I need help!! Is my 68 worth saving?

68Rustangs · Oct 5, 2007

I purchaced a 68 coupe a few months ago knowing it was a rust bucket. I have always wanted to restore a Mustang and the guy i bought it from was about to junk it if nobody bought it so i gave him 500 for it. The front end is basically gone. I need to replace the firewall,floorboards,front frame rails and inner apron assemblies, cowl,tourque boxes and so on. Im pretty sure i can save her with all the replacement parts available but i dont know where to start. And if i have to replace the firewall i have to cut off the front frame rails anyway. Once i do that how do i square up the new frame/apron assemblies to the firewall since there is no "place frame rail here" markings on the firewall. (that was a joke by the way) I need help! I can send pictures too if anybody can help or tell me to just put her to bed, but i think every mustang is worth saving.

65fastbackresto · Oct 5, 2007

That sounds like ALOT of work for a coupe.

Unless its rare in some sort of way I wouldn`t do it. If you ever got into a bind and had to sell it, you probably never see more then half of your investment back.

Just my opinion.

68Rustangs · Oct 5, 2007

I thought about that too but i would love to open my own shop one day and i am a welder so i thought this would be a good challenge for me. All the parts would cost me about 3,ooo or so. It's just a plain old coupe so like you said its nothing rare. Im just torn on what to do. I appreciate your opinion and see your veiwpoint.

rusty428cj · Oct 5, 2007

Send me some pictures I'll see if i can help you. classicmustangs@verizon.net

65fastbackresto · Oct 5, 2007

Now your talking about something else entirely.

If its for creative reasons, or the thirst for knowledge on how to do things, jump in and do it. You didnt give too much for the car, and working on them is fun and rewarding (at least most of the time, LOL).

Is most of the rest of the car there, interior and drivetrain?

68Rustangs · Oct 5, 2007

Most of the parts are there but obviously need new upholstry. The main pillars look good and the rockers are solid so i would have something good to work off of. It was originally a 6cyl car and that went so the guy bought a used 289 and tranny for it but nothing is actually installed. The drivers quarter pannel could be repaired with some patch pannels but i would have to replace the passenger side.(too much bondo in that one) the rear frame rails and trunk pans look good just surface rust but would have to replace the drop pannels in the trunk to the quarters. It does sound like a huge project for a plain coupe but doing the work myself will save me big $$$ just time consuming.

65fastbackresto · Oct 5, 2007

Yea these cars eat lots of money

Ya know the first thing my wife said to me about my car, was that I was always in a good mood after I worked on it on Saturday mornings.

In reference to your question about measurements on your frame rails, wouldn`t it be safer to do one side at a time, so you`d always have a reference point to go back to?

68Rustangs · Oct 5, 2007

That would be the easy way but the problem is where the frame rails connect to the floorboards is rusted through. I dont even know whats keeping it from saggin right now so i have to replace the firewall to have something good to weld the new frame rails to. so to replace the firewall i have to cut them both off. See my dilema on squaring up the frame afterwards? This is why i want to do it. Even if it takes me 5 years to do its a heck of a challenge.

68Rustangs · Oct 5, 2007

Im trying to send you some pictures Rusty it is just taking some time to upload.

A67StangMaster · Oct 5, 2007

there are tons of donor cars out there missing peaces of parts just go cut up what you need then repair your own.

dglanz · Oct 5, 2007

68 worth saving?

I would say that it probably isn't worth saving. In a market where a nice coupe brings ~$10K, a T code Mustang probably isn't worth putting the money into., even if you put the V8 in it. Then, you have to upgrade to 5 lug, change rear end etc....

For reference, I bought a C code 68 coupe that is rust free except for trunk dropoffs and short front floorpans. It is a west coast car that I found about 120 miles from my home in Ohio. It still had Oregon plates on it and an Oregon title. The body still has the original paint on the underside. I paid $2,000 delivered to my house. I have the inner structure and roof assembly from a fastback that will be transplanted onto it to make a rust free fastback.

If it was a fastback, I'd tell you that they are all worth saving, given the current prices. It takes the same amount of work to save a coupe, so my advice is to choose your project wisely.

The last fastback that I restored was at least as bad as yours. If it had been a coupe, I wouldn't have gone through the work.

68Rustangs · Oct 5, 2007

Thats exactly what i want to do. Build it from the ground up. I could go buy one that just needed a paint job and some minor repair but wheres the challenge in that? Im also on a budget though being in the military we dont get paid that great and it is gonna take me some time to get together all the parts i need. And a welder. But i still want to do it.

