[Alex]

Looks like your doing just fine. and thanks for the motivation.....
I got this one eight years ago as a retirement project to do with my youngest Son.
Well I've been retired three years,and I'm finally getting around to it.
I don't have as much spare time as I thought I would have
I think it looked better when I brought it home. (first pic).
BUT I'm getting serious.
Reading the PY boards again.
Looking at projects like yours gett'in me Revved up, gives me some motivation to get off my A$$.

[68addict]

Looking good man. That is a tough project and I applaud your efforts. I am restoring a 68 HO HT. One day I will post what I did to it this summer

[Zoojelly]

Way past time to update this project
Spent $5780
Labor 528 hours
Alot of time redoing body work details like the windshield cowl area and trunk and sanding down bondo so it is just a thin layer so the rear side markers will stick out right.
While out of town summer of 2009 I took wiring and bumper with me to restore.
The project sat for about 1 1/2 years due to economic conditions and other priorities.
but was restarted last December.
I have the frame welded up and completed behind the front suspension and rebuilt the rear suspension, painted the dash, glove compartment and ash tray, painted the trunk splatter after a base coat.
The floor panels were patched with washing machine sheetmetal but the seat bolts are shorter because the metal was added to the previous floor, I insulated the floor and firewall with 2 layers of wood flooring insulation.

[Zoojelly]

Bumper repair and prime

[Zoojelly]

I am painting when weather is good and started seats when wet; The first seat bottom took 3 hours but I have a technique down, Stretch exactly where you want it, poke a hole where hog ring goes insert hog rings all along edge and clinch down a portion at a time.
I added lower control arm braces and replaced bushings, KYB shocks,new coil springs and insulators and lower sway bar.regretfully had to farm out pressing in control arm bushings for $20.
I am starting rebuild of pinion and wheel bearings and installing new brake lines and rear drum brake hardware.
step 6 floor panels
step 7 repair frame
step 8 rebuild rear suspension
step 9 paint body interior, firewall and trunk
step 10 brakes
After brakes is paint body exterior and sit body on frame!

[Zoojelly]

Dang!, Just as I was getting going, got Layed off again, This will give me some time to paint and get this body on frame

[webfoot]

Sorry to hear about your job. Looks like the car will be there soon though!

[Zoojelly]

Monday was a big day for the project, got some friends over and we sat the body down on the frame.
I have the covers on the front seats which was alot harder than it seems if you install hog rings in the inner seam of the seat bottom because of the stretching at the ring so I left the hog rings off the bottom and saved a little money using "chrome" door edge guards for the seat trim (walmart $8).
I added disc brakes off a 69 chevelle, new front control arm bushings, shocks, control arm shafts after I ruined the threads with a hammer trying to get the old bushings off, I ended up using a torch and chisel.
The spindles were were difficult to add to bare frame because no weight to push down a arm so I strapped a floor jack to both a arms and lifted the lower until the spindle fit.
ran new brake line and proportioning valve and new lines on rear axle.

[Zoojelly]

As you can see the back bushing are way out of wack. All the other bushings are fine, I had to replace all the braces underneath which is lots of fun trying to weld under the car.
The rear braces fit the trunk good but the second hole up was 1" off and the rear bolt hole does not have a inserted nut.
Lots of interesting challenges on these kind of projects.

[Zoojelly]

You can see I used two layers of floor padding for under the carpet and on the firewall I added a layer of windshield sun screen along the firewall for added heat protection.
I am going to add a white top and the pearl white color in the back should make it look like a white car from the rear and turquoise from the side. I am also going to royal bobcat the hood.
Things should start progressing fast now The garage was too low to add the trunk and I can progress with the dash and interior, I just got the assembly model for a 69 so I can attempt the conv. top.
I would like to know what happened to the missing 68 GTO Assembly manuals.

If I could have a secret power it would be to find lost things like that socket wrench my brother gave me, my flash drive the secretary gave "someone" and of course the arc of the covenant.

[Zoojelly]

last pic showed my rusty front fenders in the background, of course the damage is larger than available patch panels.
Here is my method of removing the front control arm bolts.

I also have for sale complete front bumper and lights off my lemans parts car and misc, side parking lights and drums and rotors ( all 68) very reasonable $$

[Baron Von Zeppelin]

You've got all my respect for keeping the dream alive through it all.
Thats been a BIG Project.

Looks like you've got it well under control.
I like the exterior two tone you're doing.

The red interior should make it a real conversation starter.
Pretty wild and unusual

Keep up the hard work and you'll be cruising soon.

[Zoojelly]

Thank you so much for your opinion, strange thing to me is I was trying to match original interior color and figured red went with green but my rear fender GTO decals turned out to be a test for color blind people which I sorta like.
I replaced the whole trunk bottom so that is where my alignment between the body bushings and frame is off 1 1/2 " but does not explain no nut in brace in rear bushing, these are either PY or good mark parts so they should be right.
I am actually thinking of drilling all the way thru the trunk and trough bolt at the brace hole and drilling a extra hole in the frame for the second hole up.
I also blasted and painted the 14" rims and initially gonna mount those with original wire hub caps with red line tires but the wheels will probably spin a little too easy with those small tires.
Also restored gas tank,seats,radiator core and inner fenders, got the dash tore apart and PY restored my clock, Next I want to figure out how to attach carpet strip to bottom of door panel.

[cas]

pm sent

[Zoojelly]

I am still at this project. I need help on where shifter arms go on 68 Hurst 4 speed. Mine is different than what I have been able to find on-line, I have one linkage on drivers side by itself, It may be the 3-4 linkage, and all the others were on the other side of the stick. All the exploded and assembly videos show all the linkages on one side of the stick.

[pugslyx234]

wow! Great to see this thread comin around again took me 10 years and still aint done.

[ilo]

From the original pictures that you posted it looks as if you have a short throw shifter arm installed.. does not look original.. should be a round bar with Hurst embossed on the side.

Good luck..

James