Finally! My 68 vert project.
07-09-2009, 07:53 AM
#1
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: IL
Posts: 55
Finally! My 68 vert project.
Just wanted to stop on in and post up some pics of my new project. I picked up a 68 convertible that seems to be in pretty decent shape structurally.
The plan is in a couple stages.
Phase 1
sand and por15 inside floor/floorpan, fix the 2 small (dime size holes)
redo interior (new black upholstrey, new hardware, wiring, body plugs,etc...)
fix exhaust
drive a tiny bit until winter
Phase 2
New body panels (doors, front fenders, hood, and trunk, bumpers)
new weather stripping, chrome pieces,etc..
clean and refinish wheel wells, frame, engine bay
shelby a-arm mod
620lb springs
4 1/2 mid eye leaf springs
Maybe some new wheels
Phase 3 (down the road)
V8 swap
custom turbo setup ( I own a shop)
Rear end
coilovers
4link
Let me know if you think I got a good deal. Floors are in good shape or look to have been redone ( what is is the best way to remove surface rust, sand it like I am or just clean and use something like PO15?
Rockers are good, cowls don't leak, core support is good. the only holes are 2 dime size holes on the floor board (one under back seat & driver side floor by brake pedal). The other areas are under the hood on the top front of the aprons, and lastly the passenger wheel well has a small spot to patch. Other then that the car looks to be in good condition.
Anyways, here are some pics
Glad to no be apart of the family
The plan is in a couple stages.
Phase 1
sand and por15 inside floor/floorpan, fix the 2 small (dime size holes)
redo interior (new black upholstrey, new hardware, wiring, body plugs,etc...)
fix exhaust
drive a tiny bit until winter
Phase 2
New body panels (doors, front fenders, hood, and trunk, bumpers)
new weather stripping, chrome pieces,etc..
clean and refinish wheel wells, frame, engine bay
shelby a-arm mod
620lb springs
4 1/2 mid eye leaf springs
Maybe some new wheels
Phase 3 (down the road)
V8 swap
custom turbo setup ( I own a shop
)Rear end
coilovers
4link
Let me know if you think I got a good deal. Floors are in good shape or look to have been redone ( what is is the best way to remove surface rust, sand it like I am or just clean and use something like PO15?
Rockers are good, cowls don't leak, core support is good. the only holes are 2 dime size holes on the floor board (one under back seat & driver side floor by brake pedal). The other areas are under the hood on the top front of the aprons, and lastly the passenger wheel well has a small spot to patch. Other then that the car looks to be in good condition.
Anyways, here are some pics
Glad to no be apart of the family
07-09-2009, 09:52 AM
#3
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,458
I would forget the part about getting new body panels, especially the doors. The newer panels are not the same quality as the originals. Try and reuse the originals, they look like they are in good shape. You will find that the repro parts are never the same as the originals, quality, fit, etc. Some of the "original" tooling parts are good, but definitely keep the doors. Good luck.
07-15-2009, 09:08 AM
#5
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: IL
Posts: 55
Thanks for the welcome guys.
zmetalmilitia, I did want to try and keep as many panels as possible but in taking some off (front fenders and hood) they were terribly rusted and beyond repair
I think I'll try to keep the doors and the back half panes.
Seems like the common situation with restoring an old mustang or even old car for that matter is that the project ALWAYS grows LOL. I started tearing her apart and low and behold some issues that were not visable. It's like the proverbial "can of worms". From what I can tell this is what needs to be replaced
LH frame rail/apron (RH frame rail seems good, just the battery tray apron)
Cowl
side cowl panels
TQ Boxes
Part of the firewall to cowl section
Front rocker panels
I was pretty frustrated with the frame rail situation since it broke in where the bumper support bar was and it's rusted back by the base of the firewall so I can't just do the frame extension, I'll have to do all the way to the firewall.
I'm used to building motors, turbo kits, etc.. so body work is pretty foriegn to me so i've been hunting threads like mad on welding up panels, frame rails etc.. Now my question is, should I just replace both frame rails since I'm doing one? I know a lot of body guys say to "only replace what is needed" so I'm not sure what to do. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Here are some pics of the rust and some of my work on the floor boards
Any suggestions on direction to what is priority on replacing would be awesome Or do I just replace all of it in the front ?
zmetalmilitia, I did want to try and keep as many panels as possible but in taking some off (front fenders and hood) they were terribly rusted and beyond repair
I think I'll try to keep the doors and the back half panes.Seems like the common situation with restoring an old mustang or even old car for that matter is that the project ALWAYS grows LOL. I started tearing her apart and low and behold some issues that were not visable. It's like the proverbial "can of worms". From what I can tell this is what needs to be replaced
LH frame rail/apron (RH frame rail seems good, just the battery tray apron)
Cowl
side cowl panels
TQ Boxes
Part of the firewall to cowl section
Front rocker panels
I was pretty frustrated with the frame rail situation since it broke in where the bumper support bar was and it's rusted back by the base of the firewall so I can't just do the frame extension, I'll have to do all the way to the firewall.
I'm used to building motors, turbo kits, etc.. so body work is pretty foriegn to me so i've been hunting threads like mad on welding up panels, frame rails etc.. Now my question is, should I just replace both frame rails since I'm doing one? I know a lot of body guys say to "only replace what is needed" so I'm not sure what to do. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Here are some pics of the rust and some of my work on the floor boards
Any suggestions on direction to what is priority on replacing would be awesome
Or do I just replace all of it in the front ?
