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1968 Mustang Fastback Build Part 2 - Mo' Mustang MetalWe Dig Deeper Into Our Rusty '68 Coupe To Fastback Conversion From the July, 2009 issue of Modified Mustangs & Fords By Mark Houlahan Photography by Mark Houlahan
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Our coupe, er, we mean fastback,... Our coupe, er, we mean fastback, with all sheetmetal in place and tack welded for mediablasting. Once it's mediablasted and finish-welded, Drake Customs will wrap up our project by installing its own inner structure kit, fastback trim and seat mounting kit, and our Heidt's Superide II front suspension crossmember. You can see all of that next month. Last month we got under way with our '68 Mustang project by shipping it to Arizona for the boys at Drake Customs to tear into. Not only were they going to find and fix every inch of rust on our northern beauty, but they were going to perform their specialty--converting our tired coupe to a fresh and ready-to-roll fastback body--for our project. The issue was, before they can work their presto-change-o on our body they had to have a solid foundation to work with. This meant many hours of metal repairs and panel replacement just to get to the point Drake could start the fastback conversion itself. We tackled the rusty stuff last month, so now we're ready to move forward with our fastback conversion this month. Last month we tackled the... Last month we tackled the Mustang's main structure; the floorpan, trunk floor, and rear framerails. This month we're going to install the front framerails and floor supports and start on the actual fastback conversion. The floor supports are welded in first. These are from Dynacorn as well and fit their floor perfectly. Careful measurements were taken before all of our rusty metal was cut away so Ramon knows exactly where they need to be before striking an arc with the MIG welder. By now you're probably asking is it worth the cost to do a fastback conversion? "Why didn't you just start with a fastback?" we've had a few people ask us. There are several reasons we're taking this route. First and foremost, it's tackling something new. We're in an era where all of the sheetmetal to make this conversion is available in reproduction. No more cutting up a damaged fastback to use for a conversion. Secondly, coupes were built by the tens of thousands and are the most plentiful body style out there, meaning they're cheap and easy to come by. Sure, fastbacks are out there, but are often out of the financial reach of the typical buyer, and how often do you find a fastback shell only for sale? It's usually a complete project or a rusty original needing a lot of work. So you're going to pay a premium on the fastback and then put thousands into it to fix it up, while the coupe will set you back easily half the cost of the fastback (and often less), leaving you plenty of green left over to pay for the conversion. Now you also have the option of a Dynacorn complete reproduction body shell (and one of the reasons we should be thankful for all of the available sheetmetal now on the market). The Dynacorn body is a work of art and is the right choice for some people. Unfortunately, several states make replicas, kit cars, and Dynacorn-body-built projects very difficult to title and register. Building from a coupe, like we are, means we have a Ford VIN (albeit for a coupe), and a clear title, before we pick up the first hand tool. Ultimately, the decision is between you and your accountant (make that wife), but for our project the Drake Customs conversion was the perfect answer. We got into a Mustang coupe for cheap (mainly due to the rust and accident damage), the conversion cost less than buying a solid fastback to begin with, and the coupe VIN doesn't bother us when we're building a modified car anyway with cut shock towers, Heidt's Superide II frontend, 4.6L modular power, and other goodies. So hold on to your hats as we go from coupe to fastback in the next eight pages with the crew from Drake Customs--Ray Carmody, Ramon Aguayo, Jesse Villaroel, and Len Harris.  Using shop jackstands, shim...  Using shop jackstands, shim stock, and the replacement Dynacorn core support panel, Jesse and Ramon test fit the two new front framerails, ensuring they are level with the chassis and are properly spaced.  With the core support clamped...  With the core support clamped into place and a section of square steel tubing tacked into place between the framerails to maintain alignment, Ramon begins filling the plug-weld holes on the sides of the rails. Later, the rails will be fully stitch welded to the floor supports and to the yet-to-be-installed torque boxes.  More square tubing stock is...  More square tubing stock is used to temporarily support the framerails so that the jackstands can be removed and the body shell moved. These will stay in place until the inner fender aprons are welded in, connecting the firewall and cowl to the framerails and core support.  When Drake ships a converted...  When Drake ships a converted body shell, it comes with new door shells and new door hinges. Our door shells we're in decent shape--surprising when you look at the rest of the car--but they did need skins. Before installing the door hinges, the door hinge plates were mediablasted and their mounting holes chased with a thread tap.  Ramon and Jesse carefully...  Ramon and Jesse carefully place the Dynacorn fastback roof skin into place and check for proper fitment. Every car is different and some minor trimming may be required.  Ray, Jesse, and Ramon fit...  Ray, Jesse, and Ramon fit the fastback-specific quarter-panels, and taillight panel to the rear of the body. Careful attention to detail is extremely important at this point. Just a sixteenth of an inch off in one spot could play hell with fitment elsewhere, like the trunk lid or the door seams.  As we showed last month, Ray...  