JDS68Stang · Oct 5, 2007

68Rustangs said:
I thought about that too but i would love to open my own shop one day and i am a welder so i thought this would be a good challenge for me. All the parts would cost me about 3,ooo or so. It's just a plain old coupe so like you said its nothing rare. Im just torn on what to do. I appreciate your opinion and see your veiwpoint.

Being a welder is a big plus to start with, (I'm one also) rebuilding that car would be a good test of your abilities and would probably hone your talents even further welding up the tough spots vertically and horizontal and my favorite overhead. A MIG would also be a plus, I only have AC/DC arc right now to work with.

My suggestion would be to attempt fabricating the parts yourself and forget about a full restoration, dumping 3K into it would be a big mistake considering it's only a coupe. (talking from experience/ mistake rebuilding a rusty 78 Trans Am SE)
Take a look at my avitar, a Nevada car most of it's life, zero frame rot, new interior (headliner still unfinished) and runs very strong for an I6, $3,600.

Not only would the replacement parts cost a fortune it would wind up more than just the sheet metal needing replacement, ie; brake lines, electrical, you name it.

First turn that uni body into a solid front to back frame, I used 1" x 3 1/2" heavy gage tube steel, then welded plates from that to the body and rest of the frame. Plates that mated from interior floor to underside I drilled and bolted together. You need to cut and bevel the frame rail ends to at least a 45 degree angle at the ends. The main thing you want is to make the car safe and solid.

This would be a perfect car to do the oil base paint job on for $50. like the thread posted a few days ago talked about and would also give you some experience with paint and prep.

I would go for it if you want but make your own parts and replace parts with used parts from a junk yard if you can to keep the costs down. Bondo also is cheap, white paint and custom stripes can hide a lot and if you messed up it really won't matter all that much.

If you weren't aware a circular saw with the gaurd removed works great at cutting heavy steal with a cut off blade from any lumber store. (wear a respirator and keep the metal filings off the car) A jig saw can cut the sheet metal and a reciprocating saw cuts steal good also.

Go for it I'd say, just keep the costs down.

NasaGT · Oct 5, 2007

I say save the car. It sounds like this is exactly what you would like to do, and that makes it a great project car. You don't really have anything invested in it right now. Yeah the parts will cost a bit, but if you don't want a full restoration then maybe you can fabricate some of the parts yourself to save some $$. It will be a fun project as long as you have the garage space to donate to the project for quite a while.

Good luck with it - keep us posted!

danny clemens · Oct 5, 2007

If it were me I wouldn't do it but it sounds like you really want to. You just have to realize that if you count your time you'll be in the hole big time. Have fun with it and I wish you good luck.

rusty428cj · Oct 5, 2007

Is it the firewall that is bad or the toe boards? Both of these cars had the toe boards and torque boxes rusted and one we replaced the right frame rail. The frame rail attaches to the torque box and than the toe board goes over it. You should be able to replace one at a time.

68Rustangs · Oct 5, 2007

It is the firewall as well that is rusted up by the cowel pannel and outside the rear fender apron. Could i replace the firewall first without removing the fraim rails and fender aprons since they attach to the tourque boxes and then remoce the boxes weld in the new ones and then the frame rails one side at a time? or do you have to dismantle the entire front end to replace the firewall? I emailed you some pictures as well so you can see what i mean.

rbohm · Oct 5, 2007

perhaps this is a car to use to build a custom that will turn heads. i envision a proper mustang ll front suspension install, a 4 cam 4.6/richmond 6 speed/9" rear with say 3.73 gears. run some kind of 4 link rear suspension, air bags on all four corners, big brakes, 17's wrapped with 245/45 tires. top it off with some custom body work, and an interesting paint job, and you got a real winner there. since you are a welder, the sheetmetal repair, and body work is easier, and you can take the time to find the other parts at a decent price.

rusty428cj · Oct 5, 2007

I'm building a 68 Coupe that has Rod & Customs Mustang II front suspension and their coil over rear as well. It will have a DOHC 4.6 from a Lincoln Mark VIII. We have replaced the floor pans, torque boxes and trunk floor and I flared the fenders.

DukeGnarley · Oct 5, 2007

rbohm said:
perhaps this is a car to use to build a custom that will turn heads. i envision a proper mustang ll front suspension install, a 4 cam 4.6/richmond 6 speed/9" rear with say 3.73 gears. run some kind of 4 link rear suspension, air bags on all four corners, big brakes, 17's wrapped with 245/45 tires. top it off with some custom body work, and an interesting paint job, and you got a real winner there. since you are a welder, the sheetmetal repair, and body work is easier, and you can take the time to find the other parts at a decent price.

i think he said he was on a budget.

I need help!! Is my 68 worth saving?

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