This 1968 Dodge Coronet 500 has had extensive metal work done to it, and before it goes to the body and paint shop, the team is test fitting all the trim to make sure it fits properly. This is an important step to ensure that the final product is everything the customer wants it to be.
The video shows the car in the fabrication shop, where it is completely media blasted and sprayed with a gray epoxy primer. Certain areas are bare steel where the team has been doing welding, panel gap fitment, and rust repair. However, the car is now at the point where the team wants to see how the trim fits before it goes to the body and paint shop.
This step is essential because it allows the team to identify any potential problems early on. For example, if a new or reproduction part doesn’t fit properly, the team can make the necessary adjustments before the car is painted. This saves time and money in the long run.
The 1968 Dodge Coronet 500 is a cool project car, and the team at V8 Speed and Resto Shop is excited to see it finished. The car has a 383 engine, 330 horsepower, and 425 foot-pounds of torque. It also has a fresh suspension. Everything on the car will be essentially brand new when it’s finished.
If you have a project car that you’re thinking about restoring or customizing, the team at V8 Speed and Resto Shop would be happy to chat with you!
The V8 Speed and Resto Shop Custom Fabrication Center is a full-service metal shop equipped with all the tools needed to repair or fabricate Muscle Car and Hot Rod body panels, consoles, brackets, suspension pieces, interior parts, and more.
From from rust repair to custom hoods, floors, custom firewalls, intake tubing, TIG welded mandrel-bent stainless steel exhaust, fan shrouds, custom aluminum oil reservoirs, shaved door handles, tightened door and panel gaps, and much more, the V8 Speed and Resto Shop Fabrication Center can do it all.
Equipment includes a Pullmax Power Hammer with a full assortment of custom dies, English Wheel, Slip Roller, Shrinker / Stretcher, Punch Press, Box and Pan Brake, Metal Shear, HTP TIG Welders, HTP MIG Welders, Cutting Torches, Plasma Cutters, Pro-Spot Spot Welder, Aluminum Welder, and many more.
Car Restoration Tips Patch Panel or Full Body Panel Replacement? V8 Speed & Resto Shop
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Car Restoration Tips Patch Panel or Full Body Panel Replacement? V8 Speed & Resto Shop
We’ve recently completed a 1970 Ford Mustang convertible restoration here at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop. This is a cool Mustang Restomod with a rich history, and has been in the same family since the summer of 1972! The V8 Speed team completely disassembled the car for rust repairs and suspension upgrades, fixed the rusty and damaged body, and repainted the Mustang in a nearly-original color.
It’s powered by a Ford 302 V8 backed by a C4 automatic transmission, and was equipped from the factory with air conditioning. Our customer drove the car often, as it was her first car back in 1972. Over the years, the ‘70 Mustang was driven by the next generation in the family, until it was wrecked in 1993 and subsequently parked. It had not been driven since then, and we were happy to return it to the road once completed.
The Restoration Process
The V8 Speed and Resto Shop team disassembled the entire car, and stripped all the paint to reveal previous damage and rust repairs. The convertible Mustang was mounted on a fixture in our fabrication shop to keep the body structure supported and true, and sheet metal repairs began. The quarter panels, rear tail panel, doors and floors were all replaced with new steel.
While this car is restored to appear original, we modified a few aspects of the car for better drivability, reliability, performance, and more enjoyment. For example, we installed an upgraded front suspension system from Rod and Custom Motorsports, which provides a tubular upper and lower control arm assembly based on the later Mustang II geometry. It also features an oversized sway bar and a rack and pinion steering unit for more precise control and modern Mustang Road feel. Improved front disc brakes are also installed, along with all new plumbing and brake lines to help the Mustang stop better. Familiar but upsized 17” Magnum 500 wheels from Scott Drake are wrapped in Bridgestone tires.
Watch The 1970 Ford Mustang Restoration Videos
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Adding Complimentary Technology That Fits The Theme
The 302 small block Ford V8 was rebuilt, and is now topped with a FiTech fuel injection system for modern-day reliability, which is also controlling the electronic distributor and ignition timing. This car came from the Ford factory with air conditioning, but we elected to install a more efficient A/C system from Vintage Air, which uses current refrigerant to cool the air. The front accessory drive is a black serpentine system from CVF Racing, complete with a high-flow water pump and higher output alternator.
The color is very close to the original Ford Medium Bright Blue, but it’s been tweaked a bit as preferred by the owner for a bit more… pop! And where the original paint was a single-stage blue, today’s urethane 2-stage basecoat / clearcoat shines far more than the original finish ever did.
New Interior With A Familiar Look
The V8 Speed and Resto Shop interior shop rebuilt the bucket seats and rear seat, upholstering them in the original white / parchment hue, and a new black carpet covers the sound-deadened floor. The top frame and hydraulic system was restored, and we installed a new white convertible top. Fresh glass looks crisp and clean, Dozens of new trim pieces from Classic Industries were installed to make things new again inside.
This family heirloom 1970 Mustang Convertible is nicer looking, and nicer to drive, than it was when it rolled off the assembly line brand new. We at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop are honored to have the opportunity to bring it to a new level for many more years of family enjoyment.
Weather It’s a stock original restoration, a mild restomod, a road-hugging pro-touring machine, a fiery hot rod, or a full-out custom, the V8 Team has what it takes to bring your dream car to life. Contact us anytime to chat about your desires and how we can create a one-of-a-kind ride just for you!
