65 Coupe Resto--PICS Added!!!
03-12-2008, 07:14 PM
#1
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location:
Posts: 144
65 Coupe Resto--PICS Added!!!
Hey-
I have a 1965 coupe that has been sitting in my backyard- in a portable garage - for about 8 years (my dad and I have moved it everynow and then to make surethe body isnot rusting and animals aren't living in it). I am graduating college in May - and will hopefully have a greater cash flow coming in so I can put more $$ toward the restoration.
The only problem is - I have no idea where to start!!!! I don't even have a picture to post. I live in CT and it is starting to get nicer out - so I want to get it out from behind the garage asap and stick it in the garage and start doing something to it - but I have no idea how to even determine what needs to be done (other than cosmetic things).
Any suggestions on how to determine where to start? Are there certain areas of the car I should look at that may need to be fixed before others - do I just wing it - haha - I know it is kind of hard without pictures and specifics - I will get pics up as soon as I get the car out.
Until then - any general suggestions on what to look at when I do take it out of the portable garage to determine what direction I should go in?
**********EDIT**************
Sorry it took so long - but I finally had some time to take some pictures of the project...it's a little rough
Front
Driver's Side
Drivers side rear window
Behind driver's seat
A bunch of junk in back
289 - a little rough :-P
Yes..that's the current gas tank that we put on there 8 years ago! haha
I have a 1965 coupe that has been sitting in my backyard- in a portable garage - for about 8 years (my dad and I have moved it everynow and then to make surethe body isnot rusting and animals aren't living in it). I am graduating college in May - and will hopefully have a greater cash flow coming in so I can put more $$ toward the restoration.
The only problem is - I have no idea where to start!!!! I don't even have a picture to post. I live in CT and it is starting to get nicer out - so I want to get it out from behind the garage asap and stick it in the garage and start doing something to it - but I have no idea how to even determine what needs to be done (other than cosmetic things).
Any suggestions on how to determine where to start? Are there certain areas of the car I should look at that may need to be fixed before others - do I just wing it - haha - I know it is kind of hard without pictures and specifics - I will get pics up as soon as I get the car out.
Until then - any general suggestions on what to look at when I do take it out of the portable garage to determine what direction I should go in?
**********EDIT**************
Sorry it took so long - but I finally had some time to take some pictures of the project...it's a little rough
Front
Driver's Side
Drivers side rear window
Behind driver's seat
A bunch of junk in back
289 - a little rough :-P
Yes..that's the current gas tank that we put on there 8 years ago! haha
03-12-2008, 09:38 PM
#4
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 1,751
RE: 1965 Coupe Restoration
You might want to do a couple of little things first, even minor things. Taking something off the car, cleaning it up and painting it will give you a sense of accomplishment and help motivate you for the big fix. As far what to tackle first, that depends on how far down you need or want to take the car. Pour some water down the cowl vent in front of the windshield and see if it drips inside under the dash. If it does, the cowl needs to be fixed and thatcan dictate how far down you take the front end. Pull up the carpet and check the floors for rust. If those need to be replaced, that again will kind of drive how much disassembly you are going to do.
03-12-2008, 11:11 PM
#5
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Colorado
Posts: 923
RE: 1965 Coupe Restoration
You should decide what you want out of the car when it is done. Concurs restoration? Restomod? Daily driver? Drag racer? something else? from there, you should figure out how in depth you want the resto to be, and what needs to be done. pics are the best way to help. what shape is the engine in?
03-12-2008, 11:35 PM
#6
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: DFW
Posts: 3,806
RE: 1965 Coupe Restoration
well first things first, get pics of the outside, inside, underside and every nook and cranny, so we can see what it looks like, first comes structural work, any rust needs to eb fixed, then mechanical, then cosmetic. IMO
03-13-2008, 12:33 AM
#7
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Delaware(US) & Nova Scotia(Canada)
Posts: 2,035
RE: 1965 Coupe Restoration
Lots of good suggestions. Something to add however.. Check the wiring. The wires should be fairly soft and easy to bend and twist. If they are hard or cracked might want to think about replacing them. There are wiring harness and then there are upgrade custom wiring solutions. Adding front disk brakes is a good thing to do aswell.
If you really want to know how the body and rails are pickup a body hammer. This is basically a hammer with a flat head on one end and the other has a long pointy spike. It actually scary to watch or do the first time as you start hitting the areas you want to check with the spike end. Go over the floors, toe boards and frame rails to start with. Don't be gental either and hit it hard. Its sickening when it pops through but well.. you'll find out the areas of the metal that need to be replaced quick enough.
honeygoldcoupe had a great idea though to start small .. get it out into the driveway, wash the car inside and out and don't forget the windows. While washing it take note if water makes it through the windows. Also spray the hose into the cowl and look under the dash for any water coming down onto the floors.
