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Fast68Backs Build thread

Here is my story. My dad purchased my current Mustang when I was only three or four years old, around '72 or '73. His intention was to install his balanced and blueprinted 427 in it and drag race it. He had pulled the motor from his race car ('64 comet caliente) around '66 or '67 the car was sold but dad kept the motor, trans, rearend and fairly elaborate header setup. The car sat in my parents garage for years, I remember sitting in the drivers seat shifting the Hurt T handle from the toploader. I also learned a little bout girls in that car, seems dad kept his playboy collection stashed in there as well! :nice

The first "garage" (my dad had the driveway widened so he could work on more cars inthe driveway
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When I was in third grade my family moved into a new house and my dad moved the car to the new house where they had built a four car garage. About the same time my dad had a Ford van that needed an engine. We were looking through junkyards and came across a wreck ford truck that had less than 5k miles on the 302. I helped my dad pull the 289 out of the Mustang (it had 53K miles on it) my dads van got the 289 and the Mustang got the low mileage 302. About the same time dad got a little more involved with the Mustang, he cleaned up the Mustang, installed an edelbrock manifold, holley carb, some nice valve covers and a set of crager mags. I remember riding in the car around the block and the smoke coming out of the heater core. My dad decided to keep this car and find another race car. I remember two other fastbacks sitting in my grandmothers garage and driveway (later he would also buy a couple '64 Falcons to put the motor in). My mom drove the mustang to work one day while dad worked on her car. She parked the car out front of where she worked and while she was at lunch, the car was stolen. Days later the car was found sitting behind an abandoned house. All the bling bling was taken from the motor, the wheels and tires were gone as well as the thieves cutting out the vin number and tearing off the dash tag. A set of tires were rounded up and the car was towed home. I remember helping dad push the car in the driveway while mom steered. She could turn it fast enough and hit the corner of the garage, bending the front bumper. Dad was already pissed about the car being stolen and this definetly didnt help any. The car would sit in the garage until '82 when we moved from Connecticut to FL.

The second "garage" (Three car garage and the third bay was two deep, that was my bedroom above the garage)

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My dad unloading the car from the trailer in FL
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Shortly after the move my dads friend was down for bike week and the two of us wore him down and over a weekend we got the mustang fired up and drove it to a gas station over by the daytona speedway (little did I know I'd be draining this same gas 20 years later..). We drove the car home and parked it in the same exact spot, where it sat for a few more years. In '84, when I turned 15 I started looking for a car. I knew it would be a mustang, I just hoped it would be a '68 fastback. My dad wouldnt budge on selling or giving me the mustang.

Shortly after my son was born my parents were planning to come out for thanksgiving. My mom called a few weeks before and said "your not gonna be happy", my mom proceeded to tell me that my dad had sold the 427...but said "dont worry, he'll never sell the Mustang". She then asked if they were still welcome for Thanksgiving..... I said she was...

Fast forward to Oct of '02, I was at a Goodguys car show one weekend that my son was with my now ex-wife. Enjoyed the show and all the cars that were there. I decided I should get a project car to work on. When I got home I called my folks and told them I was ready to come pick up the Mustang. Their reply was “great, you can help us move while you’re here�. They were relocating from Daytona to Jacksonville. I drove out with a trailer in tow and brought the car to Texas.
My initial plan was to tinker with the car, get it running and enjoy it for a while before “restoring� it. After replacing the fuel system, ignition system, replacing the parts that had been robbed from the car over the years, Radiator, Solenoid, rear decklid, right side rear qtr extension (with an NOS piece), I replaced the faded and nasty carpet (remember the heater core leak). Basically I was just tinkering with shit, not really getting much accomplished.

here's the car in the garage at my old house. Thats the new rear bumper sitting on the roof
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before and after shots of the old motor
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After getting the car running (but I still didn’t drive it) I decided to shop around for a painter. I talked to several people before deciding on the shop that did the work on it, Mohr restorations. After talking with Ron, the owner he showed me a ’69 sportsroof that he was working on. It was up on the rotisserie being worked on. He mentioned the car was originally from Massachusetts and said being that my car was originally from Connecticut, we would most likely find a lot of the same issues. Ron said it would be a month or two before he could get it in the shop to start on it. This gave me time to tear it down. The only thing I left on the car was the drip rail moldings, body panels and enough of a suspension to be a roller.

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Before and after of the interior tear down
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Stripping all the front end brackets off
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Pulling the motor out
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after:
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Stripped down and ready to go to the body parlor...
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Dig those rear snow tires...
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Loading up
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Moving out
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Next up body work...
 
