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Eleanor (the forever restoration)

updated: Apr 23rd 2008 @ 07:19 AM
This is Eleanor, as she looked when her PO brought her home 8/1/90.  A bit different than she looked when we brought her home!!
 
 
Ok, here's Eleanor. She's a 73 Mach 1, original WNY car. We bought her from a woman that had owned her for years, but had not had her on the road for a while. She used to work at a local perfomance shop, and we rememebered the car from back then. She really didn't want to sell, but didn't have the skills or $$ to fix her up (neither did we, to be honest). The real end came when the barn she was stored in came down in a windstorm-and part of it landed on the pass. quarter!! Big dent, but the window was spared. We passed on buying her the first time we looked at her (I found her online, but then realized we had to drive past the house where she was on our way home!!). Too much work. Then she sat there-and we drove past on the way to work, and the way home. We looked again, and passed again-still too much work!

Then, one day, at about 11pm, we drove by and she was up on a car trailer!!! OMG, someone BOUGHT OUR CAR!!! We had to know, so we stopped, knocked on the door, and-she wasn't sold. The code enforcement officer was having fits because the car wasn't registered/insured-but it was perfectly legal if she was on a registered trailer-so, up on the trailer she went. So, knowing we just weren't going to be ok with someone else buying her, we made a deal then & there. Part of the deal was that they were going to drop her off-so when he got her to our house, it was decided that I was the only one that could fit in the car with the railing on the trailer (the door barely opened). So, I got to bring her off the trailer. Anyone that's ever sat in a big body can imagine how nervous I was-that's not a rear window, it's a skylight!!! But it went ok, and the saga begain.

She was in WAY worse shape than we had hoped. And she eats motors-she's on her third 302!! So, here's some pics (I'll be back in the next little while to update this more, with better descriptions and more fun little stories about our lil project that I've dubbed "Project Sleep Depravation"\"smile\"


This is on the trailer, before we brought her home:


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This is the pass side, before we got anything done. Prevous owner's fiance had cut off the bottom part of the door to fix it, but then never did-had to replace the whole door. Check out the dent from the barn:


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The big dent, during warmer weather, we've already replaced the pass door in this pic:


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All the inner fender aprons needed to be replaced, as well as the pass side shock tower and the rad support, so we did that the first summer:


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New hood (the old one was rusted-and dented. Apparently the cops were called due to a domestic dispute in the upper apartment where the previous owner lived-so the male involved decided to jump out the window to avoid them. He landed on Eleanor's hood):


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Before we took her in for major rust repair, we were driving her. Luckily, this time we were heading over to a friends house to let him hear the (third) motor, since he sold it to us. A lifter broke on the way!! The "creature" on the air cleaner housing is known amongst the YMR as "evil supper pappy"-I blame him for the broken rocker:


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When we got to taking the interior out to have someone we know do the floor pans, we found this HUGE salt deposit *cringe*:


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What was left of the pass side floor pan:


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Toe board on the driver's side:


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Old pass quarter off, and wheel can out. We had someone we know do this work-he's a welder by trade, and a Mustang-o-holic. I think he's got around 10 classics, mostly basket cases:


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New Quarter on, up on the trailer to come home:


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Once we got her home, we had to prime, paint and seam seal everything. BUT, before we did anything, I used some "rustmort" (OMG, that stuff STINKS!) to "kill" any remaining rust (I took a week off of work to do this stuff-we had to get her drivable to get to a specific show):


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At that show:


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With her award, for "Best Under Construction"-this was her second year winning this award. She's been there each year that this show has been there-three years now. I pestered the people that run the show into having this class, so we feel like we should make it each year!! When we got her back, we had to run: Brake lines, Fuel lines, install the gas tank, re-install the lights and rear bumper, prime, paint & seam seal the interior (in additon to the Rustmort, which cannot be painted for 24 hours after its applied), tune her back up, install some sort of interior, replace the shocks, and I'm sure I forgot something-we had about a week to do all of it. And we did! Each year, before the show, we're usually up into the morning hours every night for a week before that show-hence the nickname (Project Sleep Depravation).


