1966 Mustang Project.
- Thread starter MJTShowdown
- Start date
hey,
awsome looking stang'. I'm also restoring a 66'. which looks to be real close to the condition yours was in. I was looking into buying an old 460 truck/car and using the rearend, tranny, and engine (modified). does anyone know if that would be easier then installing the explorer rearend? or is there another rear end, tranny, engine setup recommended?
awsome looking stang'. I'm also restoring a 66'. which looks to be real close to the condition yours was in. I was looking into buying an old 460 truck/car and using the rearend, tranny, and engine (modified). does anyone know if that would be easier then installing the explorer rearend? or is there another rear end, tranny, engine setup recommended?
Hmm, This is a toughy. I think the first thing you should decide is what do you want to do with the car? Are you looking for a driver,a race car(Round track),a Drag car,a show car,etc?I assume you're building it to keep? What general type of budget are you looking to work within?
That said The explorer rear. Most people that I know who have done it have done it as a reasonable way to get rear Disc brakes and a posi rear with good gears (most of the choice ones had 3.73 posi's).They don't do it to handle high horse power.If you were building a drag car you wouldn't want to go the explorer route,You'd want to go with a 9 inch,Believe it or not you could do pretty well with a properly setup 8 inch as well.
Next area buying a full size car or truck and swapping. First area 460 engine in a 66 Mustang You would need to remove the front shock towers so now you're talking major fabrication and work I.E. A Mustang 2 coilover setup or a Fat man fabrications setup,etc. This is a lot of work to install a motor that was never really meant to be a race motor,I know it can be done but it will never be an F.E.. Additionally a 460 in the front of a 66 Mustang will make it wallow through the turns like a pig.
Next area full car/truck The transmissions in this vehicles were more often than not Autos,They're weren't all bad some of them had C6's which are strong trannies but they are also heavy and Full size Fords use Larger transmissions that have Long tailshafts and tailshaft housings That pose install problems into early stangs.Truck trannies usually pose the same problems but to the other extreme alot of the trannies were shorter depending on what type of truck,van,4wd,etc. The next tidbit to address would be the rear,Most of these vehicles used 9 inch rears (Yay) Which are virtually bullet proof,However Fullsize Fords were changed over to coil spring rears in the 60's and trucks were leaf which is fine but the spring pads are placed too far apart and the the rears are typically too wide to fit into a 66 Mustang.They do however all have center sections that you could use depending on how many splines they are (28 or 31).
Although I prefer stock or stock appearing cars,I've seen alot of different types of builds,I also have some reference pieces, Currently I own two Full size (big block,nine inch rears,etc.)60's Fords .Additionally 3 of my 65-66 Mustangs have nine inch rears in them currently.I'll be installing nine inch rears into 2 of my other early stangs at some point (who knows when?LOL) as well.
If you get a chance I'd love to hear more about your car(Is it a 6 or an 8 cylinder,etc.?) As well as your thoughts as to where you'd like to go with it? Perhaps I could help give you some ideas as to what you could use and where you could find it.
That said The explorer rear. Most people that I know who have done it have done it as a reasonable way to get rear Disc brakes and a posi rear with good gears (most of the choice ones had 3.73 posi's).They don't do it to handle high horse power.If you were building a drag car you wouldn't want to go the explorer route,You'd want to go with a 9 inch,Believe it or not you could do pretty well with a properly setup 8 inch as well.
Next area buying a full size car or truck and swapping. First area 460 engine in a 66 Mustang You would need to remove the front shock towers so now you're talking major fabrication and work I.E. A Mustang 2 coilover setup or a Fat man fabrications setup,etc. This is a lot of work to install a motor that was never really meant to be a race motor,I know it can be done but it will never be an F.E.. Additionally a 460 in the front of a 66 Mustang will make it wallow through the turns like a pig.
