svt 65 stang
 

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: just saw the pic of the svt 65 stang project :thumbsup: :thumbsup: ...... and the light bulb turned on. i just happen to have a 1964 1/2 mustang project that i am updating the suspension/brakes/steering to late model sn95 parts.... and i just happen to have the shell from the 96 cobra that i robbed all the parts off of. im sure you see where im going with this. im also sure everybody in here can relate to the "since im all ready this far... i may as well" deal.


oh well its just more time and more money....right?

Yep, SN65's project kicks ass. What a great addition to site. :thumbsup:

https://lateral-g.net/members/julian

Hi RR,

Thanks for the kind words and good luck with your project. Drop me a line if you need any help.

Before you start, I should say that this has taken a LOT more time and effort than we originally thought. I was a bit optomistic on the time it would take at the start. I figured 2 guys owrking full time could knock it out in about 3 months. Afterall, how tough could it be???

Well... 12 months and 2,500 man hours later, we are just about complete.

If you do decide to go ahead, I will be happy to help you avoid some of the major issues we had. Also, having access to a fram rack and laser measuring system helps. :-)

If you want to get a feel for all involved, follow the link below.... If you dare. :unibrow:

http://www.svtperformance.com/forums...5&page=1&pp=25

Also, we would be happy to help you build one just like it. We can do all the dirty grunt / structural / body / paint work and you can do all the fun assembly installation work. If you are interested, just give us a call at 630-762-0387. Just for grins I have attached a current photo of our shop. Please note that this an actual working bodyshop, not American Hot Rod. :-)

Bob

WOW! :eek: I can't wait to see this one when its finished.

One heck of a project there.

Dang, nice man... i wish i had those kind of skills... or money to pay someone with skills... hehe :D

That car is awesome!!! :thumbsup:

It's amazing the lengths that we enthusiast go to build something that at one time was just an idea.

Keep us updated, Bob.

Bob-

Glad to see you come aboard!! Car is amzing! Been following the build prior to you coming here. Fabrication & ingenuity is unbelievable. Keep us posted! :thumbsup:

Welcome aboard Bob!That is one beautiful car :thumbsup:

Welcome. I have been following your build up for a long time over at Corner Carvers. Very impressed with the level of work being done.

Mike

Yep, that is a very trick project. Amazing car! :thumbsup:

Jody

well i been doing a bunch of measuring between the 2 cars.... and i think this project is a "go". well it will be a "go" just as soon as my "other" personal project is finished. there are a lot of "issues" with the 64 1/2 that could be solved by doing this. my biggest problem with the car is the lack of structural integrity, mainly in the front end. the car had a 416" windsor/5spd, 17x9's, all the trick shebly style suspension.

to give you an idea of how much an early mustang flexes, the first time i auto-xed the car, it twisted up so bad it cracked the windsheild. my fault for attempting to do it before building frame connectors. after the frame connectors... i noticed losts of "flexing" in the shocktowers, no problem, built a strut tower brace, triangulated to the firewall. the car was a million times better to drive. the next weak link, is where the firewall meets the inner fenders..... ripped loose, frame rails tweaked. this is the point where the car got parked and i started on my '34.

so this brings me to this option. yeah i do realize how much labor is involved. but when you compare that to the saftey issues that i would have everytime i bandaid the car back together... i think it is well worthwhile. the car has sentimental attachments... so i cant ever get rid of it. i would just like to be able to enjoy the car.... and i see this as being the best overall way to accomplish the goal.

anyway... thanks for the extra info.... if i run into any major hurdles, i just might give ya a call.

Damn nice car!! When do you think it will be done and where are you located?

That is the exact car I am currently look to find for a feature in the mag.. Very well done so far..

It's not American Hot Rod? You mean everyone doesn't go around acting like asses and injecting drama instead of being professionals???? :willy:

Steve, I agree 100%, Wayne and Bob's project would be an awesome magazine feature. :thumbsup:

Hi All,

Thank you all for the kind words. It is gratifying for us to here such glowing comments from dedicated, hard core hobbiest as yourselves.

Below is a comment I made in regard to the current restomoding trend. You can read the whole article on the VERY nice project page set up by our host. I am a bit currious to see if you agree or disagree.

...Unlike the typical approach employed there days, we decided that there has to be a better way to achieve our goal than retrofitting today’s technology into a 40 year old chassis. We feel that the results are always a compromise of one kind or another. Also, the 40 year old chassis was constructed with much weaker materials than today’s designs. Add to that the inherent loss of structural material due to corrosion that occurs over the years (much of which is hidden between all the original factory spot welds and lap joints) and the result is a weak chassis. These older chassis (due to their age / design) more often than not deliver less than desirable ride quality. Even joints and panels that look perfectly acceptable after media blasting can hide rather extensive corrosion that will eventually find its way back to the surface, ruining an otherwise pristine classic ride. As they say “rust never sleeps”. You can hide it and slow it down, but you can never stop it....

