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Description: Coupe & Convertible Full Width Trunk Gas Tank Underlayment
Year: 1970
Model: Mustang Grande 65E, Coupe 65B, Convertible 76A
Model Options: All with extra sound insulation option
Engine: All
Transmission Type: All
Factory: San Jose, Dearborn, Metuchen
Accuracy Rating: 9
Best Repro Available: YES
Jack's Comments:
This full width piece of underlayment is for all Mustang Grande's and Coupes that with that came from the factory with extra sound insulator package. One piece covers the gas tank and the right/left floors. This underlayment goes under the trunk mat.
We made our template from low mileage original surviving coupes and convertibles with it original underlayment intact. This underlayment is slightly different from the fastback because the relief cuts for the truck latch bracket are in a different location. All factories installed the same underlayment with California emissions equipment knockouts for the larger gas tank filler neck and the gas tank vent snorkel (verified by Bob Perkins). The color of the paper side will vary as it did from the factory. This underlayment piece should be installed paper side up for best fit.
Common Questions:
Q: Will your underlayment crack and fall apart like the originals did?
A: No, we used binders in the tar that hold it together so you can put it in and out without it ever breaking apart.
Q: My original underlayment is a lot darker than some of your pictures. What gives?
A: The darkness of the paper varied in our original examples from very light to almost black. Our experience is that slight changes in the tar and the our shops ambient temperature during manufacturing effects the final color. Cooler temps will make the paper lighter and hotter temps will make the paper darker. Take a look a the last picture showing the two extremes in color variances. We shoot for the somewhere in the middle but you could get a piece that is closer to one of the extremes. Good news is all are correct.
Q: My original underlayment seems thicker than your reproduction. Are you making it the correct thickness?
A: Bob Perkins said the same thing when he first got his first piece of underlayment. If you look at an edges of original pieces they are swollen at the edges from years of heat cycles so they look thicker but when you cut down the middle of it you will find ours is the same approximate thickness.
Q: Wow, thats a lot of money for a piece of tar. Why does it cost so much?
A: Yes, we totally agree it's expensive but its not cheap to make. We make it ourselves in California with our own custom production equipment in small runs. The materials are not inexpensive and our partially automated manufacturing process is labor intensive. The size of the die and the equipment to stamp it out is another reason. If we could source the material itself from a mass production manufacture it would be a whole lot less but its just not available.
Install Instructions: Lay paper side up in the sun for five minutes before installing. Pick it up with both hands with the gas tank filler neck closest to you and let it bend in the middle (make sure the paper side is up facing you). Curl it up a little so it can fit through the trunk opening, insert into the trunk, center the fuel filler neck hole and then square it up over the gas tank. If you have staggered rear shocks you will need to push down on the area between the gas tank and staggered shock reinforcement (see pictures). It will settle into place just like the originals did with time. Enjoy!
*California Emissions Equipped Mustangs: Remove the fuel filler neck hose opening and vapor snorkel knockout before installing. Place the snorkel knockout next to opening as the factory workers did (see last picture).
Tip: Don't forget you need the anti-rattle board that goes on the gas tank before you install this piece and there is also another piece of underlayment that covers the rest of the trunk and into the backseat.