1986 7B Project

[RFranklin]

Those panels are pretty chewed up. I have a better pair I'm going to use.

[Ford Builder]

Ok I thought they where ones you going use after you go to put the car back together , sorry for jumping the gun .

[SVOeric]

good thought sending it to the painter with those. Painters are notorious for ruining stuff, and thinking they can just replace it.

[RFranklin]

I know what you mean. I stripped the interior of everything but the panels. I'm very fortunate I was able to get into this shop. I think when everyone sees the finished product they will be impressed. I have brought all the parts home for storage along with glass beading. On the whole the car is in solid shape. I just wish I had inspected the replacement hatch more closely. The good news hatches are't too hard to find. The headlights have taken a beating. I'm hoping I can salvage them.

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Ok I thought they where ones you going use after you go to put the car back together , sorry for jumping the gun .

no worries my friend

[gbeaird]

I stopped by the body shop today to pickup all the miscellaneous pieces they didn't need for now. Sadly, the only major issue was the hatch. It turned out it had a lot of bondo and rust. I'm on the hunt for one. Here are a few pictures.

Luckily, though, the hatch from just about any Fox body hatch will work. We went the fiberglass route, opting for the bolt-on unit that HO-Fibertrends sells (having our original metal one painted to match the car and hanging it from the shop wall as a spare). It's a nice unit although I don't think the hatch lifts will work with it very well. Other than finding a way to support it when it's open, you really can't tell the difference between the metal one and the 'glass one.

[svono50]

Looking good, now things get 'exciting'! I remember driving mine home from the body shop, I was a nervous wreck after the 75 mile trek trying to keep the paint in the ever so 'virgin' state. Is your shop going to strip the plastic parts down or just surface prep them? I ask since my guy sent all my plastic items out to a shop that specialized in stripping the parts so he had 'clean' parts to refinish and didn't have to worry about what had been put on them.

[RFranklin]

I'm sure I'll be a little nervous and excited. The shop is going to send the plastic parts out to a vendor to be stripped. I'm going to use my own blasting cabinet to glass bead what I can of the metal moldings and certain odds and ends. It was pretty wild to see everything stripped off. I need to stop back next week for more pictures. I called a couple of junkyards that had some GT hatches that were in great shape. I'm going to stop down and pick one up to replace the rotten one. I'm hoping the paint will be done by March. Then it's interior time

[gbeaird]

Don't throw the original hatch out until you have the new one on and test fit everything. You'll need that hatch for reference, especially where the upper wing mounts.

[RFranklin]

Don't throw the original hatch out until you have the new one on and test fit everything. You'll need that hatch for reference, especially where the upper wing mounts.

Most Definitely I will save it for transfering the hole pattern locations. I'm planning on keeping the frame anyway and storing it in case I need it for future pattern reference in other projects.

[RFranklin]

Got a replacement hatch

I was able to track down a rust free hatch today in perfect shape . I just dropped it off at the bodyshop. I also got lucky passing through a junkyard and found a perfect set of hinges. I just need to glass bead them tomorrow and drop them off Thur. They also showed me the PPG trim paint. It looked great.

[Ford Builder]

Thats great to hear, glad everything is coming together for you.

[RFranklin]

Thanks pal, it's starting to get real now I know it's silly. However, when I saw the trim paint today I was getting pumped.

[Ford Builder]

We need Pics

[RFranklin]

I'll get some more pic's tomorrow when I drop off the spats and hinges. I was able to get a pair of spats from a totaled 84. They must have been painted several times. However, they are in super shape. I was able to glass bead the layers off today. I also finished the hatch hinges and bolts. They look new again.

[Ford Builder]

You got to like progress!!