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  1. #1

    Default My 1986 GT T-top Build

    So, this is my other 4i.

    This was started about three (ish) years ago. Fact is, my blue car was found when I was searching for parts for this one.

    The car was originally Medium Canyon Red. It was stripped to a shell and then worked on.

    I don't have any early pictures of it to show. The earliest one I have was with the body in bondo.Name:  IMG_1574.jpg
Views: 473
Size:  98.6 KB

    Every panel has been worked on it. I found a nos front bumper at the salvage yard i found my blue car at. The car had hail damage and it had been driven into a barrier at a mall that had that heavy duty cable strung between poles. The damage from that went over the hood, fenders and up front across the windshield pillars and the front of the roof.

    My brother was the one that convinced me to take this car on. He had done most of the exterior bodywork. My brother can be the biggest butthead to me, but he's a fantastic bodyman.

    So I hauled it home to my garage. I was of the mind to block the body out and paint it and put it back together and drive. Yep, that's what I was of the mind to do, but since I had it tore down......

    The new color for the car is called Barcelona Red. A toyota paint color (pc: 3R1). It's a beautiful red that i've really liked since toyota had introduced it. It's as close to a three stage as I can get and still be a base coat/clear coat paint job.

    Just so you can see the color and how it looks on fox body parts I'll include an early completion picture of the doorsName:  IMG_1025.jpg
Views: 471
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    Ive done so much to this car, I'll try to be selective on the order of what I've done. It's almost completely painted already, I just have to shoot the top of the hatch and the bodyside mouldings.

    This will be a slow thread once I get you caught up to date. It's going on the back burner so I can finish the blue car. Not off the fire, just towards the back for a year or so. I think you'll understand why once you see what I've done to it. It kind of demands a different drivetrain than what I originally planned. Fact is, the original drivetrain will be going in the blue car. It is a relatively mild .030 over 5.0 with GT40X heads, long tubes, etc....with a T5 transmission. The engine has all new internals except for the crank that was just turned to make everything nice again. It has a mild 9.5-1 compression ratio.

    One more picture of already long painted parts, the fendersName:  IMG_0363.jpg
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    Trying to pick what's next will be interesting. Maybe I'll just start at the front and work my way towards the rear. So my next post will be the front bumper, then maybe to the hood or the engine bay.
    Last edited by Davedacarpainter; 01-27-2018 at 07:51 AM.

  2. #2
    FEP Super Member
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    I like that color a lot .
    clowns to the left of me , Jokers to the right

  3. #3

    Default Front Bumper

    I was getting this bumper from a yard when I found my blue car. It's an old yard that isn't active any longer. The fellow that owned it passed away and left it to his son (a fireman by trade). His son, Danny, is a car guy and keeps the yard out of attachment to his father and liking to work on cars.

    The bumper was stashed way back in his building that is filled with parts. It was covered with a good inch of dust. Here's a picture of it after I had rinsed it off (that's also the hatch and spoiler I used for this car too)Name:  IMG_1592.jpg
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    It had minor scratches and scuffs on it, basically NOS.

    All I had to do was to sand it down with my DA and scuff the edges with a red scotchbrite.

    I sealed it and painted it red. This is a picture of it in red base masked up to paint the light buckets the grey I chose for the trim (also for the GT stripe on the hood).Name:  IMG_0551.jpg
Views: 452
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    Here it is finished in the sun. I was going to reclear the buckets in an eggshell finish, but I'm thinking to leave them glossy, I'm kind of digging the look that way. You'll see later that the GT stripe on the hood is glossy too.Name:  IMG_2956.jpg
Views: 453
Size:  91.2 KBName:  IMG_2958.jpg
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Size:  84.8 KBName:  IMG_2959.jpg
Views: 450
Size:  81.5 KBAfter you see the hood, give me your thoughts of the glossy as opposed to eggshell finish on the buckets.

  4. #4
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    Looks NICE!