07-15-2009, 11:18 AM
#6
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Marquette Mi
Posts: 3,566
Im not trying to scare you or anything, but you have a big job ahead of you if you want it to be nice.
Well yours has already had the floor pans replaced. they didnt even bother to grind the welds on the underside, and they are painfully obvious from the top. They dont have to be pretty because they are covered with carpet, but you can see all 4 have been done. What that tells me is someone started fixing major rust issues, and probably kept finding more as they dug deeper, just like you are.
You have rust in the doors covered with filler, it looks like the torque boxes have been replaced and the passenger side box added (I cant remember if the verts had the pass side box or not with the 6) and the engine bay/wheel wells need work. I'm relatively certain that 1" angle iron wasnt used on both sides of the rocker panels even in verts.
You will find the more you dig, the more rust you uncover. You can deal with it as it shows up later on, sell the car and find a better one(not easy where I live), strip the car completely and eradicate all rust and rebuild the suspension in the process, or do it bit by bit until the whole car is rust free...
On a good note, it isnt nearly as bad as the Pit of Despair was, but seeing where the rust is, I know there is more lurking just under the surface.
I would clean the other frame rails and see if you can drive a screwdriver through them at any point, if you can they need replaced. If they dont need replacing, then only do what needs to be done. If there is good metal there, leave it and focus on replacing the rusted parts.
Well yours has already had the floor pans replaced. they didnt even bother to grind the welds on the underside, and they are painfully obvious from the top. They dont have to be pretty because they are covered with carpet, but you can see all 4 have been done. What that tells me is someone started fixing major rust issues, and probably kept finding more as they dug deeper, just like you are.
You have rust in the doors covered with filler, it looks like the torque boxes have been replaced and the passenger side box added (I cant remember if the verts had the pass side box or not with the 6) and the engine bay/wheel wells need work. I'm relatively certain that 1" angle iron wasnt used on both sides of the rocker panels even in verts.
You will find the more you dig, the more rust you uncover. You can deal with it as it shows up later on, sell the car and find a better one(not easy where I live), strip the car completely and eradicate all rust and rebuild the suspension in the process, or do it bit by bit until the whole car is rust free...
On a good note, it isnt nearly as bad as the Pit of Despair was, but seeing where the rust is, I know there is more lurking just under the surface.
I would clean the other frame rails and see if you can drive a screwdriver through them at any point, if you can they need replaced. If they dont need replacing, then only do what needs to be done. If there is good metal there, leave it and focus on replacing the rusted parts.
07-15-2009, 10:27 PM
#7
1st Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: IL
Posts: 55
Definitely appreciate the advice and it takes a lot to scare me Here is my last car I built
1007rwhp Lexus SC300
9.59@143mph in the quarter (6spd too)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgMo7q4EWOo
Anyways, I truly appreciate the advice Thumpin455. They didn't really do the best job on the install and that drivers side board started to rust up again since the cowl was not fixed.
I'm going to go through the other portions of the frame rails, panels etc.. and try to find any more issues, but I think I've gotten the big ones.
On a side note if there is anyone local to me, I'm willing to offer some trade services for some assistance on welding up the front stuff
I have a Mustang dyno if you are interested in using it to either tune your car on or just do some dyno pulls
just throwin' it out there
Here is my last car I built1007rwhp Lexus SC300
9.59@143mph in the quarter (6spd too)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgMo7q4EWOo
Anyways, I truly appreciate the advice Thumpin455. They didn't really do the best job on the install and that drivers side board started to rust up again since the cowl was not fixed.
I'm going to go through the other portions of the frame rails, panels etc.. and try to find any more issues, but I think I've gotten the big ones.
On a side note if there is anyone local to me, I'm willing to offer some trade services for some assistance on welding up the front stuff
I have a Mustang dyno if you are interested in using it to either tune your car on or just do some dyno pulls just throwin' it out there
07-16-2009, 08:10 AM
#9
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Colorado
Posts: 1,458
If you are seriously concerned with catching all the rust, I would consider blasting the car down to bare metal. That is the only way to see everything under that may be hiding. Since you're at that point anyways, now is a good time to do that.
I ended up replacing a lot on mine as well, the deeper I dug........Much of the rust showed up after I had mine blasted. The frame rails are probably the biggest thing to replace on the sheetmetal part of the car, imo. But it can be done with a lot of patience and time.
I ended up replacing a lot on mine as well, the deeper I dug........Much of the rust showed up after I had mine blasted. The frame rails are probably the biggest thing to replace on the sheetmetal part of the car, imo. But it can be done with a lot of patience and time.
07-16-2009, 09:39 AM
#10
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Marquette Mi
Posts: 3,566
Well I am at the other end of that big lake at the top of your state. You could bring it up here and I would go through it and eradicate rust. I am beginning to see rust in my sleep, and I can weld up a jagged hole with minimal grinding with my eyes closed..lol.
I am more of an engine/transmission builder than anything, but since I have the time and shop space I have started to do body work in addition to mechanical work. I build mostly NA engines, I have done a few blower cars for other people but none for me. I cant afford them. When I get my 79 Formula back together it should be in the single digits, at least until they ask for my chassis cert and NHRA license. It is barely a street car though.
I am more of an engine/transmission builder than anything, but since I have the time and shop space I have started to do body work in addition to mechanical work. I build mostly NA engines, I have done a few blower cars for other people but none for me. I cant afford them. When I get my 79 Formula back together it should be in the single digits, at least until they ask for my chassis cert and NHRA license. It is barely a street car though.