1968 Shelby GT500 Restoration

1967eleanor

factory spoiler delete yo
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Jul 7, 2005
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Latham,NY
This was a customer restoration that I did at work last year. The car has a neat history, it was sold new at Jack Bryne Ford in mechanicsville NY in 1968 and was local its whole life. The customer had bought it at an estate sale in pretty bad shape. It was not running, the under dash harness had caught fire at some point or another. In addition the car was taken apart and in many boxes. However it was a real GT500 and did have the original 428 big block/ 4 speed.

Day 1 November 2011

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motor prior to pulling

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after completely dissembling the car, I found that the car was in need of extensive rust repair. So after putting it up on a rotisserie, the entire bottom was sandblasted. Then I replaced the following parts with new metal.

-Front floors
-complete inner rockers
-front torque boxes
-patched the front frame rail
-patched the lower shock tower
-replaced the battery apron
-patched the upper inner fenders
-replaced the drivers side B pillar
-re skinned the doors
-took off the original quarters and saved them, re welded them after wheel tubs were replaced.
-inner and outer wheel tubs
-trunk drop offs
-center trunk floor

torn down
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after all of the sheet metal work
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once that was done the car was sealed in red epoxy primer like ford did (red oxide)

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Once that was done all of the suspension components were sand blasted and redone in the correct finish.

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Once that was done the car was taken off the rotisserie so the car could be put on the ground so the body panels could be fitted.

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yours truly

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The bodywork was done and the car was then painted in the original candyapple red.

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The engine bay was painted the correct black and continued the re assembly.

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While all of this had been going on the motor was sent out and completely rebuilt to factory specs.

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after some assembly and markings

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I had also taken the time between bodywork and rebuilt the transmission

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the motor back in

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some assembly

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completed underside with correct over spray and markings

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back on the ground for final assembly

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The interior was redone as well.
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The car was then sent out to get a new white top put on.

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once it was back I did the final polishing on the paint, I must say I was very proud of it, my best paintjob to date!

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December 2012 completion and delivery

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with the owner.

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05satinGT

Tire Smoking Specialist
Established Member
Joined
May 11, 2010
Messages
9,177
Location
CT
Absolutely amazing work and what a beautiful car! Original or not though, those wheels are the only thing keeping this car from perfect. I admire your skills :beer:
 

1967eleanor

factory spoiler delete yo
Established Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2005
Messages
4,133
Location
Latham,NY
Absolutely amazing work and what a beautiful car! Original or not though, those wheels are the only thing keeping this car from perfect. I admire your skills :beer:
The hubcaps are hideous no doubt. However they are worth a lot of money.
great work man. Do you work at a body shop I assume?
Yes I work at a shop called Vintage Motorsports
great job! whats the ballpark on a restoration like this?
This ran about 75,000. However this was on the lowend. I had about 600-700 hours in it, plus materials. 1 gallon of the paint for this car was almost $800
 

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