Build Thread '83 T-top Coupe - Welding Holes in My Rear

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Davedacarpainter

Chicks can make things hard if they’re inspired...
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Nov 28, 2015
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This thread is getting so stinking long it might be intimidating to read through the whole thing. So I started a cliff notes version that just has photos with comments on actual physical progress.

To give you an idea how this cuts back in the thread, the first
TWENTY-FIVE pages fit into just slightly more than two there.

Here's a link to it if you want to just get caught up. If you post on that thread, I'll delete it. Use this thread for discussions. I do want to here from everybody, just make it here. https://www.stangnet.com/mustang-forums/threads/83-t-top-coupe-cliff-notes-edition.900362/

Ok, I think it's time to start my progress thread on Robby. Things are falling into place to make it my daily driver until Doby is finished.

Where to start.... Pictures to refresh our memories.

Robby (Rusty Old Blue Bastard) as he sits right now in the salvage yard still.
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First purchase. Two "new" doors. I'm only going to work on the passenger door for now and put the driver's door into storage in case it's needed. This is the door after tear down, obviously. Notice the mouldings, they're in great condition. These mouldings are just about impossible to come by, it's like gold. Nice mouldings.......my precious.......my precious....
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BTW, this is the second set of hinges that I've had to take apart. Both times I've had the door off. I will drink one tonight for you guys that have done this on the vehicle. I don't even want to know what a pita this is doing it on the car. That hinge pin must be a monster to remove in that tight crevice!

I will drop the door off with a good media blaster here in Broken Arrow (suburb of Tulsa). I'll have the front side blasted with ground up walnut shells and the back with sand. I will be using this company quite a bit in the next month, they are very reasonable in their pricing ($50 for the door).

Next Monday I'm going to pull out all of the door dings prior to taking it to being blasted. I'll get a couple pictures of the equipment I'll be using to pull those dents. If one is patient enough, one could do all of one's bodywork without bondo. This one will try to be that patient, One shall self medicate in effort to increase one's virtue in this area! Though I'm just going to glaze the bottom of the door to get rid of that factory wave that seems to be on all fox doors.

Briefly what is to come, I'm going to pick up the "new" bumpers, new fender, new deck lid and the hood off of Robby next week and take them to the media blaster to have them stripped clean. All of these new parts (except the hood) are off other cars there at the salvage yard.

Of course I will etch and primer all the parts IMMEDIATELY after they are done. The bumpers obviously won't need that, btw, soda blasting is a gift from God for stripping these bumpers, especially the egg crate grille!

I'll actually pick up the car in about two weeks and have it towed to a storage unit where I can do the work.

Stuff I've bought so far, 1. New mass back carpet (black) 2. Dash pad (black) 3. t-top seals to body 4. heater core 5. heater core flow restrictor 6. Heater hoses. 7. Doors (duh) 8. A/C core.

Next payday, 1. Gas tank with new breather 2. Headliner (black, notice the theme) 3. The rest of the seals for around the door and for the t-top. All I can spend off that check.

Pay after that last check, 1. Brake pads, rotors, drums, brake hoses, and fluid. 2. All the rest of the fluids including filters 3. Carburetor rebuild kit 4. Battery 5. Tires 6. Bearings and seals for the front 7. Lights for the front and bulbs for the back 8. Lock set for whole vehicle.

I'm sure there will be stuff I'm missing here. If you all think of something else I need for the immediate drivability of Robby, chime in, I'm sure I'm forgetting something. There is lots of stuff coming I haven't mentioned because this post will be long enough as it is.

Final note. Robby will be painted Kona Blue (sorry Allen). It's close to the original color, just modernized with pearls and cleaner blue toners. I will go ahead and paint these panels I'm getting blasted. Hopefully the door will be shot by next Friday. Obviously, pictures are to come as I progress or get new boxes on my doorstep.

I almost forgot, the engine bay:
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Very much looking forward to this one. I'm very intrigued to see a restoration project to return a car to stock rather than go fast.

What would a ballpark rate be to blast a whole car? That's my plan for the '66 in my sig once it is extricated from the garage in which it has been hibernating for the last three decades.
 
Very much looking forward to this one. I'm very intrigued to see a restoration project to return a car to stock rather than go fast.

What would a ballpark rate be to blast a whole car? That's my plan for the '66 in my sig once it is extricated from the garage in which it has been hibernating for the last three decades.
I really don't know:shrug:. I'll ask what they charge for something like that while I'm there. They do lots of high end restoration work, meaning complete rotisserie media blasting.

BTW, the owner is the guy I talked to. He has an '84 GT350 for sale on eBay right now, says it has something like 48k original miles. I told him I would mention it. Got to get in good with this fellow, I'm going to be bringing him lots of stuff soon!
 
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I forgot to mention new plugs, wires, rotor and cap of course.

It has been fifteen years since this vehicle has run btw! I'll be sure to prime the oiling system prior to trying to start.

The a/c system will be made to work too, just a little bit later is all.
 
Cutting torch makes quick work of the pins. I've also had much success with a routing bit.
Yeah, but I was disassembling the door between coats of paint on paying jobs. Stopping and going to the body shop side and getting the cutting torch just wasn't in the cards. Though a cut off wheel was!
 
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And I'm sure you've made up your mind, but may I suggest sonic blue? One of the best ford colors IMHO.
That's the color of @Boosted92LX 's son's car. I was toying with the idea of Deep Impact Blue like on allen's new mustang.

I really like both of those colors a lot. I kind of want to stick to Kona blue though. I'm on a mission from God.
 
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That's the color of @Boosted92LX 's son's car. I was toying with the idea of Deep Impact Blue like on allen's new mustang.

I really like both of those colors a lot. I kind of want to stick to Kona blue though. I'm on a mission from God.
You'll need to add cop tires, cop brakes, and a cop suspension then.
 
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