67 Mustang Fastback Parked for 44 years
Discussion
I have always fancied a 67-68 Mustang Fastback.
Bill Shepherd and the restomods have always been quite expensive things in the UK, even well sorted cars with improvements are quite a lot of dough.
I am quite able to build one how I want, so I purchased this unmodified 390GT, imported at Christmas and now UK registered.
It has been garaged in Georgia since the mid 1970s and is showing 25,000 miles.
Some bits like the fuel tank and the C6 gearbox were removed in storage, enabling me to purchase the car at a reasonable price as a project. By "reasonable price", it still cost me more than quite a few new cars do now.
It wears its original Lime Gold paint with GT stripes and came with its original black bucket seat interior in pretty good condition. It has folding rear seats. It has its original toughened glass too.
On the plus side, the body is in excellent straight rust free condition.
On the negative side, all the brakes and suspension are fossilised and some bits have been nicked.
My plan is to get it going without painting it. That can wait maybe.
As a GT car it came with power steering, powered front brake discs and 10 inch drums. That will do for me.
It also has reinforced spring towers as a big block car.
The standard suspension setup can stay stock as well. I might drop in an inch or 2. I was thinking about refreshing at all with new shocks/ball joints etc.
It has a 9 inch rear with 3.1. That probably just needs new seals and bearings. I might change the steering box to a normal power steering box ((Borgeson).
In fact I was thinking about just keeping it mostly stock- with one change.
I am not a huge fan of the heavy FE engine.
This is because I have heard 11mpg is the reality. It would be nice to be able to go somewhere.
So I am thinking about a revvy small block. I am also thinking about a manual gearbox too.
However if something cheap comes up that will slot in for now, to get mobile, I might go for a temporary powertrain automatic option.
The manual option will require me to buy the clutch mechanism parts which might be a bit pricey.
As for the rest of it, I quite like it the way it is. I just want it to work the way it was intended and rust proof it.
Happy to listen to any suggestions from those experienced in these.
Bill Shepherd and the restomods have always been quite expensive things in the UK, even well sorted cars with improvements are quite a lot of dough.
I am quite able to build one how I want, so I purchased this unmodified 390GT, imported at Christmas and now UK registered.
It has been garaged in Georgia since the mid 1970s and is showing 25,000 miles.
Some bits like the fuel tank and the C6 gearbox were removed in storage, enabling me to purchase the car at a reasonable price as a project. By "reasonable price", it still cost me more than quite a few new cars do now.
It wears its original Lime Gold paint with GT stripes and came with its original black bucket seat interior in pretty good condition. It has folding rear seats. It has its original toughened glass too.
On the plus side, the body is in excellent straight rust free condition.
On the negative side, all the brakes and suspension are fossilised and some bits have been nicked.
My plan is to get it going without painting it. That can wait maybe.
As a GT car it came with power steering, powered front brake discs and 10 inch drums. That will do for me.
It also has reinforced spring towers as a big block car.
The standard suspension setup can stay stock as well. I might drop in an inch or 2. I was thinking about refreshing at all with new shocks/ball joints etc.
It has a 9 inch rear with 3.1. That probably just needs new seals and bearings. I might change the steering box to a normal power steering box ((Borgeson).
In fact I was thinking about just keeping it mostly stock- with one change.
I am not a huge fan of the heavy FE engine.
This is because I have heard 11mpg is the reality. It would be nice to be able to go somewhere.
So I am thinking about a revvy small block. I am also thinking about a manual gearbox too.
However if something cheap comes up that will slot in for now, to get mobile, I might go for a temporary powertrain automatic option.
The manual option will require me to buy the clutch mechanism parts which might be a bit pricey.
As for the rest of it, I quite like it the way it is. I just want it to work the way it was intended and rust proof it.
Happy to listen to any suggestions from those experienced in these.
I've driven a few of these in varying specifications, levels of modification.