As for restoring it you have 2 choices. 1 way is to fix the car in steps while its fully together, disabling or disassembling each section as you work on it. The other way is to completely tear the car down, box and ziplock everything while doing this! Start by removing the engine and trany then move inside and take out the seats, dash pad, glove box, sill plates, carpets, etc then the hood, trunk, fenders, bumpers, grill, valance headlight buckets, taillights, backups lights, lower valance, back inside and pull gauges, and then all the wiring. Again.. ziplock everything! Write out what each wire lead/end goes to onto tape and place the tape on the wire. Keep everything!
I started our 67 2 weeks ago and 3 of us had it stripped down to the shell in about 8 hours. Once down like this you can really go over the car freely and get everything fixed starting with the bodywork. Its not for the feint of heart though. Sitting in the shell after 8 hours it hits you and you find yourself saying.. "WTH have I gotten myself into!"
Enjoy the car and good luck!
If you really want to know how the body and rails are pickup a body hammer. This is basically a hammer with a flat head on one end and the other has a long pointy spike. It actually scary to watch or do the first time as you start hitting the areas you want to check with the spike end. Go over the floors, toe boards and frame rails to start with. Don't be gental either and hit it hard. Its sickening when it pops through but well.. you'll find out the areas of the metal that need to be replaced quick enough.
honeygoldcoupe had a great idea though to start small .. get it out into the driveway, wash the car inside and out and don't forget the windows. While washing it take note if water makes it through the windows. Also spray the hose into the cowl and look under the dash for any water coming down onto the floors.
As for restoring it you have 2 choices. 1 way is to fix the car in steps while its fully together, disabling or disassembling each section as you work on it. The other way is to completely tear the car down, box and ziplock everything while doing this! Start by removing the engine and trany then move inside and take out the seats, dash pad, glove box, sill plates, carpets, etc then the hood, trunk, fenders, bumpers, grill, valance headlight buckets, taillights, backups lights, lower valance, back inside and pull gauges, and then all the wiring. Again.. ziplock everything! Write out what each wire lead/end goes to onto tape and place the tape on the wire. Keep everything!
I started our 67 2 weeks ago and 3 of us had it stripped down to the shell in about 8 hours. Once down like this you can really go over the car freely and get everything fixed starting with the bodywork. Its not for the feint of heart though. Sitting in the shell after 8 hours it hits you and you find yourself saying.. "WTH have I gotten myself into!"
Enjoy the car and good luck!
03-13-2008, 03:14 AM
#8
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: DFW
Posts: 3,806
RE: 1965 Coupe Restoration
ooooo i forgot too add, theres a book out there called
"mustang restoration handbook"
very good book i recommend especially for a newb, i used it when i was a newb, helped me ALOT
http://www.amazon.com/Mustang-Restor...pd_sim_b_img_2
"mustang restoration handbook"
very good book i recommend especially for a newb, i used it when i was a newb, helped me ALOT
http://www.amazon.com/Mustang-Restor...pd_sim_b_img_2
03-13-2008, 09:25 PM
#9
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location:
Posts: 144
RE: 1965 Coupe Restoration
Some bad news according to my dad -
I asked him when we could get the car out to look at it and start the process and he told me he was in the garage the other day and the car's body is in worse shape than he thought. He said over this past winter there are a TON of rust spots and he is not too sure what we can do with it.
[&:]
I was advised that the smartest route would be to buy another 65 and combine the two into one. I finally get the ambition and then this - :-(
I am on Spring Break this coming up week so we are going to get it out of the garage and see what the verdict is - I will post pics either way - keep your fingers crossed for me!! :-)
I asked him when we could get the car out to look at it and start the process and he told me he was in the garage the other day and the car's body is in worse shape than he thought. He said over this past winter there are a TON of rust spots and he is not too sure what we can do with it.
[&:]
I was advised that the smartest route would be to buy another 65 and combine the two into one. I finally get the ambition and then this - :-(
I am on Spring Break this coming up week so we are going to get it out of the garage and see what the verdict is - I will post pics either way - keep your fingers crossed for me!! :-)
03-13-2008, 09:49 PM
#10
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Central Illinois
Posts: 1,751
RE: 1965 Coupe Restoration
You should still do like the guys here suggested. Get it out. Clean it up and post pictures. Don't get discouraged. Cars that look good can be hiding a lot of problems. Cars that look bad are often not as bad as they look. There is a ton of experience on this forum to help evaluate it for you.