[The Boss]

We're finally moving forward on my 71 Convertible!

Dug the car out (long story here, I'll tell later), power washed it off/out and got it blasted/stripped a couple of weeks ago - turned out far better than I had figured! Frame got stripped and was brought back today and other than a turned in front horn from some accident years ago, that is good as well.

We sorted through the parts which have been sitting for nearly 10 years now, and good surprises there too! The doors were blasted when the body was done and other than a few small repairs are in good shape. The front & rear valences are not too bad, but I have NOS as well. Fenders - one needs a dog leg on the back, the other dent repair on the front. Quarters and floors need some patching but I have a donor car that I can pull those parts off of.

Question: Wherever possible, am I better off using the original or donor parts? Or should I go find better fenders, doors, use my valence, get repop quarters & floors, etc.?

[3 Chiefs]

I like to use as much of the original car as I can. Example: If there is a hole in the floor board, I would rather cut the rust out and fab up a patch for the hole than cut the whole floor pan out and replace it with after market stuff. If I buy a panel I don't use it all, I only cut out what I need. There are a lot of quality after market panels out there. Sometimes though, all the details don't line up with the existing original panel. Therefore I like to keep as much original metal as I can. Cutting used rust free parts from a donor vehicle is a excellent option. I hope this helps.
Paul

[wytnyt]

but if he were using a donor then
it would still be considered using original parts,,,i would think

[PB]

Chris,
Personally, I would go with all the original parts you can, then scab from the donor car. I agree with 3 chiefs, using most of the original metal you can. Cut what you need from that donor car. Fitting doors from another car sometimes can be harder to line up or have fit issues from differences in body shells. Not always the case, but something to consider. Also depends upon if you are doing the work, or a body guy. Maybe cheaper to find good used parts rather than paying for the time to fabricate a decent lower fender. You got extra 71 fenders laying around? From the sounds of it, there may be some decent repro 1/4's coming soon. I would use those if the donor parts aren't usable. Also comes down to how "original" you want it/personal preference. If you already have the parts now, why pay for repro stuff? Good luck with the car and lets see some pics!

[78 GHOST]

If what you have is salvagable, why not use it and sell the NOS to finance a portion of the resto?

[The Boss]

Originally Posted by 78 GHOST

If what you have is salvagable, why not use it and sell the NOS to finance a portion of the resto?

I was thinking that - I'll throw some pictures up in a little bit to show you what I mean - the valences aren't that bad! Aren't the NOS ones slightly different too?

I think I am going to need to get a couple pieces for the trunk floor - even though the donor one is solid, it's pitted pretty good.

I've got to check my hoods, I've got two really clean ones but I'm not sure if they are the 71 or the 72 versions - if they are both 72's (I think one was NOS) then I'll have to see if somebody wants to trade one.

Pat, I'll get some pictures up soon, you won't believe how I found it when I got up there after 8 years!

[Judge273]

Chris,

IMO, use the best possible parts to do the body on a 71 HO vert. I've done a couple of 71 and 72 restos. If you have solid conv quarters on a donor, they would be the best alternative to full quarters patched in. The fenders need to be the best you can find, and the hood too matters. Especially the hoods with the RA pan attached like yours.

Love to see pix when you have them!

[The Boss]

Want to take a quess what's in here?

[Guilty]

It looks like a rolling shell for a 1971 GTO convertible. My guess, due to the foliage growth is that it has been sitting outside in that location for about 8 yrs. if you look at the growth direction of the plants you can see that they have been very well taken care of and have done an excellent job in doing their job as "camo" for the roller. Almost kinda looks like the entrance to the "Batcave" if you tilt your head a certain way and squint a little bit.

[The Boss]

No fair, you already know this story!

Two hours later...

[74SDformula]

I think you're going to need a good buffer to bring that paint back to life. Tell us a little more about the story surrounding this car.

[CDN2PLS2]

Holy Crap! That's next summer"s Best of Show.

[The Boss]

This is how I discovered it in early May - first time I had actually laid eyes on it in about 8 years!

[PB]

Holy Crap is right! Is that thing salvageable?

[MatthewScott]

You guys know what stunners these cars are. Mine gets Ogled every time I take it out. (and it needs paint!) When I see cars like that, Boss, I wonder "How did someone let one of these get like that?" What's the story? Any pics of the parts now stripped?

[The Boss]

I didn't leave it like this, it was the body shop that did it about 3-4 years ago.

About 10 years ago I brought the car up there and they started working on it, stripped everything down and we assessed the situation. The quarters both needed work, trunk floor was pitted, inside floors needed a little work etc.. At that time, I figured I would do a cowl swap onto a fresh body and bought a 70 lemans vert from Gary Cave that was in perfect shape. Then I got divorced - no money, no time, everything stopped.

The shop is about an hour from where I live, I would talk to them every couple of months, and it was never a problem that it was sitting there - they had the space. Well, a few years ago, they were moving things around one day, and pulled it out for what was supposed to be an hour or two, ended up being over night....a couple of days....weeks! After a couple of months, they pushed it behind the shed where they keep parts so that if I came up, I wouldn't see it. When I would call, he said he couldn't bring himself to tell me.

I stopped up there a couple of years ago, nobody around, didn't see it, no problem. I went up a couple of months ago because I was close by, they weren't there, but I found it. That was not a good day - he swore he would make it right.

So I contacted a few people here to sell it, a few people were interested, but I finally had to come to the realization that nobody was going to buy it the way it was, and after the initial shock, I didn't want to sell it! So we dug out the original body, and sent it to get blasted to see where we were.

[The Boss]

So now it's been blasted, has been primed, needs trunk pans replaced, both quarters worked on, pass floors patched in places, but as a whole - not so bad. The donor on the other hand has pitted up floors from being outside the entire time, but the quarters are remarkably good.

I blasted 3 out of the 4 doors and the original doors from the car are the better two - so those will get fixed and put back on. The trunk lid was too pitted and had started to separate at the seams, but the donor one is great. The fenders we'll have to strip and blast to make a final judgement, but I think those can be used. Might need a core support, but that's about it.

It's amazing how perceptions change over time. 10 years ago it wasn't an issue to clip a body, and two quarters and floors needing work were a legitimate enough reason. Now it's a cardinal sin, and the body I've got is in GOOD shape compared to others that get restored.

Pulled the motor out of storage this morning and it's on a dolly in the garage now, hopefully I'll be dressing a frame soon!

[Guilty]

Wow!!!! That looks like it will be well worth restoring. I'm glad you are going to keep it on the original shell too. Those two Pontiac motors sitting side by side in the bed of a Ford pickup look kinda cool too!! The one with the chrome valve covers looks like a 1968 motor. Is that right? My eyes are getting worse as my age gets older but it sure looks like one to me!

[MatthewScott]

That did clean up amazingly well. Wow. I'd have died (or killed?) if someone had left my baby out. You obviously are patient...good luck..it looks like it's going to get there now.

[3 Chiefs]

I first thought she was DOA but after the blasting pictures, I am impressed and excited that this GTO will survive. Appears to be in really good shape. Please keep us posted. Good luck .
Paul