Borgeson steering box absolutely. Same for suspension refresh. No need to be silly with upgrades/mods, If you want to drive it the same way you'd drive a modern hot-hatch you may as well buy one. Freshen it up and make it reliable before deciding what you want to change.
If the original engine is serviceable I'd get that running before entertaining a completely new engine. Could even fuel inject it with a view to maximising fuel economy and usability (carb will be tired/dirty anyway). Those kits would be largely transferrable should you choose a different engine in future. 289/302 at around the 300 BHP level is ample in these for the way most people drive them (that is, rumbling around with the occasional cheeky burnout).
Did it come with the gearbox? Again, if it's vaguely usable they're actually fairly well suited to the car. They're nicer at speed (and faster) with a 5 speed but the driving position I always found to be a bit crap for it, so the ease of an auto made it much less of an issue.
A friend used to run one with a later 302 (fox body) on Holley EFI and a 4L80e with aftermarket controller. That was a sweet setup. Kept the look and feel but started, idled properly, and had ample power.
Colour is cool too. They're only original once, and the world already has enough Bullitt reps, show queens, Eleanors etc.
Borgeson steering box absolutely. Same for suspension refresh. No need to be silly with upgrades/mods, If you want to drive it the same way you'd drive a modern hot-hatch you may as well buy one. Freshen it up and make it reliable before deciding what you want to change.
If the original engine is serviceable I'd get that running before entertaining a completely new engine. Could even fuel inject it with a view to maximising fuel economy and usability (carb will be tired/dirty anyway). Those kits would be largely transferrable should you choose a different engine in future. 289/302 at around the 300 BHP level is ample in these for the way most people drive them (that is, rumbling around with the occasional cheeky burnout).
Did it come with the gearbox? Again, if it's vaguely usable they're actually fairly well suited to the car. They're nicer at speed (and faster) with a 5 speed but the driving position I always found to be a bit crap for it, so the ease of an auto made it much less of an issue.
A friend used to run one with a later 302 (fox body) on Holley EFI and a 4L80e with aftermarket controller. That was a sweet setup. Kept the look and feel but started, idled properly, and had ample power.
Colour is cool too. They're only original once, and the world already has enough Bullitt reps, show queens, Eleanors etc.
Edited by Dr G on Thursday 13th February 17:19
Fantastic, I've always loved the shape of the Fastbacks.
A second cousin of mine was rebuilding a mechanically identical 60s Mercury Cougar XR7 when I visited him in Canada in 1977. His had a 390 with a single two-barrel carb but he was building a 302 with a 4-barrel Holley as part of his college course in Auto Mechanics for it!
It may not be totally original but I think I'd want disc brakes on the front. IIRC they were available from Ford back in the day.
Love the plan keep the original paint too.
A second cousin of mine was rebuilding a mechanically identical 60s Mercury Cougar XR7 when I visited him in Canada in 1977. His had a 390 with a single two-barrel carb but he was building a 302 with a 4-barrel Holley as part of his college course in Auto Mechanics for it!
It may not be totally original but I think I'd want disc brakes on the front. IIRC they were available from Ford back in the day.
Love the plan keep the original paint too.
Thanks,
No gearbox came with the car, it was originally a C6.
The plan is, keep at all stock, just make it fresh.
With a car of this age I usually have to spend much time and money sorting out the bodywork sheet-metal.
I have spent months unpicking panels in the shed- with the car on a rotisserie.
The average spend on E type panels is usually over £25k alone. They dont just slot into place like lego either.
It takes me hours and hours to put them together (below).
Putting the body together is most of the work for me.
In comparison, with this car, I feel I am already at about stage 8/10 as the bones are good.
When I finish body repairs, I hope to start cleaning down the underside and assessing any hidden damage prior to resealing and re-coating.
The upper body can wait a bit, most of the paint looks OK in a patina kind of way.
