Taking over Partial Restoration 1968 Mustang Convertible

by Steve
(Grand rapids, MI)

The car is a 1968 Mustang convertible, 6 cylinder, automatic. It must have been quite rusty.

The floor has been repaired with either patches or repair panels. The trunk floor has been repaired and has a new gas tank.

It has new rear fenders in place. The rockers are new. The trunk deck and back end has been replaced. The doors have been repaired.

The front torque boxes to the radiator support have been replaced or repaired. The front from headlight to headlight is new.

It has a new hood and front fenders. The rear springs and shocks have been replaced.

The front steering has been replaced including springs and shocks.

The engine looks brand new and has been rebuilt. The tranny functions, but am unsure of condition.

The convertible top frame is attached. The car is drivable.

As I've started working on it, I've noticed that the hood, fenders, and doors are hard to get lined up properly.

Is it possible when they re-built the unibody, that not all parts were welded in the right place? It looks like the inner fenders go up hill, so the fenders won't adjust to the door properly.

Also, the trunk deck is too wide for the opening. Is it possible the rear quarter fenders were welded too close together?

Maybe that's why the previous owner bailed on this project. He spent a ton of money, including a new windshield and complete interior.

Where do I start? Any suggestions?
Any information would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Steve

Hi Steve

This is going to be a long answer. I'll answer as best as I can, but feel free to ask more questions as you go along.

The good news is, you have new parts to work with. The bad news is, it looks like the previous owner didn't line things up properly.

Without seeing the car, my suggestion would be to start from the center and work outwards.

First, I'd recommend taking the car to a frame shop making sure that the frame is true. Once that's resolved, then it's time to move to the rear.

It does sound like the rear quarter panels (or maybe just one quarter panel side) and the rear fascia were welded too close together.

You're going to have to attach the trunk lid and line it up with the rear deck by the lip of the roof. Then close the trunk lid as low as possible and mark the fit right onto the quarter panels with a felt pen to see if your problem is one side or both.

Once you have that, you can decide if you need to cut one or both sides and re-weld them into the right places.

If you're sure your doors are lined up and level, you can use the crease in the body side panels to get an idea of how your front end lines up.

Slight adjustments can be done to shim the front fenders, but if there's any major differences, you'll probably have to cut and reattach the inner pieces.

Good Luck!

B.