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Post by detmatt on Nov 12, 2009 18:16:17 GMT -5
Hey all, sorry it took me so long to actually start this thread. I am well into the restoration of my `68 Road Runner. I got it as a rolling chassis about 3 years ago and was told it had been used as a quarter mile car most recently. It had a bad blue paint job, fiberglass hood with homemade pins, an old van seat with a makeshift roll cage and some stickers here and there as well as a plexi driver side window. That was the obvious stuff but it does get way more interesting as I dismantled it. I knew I had my hands full as there was a lot of rust issues but I had been looking for a project for a little while and the price was right. As I started taking it apart I found that a poorly mounted battery in the trunk had eaten a hole in the driver side rear frame rail and as I got into it further I found that the car was pretty much completely rotten from the bottom corners of the rear window, the wheel houses, trunk gutters, trunk lid, etc., etc.. You got the idea I think. That is it for now, I'll continue the story and post some of the before pics in the morning.
Chow for now!
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Post by detmatt on Nov 12, 2009 18:49:08 GMT -5
OK it looks like I have another minute so I'll post a couple of those pics now. Attachments:
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Post by detmatt on Nov 12, 2009 18:52:14 GMT -5
One picture at a time??, what am I doing wrong?. Anyway these 2 pics were taken when I got it home. Attachments:
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Post by detmatt on Nov 13, 2009 8:00:22 GMT -5
JUNKYARD DOG?. I got the car taken apart and started stripping the paint off with chemicals. I knew I didn't want to jump right in to having the whole thing media blasted because I had already figured out that I was going to be replacing most of the metal on this car. So why take the time to strip the paint off at all?, well I have never restored a car or done any bodywork before so I guess I was just starting out slowly and making sure that I knew how the car was put together to begin with. So underneath the blue paint I uncovered a wole previous race car paint scheme that was definitely more professional looking and very kool and once I started to discover this I made it a point to carefully strip the rest of the car to see if I could find any history on the car. What I uncovered was probably `70's or early `80's vintage tangerine orange to a heavy metallic silver fade with orange pinstripes and black lettering on the quarters. Best of all, on both doors, is a graphic of a bulldog with a spike collar and a baseball cap on and above and below it says "JUNKYARD DOG". Unfortunately the chemicals messed up most of the lettering on the quarters so all that I could make out is "WEB-PARKER AUTO PARTS" and what looks like an address or telephone # below, unreadable. From what I have been able to find out so far the car spent some or most of its life in the Jacksonville FL area and in particular Pecan park raceway. Still trying to get more info though and actually talked to someone who has a friend that says he thinks he remembers the car. Would love to find some documentation on this car as it didn't come with a fender tag or build sheet which I would love to have. Here is what I do know about the car and it seems like it was ordered with some kool if not rare options. 383, 4 spd, post coupe, L1 turquoise, which I am told was only avaliable for `68 Road Runners for a few months. It has a 26" core support which means it had a heavy duty or performance axle package, 3.55 posi, 26" radiator, same as hemi, and a shrouded viscous drive fan. No power steering or breaks but it did have a.c. and tinted glass. I think it is an early `68 because it has the black and white cartoon bird on its dash and the finish panel which means decor package also. That is what I have been able to determine without a fender tag or build sheet. Now I will post more pics so if anybody recognizes this car please let me know. Attachments:
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Post by detmatt on Nov 13, 2009 8:01:42 GMT -5
Rusty carnage! Attachments:
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Post by detmatt on Nov 13, 2009 8:02:58 GMT -5
Under battery. Attachments:
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Post by detmatt on Nov 13, 2009 8:04:17 GMT -5
More rot! Attachments:
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Post by detmatt on Nov 13, 2009 8:05:49 GMT -5
Lettering on quarters. Attachments:
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Post by detmatt on Nov 13, 2009 8:06:40 GMT -5
Pinstripes. Attachments:
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Post by detmatt on Nov 13, 2009 8:09:49 GMT -5
The doors, these I am keeping for wall art in my shop and this car will always be the "JUNKYARD DOG". That is it for now, much more to come. Attachments:
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Post by Bri on Nov 13, 2009 15:05:37 GMT -5
Even though the car is a bit rusty, it's definitely a sweet looking resto project! Keep us posted on your progress!!!
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Post by detmatt on Nov 13, 2009 21:59:46 GMT -5
OK I will!. Next I built a jig and bolted the dog to it so I could roll it around while I tore the rear rails and all the other rotten metal out. Round about then I acquired these parts from another `68 Runner that had been sitting in the dry NM desert and had it shipped up here to MI. I then cleaned all the new parts off and prepped it for installation under my `68. Attachments:
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Post by detmatt on Nov 13, 2009 22:03:02 GMT -5
Here is a shot just before I installed the rear section. Attachments:
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Post by detmatt on Nov 13, 2009 22:04:53 GMT -5
Another one, Kool right! Attachments:
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Post by detmatt on Nov 13, 2009 22:08:07 GMT -5
I hung the new section from an I-beam in the shop ready to weld in and swung the car in to it. Attachments:
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