Topic: Introducing myself.

[emptys]

Hello,

My name is michael stolarchuk, from near ypsilanti,mi, and i'm working on a 69 428 GT.

I've been lurking on the forum for a bit over a month,  reading
various articles,  sometimes with an eye to identification,  but also
just trying to learn more about the "concours restoration attitude"
It certainly has been eye-opening,

I'm here to move through this restoration standing on the shoulders ofothers, 
but due to my  inexperience, i'll more likely be standing on peoples toes.

So i have lots of questions, and i thought i'd start with two.   First, is there
some sort of mentorship program?  possibly some way to get associated with a
judge to help point out issues early, or to provide guidance?   Doing a concours
restoration seem to be part mystery;  delivering a car to get judged certainly
seems more like validation than an opportunity to discover mistakes.

And that brings me to the second question(s).  I've been trying to understand
what exactly a 69 428 GT Mustang is...  At times i'm willing to trust what i
see in the car currently, and other times i'm not as sure. This one's from
dearborn build 10/11/68, From the 'mustang recognition guide': GT means:
stripe which runs along the rocker panel, starting at the fender and ending
in front of the rear wheel.  It also says "without any GT or Mustang emblems".
Does this mean there was no _Mustang fender emblem?   That seems odd,
since every picture i've been able to find of 69 GT's has this fender emblem.

This car has ram air, but i'm not sure whether the hood ought to be blacked out,
my current thinking is that it shouldn't be, although i've not been able to find
enough examples to convince myself.

The car, as we found it, had a rear spoiler, but there's not indication that this
should be on the restored car (i'm thinking not),  And i've now heard some
conflicting information  about the interior;  i've read of some GT's with deluxe
interiors, which doesn't seem correct to me, and the car i have came with a
square clock, but i don't see that from the Lois Eminger (from 7/30/92) report
or the Marti report.

Any insight would be appreciated,

regards

[67gta289]

Welcome to the site Michael.  It is good that you have used the search tool - it is usually the fastest way to get an answer.

Also I recommend editing your profile footer to include the assembly plant, engine code, and build date.  The answer to many questions change based on assembly plant and build date.

I'm not too far from you and can offer some guidance in person if you wish, just send me a PM.  It is good to nail down a plan and know what to expect before starting such things.

[J_Speegle]

First welcome to the site

So i have lots of questions, and i thought i'd start with two.   First, is there
some sort of mentorship program?  possibly some way to get associated with a
judge to help point out issues early, or to provide guidance?   Doing a concours
restoration seem to be part mystery;  delivering a car to get judged certainly
seems more like validation than an opportunity to discover mistakes.

By mentoring I would guess that your looking for a way to improve your chances at having a better car BEFORE you take it to the first show.

There are a number of ways to do this that have been successful through the years but there is no EASY button

The site was set up to help builders and owners to improve their chances and reduce the mistakes before you present your car at the first show but we understand the limitations. You can post pictures to the appropriate section here (most likely the 69-70 one in your case) and many things can be caught and fixed through the process but this means that you'll be correcting things after they have already been done.

Another option is taking the car to someone who has proven and tested experience in the car and class your interested in. If your doing it yourself and even at a shop that you hire, its not unusual for a more experienced person can visit the restoration - before you get started (to get things off on a good foot, explain the good and bad things that can be predicted based on your specific car honestly - visit again during the process and again at the end as a prejudging before your car goes to the first show. This can cost some dollars but the hobby is not a cheap one, your building a car that has value that many here would be increased if built and showed successfully.

The the vast majority of cases this process is cheaper in the long run than trailering a car to a show, rooms, gas, time .......... only to receive an award less than you would with the prior help.

As for your specific questions about your particular car I invite you to repost those questions in the 69-70 section for detailed help

Again welcome to the site - we hope you find it fits your needs

[CharlesTurner]

Welcome!!