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1968 Green Hornet

15K views 75 replies 19 participants last post by  EXP500 
#1 ·
I’m new to this forum, and I thought I would share my journey on my next build. I got my first Mustang when I was 15 years old, my dad bought me a 72 coupe. This was my first experience at tinkering and restoring which caused me to develop the disease or “mustang fever”. Next was a 71 Mach I and a 68 coupe while working at an auto body shop during high school, then a 69 convertible which I never finished and sold when I moved to another state. While going to college I worked at an auto body/automotive shop and restored someone else’s 66 coupe and a 65 convertible. After college, moving, marriage, and 4 kids, I haven’t owned or worked on a mustang for 15 years, but the fever was always there.
So a couple of years ago I purchased a 68 coupe, it was mostly in pieces. The previous owner bought the car for his kid and was having his friend fix it up for him (I won’t call it restore because of the subpar attempt) the guys friend ended up passing away during the build and it sat in his barn for about 10 years until I purchased it. It is a pretty solid car, it has a 289, C4, power steering, factory A/C and a vinyl top and a good price, just what I was looking for. I didn’t want anything rare because I wanted to build a clone of the legendary “Green Hornet”. A 1968 Shelby coupe prototype EXP 500.
My plan is to make it look like the Green Hornet on the outside but modern underneath. I want this car to be a driver, I want to be able to jump in it and go across the county to car shows and road trip vacations with my wife.
Plans are for a full rotisserie “Restomoderation”, tubular A-arm Coil over front suspension, shock tower deletes, power rack and pinion, power disc brakes, hopefully a Coyote engine or a fuel injected 408, TKO600 5spd, 9” rear end (IRS like the original is pretty pricey). 17” Shelby style 10 spoke wheels, LED Shelby tail lights, GT500 front end. Mostly stock interior, with modern comfortable seats and aftermarket gauges, modern A/C system, and nice audio.
I finally got my dream shop built and the car is completely disassembled so I’m ready to start. I hope you enjoy watching as much as I do working on it! Feel free to comment, make suggestions, or ask anything.
 

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#8 ·
Rod and Custom Motorsports RC-107 IFS Cross member installation. The kit came with tubular A-Arms, coil over shocks, 11" disc brakes and a power rack and pinion. great installation instructions, just take time and make sure all measurements are accurate (measure and re-measure, then re-check again). I went with the stock height spindles, but the company said I could exchange if I changed my mind (great people and tech support)
 

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#10 ·
GT500 front end, Door and Fender Mock-up. Trying to get everything fitted before I throw it up on the rotisserie. Fiberglass came from Tony Branda. I've done some fiberglass work before. Fitting these panels is very time consuming and tedious, not much you buy fits out of the box, it needs some massaging to get it good. I'm still in the process of fitment, waiting for a new door hinge now
 

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#13 ·
Welcome to VMF! You don't see many Green Hornet tributes out there, at least I don't, and that was a heckuva car and good looking too. I think you should make the same quirky mistake they made on the original with the passenger side rear marker/reflector placed crookedly and then never corrected.
(It's part of the "charm".) :wink:
 

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#15 ·
Purely trivia-
I think the actual EXP 500 is at the current Barrett Jackson auction.
Coulda sworn I saw it in a passing camera shot....
I know it was up for sale at BJ 2013 but didn't make reserve.
 
#17 ·
Just my opinion but I don't think Jackson is interested in selling it at all. He uses it to drum up interest and buzz for his auctions from time to time, putting it on the block with some outrageous reserve so high even the real players on it won't go that high. I think he plans to keep that car a long, long time. He trots it out for people to see but it's being used for marketing purposes only. So long as he has it, you don't. Smart guy, that Jackson.
 
#18 · (Edited)
I believe that the GH you saw in passing at BJ Auction was a tribute to the original. They just aired a quick Craig Jackson preview on it (the tribute) 5 minutes ago.


EDIT: That tribute car just sold for $50K + buyer's premium
 
#19 ·
"I think the actual EXP 500 is at the current Barrett Jackson auction."

