Dark Ivy 1970 Mustang 428 C.J. Mach 1, Restoration
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The owner never considered he'd get a green Mach 1 with the rare white stripes and shaker . . .
. . . when he brought us THIS to have the fenders re-aligned and some work done on the front bumper-mounts.
But the 428 Cobra Jet was there.
The fenders were dipped in the caustic tank, and it was easy to see we wouldn't be using them.
Look closely. That's a coffee can, complete with the bottom, used to patch some rust in the inner-quarter floor area. We saved the coffee can.
The deck-lid was a bit snug in the opening, from the factory. Restoration sometimes means CHANGING what the factory did. Sometimes with hydraulics.
With all the red paint ground away, vestiges of the Dark Ivy Green were showing up in a few sheltered areas of the body.
Sheet metal mock-up.
Fiberglass is bonded inside the fenders to protect from flying rocks.
One photo just can't explain that there were hundreds of hours of block-sanding and fine-tuning the fit of the unibody.
Bobby applies the PPG base-coat.
Fresh from the paint shop, ready for suspension and door assembly.
The factory sound-deadener is duplicated inside the quarter panels, but with enough fiberglass to protect against sliding golf-clubs.
The FE is detailed, beginning with the Ford Corporate Blue we use matched from another '70. Ribbed hose, tower clamps.
Ford's 428 Cobra Jet.
and we liked it even more after carefully guiding it into the tight engine bay.
Niel got to have some fun getting those 428 decals to line up with the painted white stripes.
Three of us guide the hood into place, and finalize its fit.
The owner originally told us there was NO WAY he'd build a car with a green interior.
The Cobra Jet, alive at last.
