A Photo Journal of a Restoration - Start to Finish

This is a complete photo journal of the ground up restoration of my '65 Fastback which took place in '04 and '05. From start to finish it took just 9 months, and we're not professionals at this. I've owned the car since 1980, and since I was a gearhead in HS, refer to it as my HS Sweetheart. A friend of mine did all the body work and paint, while I did the undercarriage, rear end, and reassembly.

The 1st 17 weeks are on Blogger, and pictures for weeks 18 - 26 are on Photobucket, along with some pics of the finsihed product at Watkins Glen!

Make sure you start at Week 0 on Blogger, and click here for the continuation on Photobucket.

Week 17 :: Part 3

Week 17 :: Part 2

Finished trunk... Prepping the car for the enamel.

Week 17 :: Part 1

Spraying Wimbledon White enamel on the innder fenders, engine compartment, and interior!

Week 16 :: Part 4

Really starting to look like a car again!

Week 16 :: Part 3

Blocking the car...

Week 16 :: Part 2

More work on the fenders... Filled in the front bumper mount holes, the side emblem holes, and also the hole for the antenna on the PS Fender. Fresh coat of primer... and on the shock towers too!

Week 16 :: Part 1

Gonna remove the original shock tower braces- going to be installing an export brace in its place. Popped the brace off - just need to grind down the spot welds Another look at the PS side with the brace removed. All ground down and ready for primer PS too!

Week 15 :: Part 5

Even the inside of the fenders were stripped and primed. This is the PS Fender. Ready to shoot some paint? The Drivers Side (DS) Fender Insde the DS fender a Look at under the front end of the car.

Week 15 :: Part 4

Shot of the front car with the inner fenders painted... DS inner fender painted with the high build epoxy. DS fender - ready for blocking Patched area - looks good!

Week 15 :: Part 3

Lower portion of the front fender needed repair - we put a small patch in... Checking the fit... DS inner fnder stripped... Stripping off the undercoating was actually quite easy - just needed a hand held propane torch and a scraper.

Week 15 :: Part 2

Leah shooting some primer Front fender hung in preparation for blocking... Inner fender stripped, and first coat of high build epoxy applied. A little overspray, but it'll clean up...

Week 15 :: Part 1

Fresh coat of primer, ready for blocking...

Week 14 :: Part 3

Front Suspension GONE! Blocking the doors... Filler applied to the hood scoop

Week 14 :: Part 2

Overview of the progress- time to move on to the front side of the car.

Man - that's ugly! We're gonna need to remove the front suspension and get busy here next.

Steering linkage and sway bar - Gone!

Here's my newly rebuilt C4 - complete with Ford Blue metalic powder coating!

Wow - that's one good looking trans!

Hmm. Profile shot of the rearend - definately going to have to be lowered if that doesn't go done any

Final shot of primer on the doors.

Guess I got luck in that the doors were really in pretty good shape. They didn't need to be reskinned.

Next up - Stripping the undcoating off the front inner fenders.

Week 14 :: Part 1

Wow - now we're making progress! This is the first parts to actually go back on the car! PS Leaf spring. The two tabs below the shock plate are mounts for the underride traction bars. DS Leaf spring New rear shacles - the leafs are new as well. Wow - them new leafs re stiff! Although there's not much wesight on the car, ride height may have to be lowered. Repair work on the bottom of the doors... Shelby Scoop epoxied to the hood. Another vie of the scoop clamped after being epoxied. Decklid, front and rear valances Reair work on the door One door done - ready for paint!

Week 13 :: Part 3

Stack of new parts, including a complete fastener set for the body and the interior. Interior parts cleaned and repainted with the correct blue lacquer. More parts cleaned and painted, ready to be installed. refinishing of the interior sail panels Each of the fins were painted by hand with black touch up paint, since the face of the vents are chrome. The working part of the vents were disassembled and painted with black enamel.

Week 13 :: Part 2

Rear end will be transported to where the car is at, and installed. New leaf springs given a coat of black epoxy as well. New 3/4" rear sway bar. Not part of the original car, but I wanted it for added stability. Box full of sandblasted and painted parts waiting to be installed My painting station in the basement. New gas tank given a nice coat of high build Chassis Saver as well. Another shot of the gas tank. Yeah, that's a slot car track that never got finished.

Week 13 :: Part 1

Declid stripped and cancer repaired. Under the hood stripped... After the door was stripped, some pinhole rust spots were noticed. These will be filled in with weld. Deck lid primed with epoxy primer... ... and the hood as well.

Week 12 :: Part 3

Doors are in pretty good shape... Some surface rust from sitting around after being stripped - no big deal to remove. Little bit of cancer in the lower front of the PS door, easily fixed with some sheetmetal.