    I can't condone painting a Mustang with a Toyota color but I do like it!
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

  5. #5

    Default

    Lol, I know what you mean Trey. After all of these years painting though I've come to realize that paint codes aren't that important (except maybe for that concourse type build) they're all mixed from this same bank of toners at work. Name:  image.jpg
Views: 453
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    Im going to gut the old bumper today so I can rebuild the new bumper (I need the headlight splitters out to paint as well). Here's the old bumper with the new bumperName:  IMG_2960.jpg
Views: 450
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    Why not just paint the old bumper you may ask. Because of thisName:  image.jpg
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  6. #6

    Default

    Man that should be one good looking car.
    83 Mustang GT , A5 5 speed, 31 spline Cobra rear, LMR TRX, 302 11r 190 heads, Buddy Rawls custom cam

    86 Capri , 342 stroker , AFR 185 heads, Track Heat intake, 3.73 gears

  7. #7
    FEP Super Member 84StangSVT's Avatar
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    As if one awesome build isn't enough to follow.......you add another one to the mix!

    I will be following this one also Dave.
    Brock
    1984 Mustang LX Convertible 3.8L V-6/Auto (SOLD)
    1984 Mustang GT Hatchback 5.0 V-8/5 Speed

    I'm an FEP Supporter and proud of it. Are you?

  8. #8

    Default

    Thanks guys, wait till you see the stuff I have yet to post. I think you'll like this car better than my blue one. It's not as rare as the blue car, but it has neat stuff that I won't be doing to the blue car.
    Last edited by Davedacarpainter; 05-02-2017 at 11:27 AM.

  9. #9

    Default

    This is gonna be good! I love the red and grey together.

  10. #10
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Davedacarpainter View Post
    Lol, I know what you mean Trey. After all of these years painting though I've come to realize that paint codes aren't that important (except maybe for that concourse type build) they're all mixed from this same bank of toners at work.
    I completely understand and know what you mean. I was only giving you a hard time I promise. I have often thought of using some other manufacturer colors, but I ultimately keep going back to House of Kolor when I decided to do custom paint work. Besides that way I KNOW NO ONE will have my exact same color EVER!

    So EVEN with a Toyota color the GT will look great!
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

  11. #11

    Default

    I'm jealous of you Trey, I'd love to have House of Kolor in here.

    Sherwin Williams just bought them out a while back. Still probably no chance we'll switch to it though. Too expensive for the dealership owner.

    By the way, one of my buddies is a Speis Hecker rep and he got me the paint for the red car for free! Woohoo! That ain't cheap.

  12. #12
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Davedacarpainter View Post
    I'm jealous of you Trey, I'd love to have House of Kolor in here.

    Sherwin Williams just bought them out a while back. Still probably no chance we'll switch to it though. Too expensive for the dealership owner.

    By the way, one of my buddies is a Speis Hecker rep and he got me the paint for the red car for free! Woohoo! That ain't cheap.
    So did Sherwin Williams buy Valspar or just HOK from Valspar. I hadn't hear that!

    Oh! Just checked SW bought out Valspar for 11.3 Billion!!!!

    Heck for me, since I no longer have my shop the HOK is not really anymore expensive than PPG, Dupont, etc. so it's a no brainer for me!

    HOLY #$%@!!! Your buddy got you a deal! Spies Hecker isn't cheap paint to begin with and in Red to boot! Great Buddy! Wish I had a few like that!
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

  13. #13

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by wraithracing View Post
    HOLY #$%@!!! Your buddy got you a deal! Spies Hecker isn't cheap paint to begin with and in Red to boot! Great Buddy! Wish I had a few like that!
    Believe me, I was thrilled when he offered it to me. He was out making the rounds with the Spies rep trying to get my manager to switch over and figures I might have some way of swaying my managers choices. He heard I was working on this car and started talking to me about it. About then the Spies rep pipes up and says to me,"Would you like to use SH for your car?" Lol, I opted to.

    I just cracked open the second gallon of clear now and I'm almost finished with painting the car, just some odds and ends. They do send a no funds due bill with what they're giving me, I guess to make sure I know how nice they are. I've used about $1300 in paint materials on this one car! I feel like I should be on the "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" .

