner. The retail price for your intake in the 1969 Shelby Autosport catalog was $64.95. What a deal!
Sway-Bar FinishCan you tell me what paint or finish is supposed to be on the Boss 429 sway bar? I have a lot of your articles from Mustang Monthly, but have not read how the bar, dogbones, brackets, and U-bolts were finished. I have to blame you for this 429 fixation, you know. The day I saw that Bright Red Boss in your shop ... well, it was love at first sight and I have been working on mine for 15 years now. I had to have a red one.
Thanks for all your hard work and motivation to many in this great hobby.Bob MacDougallNewaygo, MI
The correct finish for the '69 Boss 429 rear sway bar is semigloss black. The links, or dogbones, are also semigloss black. The brackets, U-bolts, and insulator brackets are bar metal. The U-bolt nuts are either clear cadmium or phosphate and oil. The bolts and sleeves that go through the framerail are also clear cadmium.
Vintage BlackI'm trying to find out the right paint color to use on the hood stripes and underdoor molding on my '70 Mach 1. It appears to be flat black. Can you help?Wayne LindseyVia the Internet
The black paint for the hood on a '70 Mach 1 Mustang is textured low-gloss black. Ditzler DDL 9381 is a Factory-Pac correct paint for the hood. The DDL 9381 is obsolete from PPG and commands a high price on eBay. Several other vendors have formulated a similar textured black at reasonable prices on eBay, for example.
The black that Ford used under the body-side moldings and around the taillamp panel is regular low-gloss black without texture. Ditzler DDL 9423 works well for this application and is still available from PPG Industries.