Start frame off restoration 15 plus years earlier on a basket case suncoupe. No drive train nothing forward of cowl. Car sat outside for years getting pounded by northeast weather. Completely disassemble everything.disassemble donor gs 4 speed car and pack everything away. Label and container most remaing fastners and parts.purchase pieces and parts for last 35 years. Pack basment attic shed and garage with parts from every car ever owned. Finally finish rebuilding body and chassis 2018. Off to paint. Get back beautiful car shell. Eager to start reassembly. Can't remember where anything is. Spent days tearing house garage shed and attic apart. Every part being sourced is not wanting to be found. Finally things start coming together car starting to take shape. Build huge work bench and start empting totes and organizing like a mad man. Today a year after coming home from paint Its looking like a car again. Still go a way to go but damn the before and after of this thing is unbelievable. I may never get back what I got into it but I'm damn sure going to drive the wheels off it. You can bet there won't be another 4 speed 455 sun coupe in stock stealth trim at the local cruise.
I just finished a restro on my suncoupe that started in 2006 in Blaine MN. Moved to Alb New Mexico having the car transported and like you, everything was in containers. Moved back to Mn in 2012 had the car transported back to MN Again. most of the parts were in containers. I just got it on the road. I know what you went through, not easy trying to find all the parts and some that were left in New Mexico that were forgot. Anyway, it is so great to finally drive it! I have a friend who does photography and when she does the photo shoot I will post them on the site. $40.000 spent not incl my labor. Price of driving it "PRICELESS".
one of my favorite cars and color, you should be proud! keep the pics coming. I was 12 years old when dad got him a red one out of the showroom floor then later he gave it to my brother. the dummy sold it up north somewhere and I always keep saying I should've gotten that car. It would still be in my possession. Instead I got the 73 stage-1 4spd.
Thanks. part of the reason it's been slow is I'm having My son do a lot of the assembly as a father son project and hes a busy guy. I'll get some more pics posted to show the progress and better before photos. It was a mess. Only a fool would even consider fixing it. The boy is the reason behind the insanity. When he was six he saw the green "parts"car in the yard After telling him what it was he said that he wanted to build it when he got older. When he became a teenager He still talked about building it. I knew it would be a real challenge to bring back such a wreck but when I realized I had almost everything to put it back together I decided what the hell. Why not and the father son project started. The boy was given a set of tools a Sharpe and containers and boxes and I let him loose to disassemble the car. Hes done a little bit of everything on the project since the project started. He's 25 now and his daily driver is a 2003 regal GS and he has made all design decisions on the car and i love the stealth look he chose. We put the original "350" badges and trim back on Sunday and I love that a healthy 455 lurks under the hood, with a m21 4 speed and positrac rear. As soon as he finishes the exterior assembly the no frills original interior with split bench seat is ready to go in with a really clean 4 speed console courtesy of a 1971 GS that was well beyond saving but loaded with a full drive train parts.
Car is looking great, you may have to customize the split bench seat if you're going to use a consolette they were only used on Bucket seat cars .
Fantastic job and plan. 4 speed Sun Coupe. I wanted to do that to mine but couldn't bring myself to undo an all original car. Hope to see it someday! Kudos my man!
We test fit the console and used a bench seat shift handle. Also have a set of buckets if my son wants to go in that direction. The beauty of resurecting a basket case is there is no guilt of ruining an original and it's technically a blank canvas to do whatever we want with no regrets. Bonus was cleaning up some of my hoard of parts.
The dash rebuild with old skool sun tach in the left opening behind the original dash lens and trim is super slick,
