Apollo Blue XB GT Build

Apollo66 · 15-06-2009, 03:45 PM

Hi all, thought I share some pic's of my rebuild which happened back in 05-06. What started out as a tidy up ended up a full strip and rebuild to be ready for the 2007 GT Nat's in Perth. Rebuild time was appox 20 months.
I started with fully stripping the coupe at home with parts spread through two sheds and a garage, and lots of photos as a road map for later on when putting it back together. The shell was taken to a local crash shop for starters, but after 5 months of nothing done to it (with it sitting outside for most of time

: ) so I pulled the pin and took it in June 06 to a full on restoration workshop (Classic&Muscle Restorations in Adelaide), Pete took it at short notice as I had a dead line to keep and got my time line back on track with the body

: .
While the body was away I got stuck into the mechanical side of things. I striped engine and sent the block, heads etc to Rhemac's of Gawler for machineing etc and parts tobe matched up for the new 393 mild combo. The rest of bits and peices I slowly cleaned, painted or refurbished.
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Some of the rust to be fixed
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Bare shell loaded ready for make over
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Hand striped to remove old acrylic paint, now the real story was starting to show(ouch)
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Naked in all it's glory
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On the straightener, RH rear subframe was 40mm out from an old injury that had been patched up before my time
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LH sill iner& outer was rusted
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RH sill had miner rust
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RH rear wheel arch rebuilt out of two front gaurds.
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The rear had to be realined after the subframe was pulled back in place.
Tail light panel was 20mm out.
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Parcel shelf remade out of a plain sheet due to not been able to fined a good doner.
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With the body work completed it was time for some paint.
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Doors, bonnet & boot were painted off the shell
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Trying not to mark the paint.
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Drove it 3 days before xmas 06

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With the shell back, I got stuck into putting it back together.
It took about 7 weeks to get it to the driving stage. I only finished the engine assembly a few days befor getting the shell so the pressure was on. The interier wasn't touched as it wasn't to bad for the age(maybe one day).
With about 1100 kms on the clock, we drove it to Perth for the GT Nats in April 07, did about 9000 k's all up. A good way to run it in, was a bit nervous
though.
Cheers Kerry

fordmfp · 15-06-2009, 04:45 PM

Awesome coupe Kerry!! Good to see youve done everything right, I love the XB GT's

Geez Louise · 15-06-2009, 04:57 PM

I loved seeing your coupe in the flesh Kerry. It is a great example and you have restored it beautifully.

Thanks for posting up the pics. I really enjoy reading how coupes came to be restored by their owners.

gossy · 15-06-2009, 06:06 PM

Awesome pics and fantastic restoration.

Love the photos of the car painted in front of the spray booth and on the back of the tilt tray.

Bearman · 15-06-2009, 08:05 PM

Great resto Kerry!! It certainly was hiding some nasties wasn't it. That is one top shelf coupe and I'm really looking forward to seeing it again at Echuca.

Apollo66 · 15-06-2009, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearman

Great resto Kerry!! It certainly was hiding some nasties wasn't it. That is one top shelf coupe and I'm really looking forward to seeing it again at Echuca.

Thanks, as the repair work started to add up I was starting to wonder what I'd got myself into, but I'm glad I stuck with it now. Now I can just hit the key and drive it any time I feel the urge.

:
Looking forward to Echuca

nb_351 · 15-06-2009, 08:45 PM

and cause you did it yourself you know what it has had done...
good stuff mate

**redxm** · 15-06-2009, 08:47 PM

Very well done. I love Apollo Blue, my old GS Fairmont was that colour

cob115 · 15-06-2009, 08:56 PM

awsome ,the coupe striped back to nothing ready to go in the booth looked like it was on the production line in the 70s love it,

Apollo66 · 24-06-2009, 01:40 PM

Just thought I'd put up some pic's of the 36 gal tank that came with the car when I bought it. I'v had a few offers to take it off my hands but I ended up refitting it back in(now they do a repo so I could fit a new one). The tank is out of an XW/XY series so who ever fitted it before had done a bit of a hack job, so while the body work was getting done I had the opening tidied up a bit which ment cutting out the dagy dits of tin filling the sides at the rear and slightly speading the opening at the front, due to the tank been square and the opening been tappered (bit tight to get in and out). The LH boot hinge bracket had been hacked into also to get the filler hose to go around the corner, so another hinge assy was fitted into place. I had tidied the filler up a bit prior to striping the car, as it only had a peice of radiator hose kinked around in place to do the job. I made up a complete new fill pipe with air bleed apon assy, but I still get a bit of blow back when filling near full

: . The other down side is you lose a bit of boot room. Up side is on long trips I don't need to stop for fuel to often.
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Cheers Kerry

Geez Louise · 24-06-2009, 08:26 PM

Excellent Kerry. Great to see your shots of what you have achieved. Thanks for sharing

King Neptune · 06-07-2009, 07:39 PM

Well done Kerry,
Will we see you & your car at Echuca?
Cheers Rob.

