The Bodywork

Eleanor Mustang Bodywork

2,000 Hours of Paint, Panel Work, and Fiberglass Integration on a 1967 Fastback

Most Eleanor builds bolt a fiberglass kit onto a stock shell and send it to paint. This 1967 Eleanor Mustang for sale is not that car. The bodywork here represents over 2,000 hours of hands-on work — full fiberglass integration, rotisserie finishing, a documented PPG multi-stage paint system, four-stage color sanding, and laser-aligned racing stripes. Every step is documented. Every product is named. Here is exactly what was done and why it matters when you are comparing Eleanor builds.

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── 01

What Makes Eleanor Mustang Bodywork Different From a Standard Mustang

A stock 1967 Mustang Fastback left the factory with flat fenders, a standard hood, a basic front valance, and no side scoops, flares, or rear spoiler. To become Eleanor, every one of those panels has to go. The transformation requires a purpose-built fiberglass and alloy body kit that covers the front end, hood, sides, and rear — and the key difference between a show-quality build and a kit car is how those components are integrated into the original metal.

On cheaply done builds, the fiberglass is bolted on with visible seams and uneven gaps. On this car, each component was molded into the body with fiberglass, shaped to the metal, and finished to the same standard as the rest of the car. The result is a car that looks like it was always supposed to exist — not a standard Mustang wearing a costume.

── 02

Eleanor Mustang Body Kit

Full Component List

A proper Eleanor body kit transforms a 1967 Fastback across five main areas. Here is what is on this car.

Area	Component	Detail
Front End	Front bumper	Molded and integrated into front fascia
Front End	Headlight panel	Modified and glassed for seamless fit
Rear End	Custom taillight panel	Sequential LED tail lights in a body-colored panel
Rear End	Quarter panel extensions and rear roll pan	Modified and glassed for correct fitment
Rear End	Custom trunk lid with integrated ducktail spoiler	Aligned and molded to quarter panels
Sides	Upper and lower side scoops	Mounted using original Shelby stud method, finish-molded with no visible seams
Hood	Sculpted performance hood	Functional scoops, molded to match body lines
Sides	Flared fender and wheel arch extensions	Molded into fenders, not bolted on
Sides	Rocker panel extensions	Cut and shaped with side-exit exhaust cutouts
Front End	Upper and lower front valances	Custom-fitted with sunken auxiliary driving lights

── 03

Panel Fitting and Gap Setting — Where the Real Work Begins

Before any fiberglass or paint, the build started at the point most shops skip: correct panel gaps. Every door, fender, hood, and decklid was hung and adjusted until the lines matched. Steel panels were welded and ground to set those gaps precisely. Fiberglass components were not forced into position — they were shaped to fit by adding and removing material until the lines flowed correctly from the original steel into each new panel.

<cite index="14-1">The critical step that separates a real build from a kit car is the hours spent with a block sander ensuring the lines flow smoothly from the original sheet metal into the new fiberglass components — rush this and the car looks exactly like what it is.</cite> On this car, that process was done correctly. Fender flares were sliced to follow the wheel opening radius exactly and re-glassed permanently. Custom brackets were fabricated for the rocker moldings. The headlight panel, front bumper, rear quarter extensions, taillight panel, and rear bumper were all individually modified and glassed to achieve correct fitment.

── 04

Fiberglass Integration Process

Once gaps were set, permanent integration began:

All metal surfaces to be covered by fiberglass were prepped and epoxy coated first
Flares were molded into fenders and quarter panels — not attached over the top
Rocker section was cut and permanently shaped into the lower fender for a continuous body line
Upper and lower side scoops were fastened using the original Shelby stud mounting method, then finish-molded with fiberglass — zero visible seams
All remaining components (headlight panel, bumpers, rear extensions, taillight panel, roll pan) were individually glassed and shaped

Industry-standard Eleanor builds require 50 to 100 hours of mocking, gapping, and smoothing just to align the fiberglass pieces seamlessly</cite> — this build went far beyond that standard before a single coat of primer was applied.

── 05

Paint System — Full PPG Documentation

The paint system on this car is fully documented and uses professional-grade PPG products at every stage. This is not a two-stage spray and clear. Every product is named, every coat is counted.