Author: Miguel Pujols Content: Great job, she’s better than new, hope the family enjoys for many smile per mile of years ahead! The classic always appeal to me its like stepping in a time machine, but a RestoMod where it counts makes it so much sweeter…
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Author: James Hutchins Content: Absolutely beautiful! Love the very sensible upgrades making her a sweet daily driver or a show car. A true win win.
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Author: Jason Hull Content: Looks so sharp and clean. You guys sure do good work. I would be honored to build classic’s with you guys ! Keep em coming. We can’t get enough of them. I’d love to see what you could do to My 1970 Camaro too. Lol
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Author: Rick Read Content: Absolutely gorgeous! I like every thing that was upgraded to modernize the car, I’m loving it!
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Author: JSR Roadrash Content: Your team does outstanding work. Beautiful Mustang with a great history.
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Author: Annatar the Maia Content: What comes out of your workshops isn’t work, it’s art.
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Author: Trip Reviews Content: Although I like an all original mustang this is a fantastic updated 1970 Mustang. The classic look has been maintained and yet it is new. Nice. 👍
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Author: GPLIPP Content: Another home run guys. Well done!!
Author: Charles Dalton Content: There are so many things well done on this car but I kept coming back to the panel gaps. They look like they were cut with a laser – holy mackerel!
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Author: KFH Content: More great work… A Real Beauty!!!
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Author: Codename C.A.R.S Content: Nice car!
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Author: John R Smith Content: I had the identical car, except mine had the deluxe interior, which included a console. Absolutely the worst car I ever owned, because of a complete lack of quality control during assembly. Virtually everything was wrong with the car, and I only owned it for 3500 miles. Sad, because it was a neat little car.
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Author: Kenan Turkiye Content: There’s something about metallic blue and chrome on a good car.
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Author: echoi Content: This restomod is the gold standard on what a restomod should be. Compared to cars with chrome air cleaners, chrome valve covers, Obnoxious 20″ rims, those generic jeep LED units, and obnoxiously loud speakers in the back. Eeewww
There are a lot of details to watch when replacing a quarter panel!
Quarter panels are the large, steel body panels that reach from the trailing edge of the door to the rear taillight panel, and from the roof down to the lower rocker panel and wheel opening on a Classic or Muscle Car.
Quarter panels are integral structural parts of the car, and play a significant role in the construction, strength, and safety of the car’s body and chassis. Some cars, like Chevrolet Camaros, are not body-on-frame construction, meaning the body itself is the main structure of the car. These are known as “unit-body” or “unibody” designs, and are also found in Pontiac Firebirds, Chevrolet Novas, Dodge Challengers, Plymouth Roadrunners, Ford Mustangs, and many other popular classic and Muscle Cars.
Over time, quarter panels are prone to wear, rust, and crash damage, and are often in need of repair or replacement. Many new reproduction quarter panels exist for popular cars. When new panels are not available, original equipment panels can often be sourced from a donor car, reconditioned, and installed on another car… if done properly. Continue reading for the details!
If you have rust or damage in your classic car, muscle car, hot rod, or truck, you have some options when it comes to sheet metal body repair panels. One option is to replace the entire panel, be it a quarter panel, fender, floor section, trunk floor, roof skin, dashboard, or other body panel.
The other option is to replace a section of the panel, cutting it in the middle and only welding in what is needed. Which is the better option, full panel replacement or patch panel installation? This video attempts to answer that question as shown at the V8 Speed and Resto Shop.
Our team performs original factory style complete body panel replacements as well as patch panel installation, as we have the tools and experience to complete both types of repairs that are nearly undetectable when completed. Our fabrication shop uses resistance spot welders and TIG welders to install quarter panels, trunk floors, trunk drop-down panels, cabin floors, rocker panels, fenders, and more.
Contact the V8 Speed & Resto Shop if your classic car, muscle car, hot rod, truck, or other restoration project vehicle has rust or damage to repair.
The V8 Speed & Resto Shop had the immense privilege of restoring this truly exceptional 1951 Chevrolet pickup truck, which held a deeply sentimental place in the customer’s heart as it once belonged to their beloved Grandfather.
The truck arrived at the V8 Speed & Resto Shop on multiple trailers, bearing the marks of its history as a hardworking farm truck with extensive rust and damage accumulated over decades. Our passionate team embarked on a journey to breathe new life into this treasure, undertaking a comprehensive restoration that encompassed rust repair, meticulous bodywork, striking paint work, a heart-pounding V8 engine conversion, and the meticulous restoration of the dump-truck bed and mechanism originally installed by the customer’s Grandfather.
After the final touches were applied, the family set out on an unforgettable voyage, driving the truck from their grandparent’s farm in Northwest Illinois to Liberty Lake, Washington. Along the way, they graciously shared captivating photos of their adventure. Thankfully, the journey unfolded smoothly, devoid of any hiccups, allowing them to savor every moment of this extraordinary experience. Join us as we journey through an inspiring American Road Trip in a cherished family heirloom truck!
Building the turbocharged 1971 Oldsmobile Cutlass called the “S71” at the V8 Speed & Resto Shop. This was a great project from the early days of our shop, and it would still hold its own today. The Olds required some rust repair and metalwork, and after paint, we completed the assembly of the S71 Olds and fired up the turbocharged BTR Performance built 422 cubic inch Olds V8 for the first time. The engine is managed by a FAST XFI 2.0, a self-learning advanced electronic fuel injection system which will keep our turbo engine in proper tune at all times. Following the restored interior parts from YearOne, we bolted on a set of Weld Racing S71 (no relation!) wheels and Toyo Proxes 4 Plus tires and we were ready to roll.
Click “Read More” for the complete photo gallery and videos!
