About to start body restoration on 86

[gbeaird]

I had to put our 86 2R in another storage because we sold my Dad's house. The place it is now at is owned by a guy who does pretty decent body work. He has given me a quote for replacing the rear quarters, so I figured we'd start the body work on the car. I do plan on helping with this project, both to keep costs down and to make sure things are done as I feel they should be.

Since the car is not going to be a daily driver, I wanted to 'add lightness' by replacing the hood and hatch with the HO fibertrends parts. I have searched a bit, but don't see any decent writeups on them. I have questions about the hatch. Can you easily reattach the factory trim on the inside of the hatch? Also, does it take the factory glass well, or do I need to look at lexan or Percy(?) glass?

I got some of the repro headlights from SVPU during the original GP. I also, however, need the inner and outer corner lights. Any options there yet?

How about tail lights? One of mine is cracked (the original SVO lens) and the other one is a regular Mustang part. What are my options there? Thanks.

Gene Beaird
86 2R, G Stock
Pearland, Texas

[Ken Potter]

Hey Gene,

I guess these are the quarters you got from me? If so I'm glad they are going to good use.

I know the hood is a good piece but I've wondered about the hatch myself. I guess the window trim would be no problem as they're designed for all types of Mustangs. I'm not sure about how the spoilers would mount up especially the upper since it normally just screws into the sheetmetal.

The tailights can be had in repo from several sources. The outer markers are still the hard parts to come by. The left might still be found in NOS but the right is hens teeth.

We're going to need some pics of course...

[gbeaird]

Yep, they are the ones we got from you. I was going to wait until we had the shop built, but with that date continually getting pushed out, and it being stored in a shop where guys that do that sort of thing are there almost daily, we figured it would be a good time. I can always replace the lenses at a later date, but was hoping to be able to roll it out all pretty and new-looking.

Hopefully, others with explicit experience with the hatch will pipe in.

Yes, I plan on pictures. ;-)

Gene Beaird,
86 2R SVO, G Stock,
Pearland, Texas

[gbeaird]

Went and checked my inventory. Looks like I need a left hand rear light assembly/lens and a front right turn signal assembly. I already had the headlights, as well as some NOS headlight assemblies, and the inner markers. I also had one rear light assembly and the front turn signal assembly.

If the rains ever quit, we plan on moving the quarter panels to the shop this weekend.

Gene Beaird,
86 2R SVO, G Stock
Pearland, Texas

[larry_s]

How about tail lights? One of mine is cracked (the original SVO lens) and the other one is a regular Mustang part. What are my options there? Thanks.

The reproduction tail lights are very good in my opinion. The stripes are taped which some people are fine with some are not. I personally do not like the taped on stripes but taped around the stripes that were provided, removed the provided taped on stripes, and painted the stripes on with SEM charcoal trim paint. It turned out very well in my opinion.

[gbeaird]

I got a set of 'repros' a while back. I wasn't told they were 'repros' or not, and got so angry I pulled the tape off. In hindsight (and perhaps mid-way through pulling the tape) I could have probably done exactly that and come out with a nice set of lenses. I was so angry about feeling taken, I didn't want those lenses to fall into the wrong hands again.

Gene Beaird,
86 2 SVO, G Stock,
Pearland, Texas

[chalkys_explorer]

I taped up and painted my faded originals and was very happy with the result. It's the same way they were originally done at the factory.

[NavySVO]

It's the same way they were originally done at the factory.

Except there was beer drinking involved......VB baby!!

[Ken Potter]

I had also bought a set of repros for the 7B and didn't notice they were taped. I guess I should get my eyes checked...

I'll be doing the re-tape and spray paint as well.

[gbeaird]

We dropped the rear quarters off at the shop today. Started the car to charge the battery and keep things limbered up, too. Soooo nice. :-)

Anyway, I'm talking to my friend who will supervise the whole project from his end, and ask him what needs to be removed from the interior, because I want to pull and bag all the parts. He says he will check with the guy who is going to do the work and lmk. I plan to start pulling parts next weekend. I'll probably also drop off the front header panel I got from Paul a few years ago to get installed while we have the car apart.

He also asks me if I want to take pictures of the project, I say "of course, if it is okay." He said he understood fully. He also said that with the exception of the occasional door ding and broken mirror, our SVO and another friend's 67 fastback are top priority. So, I may have to spend more time in the shop than I was originally expecting. If it gets the car done sooner, rather than later, that's cool.

Gene Beaird,
86 2R SVO, G Stock,
Pearland, Texas

[gbeaird]

They started pulling the back side interior out of the car last night. I took some 'before' pictures. Hope to get them up in the next day, or two. I'll head over this afternoon to get update pictures and bag and tag the parts they removed.

Gene Beaird,
86 2R SVO, G Stock,
Pearland, Texas

[gbeaird]

Here are the pics as the project gets started. The thin 'white' lines are masking tape where they expect to cut. We need to replace bits from both sides. It looks like the left side will be replaced from the rear quarter window down and all the way to the back bumper. The right side will be cut from below the filler door down, and from the wheelwell to the back bumper.

Repro Spats have been ordered (Thank you, Paul), and Saturday, I'll go hunting through our storage to find the rear bumper cover, bumper (front?) support and headlight header panel (again, Thank you, Paul).

Updates as they occur.

Gene Beaird,
86 2R SVO, G Stock
Pearland, Texas

[chalkys_explorer]

Thats almost exactly the same place i cut mine. Cool!!!

[Wizard191]

Oh man that brings back memories. I had to replace that exact piece of my quarter panel due to rust. I cut mine right down the middle of that tape. Man...same color car too...

[gbeaird]

Nah, it's all good. We bought this car pretty much as-is. We sought a SVO in this condition so we wouldn't care about the cone rash autocrossing it. After successfully campaigning it in F Stock, and later in G Stock, and nearly winning a Regional championship in it, it is in semi-retirement for now. We have a dedicated 85 Firebird we run in C Prepared. It is time to get the body back in the shape we will be happy to be seen in.

We'll probably make the occasional event with it. I hope to find some lightweight 10" wide wheels and bolt slicks on it and go run CP. With the mods we plan, it should at least be competitive, and certainly fun to drive. The hope is to eventually be able to show it.

Made another trip to the shop. They were stuck on trying to figure out how to get the rear quarter window out. I got the info to them from this list, thanks all!

Because of the issue with the window, they didn't get much further. They did get the rear bumper cover off. It was interesting to see it with the damage it has incurred over the years. We may try to build something out of aluminum channel, or at least hammer out this piece and swiss-cheese it. Here are the latest pics. Enjoy.

Gene Beaird,
86 2R SVO, G Stock,
Pearland, Texas