Here are some pics of my '66 GT. I am at somewhat of a crossroads with this decision. All of my local car buds say I would be a fool to repaint this car. However, there are several obvious areas that need addressing. First, the driver QP has been replaced as. The original owners were hit 35+ years ago which is what prompted them to seek the car to my friend whom I purchased the car from back in February. Second, I'm pretty sure the roof has at least been cleared and probably primed, painted, and cleared because the primer on the roof doesn't match the primer on the rest of the car. So I'm pretty sure those two panels do not have original paint. Everywhere else, I'm pretty sure it's all original paint. The main the reason I ask, is ALL of the weatherstripping HAS to be replaced...soon. Windshield, rear glass, trunk, and both side windows all leak. So I have to address this soon. Small hole with the Bear Bryant hat halo around it is where the car got shot with a .22. Halo around the gas fill cap is where the PO had one of those JC Whitney things around it. When I removed it, it was full of dirt, leaves, and mold.
Me, if it were not that bad, original paint maybe no painting. But as I look at your photos, see the rust around the tail lamps, see that drivers quarter, looks like something needs to be done or its going to get a lot worse. Unless your going to sell it at a reduced price, I'd say paint it!
Glad to see some pictures of your car. I know you've been running it since you bought it, might have to start doing a little work to it now...irate:irate:
That's what scares me I think...not driving it. I bought it to drive it. I'm so afraid of the next project...suspension and brakes. I just don't want it to be "off the road", even though it drives for absolute $hit.
Definitely not selling it.
Z, I have been all over and under this car...before I bought it and after. The only other real major rust I have found is the passenger rear floor corner. It's weird because it feels soft through the carpet, but when I examine the bottom side it is rock solid.
Z, I have been all over and under this car...before I bought it and after. The only other real major rust I have found is the passenger rear floor corner. It's weird because it feels soft through the carpet, but when I examine the bottom side it is rock solid.
I like patina as much or more than the next guy .However unless you only take it out on the nicest of days it won't last and if you plan to do all the weather stripping/gaskets .ect and can swing the cost of paint your probably at the right stage to do it
Klutch, there in lies the problem. I truly bought this car to drive. In October we hand over the keys to my 2001 Pathfinder to our next upcoming driver. However, I recognize the fact I have to get the car protected. In fact, the day I saw the PO a friend of mine for over 30 years when he told me he wanted the sell the car to me, I had already planned a trip to Ohio the next weekend to look at two SVO's...which is what I wanted. I just couldn't believe he was selling the car and I didn't want it to go anywhere else.
With the added information Patrick, I would have to agree with Z. Looks like you could just address the areas needed and paint them. On the one I bought in February, what bit of rust I saw was just what it had (some on the passenger front pan and a little on the drivers front pan). Hopefully you are seeing it all. If so, it ain't that bad and sanding, cleaning and painting those areas could probably buy you quite a bit of time...
If its a driver, I'd just wire wheel the rust, throw some rust stabilizer on it before rattle canning something that comes close to matching the surrounding panel. Then I'd do as you suggest and address the suspension and brakes and drive the wheels off it. The problem with new paint (and I just painted mine) is that you won't want to drive it because there is a possibility of chipping the paint. Plus and probably more of a concern to you since your giving your other daily driver away is the down time. I'm willing to bet you that you'll have way more fun with this car unpainted than painted. Driving with not a care in the world about the paint rather than worrying if it gets chipped or scratched in a parking lot or down a long time because as you strip it for paint the projects just start to snowball.
Well, if I were you I'd definitely at least fix the rust. With the condition that the paint is in, it won't much matter if you remove some of the original stuff to fix the rust.
From there, it's just a matter of the kind of person you are. If you think that once you get the car painted you'll baby it too much (and you don't want to do that), then just rattle can it black and call it good. If you're bothered by all the cracks and imperfections and everything but wouldn't mind taking care of a new paint job, then paint it!
I took my car on my long road trip with a nearly brand spanking new paint job. The first few chips hurt. The dozens that followed... ehh, not so much. I'll just paint it again when it gets really bad another decade down the road
If it does in fact have a bullet hole, fix it yourself. Some states have laws that require a body shop to call the MAN if any cars come in with bullet holes in them. It will save you from having to explain why your car has a bullet hole in it.
Definitely is a bullet hole. PO found the round in the trunk. But this was many years ago. The Bear Bryant hat magnet was on there long enough to cause rust. And yes I will be fixing that as well as the other items myself. My delima is how far to go with it. Can I fix the driver QP and the passenger door and match the patina of the rest of the car in a respectable manner?
The nicks don't scare me. I got over that a long time ago. Painted my essentially road course prepped Ranger the weekend before I used it to tow my '65 FB to Evansville, IN to have it dipped. Stayed up over 36 hours prepping for the trip. Dropped off the car. About half way home on one of the many KY toll roads, I fell asleep and sideswiped a guard rail at 75 MPH. I woke up about the time I hit the warning gravel prior to bouncing off the guard rail. I drove for another 30 miles to the next rest stop before I stopped and looked at the truck. Entire passenger side...gone. I consider myself lucky.
I really like the looks of the GT as it sits, but I know I need to address the bad stuff and get it protected.
Drive, wash, rinse it with ospho(rust converter) at least. Let it run down the glass, into the leaks like the rain would go, let it stand in those natural body valleys for a while and you can trace the cool LSD like psychedelic colors of rust veins.:yoho:
Dry...2000 grit...buff out.
Apply gun oil to visible metal then a teflon spray to keep dust from the oil.
I can relate to the lower door cheese ahead of you. It picked at mine like an itchy scab till I found good meat. It will turn into about 6X8 for you. Either way fix that spot, blend the door or leave as a scar if your really ratty. The the survivor/rat rod look is still a new fab.
Air release vinyls are en vogue for short temp color options or hiding paint flaws.
I saw a '68 GT500 at a local car show last summer. It was completely original in running condition, paint mostly dull and faded, had some rust similar to yours, a few dents, brightwork kinda dull and pitted, interior had a few scars. This car drew more attention than any of the 20 or so Mustangs present.
Not only do I say paint it, but I'd add...strip that sucker down to bare metal and do it proper! Even if it takes a few years, you'll have a car that'll last your lifetime.
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