1968 Shelby GT350 (rep) - 2 step correction - Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT

PinnacleAutoCT

PinnacleAutoCT

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This Shelby replica was done up very nicely; the body was straight, no signs of bondo, all of the trim had been replaced during the restoration approximately nine years ago. The car had a 289 that looked (to my eyes) just as it should, the interior was fresh and aside from an aftermarket stereo and 5-speed shifter (to improve driving manners) looked like a factory Shelby. The owner contacted me after reaching out to multiple local detailing businesses, none of which expressed a desire or ability to properly correct the finish of this classic. After a visual inspection we agreed upon a two-step correction to remove 90+% of the defects in the paint and refine the finish in preparation for a potential buyer slated to come in from PA the following week. The marring that you see in the pictures was accumulated over the course of the nine years following the restoration, as the owner wiped the car down and hand waxed it himself, but never had the paint polished.

The vast majority of the compounding work was performed using M205, Optimum MF pads and the KBM method, while some tighter areas required a 3” foam polishing pad and the use of D300. Finishing work was done with HD polish and LC black finishing pads, as this provided a slightly higher gloss than M205 was capable of. The car was topped with Optiseal, the tires were lightly cleaned and left undressed for a natural look.

As with just about any classic car, the panels typically met at slightly different heights or provided extreme angles which necessitated caution. To avoid damaging the edges of the many body lines and panel intersections I used 3m high performance masking tape to mask off surrounding panels while concentrating on one, then moved onto different panels and taped as needed to preserve the paint’s integrity.


Edit: It's actually a 1968, thanks to Ccrew for reminding me as I'm clearly not a Mustang expert.

Before:

DSC06671 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
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DSC06713 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06745 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06777 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr


After:

DSC06796 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06799 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06809 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06818 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
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DSC06830 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
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DSC06838 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06839 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06845 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06847 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06858 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
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DSC06861 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06862 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
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DSC06866 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06873 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06896 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06913 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06929 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06950 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06954 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06959 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06967 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr
DSC06970 by Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT, on Flickr

Thanks for looking! Sorry about the abundance of pictures, the color and overall styling of the car just really appealed to me so I went overboard and wanted to share. Comments and questions welcome.
 
Re: 1965 Shelby GT350 (rep) - 2 step correction - Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT

Spectacular !!!
 
Re: 1965 Shelby GT350 (rep) - 2 step correction - Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT

Very nice. Gotta include the obligatory shot of the engine on an old muscle car.
 
Re: 1965 Shelby GT350 (rep) - 2 step correction - Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT

Great job, but to burst your bubble that's not a '65. It's a 67 or 68, hard to tell, as the "in a blink" things that make a Mustang stand out between the years aren't on Shelby's. My vote is '68 since it has side marker lights which weren't on '67's
Being a clone it's a free-for-all, but 68 was also the first year for the Shelby convertible barring car sequence # 0139 which was the prototype in 67.

Source: Former '68 and '89 Shelby Owner :unsure:
 
Re: 1965 Shelby GT350 (rep) - 2 step correction - Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT

Thanks guys!

I totally should have taken a pic of the motor, I just forgot.

Ccrew- Yep, you're definitely right about it being a '68. For some reason I thought the owner had said that it was a '65 when he initially called me.
 
Re: 1965 Shelby GT350 (rep) - 2 step correction - Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT

Just went from 6 to midnight. One of the most beautiful cars ever
 
Re: 1965 Shelby GT350 (rep) - 2 step correction - Pinnacle Auto Detail - CT

PinnacleAutoCT said:
Ccrew- Yep, you're definitely right about it being a '68. For some reason I thought the owner had said that it was a '65 when he initially called me.
Click to expand...

Great job regardless of what year it is!
 
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