Next area full car/truck The transmissions in this vehicles were more often than not Autos,They're weren't all bad some of them had C6's which are strong trannies but they are also heavy and Full size Fords use Larger transmissions that have Long tailshafts and tailshaft housings That pose install problems into early stangs.Truck trannies usually pose the same problems but to the other extreme alot of the trannies were shorter depending on what type of truck,van,4wd,etc. The next tidbit to address would be the rear,Most of these vehicles used 9 inch rears (Yay) Which are virtually bullet proof,However Fullsize Fords were changed over to coil spring rears in the 60's and trucks were leaf which is fine but the spring pads are placed too far apart and the the rears are typically too wide to fit into a 66 Mustang.They do however all have center sections that you could use depending on how many splines they are (28 or 31).
Although I prefer stock or stock appearing cars,I've seen alot of different types of builds,I also have some reference pieces, Currently I own two Full size (big block,nine inch rears,etc.)60's Fords .Additionally 3 of my 65-66 Mustangs have nine inch rears in them currently.I'll be installing nine inch rears into 2 of my other early stangs at some point (who knows when?LOL) as well.
If you get a chance I'd love to hear more about your car(Is it a 6 or an 8 cylinder,etc.?) As well as your thoughts as to where you'd like to go with it? Perhaps I could help give you some ideas as to what you could use and where you could find it.
wow, thats really good information ponyboy289, thank you. well you conviced me out of the 460 idea, lol. The car is originally a straight 6, so it has the 4 lugs (which has to go), but the original owner, whom I bought it from, put a 289 V8 in her. but he blew the plugs on the block, and says that its seized. but I havn't attempted to crank it yet. so It might not be. the breaks are seized and gone, and the tranny doesn't engage. so Im pretty much looking to build her new from the ground up. I'm looking to turn her into a street car, with a lot of power. I would like to see atleast 500 horse to the wheels. right now I'm pretty open to putting anything under the hood. would like it to stand out though (in a good way). in the end I want it to be a car I can drive to a show or the strip.
hey guys. The project is moving along slowly but surely. I'm looking to purchase some rims, and i've been told i can only tuck an 8" rim without rubbing. What modifications am i looking at if i want to fit, lets say, a 9" rim. I want to fit a fat rear tire, and i don't think i can squeeze much more then a 245 out of a 8 inch rim.
Thanks in advance
-Mark
Thanks in advance
-Mark
I hate to say this now that your car is in color, but if you want to tuck wide tires under the rear quarters, you're gonna have to trim or roll the wheel lip to avoid rubbing issues. I tend to run larger than stock wheels on my 69's and rolling the lip has been the best way to squeeze the tires under the sheetmetal......unless you go 1970's old school and jack up the rear of the car....ugh.......I can't believe I said that
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/MUSTANG-T5-WORLD-CLASS-5-SPEED-TRANSMISSION_W0QQitemZ370341688113QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories?hash=item563a15b331]MUSTANG T5 WORLD CLASS 5 SPEED TRANSMISSION : eBay Motors (item 370341688113 end time Mar-01-10 19:00:00 PST)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350310348236&_trksid=p2759.l1259
Would this be a good start to my tranny swap? Am i going to need anything else, besides a new flywheel, and some patience while its put in =D
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350310348236&_trksid=p2759.l1259
Would this be a good start to my tranny swap? Am i going to need anything else, besides a new flywheel, and some patience while its put in =D
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Hey,
For the record The links do not work. I put the numbers in and saw what you were looking at. That said I might start a new thread about t5 conversions for the fun it? I don't have a 65-66 with a t5 installed although I have advised,supplied parts etc. On these conversions. That said, As far as the trans Personally I would try to locate something closer shipping from Cali isn't cheap and if the person says he's unclear about the synchros,etc. When dealing with a T5 with over 100k miles on it,I'd assume they are bad. As far as the pedals The vendor selling those has every possible part for a 64-70 Shelby,Boss,Mustang,etc. They have been in the business for many years,I've known them/known of them for 20 plus years . They tend to get top dollar for stuff (or at least they ask it).