I will not be going down the route of dipping or shot blasting on this one as it looks pointless. It would cause more damage and cost loads of time and money.
I plan to remove all the underseal using heat and a scraper, then I will repair anything strange that appears.
It is amazing how quickly old underseal falls off with a torch in one hand and a scraper in the other.
I plan to use etch primer and modern body sealers on the seams, then color tinted 2 pack bed liner for the floors and wheel tubs.
So the underside will be the same colour as the rest of the car.
I am in 2 minds whether to paint the engine bay the original satin black or treat it to Lime Gold. Probably keep it black as they all are.
I will leave it all at least a week before I consider wax injection of all the box sections. The wax can react with uncured paint.
I might also get to test the wiring loom which looks in good condition on the face of it.
Lets see. Usually my plans go to pot when the unexpected happens.
No gearbox came with the car, it was originally a C6.
The plan is, keep at all stock, just make it fresh.
With a car of this age I usually have to spend much time and money sorting out the bodywork sheet-metal.
I have spent months unpicking panels in the shed- with the car on a rotisserie.
The average spend on E type panels is usually over £25k alone. They dont just slot into place like lego either.
It takes me hours and hours to put them together (below).
Putting the body together is most of the work for me.
In comparison, with this car, I feel I am already at about stage 8/10 as the bones are good.
When I finish body repairs, I hope to start cleaning down the underside and assessing any hidden damage prior to resealing and re-coating.
The upper body can wait a bit, most of the paint looks OK in a patina kind of way.
I will not be going down the route of dipping or shot blasting on this one as it looks pointless. It would cause more damage and cost loads of time and money.
I plan to remove all the underseal using heat and a scraper, then I will repair anything strange that appears.
It is amazing how quickly old underseal falls off with a torch in one hand and a scraper in the other.
I plan to use etch primer and modern body sealers on the seams, then color tinted 2 pack bed liner for the floors and wheel tubs.
So the underside will be the same colour as the rest of the car.
I am in 2 minds whether to paint the engine bay the original satin black or treat it to Lime Gold. Probably keep it black as they all are.
I will leave it all at least a week before I consider wax injection of all the box sections. The wax can react with uncured paint.
I might also get to test the wiring loom which looks in good condition on the face of it.
Lets see. Usually my plans go to pot when the unexpected happens.
Fantastic project, that colour is wonderful.
My dream car in my 20s was a Hertz black/gold GT350... one day!
Black interior for this, as ypu say just get it running and preserve it - excellent plan. My main yearning would be for a manual transmission with a white ball shifter againt an all black console, and a new Becker stereo!
Good luck with the inspection and, er, scope creep.
My dream car in my 20s was a Hertz black/gold GT350... one day!
Black interior for this, as ypu say just get it running and preserve it - excellent plan. My main yearning would be for a manual transmission with a white ball shifter againt an all black console, and a new Becker stereo!
Good luck with the inspection and, er, scope creep.
Thanks.
As a big block 390GT it already has ventilated power disc brakes at the front and large 10 inch drums rear, so I was just going to repair them.
Past Parts in Thetford have rebuilt all my callipers in the past. These ones are 4 piston ones and are supposed to be reasonably effective, so I was just intending to pack them off there.
I could easily go back to the original setup of an automatic 390, as the parts are out there and are relatively cheap. From what I understand the 390 was limited in HP by the cylinder heads and valve sizes.
It would be quite possible to tune the 390 by rebuilding the motor with £5k worth of performance parts including aftermarket heads, a cam, pistons and all the rest of it. It would be thunderous.
The problem would still be poor fuel consumption. It would also still be a heavy lump upfront, increasing the cars tendency to understeer.
The other problem is actually doing something useful with the torque in a road car.
The good thing about the GT models is they already come with beefier front suspension, brakes and thicker anti-roll bars. They also have reinforced spring towers, reducing the chance of them stress cracking.
