LTDMan's '87 Ford LTD Crown Victoria LX (The Blue Beast) *DUW*

[mrltd]

Should be fun aligning everything.

[Pirate]

You know, while you have the front clip off of it, it might not be a bad idea to rebuild the front suspension...I'm looking at crumbling upper control arm bushings in a few of those pictures...

[LTDMan83]

Yea, pretty much all the Front Suspension bushings are ready to be Buttered, because they are Toast. I have the Front Suspension rebuild w/ ES Poly Bushings planned in the future, for when I remove the Front Clip again, to paint all the jambs.

Getting everything aligned correctly shouldn't be much of a problem, although sometimes things do have to be modified to fit correctly. They make me reassemble and realign freshly painted cars at my work at least 2-3 times every week, so I'm pretty much use to the aggravation that comes along with that by now.

[LTDMan83]

Body Progress...

Had the day off from work today, so I got started mocking-up the fenders on the body and getting the doors into rough alignment.

After getting everything into rough alignment and standing back to check it out, it became clear that I did not put the correct thickness of Shims under the Core Support. So now, it all has to come back off again so that I can put the correct shims in. Aggravating having to do things twice, but the spacing between the Frame and Core Support is crucial to getting the body lines to be absolutely straight, and flowing smooth down the entire car. These are the kind of things that you go through when you are replacing 65% of a cars bolt-on body panels.

So, I started pulling off the Core Support again, and then it starts raining, supposed to rain for the next few days...typical. So I guess this will all be put off again until next week when I have more free time.

[ÆJackacks]

Even though I'm eliminating rust, I still find myself prepping and coating any areas which could even possibly rust in the future.

So do you bring it down to the metal when you do these area's or can you put that por 15 stuff on the paint?

keep up the good/pain in the ass work.

[LTDMan83]

Thanks!

Por15 recommends that their product always be applied to (Etched) Bare Metal or (Seasoned) Rusted Surfaces, but also says that good adhesion can be achieved on Smooth/Unprepped surfaces as long as you use their Metal Ready product first.

So far, all the Rusty areas I have been taking down to Bare Metal using Media Blasting, and then Converting, Etching, and then Painting w/ the Por15. The areas which are still good, but could possibly rust in the future, I am sanding off all the Undercoating/Base coat all the way down to the E-Coat, which is the gray looking primer that covers the bare metal of the entire car, and then Etching the E-Coat before applying the Por15. Seems to be holding up excellent, I even took a roofing hammer and beat on one part of the frame that I coated a few weeks beforehand, to see if it would chip, and it is rock solid! Later in the project, I will also be using Por15's Self-Etching Primer to paint over the Por15 before applying the base coat or Undercoating over it.

I've personally never seen any Rust-Proofing product which compared to Por15. I only wish I would have found about about this stuff a few years ago, it could have saved me alot of work the times that I have been contracted to repair rust in other peoples vehicles.

[LTDMan83]

Also, in case anyone is wondering, I have decided for certain that this will be the color that I'm painting the car:

Deep Wedgewood Blue

[p71towny]

That is a very sexy color.

[79lincolnlover]

Will you be adding white pin-stripes?

[RunUoveR]

great project, really enjoy all the pics

i swapped frames on my 85 cutlass when i wrecked it a few years ago. me and my buddy used wood fence posts and floor jacks to lift the body up with the fence posts going side to side on the car and cinderblocks on each side. we rolled the original frame out and the new frame back in and then lowered it back down. took about 2 months all together after stripping the parts car, swapping bodies annd putting in a bigger motor and stronger rear while we were at it


but anyway, good luck on the project. cant wait for more pics

[LTDMan83]

Thanks Guys

Will you be adding white pin-stripes?

Without a doubt. I even know a guy who does Custom Pinstriping, and would give me a good deal.

[86VickyLX]

Will you be adding white pin-stripes?

I know it's stupid sounding, but you should have it the same color as the interior. Every panther I've seen that had pinstriping had the same color as the interior. For example, Vicky, has a dark blue interior, so dark blue pinstripe. The '94 Aero, has a sandy interior color, so tan pinstriping. Just an idea.

[LTDMan83]

I'm installing a Brown Interior into the car. I'm not sure if Brown Pinstriping would look right on a Dark Blue paintjob. Blue base coat w/ white pinstripes kind of go together on a car, which is why I've been set on getting White Pinstriping ever since I decided to paint the car dark blue. I wouldn't mind trying my hand at playing around with photoshopping different colors of pinstripes, onto pics of the car with it's stock paintjob, and seeing what would look best.

I have decided to go with the factory stock style LTD Vic Pinstriping for the car, on the Hood and Decklid, but am probibly gonna replicate the factory Marquis Pinstriping on the sides of the car, as I like it a little better.

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As for the Current Progress:

I have finished pulling the Core Support back off, getting it correctly shim'd, and re-installing it. It was a PITA, but necessary. We have been having some really nice weather lately, so it wasn't much of a hassle doing the work outside.

Yesterday, I had a free day for myself, so I started work on aligning the PS of the car. Went pretty smooth for the most part, and the PS of the Body is now pretty much what we in the autobody industry like to call "Factory Perfect". In other words it doesn't get any better without major modification to the body, and structural members. The body looks damn Straight though, and the body lines flow just as nice as they did with the Original Panels, on the PS of the car. The DS however is already shaping up to look 10X straighter than it did before. I can already tell from how she is coming out, that this will be a car I will one day be proud to drive down the street, and show off to fellow car lovers at Classic Car shows.

I still have the entire DS to align, which would be getting done today, but its raining again...

More pics to come soon, after I finish getting the DS of the Body into Factory Perfect alignment.

[LTDMan83]

Body Alignment is Complete!

Finally finished the Alignment of the body, for the most part. It can still get a little better from here though, with a little tweaking here and there, which I will do over time.

I took the pics from low angles, which is the best way to see the straightness of the body. Keep in mind, that the top body line on these cars is meant by design, to run in a slight Arch from front to back, across the entire car, and not to go in an exact straight line. If you go back and compare the original pics of the car, to these, you can see that the entire car is quite abit Straighter now than it was Originally, especially on the DS. I also have all 4 Doors, opening and closing like a brand new car would, with a stiff breeze. That always makes me happy.

On with teh pics....


















and here's the Box that gave up all its Mint parts, to help to make this box into a showcar. It was Rear Ended pretty damn hard, for anyone who doesn't know. It is now completely stripped, though I still have to pull the Engine and AOD (which are both in very good shape), as well as the special Wagon Steelies it has on it, and probibly all the glass as well, and then she's going to the big Junk Yard in the sky. Sure was a Damn good, and reliable car, while I had it. May she RIP.











Next up, comes pulling the Fenders back off, and getting started on completely Restoring them, as well as all the mounting points for everything on the Body/Core Support/Frame. Not to mention the Fender Liners, Battery Tray, Hood, Header Panel and a Metric shit ton of old hardware. Lots of work to do, should keep me fairly busy for the next few months during my free time. I love the way she's coming together, and the look that is coming out. I am pleased thus far.


I'm also picking up an '87 Marquis early next month to build up into my next DD, and satisfy my urge to drive a Full-Size RWD car on a daily basis. As well as working with my new business partner, getting the shop ready, and collecting Tools and Supplies to get our bodyshop up and running. We hope to be open for business in late 2009 or Early 2010. You mangs have no idea how much I am looking forward to working for myself, and carving out my own niche, my way, in my part of the world.

[Jason_GMQ91]

look good! at the last pic you posted...I am kinda loves the vent windows on the front doors. I wish that vent windows on my '91 GM.