Flying Ace's 1970 Convertible Restoration Project

[Flying Ace 10]

OK, folks. It's time to start the work. I figured that I'd follow suit like others have done here and start a thread on my progress. I've turned my outbuilding into a garage. I've been preparing for the past year and a half to turn it into a good workplace by pouring cement, adding a lift and all the stuff I need to work on the car.

 

Here she is now before I get started. She sure doesn't look bad at first glance.

 

[Flying Ace 10]

 

 

 

 

[Flying Ace 10]

Some Interior Pics..

 

 

 

Here's the ORIGINAL COLOR, chestnut metallic:

 

 

And the Engine Compartment:

 

 

Kinda scary seeing her up in the air. I was worried about lifting a convertible, but she seems solid enough not to cause any concern.

 

[SlimeGold 69 15]

Good job on your garage. Nice lift! That will come in handy for sure. The car looks nice in the pictures. Does it have hidden rust problems or do you just want to start from scratch and build it your way? Good luck.

[Flying Ace 10]

Now for the ugly stuff...

 

 

Passenger floorboard seems solid:

 

 

But the driver's side needs replacing:

 

 

And checkout the expert work done on the trunk dropoffs...:blink:

 

 

 

The lower rear quarters look like they need some work as well.. I did the magnet test and there's definitely some bondo in there. Also the lower corners of the passenger door have some bubbles. Otherwise, that's all I've found so far that really stood out.

 

I'm pulliing the interior next to see what's waiting for me.

[Flying Ace 10]

Good job on your garage. Nice lift! That will come in handy for sure. The car looks nice in the pictures. Does it have hidden rust problems or do you just want to start from scratch and build it your way? Good luck.

 

Well, I'm starting with the basics and getting the body clean and straight. I figure by then, I'll decide what to do. I definitely want to take her back to the original color. Still undecided as to whether I'm going to do any mods.

[Pakrat 1,043]

Looks like you have a great place to work and a really soild car to work on, most folks would be happy with it the way it is and half of the garage. I only have a single with hydraulic jack and stands.

 

Odds are you will find even cleaner examples of that original paint behind that back seat. Have you set a budget and decided on a game plan yet? Are you doing a complete disassmble and rebuild?

[Pakrat 1,043]

BTW, have you ever checked the cowl area out yet? By the looks of the floor that may become first on the list if it is rotted like most are.

[Flying Ace 10]

Odds are you will find even cleaner examples of that original paint behind that back seat. Have you set a budget and decided on a game plan yet? Are you doing a complete disassmble and rebuild?

 

Thanks. Actually, I just started to check it out I haven't set a budget, but have a few grand set aside from a recent bike sale (my other hobby). I'm thinking a complete disassemble and rebuild and toying with whether or not I should invest in one of those rotisserie stands. I haven't checked the cowl area yet, but it sure looks like the passenger torque box needs replaced too.

 

I can't wait to see what the tear down reveals..:crying:

[burritoboi5 10]

Wow man, I would love to get a lift but can't put it in the parents' garage. Maybe someday. It looks like you've got a really nice setup. The rotisserie would be nice but shit with a lift and as little rust work as your car apparantley needs you may find that money better spent elsewhere. Oh and what are your plans for the motor? Rebuild/revamp more power?

[SlimeGold 69 15]

Looks very solid for a vert. It should make a nice car when you get it done and it will be a color you don't see very often. You think your dropoffs have some ugly repair work? Trust me, it could be alot worse. Example..... The guy I got my car from promised me it had the original quarters. Well it does but someone installed full quarter skins overtop the originals. To add insult to injury they used pop rivets. So both rear quarters have all the rust they did before plus about 100 1/8" holes drilled in them:fuk2: . I plan on doing the body this winter and I dread to see what else I'll find. They used the same expert technique of rust repair on the trunk drop-offs. New pannels pop rivited over the rusted originals. Lucky for me the rest of the underside is very solid. While your at it, go for some mods and have fun!

[Flying Ace 10]

Wow man, I would love to get a lift but can't put it in the parents' garage. Maybe someday. It looks like you've got a really nice setup. The rotisserie would be nice but shit with a lift and as little rust work as your car apparantley needs you may find that money better spent elsewhere. Oh and what are your plans for the motor? Rebuild/revamp more power?

