Turn a 65 Coupe into a Fastback?

rathole · Oct 15, 2004

I am working on a 65 coupe, because I could not afford the prices for a fastback. I have quite a bit of sheetmetal work to do to get it the way I want it. Then I started thinking about grafting a fastback onto the coupe. The prices of non-restorable fastback roofs are reasonable. Has anyone here ever tried this? I understand that it has been done. What do you think?

bmcelhinn · Oct 15, 2004

You are wasting your time is what I think.

notny41 · Oct 15, 2004

bmcelhinn said:
You are wasting your time is what I think.

^
|

Sounds like an ungodly amount of work. How would you do the back seat - leave it as coupe or make a folddown? I think it would be worth less than just a straight coupe would be unless you got every little thing correct and then you'll have more into it than if you would have just bought the more expensive fastback???? Maybe I'm wrong

66P51GT · Oct 15, 2004

Easier to make it a convertible with a Ronster kit from (dare I say) Mustang Plus. Or you can start with a fabbed chassis and install a full glass fastback shell.

limey66 · Oct 15, 2004

Ha ha ha - I had to check it wasn't April 1st (do you guys have April fools day over there?). Anyway, forget it, it'll be so much work.

Have you looked at fastback prices here in the UK and re-patriating it to the US? I know we have lost a lot of fine cars that way; GTOs, 'Cudas, Superbees etc etc. The prices in the US are higher than over here at the moment, even with the exchange rate as it is at the moment. Germany and Scandinavia also have a big US car following - you could try there too.

Just a thought.

DukeGnarley · Oct 15, 2004

it's possible, but totally not worth it. and to clarify, i don't thinkt he ronster kit mentioned above is a convertible, because it flat out has no roof.

66P51GT · Oct 15, 2004

DukeGnarley said:
it's possible, but totally not worth it. and to clarify, i don't thinkt he ronster kit mentioned above is a convertible, because it flat out has no roof.

Good point - stay outta the rain with the Ronster.

rathole · Oct 15, 2004

This is just a thought.....

I am not afraid of a little work, the rear qtrs. are already off, as is the trunk lid, fuel tank, interior, rear window, outer wheel houses, and tail assembly. Just trying to find out what yall' think.

D Durden · Oct 15, 2004

I don't think it's a matter of "fear" or anything . . . or ability . . . or work. The thing is that you're going to spend hundreds of hours trying to make something REALLY nice into something REALLY nice. Doesn't make sense.

From economics, let me suggest this, okay? Do your work to fix what you have up. Make it NICE. Keep it "as is". Then sell it. Take the money for your NICE notch and buy a "decent" fastback.

What you're risking now is ruining a good car in hopes of making it something it never was meant to be. Instead, make it REALLY nice, sell it, and get what you want.

WORTH · Oct 15, 2004

rathole said:
This is just a thought.....

I am not afraid of a little work, the rear qtrs. are already off, as is the trunk lid, fuel tank, interior, rear window, outer wheel houses, and tail assembly. Just trying to find out what yall' think.

OK rathole, since you started this thread we know your just a bit crazy, sooooooooooo, when I was restoring my 69 coupe, a friend of mine wanted a louver assy on his camaro, cant remember the year, I'm guessing mid 80's, so I picked one up at the boneyard and had it sitting in my shop, well we were sipping some beers and one of my guys picked it up and layed it on the coupe, upside down and it lined up perfectly and looked like a Semi/fastback. Except for the fact the louvers were facing the wrong way it didn't look bad. You may want to design a louver assy and hinge it on the top and see what you think. Be a hell of alot easier than building a fastback, and you might like it

66 BLAKE 96 · Oct 15, 2004

D Durden said:
I don't think it's a matter of "fear" or anything . . .

Couldn't have said that better myself.

gp001 · Oct 15, 2004

galaxie · Oct 15, 2004

I saw a 67 or 68 at a show this summer that was converted from a coupe to a fast back as told by the owner . I did not look at it real closely but it did look good but problay not exact proportions. So it has been done. This was in the Chicago area.

latamud · Oct 15, 2004

Someone did this recently either on stangnet or vintage-mustang.com can't remember. Anyway, it came out nice, and didn't look that difficult.

MrBobMarley · Oct 15, 2004

Ebay ad

View attachment 521666

Check it out man, looks like a pain to do, but If I hated my coupe enough I'd go for it. The guy here says he cut it out painstakingly to make the conversion easier and it kinda makes sense how he did it. But I'm no expert here, any ideas?

kirbyalaska · Oct 15, 2004

As a disclaimer, I don't know you or know what you know about metal work. Since you asked the question, I would say that you probably don't have the skill at this point to pull something like that off. I don't know you though and you might, but I would think if you already had the skill you wouldn't be asking the question, but rather posting update pictures of what you have accomplished. Anyway, if you do attempt it, take your time with it and be sure to get lots of pointers and help from some fabricators and hot rodders in your area. If you don't try it, get your coupe nice and maybe in the future you will have the fundage for the fastback and you can sell me the coupe...

GaPonyFarm · Oct 16, 2004

Way too much work and money. Even if you get the sheet metal work done, you'll need all the fastback interior stuff... which will cost a fortune. The deal breaker for me is that it will never be worth what a real fastback will be, and probably not even as much as a well done coupe.

Maybe if I was building a strip car, it would be ok...

rbohm · Oct 16, 2004

gp001 said:

you can certainly make the swap if you so choose, but considering that fastbacks are available, and not too expensive, unless they are shelby's, best to do what the others have said, mak ethe coupe real nice, and sell it and buy a fastback to build as you like.

gingerbreadman · Oct 16, 2004

This has been asked before on this forum, And that pic has been posted aswell, Im not sure if it was before the mass cull of all te threads when they changed over to the new format a few months ago but do a search, there was a guy who asked the same thing and another guy who claimed he was in the process of actually doing it...

my oppinion follows the same as the others,

as superdave woulda said "The timeless wisdoms # 2,3,4,6 would all apply here"

-gbm-

MustangPaul · Oct 16, 2004

When we lost our first mustang--Caspian Blue 65 coupe--to a rear-ending by a Dodge Ram Van, we got the car in the insurance settlement. Stripped it and kept what we needed. Sold the shell to a guy who cut it in half and turned it into a fastback. (This was in 1985.) It looked like ****. I remember thinking that I, certainly, didn't want to be in a wreck in THAT car--it'd probably come apart.

Others are right. Getting the Mustang you want usually involves several mustangs. Fix 'em, sell 'em, make a little money. Buy a new one, fix it, sell it, make a little more money. Repeat until you have what you want.

Plus, you'll develop the reputation as the "mustang guy" in your region and people will seek you with cars they know of. (Found a 67 coupe under a weeping willow that way.)

Take your time and enjoy. They all have their pros and cons.

Turn a 65 Coupe into a Fastback?

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