  14. #14

    Default Hood

    Ok, the hood was the first panel repaired and painted on the vehicle. I don't have any before or during photos because I was too dense to document everything on this car. I do have a couple finished pictures though. I used a template for the leading edge of the stripe with the correct font for the GT.Name:  IMG_0993.jpg
Views: 412
Size:  86.0 KBI cleared it once, then color sanded the stripe flat and re cleared it. Here's a not so great one in the sun.Name:  IMG_0554.jpg
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    I think the weird spots in the top picture are smudges on my phone camera lense, those spots aren't on the hood. So you can see the GT stripe has been cleared over with glossy clear. I will not be flattening it at all. It will stay glossy. That's why i'm all iffy about the headlight buckets, I think that will help with the gloss on the hood. What do you guys think?

  15. #15

    Default The Engine Bay

    So, the engine is out, pulled the wiring harness yanked out the brake lines, etc....etc..... Got the engine bay cleaned up and painted it. It's a little dusty already by the time I took this picture. The thing to note in the picture is that I have a UPR K-member there. First off, i painted the original crossmember, because that's going to be good enough and it looked good in glossy black.......then........So the UPR K-member was close to the same grey as the accent color, but not quite.........So I painted the K-member the accent grey.Name:  IMG_0556.JPG
Views: 410
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    I got the engine bay painted the Barcelona Red, and am I happy? Well, of course I am! Butyouknowallofthoseholes,Ican'tbelievehowmanyhole s....holes.....holes....holes....
    So that lead to this, Dave, say hi to Scott Rod...."Hi Scott..."Name:  IMG_0557.JPG
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Size:  127.7 KB

    So, through no fault of my own, I find myself on the phone actually talking to Scott of Scott Rod Fabrication. Let me tell you first off, Scott is one of the nicest people I've talked to in the car business. Sure, he has to be kind of a salesman to survive, but I believe what he says. He earned my trust. Plus his panels that I bought are almost artwork. I was contemplating wether I wanted to put them above my fireplace or install them on the car, they're beautiful. Scott, if you're a member here, a big thumbs up to you buddy.

    So, since I decided to slip into Dante's engine bay, I started into the downward progressing circles of smoothing it out. I cut out the right side firstName:  IMG_0558.JPG
Views: 401
Size:  139.0 KB and started to fit the panel into the new hole. And heck, since I was there, why not fill in some of those extra holes in the shock tower. I almost got the panels to fill in behind the shock tower and the holes in the firewall, but then I realized I wanted brakes and heat in the interior and it gets up to 115* in the summer here so I want air conditioning too......so, after an icy bucket of water I decided that was enough.......until Mike (Mike1157)started on me.....

    Sure Mike, there are a lot of dimples and holes in the upper firewallName:  IMG_0575.JPG
Views: 408
Size:  126.5 KB. Ok, so maybe it might look good if they were filled......

    So I started grinding....damnit......Name:  IMG_0576.JPG
Views: 408
Size:  123.6 KBWell, I've got it ground down now, I might as well do some welding...right? So, next post for more pictures.
    Last edited by Davedacarpainter; 05-02-2017 at 09:33 PM.

  16. #16

    Default Engine Bay Part Deaux

    What's with all of those dimples? My grinder sureinthehell isn't going to fit in them, so out comes my dremel tool and out comes all that pretty Barcelona red that's deep down in them.

    Then comes all of the spot welds.Name:  IMG_0577.JPG
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    Then grinding, mud, blocking and, HEY, what's with this great big stupid seam along the firewall?! Welllllllllllll, since I'm there and grinding anyhow........I decided to trim the seam back to it's welds. I almost was going to remove that seam all together and weld up the firewall flat. Luckily i've saved that foolishness for the blue car, I just trimmed and smoothed hereName:  IMG_0579.JPG
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    It blocked out so nice.

    So I have the passenger side and firewall smoothed, got to get after the driver's side nowName:  IMG_0561.JPG
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    I had some freaky learning curve of how curved our fox frame rails are and had to go back and trim the SR panel to follow along the rail.Name:  IMG_0571.JPG
Views: 401
Size:  101.5 KB I agree, no one would have noticed the chopping of the two panels together, but I knew and I wouldn't have been able to live with it. So I welded it back after trimmingName:  IMG_0572.JPG
Views: 402
Size:  125.3 KB This update of the engine bay will continue for at least a couple more posts

  17. #17

    Default The Engine Bay Goes On Forever

    Have you ever noticed just how many holes are in our frame rails? I mean! Oh My Lord!

