Ol' Blue Hair getting the restomod treatment

[Phoenix_400]

Well, now that I've got my engine (Thanks Cotton!), its time to start tearin' the car down. I've decided to go ahead and do a full frame-off restoration. This gonna take a couple of years at least. I'll be posting stuff up every now and then. Here's an idea of what I'm starting with. 85 T-type. She's a basket case but she was dirt cheap

My new 87 engine (with all conversion parts) sitting at Richard Clark's.

The interior before I started stripping it out today.

Found THIS behind the rear seat.

 

[Phoenix_400]

And it seems I can never get my hands on a car with a solid floor

Also have the original wheels sittin' in the bed of the old pick-up in the one pic.
....The vendors here are gonna LOVE me:biggrin:

 

[turbo39151]

Looks like you have some work cut out for you. I think it'll be a fun project.

Make sure you take your time and draft up an extensive list of what needs to be done and what kind of pricing you expect... Might turn out to be more than you want to spend...

Not trying to dissuade you, just speaking from experience. Once you start, it will be hard to stop...

Good luck and keep the pics coming... I love those blue T's

 

[Phoenix_400]

Luckily I've got friends with a performance shop. I can get lift time on the weekends and a lot of help from them. Cotton got me a good engine. Not sure what kind of shape the transmission in the car is in. The only thing I'm really going to have to farm out is the body work, everything else can be handled by myself and my friends at Epic Motorsports. We'll see just how bad she is once I get to the point of sandblasting (hopefully I won't have to get a new shell). If it takes a few years, then that's what it'll take. Hoping to bring the whole thing in under $30k when its all said and done. My luck, she'll go well over.

I've always loved these cars. Wanted a Grand National since I was a kid. Labor of Love costs what its gonna cost and takes as long as its gonna take.

I'm already putting together an extensive parts list. Between Kirban's and G-body parts I think I can get everything I need for her body. SC&C is going to be my main supplier of suspension goodies. Power comes from various vendors on the board.

Here's the overall plan so far. You guys can critique it. The plan is kinda restomod/sleeper. A decent, all-round performer. I build cars in my head when I'm bored

Body:
sandblast body
new body bushings
Replace nose cone and headlight buckets
floor pan
bumper fillers
add front air-dam and rear spoiler
doors have rust along bottom edges (reskin or replace whole doors depending on cost)
patch lower quarter
repaint factory blue and undercoat bottom side.
de-badge any turbo and T-type emblems on car.
Weather stripping

Interior:
Most of the interior panels are reusable (if I can de-mold/mildew the dash).
Replace carpet
Replace Headliner
Map light conversion
Dynamat
Aftermarket parts will be reupholstered to match factory interior. Everything integrated to look factory if you didn't know the cars well. (seats, shifter handle, steering wheel, etc)
Corbeau Sport Seats
Grant Steering wheel w/ buick shield horn button.
VDO Vision series gauges
B&M megashifter
Custom console and stereo by Steve (friend and audio/electrical guru. The man can fiberglass like nobody's business)
Move e-brake up to console for handbrake
Stick a CB in it (I'm from Bama, they're great for long car trips:biggrin

Chassis/Suspension:
sandblast and undercoat frame
Call SC&C...order EVERTHING:biggrin:
Bilstein shocks
Moog 5658/5413 spring combo
street comp stage II package
upper&lowers in the rear
Weld-in Watts link
F&R swaybars
Rear seat braces
Front braces

Brakes:
Keep the Hydroboost
braided lines
powerslot rotors
Hawk HPS pads
softer rear shoes
S10 wheel cylinders

Wheels/Tires:
Wheel Vintiques Billet Buick 104 series. 17x8 front, 17x9 rear
Tires...maybe some Michilen Pilot Sport 2 (undecided on this at the moment)

Drivetrain:
Going to get it running stock 1st then modify once I'm sure its all solid. Long as she's running good I can drive her around and mod as I go.
Engine
TE60
50lbs injectors
Adj fuel pressure regulator
Walbro
Duttneck mod intercooler
LC-1 Wideband
Powerlogger
TT chip (SD or 6.0...hmmmm)
Alky
Cotton's 2.5" exhaust (drop a 3rd small muffler in place of testpipe for extra stealth)
Transmission
PTC 10" 2800 stall
Transgo shiftkit
Deeper pan
Flex-a-lite (or better, suggestions?) tranny cooler
Driveshaft safety loop (front u-joint came apart on me at 110 in my TA when I was 16. This particular part is non-negotiable on any RWD car I own)

This is what's in my head so far. Now its just a matter of critiquing the plan as she starts coming back together and I slowly gather money to pay for this over the next few years.

 

[turbo39151]

Looks like a good plan so far. I think that under $30k is a ideal. Not sure if I'd drop that kinda coin on an 85... Not bashing, just being realistic. What happens if you decide to sell? Take a look at what people are selling decent 86's and 87's for...