This problem of front flex causing stress cracks in the towers is more pronounced in the big block cars. I use a light weight thin-wall 289 or 302 it will be less likely to occur.
I think the main reason it hasn't already occurred on this car is that it has been parked in a garage for most of its life.
So I hope to make something that will handle reasonably well, with the context of a 60's Mustang by having a lightweight engine.
I would really want a manual gearbox setup. In the short term I might just slot an automatic drivetrain in, as they are relatively plentiful and would be much easier to fit with my automatic car. I could come back to it and modify it at a later date. However I was given a strong lead yesterday which might just provide all the parts I need to get to a 289/302 manual setup now. Lets see what happens.
To convert to manual, ideally I need the pedal box and z- bar linkage as well as the gearbox/bellhousing itself. these parts are relatively rare in the UK.
I really want to be able to control the fuelling as I have had problems with carbs using modern fuel.
To solve this I have fitted individual throttle bodies controlled by an ecu. This has also controlled the ignition as well. I have completed this on a number of XK engines and had good results on the rolling road and in the real world. One setup I fitted 10 years ago is still running strong without any interference whatsoever. I think it is still on the same spark plugs.
This is something I have started to look into as there is a Jenvey product out there already with 8 stacks. I get on well with Emerald in Norfolk. I will see how the budget goes. I would sound good too.
As a big block 390GT it already has ventilated power disc brakes at the front and large 10 inch drums rear, so I was just going to repair them.
Past Parts in Thetford have rebuilt all my callipers in the past. These ones are 4 piston ones and are supposed to be reasonably effective, so I was just intending to pack them off there.
I could easily go back to the original setup of an automatic 390, as the parts are out there and are relatively cheap. From what I understand the 390 was limited in HP by the cylinder heads and valve sizes.
It would be quite possible to tune the 390 by rebuilding the motor with £5k worth of performance parts including aftermarket heads, a cam, pistons and all the rest of it. It would be thunderous.
The problem would still be poor fuel consumption. It would also still be a heavy lump upfront, increasing the cars tendency to understeer.
The other problem is actually doing something useful with the torque in a road car.
The good thing about the GT models is they already come with beefier front suspension, brakes and thicker anti-roll bars. They also have reinforced spring towers, reducing the chance of them stress cracking.
This problem of front flex causing stress cracks in the towers is more pronounced in the big block cars. I use a light weight thin-wall 289 or 302 it will be less likely to occur.
I think the main reason it hasn't already occurred on this car is that it has been parked in a garage for most of its life.
So I hope to make something that will handle reasonably well, with the context of a 60's Mustang by having a lightweight engine.
I would really want a manual gearbox setup. In the short term I might just slot an automatic drivetrain in, as they are relatively plentiful and would be much easier to fit with my automatic car. I could come back to it and modify it at a later date. However I was given a strong lead yesterday which might just provide all the parts I need to get to a 289/302 manual setup now. Lets see what happens.
To convert to manual, ideally I need the pedal box and z- bar linkage as well as the gearbox/bellhousing itself. these parts are relatively rare in the UK.
I really want to be able to control the fuelling as I have had problems with carbs using modern fuel.
To solve this I have fitted individual throttle bodies controlled by an ecu. This has also controlled the ignition as well. I have completed this on a number of XK engines and had good results on the rolling road and in the real world. One setup I fitted 10 years ago is still running strong without any interference whatsoever. I think it is still on the same spark plugs.
This is something I have started to look into as there is a Jenvey product out there already with 8 stacks. I get on well with Emerald in Norfolk. I will see how the budget goes. I would sound good too.
I removed the front and rear panels to gain access for repairs and then moved the car into the workshop. I picked it up on wood using a lift truck to avoid marking the sill flanges.
I found some isolated areas of rust in the trunk. This was a matter of cutting them out and replacing them with but welded patch panels, all flat 18 and 16 gauge steel.
They use thick steel to make mustangs.
I also found some rust under the bumper support, on-top of the rear chassis rail.