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The shop started by stripping all the exterior paint, this was before it went to the media blaster. This was done so the heat from the media blasting would not cause any damage to the panels. The door jambs, engine bay and underside were blasted.

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Some of the bad metal was found even before blasting, most where panels overlapped.

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After blasting some of the areas needing attention
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New metal welded in
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They bonded the fiberglass scoop onto my stock hood
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Before and after shots of the work on the fender lip

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And then finally some color... Before the painted the underside
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Engine bay
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Wet sanding
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Outside ready to come home....just waiting on a ride...
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Home in my garage, waiting to be reborn....
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The first part that went back on the car, which ironically was also the first part I took back off the car was the trunk lock...

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New taillight rings and qtr trim molding
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Its a repop deck lid, these are the only letters that lined up...
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Rear shocks back in, (these have already been swapped out...)
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New fuel tank and sending unit, tank is clearcoated, hope it stays looking nice...
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Door handles and sail panels back on
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Doors back together with rechromed vent window frames.
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I reused the original door panels as they were in great shape
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Spraying the headliner adhesive, I was afraid of getting it all over the place..
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In progress headliner install
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Old seats were recovered using TMI sport seat foam and there '67 "sport" headrests
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After dynoMat Carpet and seats went in
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Kick panel speakers
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Recovered the rear seats as well
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Fold down seat back in with interior panels, ABS trap door with 6.5" Infinity Speakers. I have the original trap door in the attic.
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Talked Sluggo into making me one of his badass grilles, had it powder coated black
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Time for some new suspension goodies
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Unisteer power rack
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Back on 4 wheels
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Built my gauge cluster with Autometer gauges
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Installed with LeCarra wheel
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After 12 weeks (not that I was counting) my wheels showed up. Budnik GTX wheels with brushed lips and powder coated centers. 17X9.5 rear and 17X8 front.
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This is when I sweet talked Sluggo into venturing up north to lend a hand.

After showing off his mad skillz painting the bellhousing, we stabbed the motor. We ended up installing the trans and engine separately, we did not have a longer chain for the hoist.

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We also got the front sheetmetal hung
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His next trip up we got a little more done, windshield installed, mirrors on,
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Next came the Griffin radiator and electric fans
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Only issue....it was the wrong radiator...it was a little to tall...
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:yikes.WAUWWW That is one hell of a car.
You know which parts to pick.!!!!!!!!!!! :expl
It almost like you read my mind. :crazy
 
Where did you pick up the material for your grill?

I got a sample piece of aluminum hexagon material from McMaster Carr, but it's too flimsy. I need to find something a bit thicker, or find the same material in steel.
 
What a thread, you make it look way too easy. Great lookin ride and thank you for the motivation I have been in desperate need of.
 
Great build! Cool that you have memories of this car through your childhood. Too bad your dad sold the 427 on you....
 
what a mustang!

sigh~ I have so much appreciation for your meticulous craftsmanship! After almost 2 years of blundering through my '67, I know I could have done much better through better planning! There is definitely an art and dedication(and funds) that goes with the restoration process and you've demonstrated it for sure! All that comes to mind is "Wow!" Beautiful!
dne'
 
I was looking through this and I realized I never finished it up.

Finaly got the correct radiator, fans mounted, relays installed

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I used heat shrink type hose clamps, they work well and look cool.

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Mock up of my relay setup

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Where I plan to mount them


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mounted in the car

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I had to relocate the horns a little lower to use the grille cover, the red wire is for the headlight relays.

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Headlight relays mounted on the left side of the radiator

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I used some Painless powerbraid to wrap the wire harness

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New aluminum driveshaft, JBA H pipe, nosey cat and '69 Mustang Fuel line

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You can see the MC for the hydraulic clutch and the adjustable distribution block for the MC. I pulled the MC and cleaned up the flash rust (after this picture was taken)

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New fuel line for the carb

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The '69 Fuel line installed, I used the '69 because it runs along the wheel well, it does not cross over like the '68.

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"lethal289" said:
Rick, half the pics in the last reply are not working :cry

Yeah, issues with the new gallery, it only allowed 10 pictures in the first reply, then I went back and used a different URL link, I'll go back and fix it when I'm done bein pissed at it...
 
Thanks Jake, I originally had one of those chrome Holley fuel lines and it leaked like a sieve, so I bought the new one in the pics.
 
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