Anyway, looking at the floor pan, I think that you might have more rust lurking around in there... I'd have it checked thoroughly and then have the blasting and the repair priced in addition to the paint. Paint and body is very expensive- Especially if it's done right... A decent paint job, these days, usually runs $5-6 k, that doesn't include the body work and it looks like you'll need more than a little.

As all TR projects, this might spiral out of control expense-wise.

Have you found real world prices for all the stuff you listed???

Might want to do that to see how quick it adds up. Then there's all the little details...

Again, not bashing or anything, just working from my experience. These cars demand all your money...

 

[Phoenix_400]

I don't consider it bashing at all. You give reasonable advice. I'll try to explain where I'm coming from with this.

Its not even about the money or worth of the car for me. Money is secondary to seeing the vision in my head realized and enjoying the car. I've come to the conclusion that any hobby I enjoy I'm gonna lose money on. I like quirky, odd things. I tend to look more at life experience rather than financial prospects.

Example: I had a 94 Rx7 at one point in my life. Always wanted one. Got it for $12g. I drove the hell out of it. My lanky 6'2" frame didn't fit in it right, but it was fun. When the motor popped (as all rotaries eventually do), I sent it down to Rotorsports Racing with an $18k build list (3mm apex seals, street port, GT35r, power fc, ect). I decided I wanted to try something else so I sold them the shell for $4g's ($8g loss) before they started work on it. I looked at cars with similar mods to what I planned and what they were going for. Counting the price of the car w/ the planned mods and what similarly spec'ed cars were going for, I would've lost $8g's that way too. Lost my 4th point of contact on that deal but I can't say I regret any of it.

Figure if I can bring it in under $30k, I've got a nice, fast, rare car on my hands. Its a vision in my head given form (that alone is worth the cost). Its better than going out and buying a new Mustang GT for the same price (or pretty much any new car these days) and having to make loan payments and such. Plus, a new mustang wouldn't stand a chance against it

I am a little disappointed at the rust I've found. The car sat for a long time without a driver's side window. Its why I've tacked on another couple of years to see this project completed (unless I suddenly fall into a pile of money or sumthin'). I've got an engine and transmission and what looks to be a solid frame though, that's all I need to work with. If its too far gone, I'll just find a base regal/cutlass/monte in decent shape and toss everything in there instead :biggrin:

I've priced around for everything I know I need (or want) so far. I just need to put it all into a spreadsheet now. Putting tires on it in a couple of weeks so I can roll it into the shop, put her on a lift, and strip out the drivetrain. I'll get a good look at the underside of the car then too. I'm holding out on getting price quotes for the body work until I've got the car completely stripped down. I'll have a pro come look her over then.

Basically, I'm crazy and I'm extremely patient....and I have a good daily driver:biggrin:

 

[Phoenix_400]

Also, most of the original engine is in the trunk. For a $500 car, its a heck of a deal. Anything I don't reuse that's still in decent shape and/or cleans up nice will be sold to help fund this. (emblems, front seats, possibly original block, heads, etc). I'll be taking inventory and catergorizing into 'Reuse', 'Sell', 'Junk' piles once she's stripped.

 

[turbo39151]

Sounds like you have a plan. I always have to budget so I think about my projects from that standpoint.

You may want to pay a visit to the "engine" section here... You might discover that the engine build and trans build are kinda pricey too...

I just dropped a bunch of money on an engine build just to discover (stupidly, since I should have planned better) that I need a more beefy trans to handle the power (beefy=$$$$$$) Then there's the matter of the rear end handling the power, the axles, etc... It never seems to end.

While I like your blue T and think it's a cool project, I think that you'd better have it stripped out first and REALLY look at all the rust and the cost of repair. If it's doable- I say go for it. I always like to see another TR saved.

Might be easier to source a regular regal from AZ or CA or somewhere in the desert to get over that rust issue. Might be cheaper to buy and ship a non-rusted car than attempt to fix a rusted one... Just a though- guess it depends on what you guys find.

Either way, I think it's going to be a fun project. You might want to look over a few other restoration/build threads on here to get an idea of what other guys are doing...

 

[TWIN86GNS]

I think that you'd better have it stripped out first and REALLY look at all the rust and the cost of repair. If it's doable- I say go for it. I always like to see another TR saved.

Might be easier to source a regular regal from AZ or CA or somewhere in the desert to get over that rust issue. Might be cheaper to buy and ship a non-rusted car than attempt to fix a rusted one... Just a though- guess it depends on what you guys find.

Pheonix,

Read the above again very closely and think about it. I just spent a ton of money and an even larger amount of time (without my car since it was in the body shop) for a car that had just a "tiny" bit of rust!!!

My floors didn't have holes like that and my car had been kept inside for most of its life, the problem is that these G-bodys are rusters!!

Good luck with your project what ever way you decide to go.