    You know, since I'm here doing all of this other stuff....

    So I ground down the rails and went to a-weldin'

    AND, since I'm in there, I really need to pull out the brake master cylinder and booster to really clean things up right. Now that I have that dang big old booster out of there, you know? It sure doesn't look pretty......

    So I take it to work and sand it down and paint it the trim colorName:  IMG_0570.JPG
Views: 404
Size:  64.4 KBI know what you're thinking, why paint that booster and have that rusty looking new master cylinder there looking ugly. So maybe I painted it too......

    Eventually sanity returned and I found myself lying in my engine bay with piles of Founder's Dirty Bastard beer cans laying around me and the engine bay in primerName:  IMG_0580.JPG
Views: 400
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    Ok then, I blocked out my primer and painted the engine bay AGAIN!Name:  IMG_0584.JPG
Views: 395
Size:  117.5 KBName:  IMG_0586.JPG
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Size:  125.1 KBName:  IMG_0587.JPG
Views: 402
Size:  158.8 KBAnd to think, with all this crap I've done, we've only just begun...... more to come

  18. #18
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    Everything looks AWESOME!

    I need to get out of my chair sitting here at 4 AM in the morning for me and get out in the garage! Oh wait I have to finish up the ROTM and that's why I up at this time!
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

  19. #19

    Default

    Thanks Trey, i did most of the work on the engine bay early in the morning before going to work (except for the cutting!). I'd get up at three and work on it for about two to three hours, cleanup and go to work.

    Who knows, maybe I'll have a running car one day that could be in the ROTM. Meh, probably not....Lol.
    Last edited by Davedacarpainter; 05-03-2017 at 05:31 AM.

  20. #20
    Moderator wraithracing's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Davedacarpainter View Post
    Who knows, maybe I'll have a running car one day that could be in the ROTM. Meh, probably not....Lol.
    I am sure you will and I am sure one of your Foxes could be ROTM! NOW GET BUSY! Oh wait that's me!
    ​Trey

    "I Don't build it hoping for your approval! I built it because it meets mine!"

    "I've spent most of my money on Mustangs, racing, and women... the rest I just wasted."

    Mustangs Past: Too many to remember!
    Current Mustangs:
    1969 Mach 1
    1979 Pace Car now 5.0/5 speed
    1982 GT Stalled RestoModification
    1984 SVO Still Waiting Restoration
    1986 GT Under going Wide Body Conversion Currently

    Current Capris:
    1981 Capri Roller
    1981 Capri Black Magic Roller Basket Case
    1982 Capri RS 5.0/4spd T-top Full Restoration Stalled in TX
    1984 Capri RS T-top Roller
    1983-84 Gloy Racing Trans Am/IMSA Body Parts

  21. #21
    FEP Member BDASPNY's Avatar
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    Default

    WOW!

    What an incredible build. cant wait to see it all come together.

  22. #22

    Default

    You and me both brother. You'll see over the next week or so that I've done a lot to it. Except for one little issue, I'm changing drivetrains. I haven't started on the engine yet because I want to get my blue car running first. So, in the end it might be a couple years before this one is on the road.

    The only quasi-bright side to that is that I'll keep doing little stuff to it to make it better. The new drivetrain I figure will cost me roughly $10k even with me building the engine. I need a money tree....

  23. #23

    Default

    WOW! This is a awesome build! Looks great, I can't wait to see the finished product.
    Mike
    85 GT - owned since 87

  24. #24

    Default

    Just plain amazing! I'm about to paint the underside and the engine bay of my car and the work you are doing is making me feel guilty about my work (or lack thereof!). There are sooooo many holes in the engine bay. I contemplated getting the Scott pieces as well. Thanks for the pics. They are inspiring.

  25. #25
    FEP Super Member JTurbo's Avatar
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    Default

    Nice work on this one as well, thanks for posting pics!

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