Apollo66 · 07-07-2009, 02:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by King Neptune

Well done Kerry,
Will we see you & your car at Echuca?
Cheers Rob.

Thanks Rob. Will be at Echuca, all booked in just waiting for September

:
Looked at speedo the other day and worked out we've done just over 20,000kms since the rebuild. Still going strong which is good, cos I hate doing things twice

:
Cheers Kerry

Apollo66 · 07-02-2011, 12:37 AM

Just thought I'd update the latest on my coupe.
A couple of weeks ago I check out the front seal leaking and at the same time thought I'd check the crank end float,,,, with a clunk and a bit more movement than anticipated (0.020" to be exacted) (and a few choice words

) decided to pull the engine as we're driving this to Brissy in April.
Long story short I've replaced main (No3 thrust face worn) & big end bearings, redone the head gaskets as there was some evidence of coolant weeping which ended up been a crack in the block between a bolt hole and a water jacket, hopefully have sealed this now.
Just got the engine back in today so I'm hoping to fire it up sometime this week.

The offending part

Had to remove the paint of the gasket surface so decided to polished the alloy head to see how they look. Not sold on the look yet.

finally back in.

Cheers Kerry

bionic2006xr6t · 26-02-2012, 02:12 AM

I too was thinking of entrusting Classic and Muscle with my hardtops body work. Mine is in similar nick to yours rust wise, how much did the body work cost you if you don't mind me asking.

Cheers Ryan

Apollo66 · 05-12-2013, 10:46 AM

Hi all, just a small update.
Back in April at the GT nat's (top weekend) me coop and a XYGT got a little close, Poor bloke was devastated as his Xy had just rolled from about 2m into the back of mine.
With a bit more damage than the usual stone chips from a trip it was a bit disappointing.
All was good as he and I where both insured through Shannon's so that saved the back and forth between to different company's
The damage to the mine was more paint and panel but the Xy had smashed spot lights and blinker, dented grill and chrome work and front guard damage.
Had the car repaired in August by Classic & Muscle and very happy with the finish, can't even pick where the rear quarter repairs start and finish.

The offending Xy

All good now. (lighting not good in garage)

Pic says it all

We had a local car run not long after we got home from the trip to which we normally take the GT on, so with the little dingall I had to resort to plain B and polish up another old shitter I had bought not long before.

At a local Show shine at Edithburgh not long ago I won the piston cup

Cheers Kerry

bionic2006xr6t · 06-12-2013, 01:15 AM

Hey Kerry,

How long did you have to wait for classic and muscle to take your car in for the cosmetic touch ups if you don't mind me asking?

Cheers Ryan

Apollo66 · 06-12-2013, 12:43 PM

It was about 4 months, but I was ok with that, due to work commitments I was unable to take it down during May/June. I told Pete as long as it was ready by September for the Hardtop anniversary so he worked it in between major jobs.
I bought forward some small jobs needing to be done as well to get it all sorted while there.
I don't think they had any problems with Shannon's over the wait and the job as I had no bad feed back from Pete.

Cheers Kerry

bionic2006xr6t · 06-12-2013, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apollo66

It was about 4 months, but I was ok with that, due to work commitments I was unable to take it down during May/June. I told Pete as long as it was ready by September for the Hardtop anniversary so he worked it in between major jobs.
I bought forward some small jobs needing to be done as well to get it all sorted while there.
I don't think they had any problems with Shannon's over the wait and the job as I had no bad feed back from Pete.

Cheers Kerry

My car was due to be dropped off over 4 months ago almost to today! It was put on hold due to hold ups with the blaster. Last time they where in touch was a little over a month ago I sent them two emails this week with no reply?

Cheers Ryan

Apollo66 · 06-12-2013, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bionic2006xr6t

My car was due to be dropped off over 4 months ago almost to today! It was put on hold due to hold ups with the blaster. Last time they where in touch was a little over a month ago I sent them two emails this week with no reply?

Cheers Ryan

That's a bugger, I know they have a lot of work on. It's the down side of there success with some of the big resto's that Pete's taken on, as anyone would appreciate most big jobs never go to plan, so a hold up on one job steamrolls into the next.
I'm still a big fan of there work especially after seeing George's mulberry xbgt coop at the GT Nat's which took out best restored xbgt hardtop.

Cheers Kerry

anto · 06-12-2013, 07:10 PM

Hi Ryan, I can give you another place to try if you want, theyre small but worth a look. A friend of mine is having his coupe done in bare metal right now and the owner of the place has a tough XB coupe as well...hes a ford bloke, let me know if youre interested and Ill give you his number
I had problems even getting that mob (classic and muscle ) out to look at my old XAGT coupe when I was looking to get it painted, left a bad taste in my mouth. If they wont even get back to you mate dont reward them with your had earned.