I think that you're right..

I thought that I saw it as well.

Just a tribute car huh..?

:eek:)

Tony K.
 
#20 ·
Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't turn down one of those rare cars. But I couldn't own a Mustang and not drive it. The things are made to be drivin, it would drive me nuts. I just love the feeling. That's one of the reason I like the clones. I already have plans for my next build. I want to recreate a 69 Boss 9. This is my dream car and I will never in my life have the opportunity to own, let alone drive one, I mean really hammer into one. But Kaase racing is recreating the Boss 9 head ( actually better than the original) and intakes.
 

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#23 ·
Wow that escalated quickly!


The PO installed a complete quarter on the left side and a partial skin on the right side, he forgot or decided not to replace the outer wheel housing which the lip had some rust through. So I got the plasma cutter out and went to town. While I was in there I decided to install complete one piece dynacorn wheel houses (they install so much better than doing them as separate pieces),. trunk floors, and since I was replacing the tail light panel with a one piece metal Shelby panel, I just ended up cutting just about everything off the back end.
 

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#24 ·
Over the last couple of weeks I pretty much got the back end squared up and put together. I installed wheel houses, and trunk floors and I went ahead and replaced the filler panel between the rear window and trunk. the reason for this was that when the PO had installed the quarter panels they solidly welded the seams between it and the quarter panel, so I messed them up pretty good, it was easier to replace the panel than trying to fix it. I got the Shelby trunk lid mounted and have hung the quarters and taillight panel with clamps. Everything seems to be lining up pretty well. Looks like the fiberglass will need a lot of modification, especially the quarter extensions, but I was expecting that
 

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#25 ·
The last few days I been assessing the fiberglass trunk lid and Quarter extensions that I purchased from Mustangs Unlimited. They are not fitting they way that I would like. I called them to make sure I got the correct one (used with the Shelby tail panel and not stock). I have came to the conclusion that this set is a piece of S#%T. if you look at the lower edge of the rear of the trunk lid it is curved about a half of an inch from the middle to the outer edges, it is suppose to be straight to line up with the top edge of the tail panel. I don't think there is enough material on the lip to fix this, also the quarter extensions need about 1/4 inch or more removed to get them to lay straight (which could be done) but the worst is the way the inside curve lines up with the tail panel, it doesn't match the curvature which can't be fixed, I think I would have Better luck making my own. Mustang Unlimited did agree to take it back, although I am out shipping. I went ahead and ordered a vacuum formed one from Tony Branda, this is where I purchase the front end fiberglass and have been very pleased with them so far. I should have done this to begin with. So I waiting for that to come in before I weld the quarters and tail panel in place.
 

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#26 ·
Well I received the new trunk lid and quarter end caps from Tony Branda this last weekend. I've got to say they are superior quality than the crap I received from Mustangs Unlimited. The Quarter extensions will need far less work than the others but what I was pleased with the most is the rear lower trunk lip edge. It is straight and fits the taillight panel like it's suppose to.


I did notice a mistake on my part with the tail light panel. I was originally going to go with the Shelby fiberglass overlay on top of an original tail light panel just like the original Shelby's, but since I was replacing the tail light panel anyways I noticed they offered a one piece metal one that supposed to eliminate the need for the fiberglass overlay (so I thought). Also since I was going with the LED tail lights I did not need the housing buckets.
It's a Dynacorn piece which is very well made and went on the car great. But, evidentially its supposed to be used with standard quarter extensions. This is the first time I have done a Shelby tail light conversion so I didn't notice that this all metal panel is not as thick at the ends as the original type fiberglass overlays, so there is about an inch gap between the inside edge of the quarter extension and the tail light panel. (I will add a picture of this later)
I debated whether or not to rip out the panel and put in an original style two piece or just add some fiberglass and fill the gap. since I have to do some fitting anyway and it would cost a lot less, so I think I will make it work.
Hopefully this will help anyone else that is making this same conversion.
 

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