 

 

Not sure what to do exactly, I sure have some time to figure that one out. Definitely a rebuild/restoration...still thinking about the mod thing.

[burritoboi5 10]

If it were me I would atleast cam up the engine and maybe put on new intake/cylinder heads/carb. Make it go fast :tooth:

[Flying Ace 10]

OK, Got started on removing the interior today..

 

 

So far, not looking too bad..

 

 

I almost didn't want to lift up the sound deadener..:sweatdrop:

 

 

When I pulled up the Driver's side, I found the build sheet!!! Can't hardly read it though. It was sitting on the left side of the tunnel. Looks like I pulled up half the floor with the Deadener too!!:scared:

 

 

Yikes!!

 

[Flying Ace 10]

All in all, it was better than I expected. Other than the front, which I knew I was in for some work, everything from the seats back look pretty good..

 

 

 

Here's a close up of the driver's floor, pretty much gone as well as the foot panel.

 

 

Passenger floor. Not so sure it's salvageable yet..:

 

 

From the seat pans on back, the floor looks very solid with only surface rust. Next on the list is to pull the fenders and check out the cowl area.

[Pakrat 1,043]

By the look of the floors the cowl is probably not in great shape but you never know. Scary to think you could have used Fred Flintstone type brakes to stop if you had to all this time you have been driving it eh?:sweatdrop:

[Flying Ace 10]

By the look of the floors the cowl is probably not in great shape but you never know. Scary to think you could have used Fred Flintstone type brakes to stop if you had to all this time you have been driving it eh?:sweatdrop:

 

That's what I'm afraid of, but time will tell. Yeah, there wasn't much between my feet and the road. I was surprised how it pulled apart when I pulled the sound deadener.

[bnickel 10,004]

i'm betting the cowl is in good shape. the cowl panels on our cars are much less to prone to rust than the earlier models, in fact it's actually fairly rare to see a 69/70 that has a rusted out cowl. i know there are a couple on here that have some pretty severely rusted cowls but i believe those are life long east coast cars too.

[Flying Ace 10]

Well, I have all of the front sheetmetal off now.

 

These are shots of the cowl area and through the plug holes in the top of each end. It looks mostly like surface rust. When I pull the vents out, I'll know for sure.

 

Passenger side:

 

 

 

 

Driver's side:

 

 

 

 

[Flying Ace 10]

I think just the floor pans, foot panels and torque boxes need replaced. You can see the hole in the panel above the passenger torque box:

 

 

The driver's side doesn't look as bad on the outside but has a hole through the foot panel and torque box rusted through on the inside.

 

[dlinebar 2]

Hey, you have some work in front of you but it is not so bad...How did you take those pictures of your cowl???? I want to see mine....Anyway My very was way worse and I had to replace all the stuff you are talking about i documented it if you have not seen it

 

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/classicstang

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Dan

[Flying Ace 10]

I poked the camera lense into the plug holes at the top of the cowl to take the pics.

 

I also had a LED light stick shoved into the bottom of the drain hole so I could see what was going on in there.

[Flying Ace 10]

Hey, you have some work in front of you but it is not so bad...How did you take those pictures of your cowl???? I want to see mine....Anyway My very was way worse and I had to replace all the stuff you are talking about i documented it if you have not seen it

 

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/classicstang

 

Keep up the good work!

 

Dan

 

Nice site and documentation. How and where did you support your car when doing the frame rail and floor work? I'm most worried about cutting out the torque boxes and the floor. I have a rotisserie and door and cross braces, but am still unclear as to how much work I need to do before I put it on it.

[Flying Ace 10]

Well, I'm almost there, the engine and tranny and driveshaft are out..

Doors and windshield came out next.

 

 

 

 

Parts are everywhere!!

 

[Pakrat 1,043]

Ha, I'd kill for a work space like that to scatter parts everywhere. I don't think there is a room in my house right now that doesn't have some Mustang parts in it. Plus I have to roll my car out into the driveway and up on jackstands every day I want to work on it.