Master Plan #3

Soon after tearing into the new convertible that I had bought I found that the front frame and everything attached to it was completely rusted out.  Nothing I could have replaced, forward of the dash, could have been welded to anything that also didn't need to be replaced.  This was the demise of Master Plan #1. "simply replace all rusty parts with good aftermarket parts".  (still looking for the old pictures that show the extent of the rust)

In my over excited youth, I decided to cut off the front of my convertible, from mid-rocker panel forward, and replace it with the front end of a 1967 coupe parts car that I bought for $150.  I figured this was a good plan, however several years of school and family time left these cut up pieces sitting outside.  They didn't rust much more than they already were, but by the time I got a house with a big enough garage to start working on the car again, I realized that the coupe front end was bent out of square.  This started looking like as big of a project as replacing all the old rusty part on the original convertible, so I scrapped the old coupe front end.  And here ends Master Plan #2, "chop two rusty cars in half to make one slightly less rusty car, THEN replace all the rusty parts with good ones".  (I know I have pictures of this franken-stang somewhere, but again, I'm still looking for them.  I'll post them once I track them down.)

Now to my current plan, Master Plan #3.  I found another '67 coupe parts car with less rust than the one I cut in half and managed to pick it up for $100.  Of course it has rust.  A lot. But the frame is in good shape and from measurements it appears to be square.  So now I know that it would at least drive down the road straight compared to Master Plan #2.  I still also have rear end of the convertible along with the dash and convertible windshield frame and front cowl.  This newest coupe will now provide the base frame and act as a jig for my convertible parts.  I'm starting out by getting a solid frame under the whole thing before I start replacing the rust parts with new ones.  I need to replace the old rusty LH front torque box and add one to the LH side.  Then I'll replace the old outer rockers and add the inner rocker panels that stiffen up the convertible frame.  At this time I'll also replace the rear torque boxes with the proper convertible ones.  From there I'll start adding all the extra convertible stiffening pieces along the floor pans and behind the back seat.  Once I have a solid stiff frame I'll chop the top off and put the convertible windshield frame on.

I know it's possible to replace the inner/outer rockers and the floor pans on a convertible without compromising the square of the frame, but I decided I might as well keep the roof on the coupe for a little added structural stability until I get the convertible frame finished.

I've taken a mental inventory list on the car and figured that it will be mostly new aftermarket sheet metal with a few key frame members that will belong to the coupe with an equal amount of parts from the original convertible.  The good this is that the convertible sheet metal that bolts on and the convertible top is still in decent shape so most of the car should be from the original convertible GT that I bought over 13 years ago.