68 coupe build

886 Views 49 Replies 14 Participants Last post by thrshr68, Sep 2, 2009

thrshr68

Discussion Starter · Aug 31, 2009

I figured I would post a build progress thread like many others

I found this 68 coupe on craigslist,(by accident) looked at it, traded an 07 gsxr for it straight trade, and drove it home. Everything is original, from the 302/c4 down to the floor mats and owners manual. The odometer read 74,150 when I brought it home. For being a 41 year old Coupe, it has most of the options, a/c, deluxe interior, vinyl top.

The only thing not original is the GT Grant steering wheel, Kenwood tape deck, 14" Cragars fats and skinnies. It also has a 6 disc changer under the passenger seat.

<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/?action=view&current=3m33p03leZZZZZZZZZ97mfb20a8f950921e.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/3m33p03leZZZZZZZZZ97mfb20a8f950921e.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/?action=view&current=3n93o53l8ZZZZZZZZZ97m57300826557a19.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/3n93o53l8ZZZZZZZZZ97m57300826557a19.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>
<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/?action=view&current=3kb3pd3l4ZZZZZZZZZ97mad31fbe7133a15.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/3kb3pd3l4ZZZZZZZZZ97mad31fbe7133a15.jpg" border="0" alt="Interior"></a>

<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/?action=view&current=100_1459.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/100_1459.jpg" border="0" alt="Nose"></a>
<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/?action=view&current=102_1866.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/102_1866.jpg" border="0" alt="Mustang"></a>

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mstng86

· #2 · Aug 31, 2009

Looks like a good project card. It looks like all you need to do is slap some new paint on it, and your good to go.

thrshr68

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 31, 2009

Vinyl Top removal

First thing is checking for rust. I figured with the vinyl top would be a night mare to leave it where it is and not check so time to take it off, it is 41 years old after all.

<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/?action=view&current=102_1867.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/102_1867.jpg" border="0" alt="Vinyl Top"></a>

<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/?action=view&current=102_1868.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/102_1868.jpg" border="0" alt="Vinyl Top"></a>

<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/?action=view&current=102_1869.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/102_1869.jpg" border="0" alt="Front View"></a>

<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/?action=view&current=102_1868.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/102_1868.jpg" border="0" alt="Vinyl Top"></a>

After removing the trim around the rear window, front window and the bottom of the roof in the rear where the quarter meets, I started peeling it back. I have to say I was very nervous, I did not want to find rust. This is what I found.

<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/?action=view&current=102_1871.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/102_1871.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/?action=view&current=102_1870.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/102_1870.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/?action=view&current=102_1872.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/102_1872.jpg" border="0" alt="Just off."></a>

<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/?action=view&current=102_1874.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/102_1874.jpg" border="0" alt="Vinyl top removal"></a>

<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/?action=view&current=102_1873.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/102_1873.jpg" border="0" alt="No Rust just black from adhesive."></a>

Now time to start scraping. I used window tint adhesive removal stuff.

<a href="http://s950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/?action=view&current=102_1876.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad348/thrshr68/1968%20Mustang/102_1876.jpg" border="0" alt="Vinyl top removal"></a>

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thrshr68

Discussion Starter · #4 · Aug 31, 2009

mstng86 said:
Looks like a good project card. It looks like all you need to do is slap some new paint on it, and your good to go.

I am sure that would work, but I want it to bee 100% on the fit and finish, I talked to my wife about just painting and driving it eeverywhere, but would rather explore condition of car prior to that by soda blasting and starting with bare metal. I dont want to drop a few grand and have a rust bucket.

mstng86

· #5 · Aug 31, 2009

thrshr68 said:
I am sure that would work, but I want it to bee 100% on the fit and finish, I talked to my wife about just painting and driving it eeverywhere, but would rather explore condition of car prior to that by soda blasting and starting with bare metal. I dont want to drop a few grand and have a rust bucket.

yea, I should have specified, that is what I meant. Definitely take it to the bare metal. Its the only way for you to know what you are really working with. It can be a bitch, but worth it in the end. IMO

thrshr68

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 31, 2009

For a little history on the car..........( this is a copy of the email) sorry if it is hard to follow.

Well it is a 68/69 half breed.........as in it is registered as a 68, and since it was made between 68 and 69, it has interchangeable parts with both years, this was done from the factory........when i was getting things here and there i could not find certain things and that was becuz i didn't know what i know now...........then someone told me at Dallas Mustang why i was having the problem.......well it is always a work in progress and was a daily driver for a while........it has 73,967 miles on it. It only had 3 owners to my knowledge.....

.first the original was a little old lady that i still lives in Dallas, she bought it for her husband at Dallas Ford, and he passed away and it sat for 13 plus years, becuz she had no kids, so she kept it as a sentimental factors........until she deemed time to get rid of.......

second........my friend which is totally non mechanical and should never own something he didn't want to take care of..........he ran it for a year, then burned of the breaks to the point of them locking up and burned them until he got it into the garage, then covered it up and left it until his parents sold the house..........

