|
|
It is Nordic Blue (Mercury name for the Ford color Acapulco Blue)
|
|
|
This is how it looked the day it was delivered by the transport company from Portland, Oregon to my house in Long Beach, California.
|
|
|
The interior was not bad except the carpet had been wet in the back seeat behind the driver. The window was left open for several years.
|
|
|
Dealer installed non - working 8 track player was mounted to the floor ahead of the shifter. I deleted this when I restored the car.
|
|
|
Here is the original door data tag. It was not removed during the restoration. I threatened the painter with bodily harm if it was damaged or oversprayed!!!
|
|
|
The GT-E trim was all there but in need of restoration.
|
|
|
The car had been repainted once a long time ago. The worst rust in the car was at the lowest point in the right rear quarter panel. Evidently the trunk seal leaked a little on that side..
|
|
|
The hood was dented right in the center and the driver side grille was busted. Fortunately the GT-E grille bars were all there and restorable.
|
|
|
VIN plate was in decent shape except there was lots of tobacco and ashes all along the front of the windshield. It cleaned up nicely and was kept in place undisturbed during the restoration. Again the painter was under threat of injury to keep it protected at all times!
|
|
|
Beautiful engine compartment and shock towers only needed to be stripped and repainted. There was one small (1/4" long) crack in the drivers side shock tower near the A arm mounting bolt that had to be welded. Otherwise the engine compartment needed only to be cleaned, sanded and repainted.
|
|
|
The car had a 390 FE engine when the previous owner purchased the car. It had been crudely installed using Galaxie type motor mounts. Fortunately the original VIN stamped C6 transmission was still in the car.
|
|
|
The Crager SS wheels and tires appeared to have been installed on the car and never driven since then. The tires were age cracked but had no mileage on them. I sold the set for $100 at the Long Beach swap meet.
|
|
|
Rust holes in the lower rear quarter. John Hudson replaced this section with a piece cut from a perfect original quarter panel including the trunk floor drop off.
|
|
|
I installed the rebuilt 427 in the unrestored car to make it easier to transport across the country during my job relocation.
|
|
|
 2002BGTE Motor.JPG | Hits: 1214 | Size: 72.44 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
You can see the replacement hood. I found a perfect used one with the same date code as the original thanks to Scott Behnke.
|
|
|
At my new house. The car on the left is a low mileage original that had been in a barn for almost 25 years. I had it at my house for a few weeks and got it running after all that time. It was cool having two identical GT-E's for that short period.
|
|
|
The back end was very straight even before body and paint.
|
|
|
Disassembly beginning for paint
|
|
|
Door jams being hit with color.
|
|
|
Painting the underside of the hood
|
|
|
Fresh paint inside the trunk
|
|
|
Final blocking before color
|
|
|
 2004tailontrailer.JPG | Hits: 943 | Size: 65.61 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
Loading it on the trailer for the ride home!!!!
|
|
|
New insulation was installed throughout the entire car
|
|
|
 2005Backtogether.JPG | Hits: 1014 | Size: 66.6 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
Starting to come together
|
|
|
The fender shield rubber was removed and used as a pattern. The shields were bead blasted and painted in natural steel finish paint since they aere bare metal originally.
|
|
|
The new rubber was attached with staples hand made from stainless wire.
|
|
|
 2005grilleHL motors.JPG | Hits: 1014 | Size: 58.36 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
NOS headlight motors right before installation into the restored grille assemblies. Not cheap.
|
|
|
Instrument panel, passenger side being prepped for painting the black lip. The rechroming of all the plastic parts in the interior was done by John's Classic Cougars in Holland, Michigan and turned out great.
|
|
|
Krylon #1613 Semi flat black paint being applied to the dash parts.
|
|
|
The rechromed and detailed instrument bezel looks great. I painted the back ground areas on the dash emblems. The wood grain dash parts are the original ones and were carefully stained and then waxed to make them appear new again.
|
|
|
Testing all the bulbs before installation of the dash. You can see the NOS temp guage. Not seen is the NOS Amp guage to the left.
|
|
|
 2005innerfendlh.JPG | Hits: 956 | Size: 58.68 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
Inner fender before I started cleaning and stripping
|
|
|
 2005LHinnerfend.JPG | Hits: 1100 | Size: 53.58 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
A week later after i wire wheeled the area to bare metal, painted it and installed the restored front suspension parts.
|
|
|
The original exhaust hangers restored nicely. Note how the R/H side has white rubber for easy identification by the assembly line installer.
|
|
|
Original Fomoco correctly dated brake drums. NOS Autolite Super Heavy Duty shocks in their distinctive copper color (Note: the assembly line shocks would have been black). The rear axle housing was sandblasted and painted with DP90. A new Detroit Locker was installed along with all new bearings and new Moser axle shafts. New Motorcraft brake linings and new AMK reproduction parking brake cables.
|
|
|
 2005radiatordatecode.JPG | Hits: 1169 | Size: 49.64 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
The original radiator was recored. Note the date stamping in the top takn 67 - 12 i.e. December 1967. The car was assembled in January 1968.
|
|
|
 2005LHengcomptdetail.jpg | Hits: 1138 | Size: 68.48 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
|
|
|
 2005headcasting.jpg | Hits: 1012 | Size: 66.08 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
The original GT-E heads with C8AE 6090-J casting numbers and BF-32 plugs
|
|
|
 2005transmissiontag.JPG | Hits: 994 | Size: 59.46 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
The original transmission tag PGB-W
|
|
|
 2005transmissionvin.JPG | Hits: 972 | Size: 97.75 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
The original VIN stamped into the original transmission.
|
|
|
Rear window frames being sent for chrome plating
|
|
|
 2005Steeringbox1.JPG | Hits: 979 | Size: 66.55 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
Original steering box tag on the original box before restoration.
|
|
|
 2005Steeringbox3.JPG | Hits: 914 | Size: 74.86 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
A little polish makes the tag look new
|
|
|
All the steering and suspension parts were disassembled, bead blasted and reassembled after painting in the proper finish with all new hardware.
|
|
|
 2005trannyinstall.JPG | Hits: 1078 | Size: 57.33 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
The transmission was installed along with the torque converter
|
|
|
 2005427somount.JPG | Hits: 1063 | Size: 53.72 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
NOS Ford engine insulators have their proper yellow paint markings
|
|
|
 2005enginedrop.JPG | Hits: 1440 | Size: 68.24 KB | Posted on: 8/10/06 | Link to this image
Installing the engine with lots of protection
|
|
|
Rear seat showing interface between package shelf, seat and rear seat side panel.
|
|
|
Lear Jet 8 track player is mounted to existing holes under the dash. The flexible cable to the right is for the antenna connection of a FM radio that plugs into the 8 track player.
|
|
|
427 side oiler rear bulkhead
|
Royce Peterson's blue GT-E