I'm not trying to turn this into a for sale/wanted post.But I could and would sell you a pedal assmebly with a roller conversion kit(uninstalled,but easy for you to do,or for a few$,I could do it) for less than their setup.I can also get you in touch with a guy who builds/rebuilds nice T5's for reasonable prices,best of all he stands behind his work.We're only about 1/2 hour away from you so you could save on shipping. I have supplied and helped locate parts for a 66 T5 conversion as recently as last week. So it's pretty fresh in my mind. Regardless please ask away and I will do my best to advise you. So I have some questions:
Your car is currently auto?
Do you have a 289 or a 302?
(on either of the above you have to figure how it is setup balance wise)
Are you looking to run a manual ,cable,or hydraulic clutch cable setup?
Do you have any of the conversion parts (or manual trans parts in general)so far?
For the record The links do not work. I put the numbers in and saw what you were looking at. That said I might start a new thread about t5 conversions for the fun it? I don't have a 65-66 with a t5 installed although I have advised,supplied parts etc. On these conversions. That said, As far as the trans Personally I would try to locate something closer shipping from Cali isn't cheap and if the person says he's unclear about the synchros,etc. When dealing with a T5 with over 100k miles on it,I'd assume they are bad. As far as the pedals The vendor selling those has every possible part for a 64-70 Shelby,Boss,Mustang,etc. They have been in the business for many years,I've known them/known of them for 20 plus years . They tend to get top dollar for stuff (or at least they ask it).
I'm not trying to turn this into a for sale/wanted post.But I could and would sell you a pedal assmebly with a roller conversion kit(uninstalled,but easy for you to do,or for a few$,I could do it) for less than their setup.I can also get you in touch with a guy who builds/rebuilds nice T5's for reasonable prices,best of all he stands behind his work.We're only about 1/2 hour away from you so you could save on shipping. I have supplied and helped locate parts for a 66 T5 conversion as recently as last week. So it's pretty fresh in my mind. Regardless please ask away and I will do my best to advise you. So I have some questions:
Your car is currently auto?
Do you have a 289 or a 302?
(on either of the above you have to figure how it is setup balance wise)
Are you looking to run a manual ,cable,or hydraulic clutch cable setup?
Do you have any of the conversion parts (or manual trans parts in general)so far?
Hey Mike,
I'm curious on this rear swap,When you say you did the rear swap on your wife's Car I assume you went with a Mustang 8 inch rear? And then you went with later model Crown Vic brakes? I'm curious on this as I've done some larger back brakes on earlier stangs but I went with 60's Station wagon and Fairlane parts (ala Carroll Shelby). These days that stuff is hard to find so you have me curious as to using the newer stuff. First off what is the actual brake size on these? And you say it's a bolt on so I really just need the backing plates,drums,etc. from a Cown Vic and I'm in business? On a side note I've heard of people using rear disc stuff off of these cars as well(Lincoln town car,Lincoln Mark 7,etc.),Do you happen to know anything about that? Thanks
Malcolm,
The Crown Vic I took the rear brakes from was a 1987 & the backing plates were a direct bolt on to a Ford 8" rear in my wifes 65 Fastback. Right now I am looking at the newest Mustangs Unlimited catalog & on page 247 Currie Enterprises offers a rear drum brake upgrade kit w/11 x 2" finned drums.
The Crown Vic I took the rear brakes from was a 1987 & the backing plates were a direct bolt on to a Ford 8" rear in my wifes 65 Fastback. Right now I am looking at the newest Mustangs Unlimited catalog & on page 247 Currie Enterprises offers a rear drum brake upgrade kit w/11 x 2" finned drums.
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Hey Mike,
Thanks for the reply,I'm definately a thrill of the hunt kind of guy.Calling MU is too easy.LOL. How did you find out about the brake swap that you did? I'm trying to figure out what years would work? Additionally do you happen to remember the brake size of what you did? I am in absolutely zero rush to do this,Like I said this is for future project stuff,So I have plenty of time to shop. Thanks
Thanks for the reply,I'm definately a thrill of the hunt kind of guy.Calling MU is too easy.LOL. How did you find out about the brake swap that you did? I'm trying to figure out what years would work? Additionally do you happen to remember the brake size of what you did? I am in absolutely zero rush to do this,Like I said this is for future project stuff,So I have plenty of time to shop. Thanks