third.......me......i never believed he ever had a 68 mustang, for goodness sakes he drives a camry........he told me for years and never believed him, so it was an on going joke for a long long time..........till the day they sold the house and we had to move all the stuff out and thats when i uncovered the mustang.........when i got it the brakes where locked up and the carb was bad, from sitting to long, gas was bad, and everything rubber was going bad........paint was great, vinyl top was untouched, interior was almost perfect,.................so all the bad..............It does need a paint job, because getting it into working order i drove the tires for a little bit and didn't know they were re-treads.....which if you didn't know........back in the day, instead of a new tire they re-treaded the old ones......so it did what any re-tread does and un-treaded and smacked the under carraige of the wheel well and rippled the paint on the right front quarter panel, small chips in the paint here and there, front drivers seat has tears, expected for this many years, its original.........it does need work, but i have been offered quite a bit for it.........not many people keep it the original color turquise...........i like it, cuz i everyone knows its me going down the street.......it has a new replica Kenwood radio, it looks kinda like old one or suppose to, except is all new....with 10 disk cd changer....has ac, but needs to be recharged, i disconnected compressor, cuz it would eat to much gas with it on.........

since it is the 302 V-8, it is not an economical gas saver.........

i have life time warranty paperwork on all replaced part............starter, alt.,brake pads, i have an extra water pump, picked it up cheap at a store closing and never had to replace, so i still have it.......have original valvecovers and air filter covers, brand new battery, i think thats it............i was going to restore it from ground up, but you know how that goes......you start something and then finding yourself not having enough time or patients.........any other questions let me know thanks...........

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IHaveAMustang

· #7 · Aug 31, 2009

How much was your bike worth? Good find though!

projectPONY

· #8 · Aug 31, 2009

car looks solid so far, but be prepared for those hidden problems. how does the under carriage look?

thrshr68

Discussion Starter · #9 · Aug 31, 2009

IHaveAMustang said:
How much was your bike worth? Good find though!

Well....... it was a 600cc , was wrecked but all plastics replaced, clear title. I bought back fom insurance for about 2200$. spent around 300$ on new plastics. so around 2500. I had it listed on CL for 6500 obo, this was last year, the bike only had 1500 miles on it. was not looking to do trades but when he shot pics at me I could not say no.

Went to his house, guy has 4-5 bikes in the garage plenty of toys, said did not have time for the stang so he wanted to get rid of it to someone who could spend the time and money to do it right.

mstng86

· #10 · Aug 31, 2009

I bet the garage doesn't stay that clean after a few weeks of working on the car.

thrshr68

Discussion Starter · #11 · Aug 31, 2009

projectPONY said:
car looks solid so far, but be prepared for those hidden problems. how does the under carriage look?

Actually looks really good, a lot of people warn about the back of the front fenders, bottom of the vinyl top, drip rails all over, etc, so far all is good, but will have definitive proof when we get it blasted.

thrshr68

Discussion Starter · #12 · Aug 31, 2009

mstng86 said:
I bet the garage doesn't stay that clean after a few weeks of working on the car.

Funny you should say that. I just finished building those cabinets, and re-arranging the garage, I am hoping to build some shelving above the countertops. to reduce clutter. Any body need a gas tank for a GSXR 600/750 06/07? Free.

Baron

· #13 · Aug 31, 2009

thrshr68 said:
Actually looks really good, a lot of people warn about the back of the front fenders, bottom of the vinyl top, drip rails all over, etc, so far all is good, but will have definitive proof when we get it blasted.

You might get lucky and not find any. I have a smallish spot in the passenger floor, and had two holes in each door. I had some starting in the driver's fender, but it was kinda tore up so I replaced it.

I need to swing by and check that thing out.

projectPONY

· #14 · Aug 31, 2009

thrshr68 said:
Actually looks really good, a lot of people warn about the back of the front fenders, bottom of the vinyl top, drip rails all over, etc, so far all is good, but will have definitive proof when we get it blasted.

those are the points I meant. I pulled the original vinyl top off my '66 coupe about 5 years ago and that is the way it looked under it.

thrshr68

Discussion Starter · #15 · Aug 31, 2009

projectPONY said:
those are the points I meant. I pulled the original vinyl top off my '66 coupe about 5 years ago and that is the way it looked under it.

I was nervous about finding alot, but was pleasantly suprised.......

Baron said:
You might get lucky and not find any. I have a smallish spot in the passenger floor, and had two holes in each door. I had some starting in the driver's fender, but it was kinda tore up so I replaced it.

I need to swing by and check that thing out.

You have my cell, come by whenever. I have a 2 yr old try to keep traffic down say after 10. I am at home pretty much most of the time.

projectPONY

· #16 · Aug 31, 2009

FWIW, while you're doing your tear down and looking for rust, you WILL come across some rust. but keep in mind, that surface rust does not constitute panel replacement. most of the time you can just get away with some good cleaning i.e. wire wheel or grinder and hitting it with a good etch or epoxy primer.

thrshr68

Discussion Starter · #17 · Aug 31, 2009

I am hoping that soda blasting place I was telling you about will get it all off, expose any potential problems

projectPONY

· #18 · Aug 31, 2009

thrshr68 said:
I am hoping that soda blasting place I was telling you about will get it all off, expose any potential problems

oh that's right. are you planning on having the interior soda blasted also?

thrshr68

Discussion Starter · #19 · Aug 31, 2009

projectPONY said:
oh that's right. are you planning on having the interior soda blasted also?

Thats right, the outside, underside, interior, engine bay, trunk, basically the whole thing. I figured it is best to see what all is there, before any serious$$$$$$ investment is done. I do have big plans...... I guess most people do when they start ripping their car apart,

projectPONY

· #20 · Aug 31, 2009

great plan, doing it right the first time. if you don't have anyone rolling out with you to the soda blaster LMK, I'd like to go check them out.

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