I removed all this, cleaned up the bumper support bracket, and replaced the section of boot floor that had corroded. It was slightly complicated as 4 separate panels meet in the same place, so I had to unpick it all and weld each patch back in sequence. All done now.
I removed the lower quarters on both sides, cleaned up the wheel tubs and the boot floor drops offs.
These were in good condition which allowed me to weld in new lower quarters.
Like the man from LNC Collision says on YouTube "like it never happened".
So that is all the welding done I think apart from the door bottoms.
Tomorrow I will go over the rest it in preparation for sealing and painting the underside.
Lucky It doesn't need any more panels because they are tres expensive.
I found some isolated areas of rust in the trunk. This was a matter of cutting them out and replacing them with but welded patch panels, all flat 18 and 16 gauge steel.
They use thick steel to make mustangs.
I also found some rust under the bumper support, on-top of the rear chassis rail.
I removed all this, cleaned up the bumper support bracket, and replaced the section of boot floor that had corroded. It was slightly complicated as 4 separate panels meet in the same place, so I had to unpick it all and weld each patch back in sequence. All done now.
I removed the lower quarters on both sides, cleaned up the wheel tubs and the boot floor drops offs.
These were in good condition which allowed me to weld in new lower quarters.
Like the man from LNC Collision says on YouTube "like it never happened".
So that is all the welding done I think apart from the door bottoms.
Tomorrow I will go over the rest it in preparation for sealing and painting the underside.
Lucky It doesn't need any more panels because they are tres expensive.
I managed to get more time in the workshop today.
I trimmed the new wheel arch sections to match the width of the existing wheel arches using a 1mm cutting disc.
I then cleaned the underneath with plastic stripping discs, wire brushes and panel wipe. That was fun.
I got the boot cleaned as well. Luckily it all looks excellent, like it came out of the factory.
It was only covered in one coat of factory primer and one coat of factory single stage green. The plastic stripping discs zapped it.
I coated all the bare steel with rust converter both sides just to be sure. I though this was snake oil the first time I used it, now 15 years later and I swear by it. Kurust.
I leveled the new welded sections on the rear quarters both sides. They were both long seam welds so it look a bit of time.
Then I cracked open the seam sealer.
Like many cars from the 60s, very little sealer was used in its construction. It is now all sealed up with proper over paintable automotive modern stuff.
I the gave the rear lower quarters a quick few coats of primer and paint just for fun.
The paint is a good match but the original enamel is very contaminated 40 years with dark dust and stuff. I think it might lighten up a bit and match with a cut.
"Like it never happened".
That will do for now The shape of the new sections is fine and level. I can revisit it if with glazing putty when I am in the mood to remove 40 grit sanding marks. Simple to do now I know its all good underneath.
Next job will be to add some color the the boot and everything from the axle rearwards now it is all coated underneath. It will be 2 pack satin Lime Gold underneath and in the boot.
Then The Doors I think.
I trimmed the new wheel arch sections to match the width of the existing wheel arches using a 1mm cutting disc.
I then cleaned the underneath with plastic stripping discs, wire brushes and panel wipe. That was fun.
I got the boot cleaned as well. Luckily it all looks excellent, like it came out of the factory.
It was only covered in one coat of factory primer and one coat of factory single stage green. The plastic stripping discs zapped it.
I coated all the bare steel with rust converter both sides just to be sure. I though this was snake oil the first time I used it, now 15 years later and I swear by it. Kurust.
I leveled the new welded sections on the rear quarters both sides. They were both long seam welds so it look a bit of time.
Then I cracked open the seam sealer.
Like many cars from the 60s, very little sealer was used in its construction. It is now all sealed up with proper over paintable automotive modern stuff.
I the gave the rear lower quarters a quick few coats of primer and paint just for fun.
The paint is a good match but the original enamel is very contaminated 40 years with dark dust and stuff. I think it might lighten up a bit and match with a cut.
