- Joined
- Jan 7, 2015
- Messages
- 8,032
- Reaction score
- 534
- Location
- Western North Carolina
- My Car
- Multiple Mustangs!
Went by Clay's shop today, does high end restores, was due to have the Firebird ready for delivery. He did not get to front end shop for alignment due to rain on Tuesday so will be next week before it goes outside.
I took some pics but my camera has a setting screwed up that i cannot find, lol. Give me back my Kodachrome and FM Nikon any day. I do like the green color but just not a fan of Firebirds or Camaro.
This car was a free car more or less. Renter was behind two months on rent so he signed the title and gave to the current owner. 1968 HO, 400 Ram Air I 4 speed. They made 413 of them so pretty rare.
It had been painted maroon and needed lots of work but was a complete HO which is desirable in the GM world.
It had tail light panel, both quarters, trunk, floors, and I think one fender replaced. Every sq. inch of the car is perfect. Any rust removed and if there was surface rust removed and pits filled in. It came with black vinyl roof. All new glass and all new fasteners.
I told him I would run him with the 73 vert he says I don't stand a chance. He also went through the engine and added a little better cam.
A Dr. in the area owns it this is his third or fourth full restore Clay has done for him. GTO Judge black, White 68 428 Mustang, this and I forget the other.
I will ask what the final bill is but I am sure it is over $90,000. Difficult to do one for less and do it perfect. The repo parts are just as bad on the GM as Mustang. He had to do lots of rework on new parts.
The Buick came back from dip strip yesterday took three days in the tank and you can see what you get back. They phosphate it to stop flash rust. It is baked in oven to remove paint and sealer then in chemical tank to remove the rust. Chem Strip in North Carolina did it and costs $3,100. He just blasted the frame since it is thicker and it is done and back together. The nail head was rebuilt by someone in Florida that does just Buick nail heads. It is a 4 speed car also. Local apple farmer owns it and is not wanting it so perfect and Clay is struggling with backing off on his detail, lol.
It will get new trunk floor and lots of rust repair. They do not make many panels for Buick so you have to fab up pieces and weld in.
He also had another 66 GTO come in that was painted at another shop. He is going to put vinyl roof on. remove the trim and send for polish. Try to improve it some I think the guy paid $45,000 to have it done and is not so good. He is also building another of his killer Pontiac engines to go into it. He always tells me that his GTO has never been beat by a Ford and been racing it like 15 years. I am going with him to his next run. Costs so much for just the fuel for the car at over $20.00 a gallon and take 5 gallons for one 1/4 mile run. 18.3 compression. Two 1,000 Dominators on special fabed up intake. It is still a Pontiac block not a Chevy.
Clay has done about every type car from Model A to basket case 57 corvette brought to him in 4 pieces in back of a pu truck. He gets $500 a day in the shop while being worked on so cheaper than most shops but does the best I have ever seen anywhere.
He repainted a 442 Oldsmobile because he chipped the paint putting trim on would not do a spot did whole car at his cost.
So if anyone has a car they want perfect send it to N.C. and get in line. He usually has three cars in shop so he can go from one the other when waiting on parts or body to dry and shrink out.
https://ibb.co/fqffW4z
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I took some pics but my camera has a setting screwed up that i cannot find, lol. Give me back my Kodachrome and FM Nikon any day. I do like the green color but just not a fan of Firebirds or Camaro.
This car was a free car more or less. Renter was behind two months on rent so he signed the title and gave to the current owner. 1968 HO, 400 Ram Air I 4 speed. They made 413 of them so pretty rare.
It had been painted maroon and needed lots of work but was a complete HO which is desirable in the GM world.
It had tail light panel, both quarters, trunk, floors, and I think one fender replaced. Every sq. inch of the car is perfect. Any rust removed and if there was surface rust removed and pits filled in. It came with black vinyl roof. All new glass and all new fasteners.
I told him I would run him with the 73 vert he says I don't stand a chance. He also went through the engine and added a little better cam.
A Dr. in the area owns it this is his third or fourth full restore Clay has done for him. GTO Judge black, White 68 428 Mustang, this and I forget the other.
I will ask what the final bill is but I am sure it is over $90,000. Difficult to do one for less and do it perfect. The repo parts are just as bad on the GM as Mustang. He had to do lots of rework on new parts.
The Buick came back from dip strip yesterday took three days in the tank and you can see what you get back. They phosphate it to stop flash rust. It is baked in oven to remove paint and sealer then in chemical tank to remove the rust. Chem Strip in North Carolina did it and costs $3,100. He just blasted the frame since it is thicker and it is done and back together. The nail head was rebuilt by someone in Florida that does just Buick nail heads. It is a 4 speed car also. Local apple farmer owns it and is not wanting it so perfect and Clay is struggling with backing off on his detail, lol.
It will get new trunk floor and lots of rust repair. They do not make many panels for Buick so you have to fab up pieces and weld in.
He also had another 66 GTO come in that was painted at another shop. He is going to put vinyl roof on. remove the trim and send for polish. Try to improve it some I think the guy paid $45,000 to have it done and is not so good. He is also building another of his killer Pontiac engines to go into it. He always tells me that his GTO has never been beat by a Ford and been racing it like 15 years. I am going with him to his next run. Costs so much for just the fuel for the car at over $20.00 a gallon and take 5 gallons for one 1/4 mile run. 18.3 compression. Two 1,000 Dominators on special fabed up intake. It is still a Pontiac block not a Chevy.
Clay has done about every type car from Model A to basket case 57 corvette brought to him in 4 pieces in back of a pu truck. He gets $500 a day in the shop while being worked on so cheaper than most shops but does the best I have ever seen anywhere.
He repainted a 442 Oldsmobile because he chipped the paint putting trim on would not do a spot did whole car at his cost.
So if anyone has a car they want perfect send it to N.C. and get in line. He usually has three cars in shop so he can go from one the other when waiting on parts or body to dry and shrink out.
https://ibb.co/fqffW4z
