1965 Mustang Fastback/Coupe Project

What do you do when a good friend (Paul Brown of Tiger Racing) brings you a fastback that he bought cheap, and needs some rust repair?   Well, you laugh a little, shake your head a lot, and then get out your cutting tools.   

This fastback was so rusty, that it was pointless to try and patchwork it.  So we trimmed out everything that is unique to the fastback structure, and found a cheap donor coupe from Albuquerque with virtually no rust, and started to operate. 

Even though the coupe had a chunk taken out of the quarter, it was still useable and easily rebuilt. 

After both pieces are trimmed out for mating together, YOU MUST send them out to be SANDBLASTED (Wittrock Sandblasting in Waverly, Nebraska).  Note how the metal looks very clean, free of any surface or scaly rust or other impurities.  Test fitting and precise trimming is required before flush-welding with no flanging or overlap welding, and then can be tack welded together.   Remember, you want it to look as close to original as possible.

A Fastback is reborn.  The original coupe quarter is still used on left side, the right side is being replaced with an aftermarket coupe quarter panel, since it has the correct contours, and is seam sectioned at the body ridge.  This must be done in an extremely precise manner along with welding.  

A new aftermarket door skin is applied to the door frame after it has been sandblasted.  Aftermarket fender is being test fitted and altered for proper fit.  Also note aftermarket deck lid is being test fitted and already in primer.  A smiling Paul Brown checking out progress.  Phase two to come soon.  So stay tuned...

Update: Car is now painted and glass is being installed.  It is starting to look awesome.