[7T02S]

Hi everyone,

I thought I would start a thread showing the project I'm undertaking. What kind of build is this? It's a full on strip and restore with a little "new" going back in. What are the car details?
It's a 1967 Fastback GT 390 4-speed that's just about fully loaded and originally exported to the Philippines (93 DSO) with an MSRP of $4753. Options you ask?

• Fastback
• GT
• 390 4V
• 4 Speed
• Wimbledon White
• Deluxe Red Interior
• Competition Handling Package (basically Shelby suspension)
• A/C
• Limited Slip 3.25
• Interior Decor Group
• Exterior Decor Group
• Convenience Lighting Panel
• Lower Console
• Upper Console
• Shoulder Harness
• Deluxe Seat Belts
• Tilt-Away Steering
• Deluxe Steering Wheel
• 8-Track
• Fold Down Rear Seat

I convinced my parents to buy the car when I was in high school back in Nineties. It was originally intended to be a restoration project for me and my Dad back then. The car turned out to be a huge project and I ended up buying a 68 C10 to restore during high school instead. Fast forward two decades, my parents recently handed the car down to me since they never got around to restoring it. I got the car back in January 2016 and have got a fair bit done during the year but have a LONG way to go. I’ll be posting some photos of what I have accomplished so far and update things along the way. LOTS to do since there was far more rust than I had hoped for.
Starting off, here are some photos from 1994. I’ll follow with some various photos bringing me up to present state shortly.

 

[Huntingky]

Looking forward to seeing the progress

 

[7T02S]

Update

Hello everyone,

It's been a while since I've been on here. I thought it might be time to show some photos! I think I'll start from the beginning (2016) and work up to the present.

Here it's leaving my parent's house in January 2016 on the tow truck to begin the journey to my house! :grin2:

Also a pile of parts nicely wrapped up for safe transport.

Finally in my shop before the tear down!

The engine hasn't ran for 2 decades... Going to need some serious love. :|

Speaking of needing some love, the interior is also needy.

 

[7T02S]

Here's the front end coming apart getting ready for the engine extraction:

A greasy mess!

The number matching 390 on a HEAVY duty stand:

Wouldn't you know, a rusted firewall and floor pans?!

Found an acorn collection above the headliner. Some critters made this home long ago but are long gone now!

 

[7T02S]

Deleted a post about a double post that was edited below...

 

[7T02S]

Deleted a double post...

 

[Turnall]

It doesn't matter what order the pictures are in, we just like pictures!! :grin2:

Car looks to be in good shape. Well optioned also. Good luck with the build, I'll definitely keep up with it.

Allen

 

[drock]

My Wimbleton white 67 GTA 390 and I will be watching your progress

I've been spending the last year and a half on my rusty restoration. Maybe half way done, but don't quote me on that! How factory correct will you build yours?

 

[7T02S]

It doesn't matter what order the pictures are in, we just like pictures!! :grin2:

Car looks to be in good shape. Well optioned also. Good luck with the build, I'll definitely keep up with it.

Allen

I agree, pictures are worth a thousand word and all of that! I thought it was in better shape than it turned out to be, from a rust standpoint. Pictures to follow! :smile2:

 

[7T02S]

I've been spending the last year and a half on my rusty restoration. Maybe half way done, but don't quote me on that! How factory correct will you build yours?

I can't wait to see yours. How far along are you?

I am planning to keep it mostly stock, since "stock" on this car was pretty awesome from the factory. However, I'm planning on doing some minor updates, like wheels, brakes, tires, sub-frame connectors, shocks, Shelby A-arm drop, Boss stiffening scheme on the front frame rails and shock towers, vacuum secondary holley, aluminum intake, maybe aluminum heads, headers, exhaust, a bigger '70 mustang fuel tank, possibly manual steering, hydraulic clutch, and probably a few others. The only non-reversible things I'll be doing is probably the sub-frame connectors and Shelby and Boss front suspension mods. As I was taking the floor pan out, I saw how the car really could of used that from the factory since there were several popped spot welds here and there around the center of the car.

 

[7T02S]

Tear Down Continued

Here the car is prepped for the rear end to drop out.

Here is the rear end out. It's a 3.25 Traction Lock. I'm hoping it's in good shape internally. I have no way of knowing if these are the Competition Handling Package springs or not.

Front suspension ready to come out. The sway bar and the springs are the correct diameters for the Competition Handling Package; 15/16" for the sway bar and 0.65" on the springs. Unfortunately, the stock adjustable shocks are long gone.

Here's the car after a month after I got it home, taken on Feb 14th, 2016. Ready to go on the rotisserie! :smile2:

 

[silverfox]

Great project and keep the updates/photos coming please
Chris

 

[MikeG69]

Great project, keep the pics coming.

 

[drock]

I can't wait to see yours. How far along are you?

I am planning to keep it mostly stock, since "stock" on this car was pretty awesome from the factory. However, I'm planning on doing some minor updates, like wheels, brakes, tires, sub-frame connectors, shocks, Shelby A-arm drop, Boss stiffening scheme on the front frame rails and shock towers, vacuum secondary holley, aluminum intake, maybe aluminum heads, headers, exhaust, a bigger '70 mustang fuel tank, possibly manual steering, hydraulic clutch, and probably a few others. The only non-reversible things I'll be doing is probably the sub-frame connectors and Shelby and Boss front suspension mods. As I was taking the floor pan out, I saw how the car really could of used that from the factory since there were several popped spot welds here and there around the center of the car.

