68 Coupe- Going Topless

[horse sence]

EDIT... this is what i started with.

It's time to build a convertible . This is my freebee 68 coupe .i have already started cutting it apart .
it needs a toe board patch on the driver side and the top of the torque box needs a patch but other than that the frame work is very good. I have the convertible back seat area from another rotted out convert ,It still has to be trimmed out . I have new floors ,seat box and under boxes ,inner rockers and rear wheel tubs, brand new quarters and a few other pieces all for a convert, ordered . This one one will be finished as a 67 Shelby convert ,always wanted to build one . I have a few of the fiberglass pieces already but i still have to order the hood and nose section. I have already trimmed the window frame and test fit the window stainless and it fits perfectly.

 

[horse sence]

I got it leveled up . I used several jack stands to keep every thing level. The torque boxes have to be cut loose for the inner rockers to pass through, and i don't want anything to move. i will do one side at a time to help keep things straight. I have 4 levels on the car right now ,one at the door jamb front to back ,one through both doors ,one at the front brace below the radiator support and one at the end of the frame rails in the trunk.
The windshield frame is trimmed and finished. I took the cap out of the old convertible window frame and inserted it in the coupe frame and welded it in place after i trimmed the coupe frame. I have the side scoops ,tail panel, i am going to use Cougar tail lights just like Shelby did, and an original set of end caps. I will order the rest of the fiberglass after the body is complete. The tail panel is in very good shape and will be trimmed out for the cougar tail lights so i will leave it in place .
Just got a conformation on my new parts order ,they are on the way.

 

[68GT500KR_Vert]

Nice, that's more sheet metal than was left on my car.

 

[horse sence]

If the driver side front floor board had not been rotted i would not have had to do a floor,it would have simply been trimmed . Since it was i decided to do a new floor all the way. The rest of the floor was perfect .

 

[68GT500KR_Vert]

What engine / trans / suspension?

 

[horse sence]

Not really sure about the motor but i have a couple of GT. 390s laying around .
I have a C6 for a 390 so i will probably use them. I can build a 9 inch rear end . Front suspension will probably be Areoform . The color, i will probably wait until it is ready to paint before i decide ,usually when i pick a color and go to get it i see a color chart and change my mind ,they should keep those charts hidden.I was thinking traditional Wimbledon white and Guards man blue but you never can tell.

 

[68GT500KR_Vert]

Sounds like an affordable plan - but that never happens

 

[horse sence]

I went digging for gold and found some .I wanted to see just what parts i already have .I came up with 1 or two or three sets of Cougar tail lights, the Shelby tail light cans ,the nose section support ,the dash bezels except the instrument piece,the Shelby 500 emblems ,and that works perfectly with a 390. I am sure i have more pieces that can save me a little cash i just need to find them. The emblems i bought a few years back when Shelby was first tightening his grip on Shelby parts . The brushed aluminum for the dash bezels i can make so there is another small saving .

 

[68GT500KR_Vert]

let me see if I have any extra parts I can send you, I owe you for the top piece.

 

[horse sence]

I am still waiting on sheet metal , so i figured i would chop up the tail light panel. I started with a brand new pop open gas cap, this one is a 68 for my 68 Shelby replica convert. .I screwed it in place and wrapped some masking tape around it so i wouldn't scratch it. I centered the fiberglass panel over the gas cap and screwed it down, then i took it apart again so i could cut out the light can holes . the next step was to position the cans in the panel and screw them in place ,they will be pop riveted in when i am done but now i can take them out to cut the holes . I used my air saw to cut out the panel ,best saw i have ever bought cut right through it . After i cut the holes i screwed the cans back in place and checked the fit with one of the Cougar tail lights and it fit perfectly. Ah you noticed one can is different from the other one . It seems i had two pass. side cans and had to make the other side .It still isn't finished ,my hole saw was to dull and wouldn't cut ,i will have to buy a new one . I still need the light lenses and the trim rings but i wont actually need them until much later . I could have gone with a fiberglass panel with the lights made in but i kind of like the Shelby set up ,and i prefer the early flat fiber glass panel over the raised one .

 

[horse sence]

Wow $12 dollars for a hole saw! I got the holes cut in the light can that i made
and bolted in the light . I put the gas cap and trunk lock in place and used a few screws to hold the fiberglass panel in place ,I like it already.

 

[candphall]

That is going to be one great looking car.

 

[horse sence]

All of my sheet metal made it in ,everything ,no back orders . The bad news is they waited until 5 oclock to let me know they were in. Now i have to wait until Monday to pick them up.

 

[horse sence]

I did a little trimming today. I Removed the wheel tub and trimmed out the rear door jamb. I clamped a few supports in to keep every thing in line for when when i cut loose the rear torque box from the rocker. I took a lot of measurements and wrote them down for quick reference ,if you don't have another car to measure from you better do this or you will not know where every thing has to be. I will cut the front and rear torque box when i get the inner rockers Monday, probably with a saws all so i can get a clean tight fit. I will have to sand blast and epoxy prime the hidden areas before i weld in the inner rocker. The wheel tub and trunk drop off patch will be done after the inner rocker so i can slide the inner rocker in easily. I am going to do one side at a time starting with the pass. side.

 

[horse sence]

I picked up my parts today and they are nice .The convert wheel tubs already have the indent in the top for the top bows . the seat Platform is heavy. The floor kit came with the under boxes .The quarters are real nice and my side scoops are almost a perfect fit.

 

[horse sence]

I primed the the rockers ,then i drilled all the holes for plug welding . I cut the rear and front torque boxes loose ,it didn't even move . The inner rocker slid right in .I couldn't believe it, my welder worked perfect,no pop and spatter like usual .
The driver rocker is done . Tomorrow i will do the trunk drop off and the wheel tub then on to the driver side .

 

[horse sence]

the trunk drop off is in ,it welded really good ,but welded .You can see the penetration from the weld on the back side .
I primed it because i will not be able to do it later . The wheel tub only took a few minutes with the spot welder. I set the quarter in place just to make sure every thing would line up .Going to have to do some work on the door jamb area ,the end of the quarter is a bit wobbly but easily fixable .

 

[horse sence]

The driver side inner rocker is in .This one went in faster and easier than the pass side did. It is very solid now.
My welder has finally started working ,i went to a shorter tip . it fit inside the cone a little farther and it hasn't burned back ,not even once. And the welds are much better .
I still have to patch the toe board and the top of the torque box and put in the wheel tub and trunk drop off patch , and then i am ready for the floor.

 

[68GT500KR_Vert]

Wow, you work fast! Looks great!

 

[horse sence]

I sand blasted the inside frame rails and all the edges and primed them. Then i did the toe board . I test fit the floor and marked every spot where it would be welded ,removed it and drilled all the holes for plug welding. I put the floor back in place ...all by my self . Then i drilled the holes in the seat platform for plug welding and sat it in place .I drilled through the floor using the holes i drilled earlier in the seat platform ,and using a floor jack i then placed the under floor boxes where they would go, that way i could weld the seat platform ,the floor, and the under boxes at the same time. I also bolted in the brace between the two boxes ,before i welded ,to make sure every thing lined up. Using a few sheet metal screws i screwed the pieces together sandwitching all three tightly together and welded it up . i still have a little welding underside but i will wait until it is on the rotisserie . I put in the driver wheel tub and trunk drop off yesterday so no i am ready for the rear seat devider ,after i trim it out .