Project "Merc-Runa-faux"

[pintopower]

Well, it is not time for my last Pinto project, and wouldn't you know it, it's a Bobcat. Bo is a 1976 Mercury Bobcat Villager Runabout. For those of you that do not know, the hatchback squire-villager was only available for 1976. This Bobcat is one of three known of in the country and by far the worst of the bunch. Since work is starting to pick back up and a house is looming in the future, I am fully aware that the Pintos and Fiats will need to take a back seat to the house and savings. Thusly, I must get the Bobcat squared away as much as I can before that joyous day of home ownership falls squarely on my lap.

This is the plan:

1. Running - The car must be gone through mechanically to ensure a reliable and safe vehicle. This starts with a new brake system followed by a full vehicle fluid flush and tune up.

2. Body - Since this car is a one year only model, the trim will be removed and sent out to be repaired and polished. The metal work will be done and the c-pillar rust issues fixed. The all glass hatch will be installed and the paint will be applied. It will be painted its final color, two stage 1975 Mercury Bobcat Green Metallic. If anyone has a color code I would be thrilled.

3. I want the interior to be dark green on the car, but as that will require a total interior replacement, it will be left tan for the foreseeable future. The dash will be rebuilt inside and out and the color resprayed. All the panels will be dyed their original colors. An inexpensive carpet will be installed and the front seats will be recovered with the original material.

So the project begins again...

[77pinto]

Kool car.

As a matter of fact....  I just put up a post for V6 P/S parts in the wanted section for a friend's Squire Runabout.

Good timing!!

I have the same seats out of my 77 if you need them. They are not perfect, but are MUCH better than those!!


Bill

[pintopower]

Bill, thanks for the offer. These seats are 76 Mercury and are in tan with brown plaid. The 77 has palomino on palomino plaid. I just ordered the fabric from SAS anyway. I will look at what your friend needs for the 2.8. I have tons of 2.8 parts.
Alberto

[pintopower]

So the car is out getting all the fluids flushed and therefore I will be doing the interior panel work. Here is what I have.



Rebuilt cluster:


A/C Box internals before I rebuilt it:

A/C Box internals after I rebuilt it:

Now thats faded:

Steering wheel Pad before:

After:

Some more of the body:

[Cookieboy]

as always, you do nice work and looking forward to updates and seeing this one saved.

I'm glad I talked you into it 

even if you... wanna curse me for it 

 

[Tigger]

I never knew that the additional tail light part of the bobcat tail light is not used.  It is just a reflector or just for show.......

[77pinto]

I never knew that the additional tail light part of the bobcat tail light is not used.  It is just a reflector or just for show.......

Yep, just one small hole for a mount bolt for each and the lights go right on a Pinto.  Also, they are HEAVY pot-metal, and even a NOS one I found had pits.


Bill

[pintopower]

I am a stickler for fluid flushes. When you own 12 running cars, they NEED to be kept that way. My secret: Get ALL fluids flushed every two years and sacrificial anodes in the cooling systems. Ok, manual transmissions and rear ends aren't really that important but everything else is.

So, the Bobcat went off to get his fluids flushed. When I replaced the brakes I flushed those myself so much like ALL of my cars, the fluid is clear as water (I like to point that out to people, I am kind of an ass).

The cooling system, on the other hand was a nice dark brown. The power steering looked like oil and the trans looked like maple syrup.

They needed to power flush the coolant three times to get it clean. I installed a new thermostat and stainless bolts. The car didn't seem to have a thermostat... for some reason...

The trans got a full flush and filter change. It's a C4 too. I was glad to see that.

The jerky and chattery power steering is now smooth as silk. Nothing quite like brand new hydraulic fluid.

The 8" (with traction lock, how did that happen?) got a new front seal and a gear oil change.

I then reattached the brand new (and pretested, what you think new means it works?) heater core.

The car got a new 7  lbs Rad Cap sacrificial anode radiator cap (just like the rest of the herd). I run 7 pounders with over flow tanks. No reason to over stress the cooling system and so long as your car stays under 220 you will be fine. If not, then you have another problem.

http://www.stang-aholics.com/ShowItem/105598%20%22Rad%20cap%22%20w/sacrificial%20anode.aspx

 I went to pick it up with RacerX and it turned out he had never driven a V6 before. And, now, here is the funny thing. I own two other V6 Pintos and I must say, this Bobcat is really fast! Romp on it and it will spin the tires. I don't know what it's deal is. It's a 3:18 car too. Who knows. Maybe its all those years of no maintenance and Pennzoil.

Here was the only shot I was able to get whilst RacerX blasted away from my sisters Nissan 720. 



Next is the glass-back conversion and then prep for the paint shop this week!

What have we learned? Flush your fluids often! Brakes and coolant are crucial! A clean and non corrosive coolant system will save you thousands in time and money! A clean and water free brake system is safe and saves money!

[pintopower]

Well, I realized I never took pictures of the repainted and restored dash so here they are.



I stripped the car yesterday. I didn't know I could make it look worse. Guess I outdid myself. I will have him at the body shop in a couple days.






Here is my favorite:


All i can say is that in about a month, this thing will be beautiful. Until then, well, don't look directly at it.

[pintopower]

Well, another day and another mess that I sorted. I sanded, prepped and painted all the remaining interior metal on the Kitty. All done in SEM Light Buckskin and SEM primer with Bulldog adhesion promoter. It all came out amazing.

Before:



After:


Then I sorted the truck load of bright trim and chrome that a Bobcat has. Here is about 3% of it:


From there I moved on to what I know I didn't want to do, the floor boards.
Nice carpet:

Nice rust:

After I wire brushed it opened op a few dozen holes. Some one grab the welder! PINTONY!

The drivers side was infinitely better. 

The reason for this was that the rear passenger window was missing when I bought the car. I was told that about 20 years ago it was broken; and left that way. Nice.

Note to self, install matching back window that is in my collection of parts.


Then I moved onto the all glass conversion.
I got the parts from member on here. The install was pretty straight forward after I figured out what I was missing. I saw that there was a metal welded to the body that I never noticed. I just made one and I will weld it up tomorrow...where the hell is Pintony, he was just here... Hmm...
Here is the parts car with the metal part I made:

Mine is just a strip of steel that I need to tack weld on.



Next I need to drop off the chrome and aluminum, and then the Kitty is out for Paint and extensive body work.

[77pinto]

Kool stuff, and looking good.

Yes, that metal part is hidden and gets overlooked.  Also, the weatherstrip is different and that gets forgotten about too (until the hatch is closed for the first time after the swap).


Bill

[pintopower]

Also, the hatch pinch welds are different. On the 76, it is flat with a vertical area that the seal snaps onto. The 77 and later are just a flat weld. I'll take a picture. I am cutting off the vertical part so that the correct seal will fit.
Alberto

[pintopower]

I degreased and cleaned Bo today. The engine bay turned out rather nice. I pulled the condensor to get it checked/repaired/replaced and scrubbed behind all of that also. Then I taped the doors shut and drove him to my paint shop to get stripped and prepped for paint.

Nice and clean:





Next photos should be looking good!

[pintopower]

So, the 'Cat looks better...since the faded and cracked leftover wood is gone... still looks like s$&@ but whatcha gonna go? Step by step...