1982 CHP progress and update

SSPCHPSTANG3101 · #1 05-12-2012, 08:49 PM

Here is an update on my project 1982 retired CHP Mustang.Attending the Morrro Bay Police and Fire Show ignited my motivation. I dont know if it was just me but durring car restorations they do get frustrating and discouraging at times. It seemed like at times while owning this car I would often think to myself what did I get myself into there were several things wrong with the car and with it being converted to an Automatic by the previous owner that was not even a plus.So a donor 4 speed car was in order and one 1982 5.0 GT was sacraficed for everything I needed for my project for 700 Bucks and a trip to Fresno California from my home town of Bakersfield. With the replication and restoration of my Adam 12 "1968 Plymouth Belvedere" project the Mustang came into the picture and the Belvedere was put on the back burner. Once the GT Mustang made it home and with the help of my two sons we stripped that poor GT down to the shell and every part and piece of hardware was recovered bagged and labeled.After evaluating what I needed for my CHP car I sold the rest on Craigslist and the hull went to scrap for approximately 180 bucks to recoupe some of my money I had in the GT and to justify my actions to my wife.The interior on CHP Mustang was really dirty when I bought this car over a year ago and while on my most recent vacation I set aside most of my days off to work and really focus on this car. Day one,I got the idea to clean the interior and figured I will give it a shot,what would it hurt and after all its only time.After removing all the seats it was time to steam clean the carpet and when that chore was completed next came the vinyl scrubbing on the seats.This turned out to be a long day that carried into the early evening hours but I believe the end results were well worth the time and sweat,plus this will buy me some time when I get to the point of a complete upholstery job.Well I am happy to say I removed the automatic transmission and the Manual 4 speed transmission from the donor car went smooth.Here are some picks on some of the progress and when I return back to the forum I will bring you up to speed on the front fenders doors and hood issues I had with my Mustang that I also corrected as well.

ChrisL · #2 05-12-2012, 09:13 PM

Fantastic progress! Love to see a CHP be brought back to life! Great work, keep it up.

Mustang Kid · #3 05-12-2012, 09:58 PM

The interior looks much better! I am in the proccess of steam cleaning my seats and carpet too.

I have a question though, a few months ago, I noticed several chp items on eBay and spotted your car in the photos. You also had another 82 CHP mustang. What was the deal with that? Didn't know you ha gotten another one.

Car is coming along nicely!

SSPCHPSTANG3101 · #4 05-12-2012, 11:27 PM

Thanks Chris..

SSPCHPSTANG3101 · #5 05-13-2012, 12:15 AM

Thanks Sam, Well 2 months ago my cousin and myself took a road trip to Tombstone Arizona to see the the Tombstone town and to see a 1982 Chp "retired" Mustang that was listed on the Sierra Vista Craigslist. Sirra Vista is aproximately 15 to 20 minutes away from the town of Tombstone depending how fast you drive.Well anyway whe got to the house around 730 in the morning to see the car which was behind a fence in their back yard. So I opened the drivers door only to discover the car smelled of urine and was stripped of its original interior Seats, carpet, dash steering column, headliner engine and transmission. The car was a rat and rodent motel in their yard and the smell was discusting. The registered owners had no clue if its unit number which was #0448 displayed under white paint on the drivers door. The original chp siren bracket was hanging on the driver side by one bolt. The owners believed the bracket to be part of the bumper and they got the vibe I was not pleased of the discovery to find rat crap and nesting through out the car like the trunk ,seats under dash etc. I offered them a price of what I was preparred to pay them which was not what they were originally asking for and they accepted it. I brought the car home back to California which really was not flying with the wife. I stripped everything out of the car and cleaned it in effort to make it more appealing on the side of my house of urine. So my wife asks me, what are you going to do with this car? I had no answer other than tell her I would be using the car for a parts exchange car. I swapped both of the factory doors, fenders and hood from a donor car I bought for my restoration.I listed the car on ebay with the car selling on the second listing. The winner of the Auction had no intentions of restoring it back to its original service condition and had plans of modding it. Now if he told me he was going to to restore it back to its original condition I probably would have given him the original doors.

chp1982 · #6 05-13-2012, 01:47 PM

Nice progress. Poor #0448. That interior looked disgusting.

MOstang · #7 05-13-2012, 02:53 PM

Way to go on the progress with your 82.

SSPCHPSTANG3101 · #8 05-13-2012, 07:02 PM

Yes poor 0448, the cost of restoring that car would have equaled alot of $$$$ and yes the interior was disgusting. The rat nesting could have been prevented years ago had the owner covered the shifter hole.That was the rodents door way into their cozzy cottage.

Wolfe1013 · #9 05-22-2012, 01:00 AM

Nice progress indeed. What did you use to scrub the vinyl on the seats? Mine aren't original and will have to be recovered, but the headrests are and need some more cleaning. My carpet could be cleaned, but it's worn down so much on the tunnel between the e-brake and shifter, I'm just going to replace it.

With all these '82s surfacing, we need to compile/document the correct restoration parts in one sticky thread or in the agency restoration section. Such as dye colors, vinyl and upholstery, carpet, headliner, etc. I'm not about to drop a bunch of money into a restoration and then be told the carpet is a shade off true, etc. I want the correct parts and colors up front. My car will never be exactly like it was new, I just don't have that kind of money.

But it will be as close as I can get it.

Keep up the good work and keep us updated.

Greg

SSPCHPSTANG3101 · #10 05-22-2012, 02:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wolfe1013

Nice progress indeed. What did you use to scrub the vinyl on the seats? Mine aren't original and will have to be recovered, but the headrests are and need some more cleaning. My carpet could be cleaned, but it's worn down so much on the tunnel between the e-brake and shifter, I'm just going to replace it.

With all these '82s surfacing, we need to compile/document the correct restoration parts in one sticky thread or in the agency restoration section. Such as dye colors, vinyl and upholstery, carpet, headliner, etc. I'm not about to drop a bunch of money into a restoration and then be told the carpet is a shade off true, etc. I want the correct parts and colors up front. My car will never be exactly like it was new, I just don't have that kind of money.

But it will be as close as I can get it.

Keep up the good work and keep us updated.

Greg

Thanks Greg, I am still actively working on the car here and there after work hours and fixing things what are wrong with the car. This car was a mess but now I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.My next mission now is the body work which isn't that bad. I have a set of fenders and another nose piece I still need to install. But she is coming along.Well for the interior I robbed the kitchen of my wifes cleaning supplies and mixed a concentrated bucket of hot water, simple green, Spic and Span in a Bucket.With a green mesh pot scrubber for the grain of the vinyl and a plastic bristle brush I was able to cleam the seams and stiching areas.

My carpet is wore down in the areas of where you discribed on your car. Mine will have to do for now and until I find the correct carpet.

I agree with you on the compiling of documentation for these Mustangs and the correct parts specific for them. 1982's have really been coming out of the wood work and it will interesing how many more will surface. I will continue keep the postings on the progress.