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We've still got A LOT to do-the driver side quarter needs a patch panel, the drivers side door jamb is rotted through, there's one more inner fender apron on the drivers side that needs replaced....and so many other things that if I typed it all I'd prolly cry, lol.
 
Well, we spent the summer working on her new "home".  She finally moved in today.  Now she has a bay that is seperated from the other garage (and most importantly-the Greeen 1!!!)
 

 
 
Started back on the resto this spring (07).  Driver quarter skin is coming out:
 

 
 
And we've got some work to do on the wheelhouse:
 

 
 
For how much bondo was in the rear of this car, we must have shed a few hundred pounds of weight by replacing both quarters and the tail light panel!
 
Well, we ended up replacing the whole wheelhouse and quarter skin on the driver side.  We also decided to go for broke on the motor and ordered a 347 stroker from T &  L engines, backed by a built C4.  On her first run down the street, she managed to sheer the stud off of the brand new B&M torque converter.  So, we got a new one, but winter came quick and her tranny's out and the drive shaft is dropped so the torque converter can be replaced.  Once that's done, we're picking up new headers and we still need to get the cage installed.
 
Here's a pic from last year, before she broke the converter.  This is a temp rattle can spray job, to test which yellow we want to go with.  It will probably be Grabber Yellow:
 

We also finally picked up the last rim we needed to pt ont he hubcaps, so we'll have to get tires and mount them so she has the right wheels.

Website for the original Gone movie:
Gone website

This is the original Eleanor, a still shot from the movie:

http://www.gonein60seconds.com/gone/images/9.%20Eleanor.jpg
[ remotely linked image: click here ]














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The greeen one7428 views
Eleanor (the forever restoration)1869 views
The DD & misc pics1320 views

Last 3 User Comments
thess6225
Jul 21st, 2009 @ 11:15 AM


“”
Replying to:
Replying to:

Hey folks, I was wondering if someone out there with an 88-93 Fox convertible could do me a favor.  I am looking for a picture of the of the ‘A’ pillar post window weather strip showing the weather strip and inside trim molding (the molding on the inside of the pillar post) and another detail picture of where the pillar post molding meets the door seal molding.  I am redoing this and need an example – my car was repaired long before I purchased it and they kind of did a ‘custom’ job on this area.  I want it to be right this time.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

 

 

Tim

 what is your location I will let you look over my car and take the pix you need

rick

 


Add Reply

 


I appreciate the offer but I am trying to get this wrapped up for a show this weekend so not time for a visit.  I think I have my anser though.  Found out the re-man parts are different than stock.  Not the best answer for originality but it will work.  Thanks for the offer.

- Tim

plstktnkr2
Jul 21st, 2009 @ 9:19 AM


“”
Replying to:

Hey folks, I was wondering if someone out there with an 88-93 Fox convertible could do me a favor.  I am looking for a picture of the of the ‘A’ pillar post window weather strip showing the weather strip and inside trim molding (the molding on the inside of the pillar post) and another detail picture of where the pillar post molding meets the door seal molding.  I am redoing this and need an example – my car was repaired long before I purchased it and they kind of did a ‘custom’ job on this area.  I want it to be right this time.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

 

 

 

Tim

 what is your location I will let you look over my car and take the pix you need

rick

 


Add Reply

 

thess6225
Jul 20th, 2009 @ 8:18 AM


“”

Hey folks, I was wondering if someone out there with an 88-93 Fox convertible could do me a favor.  I am looking for a picture of the of the ‘A’ pillar post window weather strip showing the weather strip and inside trim molding (the molding on the inside of the pillar post) and another detail picture of where the pillar post molding meets the door seal molding.  I am redoing this and need an example – my car was repaired long before I purchased it and they kind of did a ‘custom’ job on this area.  I want it to be right this time.

 

 

Thanks,

 

 

Tim

 



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