I just took delivery of my new car this morning, a 1987 Shelby Charger GLHS. And yes, I really did name her “Sunshine.” Photos and more after the cut:

The car is in pretty good shape overall. The only rust I’ve found on it has been at the bottom inside of the driver’s side door, but the passenger side door is totally clean. This is a really common area for rust on these cars. I’m hoping to be able to repair that rust since it’s not that bad.

The roof has been repainted and there’s one questionable area on the passenger side drip rail that I need to investigate. And a little paint is missing from one corner of the rear bumper. But paint isn’t really a priority. It’s fine as-is as far as I’m concerned and will look decent once touched up, cleaned up and polished. The car is almost 25 years old, and I don’t mind that it looks it.

The interior is in remarkably good condition. The seats have no tears or wear on them, the headliner is in great shape as is just about everything else inside the car. The passenger side armrest has a small crack in it which I think I can fix. The dome light is missing the bezel around it, but I think I can find a replacement for that. With a little cleaning, the interior will look just great.

Things I know right off the bat that need work:

1. The turbo, which I already knew. It whined a bit when I first started it and after it was warmed up, it was sending oil into the exhaust (now I smell like burned synthetic motor oil). The car runs pretty well otherwise.
2. The tach is stuck at 4000 rpm.
3. The remote hatch release doesn’t release the hatch. It opens fine with the key, though.
4. The intercooler hoses have been patched with duct tape.
5. The windshield washer line has been disconnected.
6. Some of the outside lights on the car are out. They’re probably just dead bulbs.
7. Although the sunroof wasn’t leaking, the seals should be replaced.
8. The shifter bushings DEFINITELY need to be replaced and upgraded. The shifter feels like moving a wooden spoon through mashed potatoes. Seriously, it’s that vague. This is a common issue with these cars and there’s good solutions to fix them now. I kept putting it into reverse or 3rd gear when I was trying to put it in 1st. I know the shifter on my old GLH wasn’t that bad.

I won’t know what else it needs until I dig into it and start examining it more closely. I need to check out the whole underside, suspension and all that.