So... What do you think? Am I right in making the above comment, or not???

Bob

Hi RR,

Tip #1...

To get the cars to mate properly, you are going to have to fabricate a set of tapered "rails" that will fit between the 65 rocker panels and the SN95 chassis. If I remember correctly, we fabricated some 1 1/8" x 6" x 10gage rectangular tubes that tappered down from the 1 1/8" at one end to 15/16" at the other.

Measure and calculate this a few different times before you make any cuts. I say this because the tolerances on the 65 are quite a bit "looser" than that on the SN95. We had to run over these calculations a few times before we were sure we had it right.

Also, when you are ready to make the cuts, I will walk you through the procedure so you will not leave to much or remove to much material. We were so cautious when making these first cuts that we were always cutting and fitting over and over again. And even when we thought we were being extreamly cautious in what material we removed, we went and removed material that we had to add back in later.

So....

Good luck.

Bob

Hi S,

Well... As far as being "done"... Is any project ever really finished? :P

We were shooting for the end of June, but that deadline is quickly slipping away. We were really hopeing to show it at the July Good Guy's show, but that is going to be hit and miss at this point. We wanted to show this car along with other builders projects and see how it stacked up. There is a really fine ride built by the Ring brothers and we were wanting to see how the Julian brothers ranked in comparison. Also, we may be a bit out of our minds, insain, nuts, eytc... but we think we have a shot at street machine of the year.

But that dream is fading fast as we have about 6 weeks worth of hard work and only 3 to the show.

Sigh.....

Our shop is located in St Charles, IL. We have restored classics and also built our share of customs. We recently restored a 69 GT350 that took concorse "gold" at Ford nationals last fall.

Sometimes I think we are the best kept secret in the car business. We do excellent work, we charge fair prices, we take no shortcuts and we only know how to do things the right way. But, there are so many "big" names in the market that it is tough for small shops like ours to get a break.

Anyway, you can reach either Wayne or myself at 630-762-0387.

Catch ya'll l8r.

Bob

i hear that!!!

btw...thanks for the tips, this project is gonna be on hold for a couple months as i get my tube chassis '34 done, but over the winter i will be neck deep in mustang.

Awesome Car and inspiring Effort! Welcome to the best site on the net.

Hi All,

I noticed that there are a few artists that frequent this site. I dabble a little bit myself.

I have attached a few drawings just for giggles. They are all hand drawn using Prizmacolor colored pencils.

Not to bad for a hack. :unibrow:

Bob

:hail: :hail: :hail:


Those rock.

Hi All,

All the items up for auction on e-bay closed last night.

The entire 03 interior went for $1,076. It looks like someone got a pretty good deal.

Someone bought the 65 rear bumper for $1.25 and after the auction declined the purchase because the bumper was sand blasted ready for paint or re-chroming. All of that was stated in the text, but I guess they did not read it until after the auction was over.

Other items of interest were....

The 03 doors went for about $65 each.

The used clutch, PP, FW and input shaft went for $90.

The Cobra oil cooler went for $125.

The Cobra front control arms and coil springs went for $165.

The Cobra mirrors went for $130.

The Cobra tail lights went for $115.

All in all I generated about $3,700 for the project. This will allow us to hire a full time helper to get this project moving over the next 3 weeks.

And, we still have a bunch of stuff to auction off.

We should get a LOT accomplished next week. Wish us luck.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

Let the blocking begin. :-)

After a day of blocking, this is what we have accomplished. Both quarters. Sides and top.

WoHoo!!!

Now on to the roof and trunk.

Here is a photo of the collision center from the outside (for anyone who is a bit curious).

Also, here are some photos of the battery cable run. We are pretty much set except for the final location of the battery box. We just need to find a location that will clear the gas tank and any existing wiring. Sounds like a snap, but I am sure that this will give us a bit of hartburn before it is all over.

Also, when we ran the chassis grounds, we tied a couple of seperate of items together and grounded them with one terminal. I hope this dosen't end up biting me in the butt. A ground is a ground is a ground.

Right???

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

That's just amazing. :hail:

Hi All,

Into the booth we go.

Wayne finished the blocking of the quarters, roof, etc...

Here are some photos of the car in the booth after it was primed.

Now we will mount the doors, fenders, trunk, hood, front end, etc... and go through the same priming and blocking procedure.

Catch ya'll l8r.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Looks like your getting closer.

VERY NICE! :hail:

i really like the overly crisp body lines around the flares...just like the donor car had.

Hi All,

For the 4th, my wife and I are heading up to the great white north. We have a summer home up near Spooner WI (near the nose).

You all have a great holiday. See you when I get back on Wed.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Hi All,

The 4th of July weekend was pretty much a bust, at least as far as the car goes.

