1969 GTX....The T stands for tetanus

[threewood]

Picked this 1969 GTX up last week and it should be a fun and difficult project. One of my all time favorite body styles. Paid $5000 for it including many spare parts. It has some rust issues, typical of Mopars and vinyl top cars. Big selling point was the inclusion of a full front end and top from a donor car plus 2 new quarter panels. Car is probably 95% complete and there are still boxes of stuff in the trunk and interior I have yet to look in. Brought up 4 extra wheels from my 62 Belvedere to get it rolling. Those skinny 5.5x14s make the GTX look silly lol. It had been in a storage facility since 2008ish, last registered in MO in 2005.

 

[threewood]

My goal is to get a rust free car. Not a complete resto mind you but one I can drive. I'm in AZ and rarely see rain. No snow and no salt so this is a great car retirement area. I am working front to back to replace rusted through metal. Items that need attention: front dog house/inner fenders, small holes in rockers up front, patch drivers side rocker. Once those are done I am going to strip it all down, cut the old quarters off, cut out the old roof skin and take it to get blasted. From there I already have new quarters, trunk floor, outer wheel housings, rear deck filler and I may buy the lower window corners if I cannot fabricate them. Then the roof skin and drip rails. Finally, the drivers side floor needs patched or replaced. Not bad but I will get a better look after it is blasted.

For now, the new dog house is in and welded. Went in as one piece (both rails, both inner fenders and radiator support). I am going to swap the upper support for the one numbered to the car at a later date.

 

[threewood]

Repairs started on the rockers. The fronts have some rust through both sides. The pass side is solid back to the lead line, the driver side had some rust through which is in the process of being welded. I'm out of gas so it will wait. FYI, the front caps may be plated because when I welded up the spot welds it was smoky and metal turned white like galvanized would.

These seams on both sides will eventually get body seam sealer.

 

[threewood]

Some pics of the roof which I will deal with down the road. I can only imagine what it would look like if the shop that replaced the vinyl in the first place would have left it alone. Looks like duraglass over a sanded top to me. Grrrrrr

 

[dryheat]

Holy cow Mark ... looks like you've been infected with MMPF ... Multiple Mopar Project Fever. I'll be following your progress on this one.

If you get a chance PM me your address again. I lost it during the site upgrade.

 

[69 GTX]

If you need stuff check with me. I'm nearing the end of my project and have extras & some good driver parts also. What color you going with?

 

[threewood]

Thanks, I have been following your thread.

I'm planning on going with a stockish color, original was Silver A4 but may do a base clear with something close. As for parts, I know I'll need the wheel well and lower body chrome. I also need a transmission crossmember and driveshaft. Interior, may need armrest pads but I have to check my boxes of parts first.

 

[mutt71]

It looks like you have a great project there. I hope that you find all of the parts that you need in those boxes that came with the car. I will be following your progress on this.

 

[threewood]

It looks like you have a great project there. I hope that you find all of the parts that you need in those boxes that came with the car. I will be following your progress on this.

Thanks for the support. It will be a few more weeks before I can get back at it. Still gameplanning everything. Plan is to finish the driver side rockers then strip everything down. Then off to get blasted to see how bad the rear window area is. From there I will probably move to the trunk and quarters. I have the quarters, trunk pan, extensions, outer wheel houses, dutchman panel and may need to get window corners as well. Still debating on a roof reskin or complete roof r and r. If I can come up with an accurate template for all 4 pillars so the cuts will be on the money I will go that route. Vinyl will not be going back on.

 

[GetX'd]

Hell of a project - but it will be a hell of a car when you're done.

 

[69 GTX]

I may have some of the trim parts but pretty sure not all of them. Oh and a driveshaft for auto 8 3/4 car

 

[threewood]

Finally back on the X, completing teardown and seeing what I need. I found pretty much everything I needed in the boxes inside the car, even the trans cross member, 2 sets of fender mounted turn signals, distributor, kickdown, armrest and 2 extra gauge clusters and a tach (needs tlc). I also have a new front frame repair patch still in the box I found (L side) so if someone wants it I'll sell it for the cost of shipping.

I finally got my window removal tool and took out the back glass. Inner package tray is in good shape, dutchman panel is toasty. I already have a new AMD panel in the garage so no big deal. I did order L and R lower window corner metal because, yea. I didn't feel like messing with patching that mess up.

Cleaned the trunk out, pulled 2 battery trays out and other assorted crap. It is pretty toasty as well but I already have new trunk pans and extensions so no big deal.

Question....when is the best time to have it blasted? after old trunk is removed? After rear quarters are cut out AND trunk removed? The rear frame rails are solid but need blasted so I can hit them with rust bullet before I put the trunk in but I don't want to be transporting with the rear end flopping around because all the metal has been removed. What do you think?

 

[threewood]

I also discovered after removing the rear bumper that the rear valance panel has some nice holes in it on both sides. But it looks like it needs to come out in order to get the trunk pans in so it worked out. Just ordered one plus a L side rear trunk channel. Old one was glassed up and holier than the bible. I'll continue tearing down to get it ready for the blaster. I am soooo glad all these panels are repopped.

 

[threewood]

Another question. The quarter extension shown in my picture. Is it spot welded on the bottom to the valance? I have sanded and looked at it with a flashlight and no sign of spotwelds. Body seam sealer maybe? I would rather not ruin it if I don't have to. Thanks

 

[GetX'd]

Good thing you have some steel balls my Mopar brother. Your GTX sure needs a lot of metal work. I'm envious of the talent you must have to do so much of that work yourself. I had to pay the man to do that on my car and it was no where near the project yours is. I love the 69 GTX so I'm happy you're saving one from the crusher. I like following your thread.

 

[threewood]

If it was easy it wouldn't be all that fun

 

[threewood]

No turning back now lol. Never did find spot welds on that extension so I just removed the entire thing. I may need to remove the other side as well to get the old floorpan out. The trunk, as many of you know, is a pita. I'm using a mixture of spot weld drill, air chisel, grinder, hammer and screwdriver. And lots of cussing. Lots. Wheel tubs need the lower ends patched. Frame rails are solid, albeit rusty. Worse part of all is I am out of gas so no fabbing until at least Tuesday. I could probably work on some patches but I may wait until after it is blasted so i can see what I have.

 

[threewood]

Trunk is out. Need to clean up the wheel houses still.

 

[threewood]

It was 105 degrees today, so I said lets do some body work!

Finally got some new metal on the back end. I used an AMD outer wheel housing and cut it down to use on my existing one. Really only the lip and lower were bad. Cut the bad part out, used it as a template, left some meat to fit it and tacked it in. Used SEM weld thru primer on the rocker end cap and had access to clamp it through the rocker where I cut out a section of rot. Then for fun I fit the left side trunk and extension. It will be a while til I get to it but it is nice to see new metal on it.

 

[threewood]

And I got my window corners in today. They should work fine.