1968 Now It Begins

[franklinair]

My winter project season has begun!
The C/S is in the paint shop (finally) for the left front fender alignment & paint.
When I get it back @ the end of the week, I'll start my upgrade projects: Deluxe Interior (door panels & dash), AM/FM (Ford) radio with kick panel speakers, console, black vinyl top, black hood striping, engine detailing. I found the radio on Ebay, Ron (clubpro) got me the rest of the 'stuff' thru R&R Classics.
A fellow Mustanger in Australia e-mailed me the vinyl top installation procedures (with photos).
This should keep me busy for a while. I'll do photos as I progress.

Neil:smile:

 

[hookedtrout]

Sweet, can't wait to see the pictures.

 

[classicsguy]

Neil: Is Brysons Body shop painting your car? Hope I spelled it right....

 

[franklinair]

Byron's Paint & Body Shop is in Bryson City, NC. They do excellent work- but they're too busy. Have wanted to have them do my car for the past 2 months. Byron's son does their paint work.
I'm having mine done here in Franklin @ Beach's shop. They do restorations to the concourse level. Superb workmanship but very pricey. I've seen their work, and it is flawless.

Neil

 

[classicsguy]

You also mentioned Beach's one time to me and said exactly the same about Beachs's shop. They restore to concours level but their only "problem" is that they were pricey. I got to see those pictures when its finished.
Is BEACHES a Mustang Specialized shop?

 

[robert campbell]

Neil,
I have been to the vinyl top "rodeo" a couple times. Let's talk before you tackle it!!!

Rob

 

[Ruppstang]

Neil,
Vinyl tops are not that hard to do but you really do need another person. Also the old carpenters rule applies measure twice and cut once! Good luck with your project. Marty

 

[Ruppstang]

Neil,
Did your oringinally come with a vinyl roof? I like the black accent with the yellow. We did a 67 springtime yellow car with a black roof I really liked it. Marty

 

[franklinair]

The car is all yellow (Meadowlark). I believe the black vinyl top and the black hood stripes will give it the look I want, and by doing the interior (black) with the Deluxe woodgrain panels (and adding the lower console) it will be a heavily optioned car, all correct for the year & model.

Neil

 

[Ruppstang]

Do you have the Vinyl top trims? If you do not I think I have them. Marty

 

[franklinair]

Ron (clubpro) at R&R Classics got me the vinyl top, sail panel trims, and glue.
The only thing I don't have is the metal strip that is mounted in each rain gutter. I understand these are a tough item to find, and many cars don't have them.

Neil

 

[CougarCJ]

Ron (clubpro) at R&R Classics got me the vinyl top, sail panel trims, and glue.
The only thing I don't have is the metal strip that is mounted in each rain gutter. I understand these are a tough item to find, and many cars don't have them.

Neil

To see what Neil is trying to describe is shown here.

http://www.cougarpartscatalog.com/67vtopkeep.html

 

[rvrtrash]

With the quality of sealants you can get now, I would wonder if you even need the strip. Then you wouldn't have to drill the rivet holes either. As an alternative, it seems it wouldn't be that hard to go to a metal supplier and buy a piece of aluminum and then go to a sheet metal shop and have them shear it for you (some suppliers are set up to cut to spec also). Just a couple of observations from the unenlightened.

Steve

 

[franklinair]

I agree on both points. Modern sealants would more than protect the integrity of the vinyl edges (and let's face it- how often is it going to be exposed to the elements?!). If I got a look at one of these strips, I believe I could fabricate & duplicate them.
Since I am not intending for this C/S to be MCA Concourse, the metal strips are secondary in importance to me. They'd be nice to have, but not critical.

Neil

 

[robert campbell]

Wow! Terrible pics of what they really look like. They are flat on the gutter side and "domed" on the outside. If your car was an original vinyl top car, the holes are in the gutter. If not it is just two or three holes on each side.

If you do not have the strips, I would certainly force something down in the gutter to glue the vinyl top in. Neil and I talked about this. My car had a vinyl top glued over the top of the original strips!! What a joke!!

Rob

 

[Ruppstang]

Neil,
Ford also used a special stainless retainer on top of the top material in the roof gutter. It used no rivets and was very attractive. I have some photos some where that I used when we changed the MCA rules on this. I'll edit this if I can find them. Marty

 

[Mosesatm]

Here's a photo of when I inspected Doug's car. It shows the top trim but I assume it's not installed correctly.

 

[robert campbell]

Arlie,
That is exactly what mine looks like. I know mine was original as it was under the second vinyl top put on the car!

Rob

 

[Mosesatm]

Arlie,
That is exactly what mine looks like. I know mine was original as it was under the second vinyl top put on the car!

Rob

Is it supposed to stop 3" short like that?

 

[robert campbell]

Arlie,
No, mine go all the way down. My left one has 4 rivets to hold it down. The right one only has 2 rivets. I am sure that is how it came from the Ford line. But to say that his is short is a stretch. They were used to hold the vinyl top in the gutter. So who am I to say how long they should be

We need some more vinyl top guys to weigh in!

Rob