While all of you were busy with barbeques, picnics, parties, family, friends and of course fireworks, I was up in Wisconsin opening up the summer cottage. For those who have never done such a thing, it is often rather eventful. You never know quite what to expect. Past experience has taught me to be prepared anything. For example, I have had to deal with frozen plumbing, trees falling on the driveway and the house, malfunctioning yard equipment, shattered toilets, renegade mice, carpenter ants, wild turkeys, deer, bear and bats.

So… While you were all having a wonderful time I was fixing this year’s problem, namely pier crushed by ice. All I had to do was lift the wet end of the pier a scant 5 feet and slide the pier supports back into place. An easy task if you have any type of jack, which of course, I was sorely lacking. To make a long story short, I finally elevated the pier using tactics that the ancient Egyptians would have been proud of.

We are moving along nicely at this point, but nothing worthy of a photo. After all, how many photos can you show of sanded primer? Also, as we get closer to the completion, we have decided to only show detail shots. We are going to save the long overall shots for the big finish later this month.

With that said, I am off to work. Tomorrow, I will post some detail photos of the velocity tube installation.

Catch ya’ll l8r.

Bob
Come see this WIP at
Julian's Collision Center
http://www.julianscollisioncenter.com/

Well that's just plain cruel! Great looking car. I can't get over how well the late model flares look on the ol' bodystyle. Awesome work!

Hi All,

We are getting down to crunch time here and are looking for additional hands.

So...

If you live in the St Charles, IL area. If you are really into mustangs. If you are mechanically inclined (or have body working skills). If you are not afraid of hard work, etc, etc, etc....

Send me an e-mail at [email protected]

Bob

Hi All,

I am having a real tough time deciding on the seats to use (if you remember, the Cobra seats sat about 2" to high).

I have considered Recaro, Sparco, Flow Fit, Corbeau, etc...

There are so many choices out there that I am having trouble making up my mind. Also, I have never planted my butt in any of these seats. This makes the decision very difficult at best.

As far as requirements go, I want seats that look, feel and fit similar to the 03 Cobra seats. I would really like them to be leather with suede inserts, but all leather will suffice. Electric controls are not mandatory, but they would be nice if I can keep the seat 2” shorter than the originals. The seats must be useable with a 4 point harness. And I also need the seats to fold forward (for access to the rear).

The seats need to be a compromise of performance and comfort (If they are not comfortable, I will never complete the power tour next year). They need to accommodate butts of all sizes (you never know who is going to end up driving or riding).

The Sparco Milano, Recaro LXF, Cobra Misano L, Corbeau legacy, etc... all look pretty good, but all I have to go on are the looks.

So... Your input would be greatly appreciated.

Bob

IMO, the seats you listed have a very specific feel to each of them. You should really try sitting in them before buying. It's not an easy decision - even when you have them all to try out.

I noticed the exact same thing - that looks very good. Better than a panel held on by adhesive and also better than a completely smoothed in piece. Very cool.

I have a 67 and an Eleanor kit that I have been on the fence about installing or selling. Im liking the flares though. Perhaps I will sell part of the kit and mix it up a little :)

Jeff

Hi All,

What a rush. Lately I don't know if I am coming or going.

Anyway....

Wayne has been busy solving body fitment issues. Here are a couple of shots. The first is of Wayne hard at work. He is contemplating the gaps. If you listen closely you can hear the buzz as he thinks about the best way to even out all these inconsistent gaps. He has had to weld extensions on to some panels while trimming back others.

Shush. Be very quiet. We better move on before we disturb him. :-)

Next is a photo of what the gaps look like before Wayne works his magic. Compare that to the 4th shot showing the repaired gaps on the opposite side of the car.

Last we have a shot of the car starting to go together for final bodywork. We are currently fitting / clearancing the hood (stock 65 with a bulge for the massive blown 4.6)

Wish I could go into more detail, but I really have to get back to work.

Catch ya'll later.

Bob

Tight gaps are good! :D

How much of a bulge will the hood need?

Hu hu hu huhu huuu Scott said bulge...hu huu hhuuu

please tell me the merc(background) is awaiting its own svt donor vehicle

Hi RR,

Actually I don't know what the owner is going to drop in. We are only finishing the bodywork on that one. The owner started the project, got it to this point and realized it was going to be a bit over his head. It should be a cool car when finished.

Bob

Hi X,

To be honest, we won't know until we clearance the hood. The blown 4.6 is rather large. The bulge could be anywhere from 1/2" to 4". If I were to guess I would say that the bulge is going to be about 1" or so.

How much clearance should we alow for engine movment? I was thinking that if we had 1/4" to 1/2" we would be fine, but my brother says that the engine could move as much as 1/2". If he is right we would need about 3/4" around all components to make sure the engine does not hit when it tourqes over.

What do you think???

Bob