Modified 1968 Coupe

[GPR]

I've had this car for about 5 years working on it a little than it would sit a long time and than work on it again a little and than sit untouched for a long time. Over the 5 years I have changed my mind a few times on what modifications I will be doing. We did all the rust repair new floor pans, one torque box and the trunk floor in 2006. I flared the fenders and rear quarters using metal. It is hard to find the time to work on your own when you have customer cars to restore. It will take me a while to get you up to date. I want to get this finished so I can have something to take to cruise nights and car shows. If things go right it will be running this year (2011).

Here it is before we started

Cut out the rusted floor pans and replaced

I added about 1 1/4" to the fender flare

 

[janschutz]

Really like those fender flares. I have been wanting to do this on mine.

 

[GPR]

We stripped all paint and undercoat off and welded up all the seams

Subframe connectors and Rod & Custom Motorsports rear crossmembers welded in

Test fitting the rear suspension so the rear sway bar brackets can be welded in. Found out the sway bar was to long.
This was their second kit that I've had for awhile and they now have a 2" shorter sway bar which they sent me.

The Mustang was sprayed with SPI black epoxy

We have finished the bottom of the body and sprayed it with SPI bedliner.

 

[tarafied1]

nice!

 

[S8NS 289]

WOW!... :thu :wor

 

[GPR]

Rod and Custom suspension and motor mounts.

I filled in the cowl vents

Rod & Custom coil over front suspension installed.

 

[70_Fastback]

Nice. What's the intended purpose of this car?

 

[Kats66Pny]

I filled in the cowl vents

Can the vents still be filled if someone wanted to install AC and Heat later on? :confu

 

[AzPete]

Vents can be filled at any time......just requires a repaint if you wait to long in the rebuild process..... I would just leave them and install the A/C. No need to plug the outside vents unless you are going for looks.

 

[Horseplay]

You need the vents for fresh air intake. If you cover them you need to provide another means to draw in the air.

 

[Kats66Pny]

I do like the look and the idea no crap will ever get in the vents. :thu Fresh air.. I have windows for that. lol I just read somewhere that vintage AC air system uses recirculating air so a filled in vent wouldn't be a problem, and for heat.. I don't even have heat now. Everything was removed except for the switches on the dash and the hole in the firewall was covered up with diamond plate. Not like I need it anyway... I live in Texas. Its' cold what.. 1-2 months out of the year. I don't need a heater and will probably remove all those controls from the dash and use the area for something else... like kill switch or something. Yet to be determined.

to the OP.. I wish I had the skill and patience you do. :wor What color/product did you use to paint the engine bay black? I like how it's not glossy but still looks 'clean'.

 

[AzPete]

Heat and A/C will work fine with the vents closed off. I put Vintage in the last '66 and it did not use the fresh air vents at all. The passenger side was blocked for the install so the only working vent was the drivers side.

Another option to keep a lot of crap from the cowl would be to use a screen to cover the openings in the top half. Install it from the under side as you are assembling the cowl sections.

 

[Kats66Pny]

Heat and A/C will work fine with the vents closed off. I put Vintage in the last '66 and it did not use the fresh air vents at all. The passenger side was blocked for the install so the only working vent was the drivers side.

Another option to keep a lot of crap from the cowl would be to use a screen to cover the openings in the top half. Install it from the under side as you are assembling the cowl sections.

Yeah, I was discussing that last night with some folks. Taking some mesh or something suitable and put it inside the cowl to keep large debris out, but still let water and air in. I know they have magnet covers and plastic ones you can screw on for the outside, I just find those ugly.

 

[GPR]

Nice. What's the intended purpose of this car?

I plan on driving it to cruise nights, car shows and whenever the weather is good. I have fought with shock towers in my CJ race car since 1969 and that was the first thing I wanted to get rid of.

 

[GPR]

Can the vents still be filled if someone wanted to install AC and Heat later on? :confu

We installed a Classic Air kit in a 70 Mustang years ago and it came with a cover for the fresh air vent to the cowl. I wanted to clean up my Mustang and I will be adding AC so I filled them in.

 

[GPR]

What color/product did you use to paint the engine bay black? I like how it's not glossy but still looks 'clean'.
[/quote]

SPI black epoxy primer. www.southernpolyurethanes.com

 

[GPR]

Test fitting the Rod & Custom rear suspension

 

[GPR]

I changed my mind on the taillights. I was going to put a deluxe ribbed taillight panel in and I had cut out the original taillights. Now I have decided to french them in instead. I had put a reproduction taillight panel in our Eleanor project and cut out the original taillight mounting area.

The reproduction taillight mounting area was about 1/4" to big so Brian cut it down and welded studs on it.

Brian welded it back in and now has to grind the welds.

I finished the major bodywork on the taillight panel it still needs to be block sanded and I need new taillights.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

Really like those tail lights.

 

[GPR]

I decided to do away with the drip rails even though they were in good shape. Brian used a cut off wheel than welded it back together and than I started doing the body work.

Sprayed a coat of SPI black epoxy

Next a couple coats of Slick Sand polyester primer

After a lot of block sanding

More primer this time I used SPI Turbo urethane