Stage	Product	Coats
Stripes	Black racing stripes	Laid with laser alignment, masked before final two basecoat passes
Clearcoat	PPG DCU 2021	5 coats on body, 5 coats on all bolt-on components separately
Basecoat	PPG DBC — Vapor Silver and Black Diamond (custom mix)	4 coats silver on body
Epoxy Primer	PPG DP Series	Full coverage — applied first over prepped metal and fiberglass
Primer Surfacer	PPG VP 2050	4 coats total — 2 before final disassembly, 2 after
Sealer	PPG K36	Applied before basecoat

The signature Eleanor colorway — <cite index="14-1">Pepper Gray Metallic with dual black racing stripes — is what defines the look, and any ripple or pinhole in the fiberglass prep will be magnified by that metallic paint.</cite> On this car the prep was done correctly, which is why the paint sits correctly.

── 06

Rotisserie Finishing — Engine Bay, Floor, and Underside

After primer was applied and block sanded with the car fully assembled to fine-tune body lines, the car went onto a rotisserie. The engine bay received full bodywork to achieve a smooth finish, was prepped, masked, sealed, painted with 4 coats of silver base, and cleared with 4 coats of clear. The underside was epoxy coated and finished with a smooth bedliner application for protection and contrast against the painted chassis components visible beneath the car.

This is work that cannot be done properly with a car sitting on its wheels. Most builds skip it. This one did not.

── 07

Stripe Layout — Laser Aligned for Perfect Symmetry

With the car fully assembled and blocked up in the paint booth, lasers were used to lay the tape lines for the black racing stripes. After masking, the car was disassembled again for individual component prep.

The final basecoat was applied in a specific sequence:

Two coats to the body only
All components brought in — two coats applied to everything
Car reassembled with all components hanging — final two coats applied together for exact color match

Stripes were then unmasked and 5 coats of DCU 2021 clear were applied to the body, followed by 5 separate coats to all components. This is the only way to guarantee consistent color match across every panel.

── 08

Color Sanding and Polish — Four Stages to Show Quality

1000 grit on a block

1500 grit on a block

2000 grit on a firm pad

3000 grit on a soft pad

The car was then machine polished to a high gloss finish. Color sanding and polishing were completed on the body exterior, inside all door jambs, inside the engine bay, and on the underside of both the hood and decklid. Most builds leave those areas unfinished. This one did not.

── 09

Eleanor Mustang Bodywork — What Separates Quality Builds From Kit Cars

Factor	This Car	Standard Kit Build
Build documentation	Full records — products, stages, photos	Rarely available
Underside	Epoxy coat and smooth bedliner	Often untreated
Engine bay finish	Full bodywork, sealed, painted, cleared, color sanded	Usually left in primer
Color sand	4 stages, 1000–3000 grit	Often single-stage or skipped
Clearcoat	5 coats on body and all components	Varies
Paint product	Named PPG products — fully documented	Often undisclosed
Stripe layout	Laser aligned	Freehand tape
Filler used	Very little to almost none — visible in build photos	Heavy filler to cover fitment issues
Fiberglass integration	Fully molded into body — no visible seams	Bolted over stock panels
Panel gaps	Set correctly before any fiberglass work	Often uneven or shimmed

── 10 · Key Features

Eleanor Mustang Bodywork Summary

1

Over 2,000 hours in body and paint work alone

2

Full fiberglass integration — flares, scoops, rockers, and all panels molded to the body

3

Original Shelby stud mounting method used on upper and lower side scoops — zero visible seams

4

Laser-aligned black racing stripes for perfect symmetry front to rear

5

PPG DP Series epoxy primer — base layer over all prepped metal and fiberglass

6

4 coats of PPG VP 2050 primer surfacer, block sanded between stages

7

PPG K36 sealer before basecoat

8

4 coats of PPG DBC custom Vapor Silver and Black Diamond basecoat mix

9

5 coats of PPG DCU 2021 clearcoat — on body and all bolt-on components separately

10

Four-stage color sand from 1000 to 3000 grit, followed by machine polish

11

Rotisserie finishing on engine bay, floor, and underside

12

Engine bay and jambs color sanded and polished to full exterior standard

Frequently Asked Questions

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This Eleanor Mustang — chassis, engine, bodywork, and all supporting documentation — goes to live auction August 22, 2026 at Kool Deadwood Nites. Backup auction January 2027 at Mecum Auctions, Kissimmee, Florida. Proof of funds required for private viewing.

To see the full picture of this build, review the Eleanor Mustang chassis and suspension specs, read the Eleanor Mustang engine page, or contact us about this Eleanor Mustang to request documentation or schedule a viewing.