Dan's '68 Mustang Restomod Project(Part 3)

www.bluetalons.com/mustangs/sonic68/

May 2005 Update

The engine fired up on the very first attempt--just as soon as the fuel hit the combustion chambers! And it idled along just as if it was already warmed up--the engine hadn't been run in over 5 years!! Pretty good for static timing, too!

Strange Nodular case for the rear-end that I am building. A Detroit TrueTrac will be going in here.

As you can see, I have the engine in--and it runs!!! I decided to get the rive-train in order before finishing off the body. It's therapeutic and motivating!! I will have the drive-train and brakes all done by the end of May and then it is time to work overtime in getting the Stang ready to paint. I have a deadline of August to have it out of my brother's shop!! I am pretty much done with the major mods, though still have to fabricate the grill and fit up the front fiberglass valance.

June/July 2005


I don't have a lot of pictures of the un-glamorous fine tuning of the bodywork!

Things I accomplished: rear brakes installed, rear brake lines installed, rear gears installed, exhaust fitted up, traction bars installed, fuel line mostly installed, moved to paint booth and filler primed the car. Body work is going good and I should be ready to paint by the end of July!!!

August 2005

Practicing on the valances and rock guard. Turned out good...so now to the car!

Taping off for the door jambs. Looks like the Partridge Family bus!

Got the jambs painted. I am using a single stage enamel for this.

Underside of the trunk lid and hood also with single stage enamel.

Installed quarter extensions with stand-offs. Makes painting them much easier!! Also masking the jambs.

After laying down white primer and then white basecoat, I measured out and masked off the stripes.

Then I seal coated with black primer.

Then I put on the color and then the clear.

At the Pierce County Mustang Club show (in route to my home)

Got the car home, put the rear wheels on.

Well, its home! After months of bodywork (and I probably could have done another months worth to really get it good) I got the thing painted. Not flawless, but not bad either! Painting your own car can be very intimidating. Especially when it is your first one and painting it a metallic color to boot. I had some issues with an exhaust fan kicking up some major junk and some blue paint dust getting into my white stripes on my first clear coat. I had to repaint the stripes and then finish clearing. I got some "tiger striping" in my color that is for the most part unnoticeable, but I have seen as much in some professional jobs, so I can't complain too much. Anyway, now the fun part really gets going--putting it all together!!