I am staying close to factory stock, too. It had non original motor, but everything else matched. I assembled a date correct motor and used a modern cam and ported the stock heads. 75% done with sheet metal repair. Trying to save as much of original as I can, but had to do new cowl, toe boards, floor pans, and trunk floor. Quarters will be next. Rotisserie has made this project feasible for this old back and I have underside and engine bay in epoxy primer. Will your car be white when done? Undecided on mine.

 

[7T02S]

I am staying close to factory stock, too. It had non original motor, but everything else matched. I assembled a date correct motor and used a modern cam and ported the stock heads. 75% done with sheet metal repair. Trying to save as much of original as I can, but had to do new cowl, toe boards, floor pans, and trunk floor. Quarters will be next. Rotisserie has made this project feasible for this old back and I have underside and engine bay in epoxy primer. Will your car be white when done? Undecided on mine.

I am looking forward to the time when my car will have some epoxy on it as that will mean progress! Yeah, I'm staying white. I like white cars and trucks anyways, so it's an easy decision for me.

 

[7T02S]

Cart and Rotisserie

The next step was to build a roll-around cart. I decided to use a combination of 4x4 and 4x6 and some huge casters. The front casters were salvaged from some military equipment. I borrowed them from a co-worker.

Being able to roll the shell around is such a nice luxury! :smile2:

The next step in the plan was to get it ready to get dipped. I decided to have the car stripped and electrolysis dipped. Unfortunately, they told me I they couldn't dip the car with any black undercoating since they can't have those chemicals in their tanks. Not what I wanted to hear! Nearly the entire interior and underside were coated in undercoating by a previous owner. I tried many methods but finally had to resort to paint stripper on the interior and physical scraping on the underside.

I did most of the interior before the rotisserie but first I'll show some pictures of the rotisserie that my uncle and his friend built. What a nice piece of equipment!

First though, I needed to make some adapters to attach the rear of the car. I decided to grab into the rear leaf spring holes. Building the adapters involved drilling some holes, getting hardware, welding on some nuts, and welding the assemblies together. My first welding project in years! I was happy with how they turned out.

Attaching the rear:

Front goes on the bumper mount holes:

Wha La! :grin2:

 

[7T02S]

Manual Labor - Stripping and Scraping

Here's the interior AFTER I spent several weeks figuring how to strip it off. I tried scraping both by hand and by power tool. I decided it was just going to gouge the metal. I researched chemical stipper and found a "safer" strip call Citristrip Stripping Gel. Smells like oranges! It's a gel that would cling to vertical surfaces. I could leave it on for a few days and then proceed to scrap off the thick undercoating. It took about four bottles and lots of labor. Not fun! The rotisserie helped me get into the sides since the car was undercoated all the way up the quarterpanels to the headliner.

Before:

After:

Now for the bottom. The rotisserie really helped this part. Fortunately, the undercoating beneath the car was brittle, unlike the interior was, so it didn't need any stripper. It just needed some scrapers from HF. They dulled out pretty quick so I had to sharpen them often.
Before:

After:

The scraping revealed the original primer color underneath was red oxide. This matches what was common at the Metuchen, NJ plant.

Lot's of labor but it was a pretty great way to get very familiar with the condition of the car. Unfortunately, I decided I needed an entire new floorpan. :|

 

[7T02S]

Stripping Appointment

The next step was to load her up and take her to the stripper. It was about a six month wait for the appointment and I was really glad I called the same month I got the car! The stripper also does an electrolysis dip where they kill the rust by zapping it with electricity.

On to the trailer she goes!

Once at the stripper's, I had to leave her all alone outside in the cold. They promised she was going inside that night...

Here's an image I got while the car was "under." Turns out the car was covered with a skim coat of bondo. My parent's bought the car in 1994 and the car came back from the Philippines in 1986. I'm guessing the car was restored before it came back. That means it rusted away overseas, in two decades, and needed a full paint job including quite a few patch panels here and there. Here you can see the chunks of bondo coming off.

Here it is all ready to load back up again. The bluish streaks are from the phosphorous coating they applied to keep it from flash rusting during the coming metal work stage.

Back onto the wood cart she goes! I attached some casters to a block of wood and bolted it to the sway bar mounts so that I could roll it off the trailer while lifting the rear with my cherry picker. Went pretty smooth!

 

[Turnall]

7T, what did the dipping cost?

Allen

 

[7T02S]

Assessment

Now that the car was bare for the first time in 49 years, it was time to take a look and see what needed to be replaced. Here's the list that I'm replacing:

1. Entire floor pan
2. Seat risers
3. Entire firewall
4. Both front frame rails
5. 3 of 4 inner fender panels
6. Core support
7. Inner cowl
8. Roof
9. Parts of the wheel wells
10. Lower rear window corners
11. Rear upper trunk opening corners
12. Tail light panel
13. Trunk floor, both sides
14. Trunk rear support brace
15. Lower rear quarter panels, inner and outer panels
16. Lower front quarter panels below vents
17. Lower part of the fastback vents
18. Various other patch panels
19. Both doors
20. Lower rear of both fenders
21. Decklid
22. Hood

That was depressing making that list! Sheesh! :frown2:



On a good note, the rocker panels, door hinge posts, rear frame rails, structure behind the rear seat, most of the quarters, and most of the wheel wells, are in great shape. That leaves a pretty good exo-skeleton to keep things together while so many parts are taken away.