As we showed last month, Ray uses self tapping screws to hold things together during the fitment and alignment phase. Note also the panels have already been drilled for plug-welding.  Many of these panels used...  Many of these panels used in our project are from Dynacorn's Restorer's Choice line of replacement panels--made from modern automotive steel and state-of-the art tooling.  Due to our time constraints...  Due to our time constraints Drake Customs offered to have a good set of used doors with fresh doorskins preinstalled before we flew out to its shop for our week-long photo-fest. While the doors still need finish work on their skins, Jesse and Ramon install the door shells now so they have them in place for the quarter-panel fitment.  Bright and early the next...  Bright and early the next morning we gathered once again at Drake Customs' shop to continue our work. The rear transition is installed first thing (while Ray supervises). This part not only supports the rear structure of the car, but the rear rim panels and trap door attach to it, so alignment must be spot on or you'll have trouble with everything from glass fitment to interior panel gaps.  Once all the exterior panels...  Once all the exterior panels have been fit, aligned, and prepared for welding, the guys from Drake go over the body shell...  ...plug-welding all of the...  ...plug-welding all of the new fastback panels...  ...and removing their self...  ...and removing their self tapping alignment screws as they go.  The fastback quarter-panel-to-roof-skin-seam...  The fastback quarter-panel-to-roof-skin-seam was plug-welded first and then followed up with stitch welds for increased strength and to reduce panel flex when power is applied to the rear tires.  While we'll get into the complete...  While we'll get into the complete inner structure installation next month, we did install the fastback roof structure's rear reinforcement at this time. This panel is not only what the fastback's headliner attaches to, but also the rear headliner header panel and is a major roof support member.  When the buzz and crackle...  When the buzz and crackle of the MIG welders had subsided, our coupe's transformation to a fastback was almost complete--with the outside of the body now looking like a fastback. Before the body shell can be sent off for its final round of mediablasting, all of the welds were ground down, as you can see here in this shot of the taillight panel.  The last new item to be installed...  The last new item to be installed on our body shell before heading out for blasting were the reproduction drip rails from Dynacorn. Ramon carefully measures their location, clamps them to the roof structure, and welds them into place. We thought of going with the shaved drip rail look, and we can still trim these back later before paint if we decide to go that route.  Using their two-post lift,...  Using their two-post lift, Ramon, Jesse, and Ray fit their custom rotisserie...  ...to the body shell for transport...  ...to the body shell for transport to the mediablaster's in the morning.  Dropping off the body shell...  Dropping off the body shell the next morning at AR Custom Fab just down the street meant we had the fully stripped body back in just a few hours. The mediablasting gives the bare metal a perfectly clean finish that is a dull gray (there's no primer applied to the body shell in this photo).  While still on the rotisserie...  While still on the rotisserie Len and Ramon went to task, fixing any small pinholes that are now visible, as well as stitch welding all critical areas for strength--torque boxes, framerails, outer rockers, and so forth.  Here's why mediablasting is...  Here's why mediablasting is so important on very rusty cars. Years of paint, undercoat, and other crud can hide small rust spots, pinholes, and metal cracks/fatigue. These small rust holes found on the firewall could easily have festered under moisture-laden layers of dirt and continued to weaken the metal and cause great problems years down the road. Now, it's simply a matter of a few minutes with the MIG welder closing these holes up or possibly making a small patch to replace the rusty area.  While Len and Ramon spent...  While Len and Ramon spent the better part of two hours stitch welding everything, Jesse worked our Dynacorn doorskins into place on the used door shells Drake had prepared for our project. Just folding over the skin's lip doesn't create a crisp line, so a little hammer and dolly work is required to shape the doors properly.  As many parts as are available...  As many parts as are available to repair our Mustangs, there are still a few items that you have to reuse or create from scratch. The window glass channel, which runs parallel to the driprail, is created by hand at Drake Customs. Ramon uses a metal shrinker to create the proper shape of the channel.  Once Ramon has created the...  Once Ramon has created the channels, he welds them into place and then grinds down the welds.  On original fastbacks, there's...  On original fastbacks, there's a stainless beauty cover for this area around the glass which fits between the body and the weatherstrip retainer (which is available in reproduction). Drake customs usually recommends to its customers to simply bodywork this area and paint it body color, but if you like the thrill of the hunt, you can try to find a set of the beauty covers or possibly fabricate your own from stainless sheet stock.  We finished up our day's work...  We finished up our day's work by plugging several holes in our original firewall. Since the modern 4.6L Three-Valve modular engine we're using is drive-by-wire, there's no need for a throttle cable hole or mounting holes for a mechanical throttle linkage. Welding this all up will make for a smoother looking custom firewall. Next month, we wrap up our major metal work with the Drake Customs inner structure, front inner fender aprons, and our Heidt's front suspension crossmember.
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