"Like it never happened".
That will do for now The shape of the new sections is fine and level. I can revisit it if with glazing putty when I am in the mood to remove 40 grit sanding marks. Simple to do now I know its all good underneath.
Next job will be to add some color the the boot and everything from the axle rearwards now it is all coated underneath. It will be 2 pack satin Lime Gold underneath and in the boot.
Then The Doors I think.
A bit more progress.
I managed to replace the passenger side glass. It was expensive to buy £300 and difficult to fit. The connection between the regulato and the glass is three small cross headed screws that have almost no chance whatsoever fo coming out. They did eventually though.
All done now. The door is OK.
The drivers side door revealed it was not OK when I looked inside it.
Not only did it look like it needed a skin, the bottom of the frame had rotted out and would be a difficult time consuming repair.
So a new door was purchased and fitted. About the only original one about!
The best ones are the non reproduction items, luckily I was able to buy and excellent original one for £400. It fitted with only a little adjustment.
I completed refinishing and resealing the underside, all in Lime Gold. If I want to change the color of the car in the future it will be easy for me to over-paint, as I know there is nothing bad beneath it.
I fitted the rear panels and the bumper, then moved to the front.
I would think it is the engine bay and apron next.
I managed to replace the passenger side glass. It was expensive to buy £300 and difficult to fit. The connection between the regulato and the glass is three small cross headed screws that have almost no chance whatsoever fo coming out. They did eventually though.
All done now. The door is OK.
The drivers side door revealed it was not OK when I looked inside it.
Not only did it look like it needed a skin, the bottom of the frame had rotted out and would be a difficult time consuming repair.
So a new door was purchased and fitted. About the only original one about!
The best ones are the non reproduction items, luckily I was able to buy and excellent original one for £400. It fitted with only a little adjustment.
I completed refinishing and resealing the underside, all in Lime Gold. If I want to change the color of the car in the future it will be easy for me to over-paint, as I know there is nothing bad beneath it.
I fitted the rear panels and the bumper, then moved to the front.
I would think it is the engine bay and apron next.
josh00mac said:
Keep the updates coming - did you manage to source a same-colour door?!
No, I had to paint it. Luckily it seems an easy one to match.The door didn't need any bodywork luckily.
I will need to put the stripes back onto the bottom in black.
Fitting the new door up with the locks, window mechanism and glass will take some time.
Edited by BuyaDuster on Monday 24th February 10:26
Morning Dr G,
Is is great thanks. I looked into it from the vents outside and from an access panel behind the dash.
No rust around the two chimneys.
The lower bulkhead is all as it should be too.
I was going to wax it all, along with the other cavities when I am done.
Is is great thanks. I looked into it from the vents outside and from an access panel behind the dash.
No rust around the two chimneys.
The lower bulkhead is all as it should be too.
I was going to wax it all, along with the other cavities when I am done.
Edited by BuyaDuster on Monday 24th February 10:25
Always liked the Fastback Mustang: IMO it is the best looking version and the purest design.
I agree with keeping the original paint... not seen that particular colour before, but I am not a Ford person...!
You could treat the paintwork with some of those clear coat products ( Vice Grip Garage /Derek Beri) to preserve any 'patina/rusty panels ?
It would also suit a set of wider steel wheels IMO, a sort of sleeper look, a bit different to the majority that seem to have the 'mag' alloys.
Anyway, looking forward to the 'restoration' which seems to be going very quickly !
I agree with keeping the original paint... not seen that particular colour before, but I am not a Ford person...!
You could treat the paintwork with some of those clear coat products ( Vice Grip Garage /Derek Beri) to preserve any 'patina/rusty panels ?
It would also suit a set of wider steel wheels IMO, a sort of sleeper look, a bit different to the majority that seem to have the 'mag' alloys.
Anyway, looking forward to the 'restoration' which seems to be going very quickly !
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