A lil redo

[DBasher]

I figured since I'm actually starting real work on this one, I'll post up progress as I go. Back in March of this year I picked up a couple running Mustangs, at first I didn't want both but in the end it worked out. I bought them both for $4500 and me and a buddy drove them home.


The 77 was stupid clean and ran really well, I decided before I pull the motor and trans for the 66 I'd try and sell it....yes, I had thoughts of doing a cheap autox build on the 77 but was gently nudged away by some members of this board. I posted the 77 on Craigslist and got a ton of interest on it, priced at $2500 most of my friends thought it'd never sell for that, ended up selling for $2300. So with the sale of the 77 and an 8" rear that came with the deal I was now into the 66 for 2k.

[DBasher]

The deal with the car...it's my wife's. She doesn't care what I do with it, she likes the idea of more power and better handling, perfect.....honestly she drives like an azzhole. Not so much with our boys in the car but when it's her and I, look out! The goal with the car is to have it be something she can bomb around in and we can take to auto-x and track day events.

So I've got some money to spend and really no clue of what to do. I started reading a ton and asking questions. I tuned up the lil six, bought some stock hubcaps and she started driving it daily. I dropped some coin on the Maier UCA's and JRI coil overs, with Mike helping through text and over the phone I was able to install it in a few nights after work. It's amazing what 2k in front suspension parts will do! I now had the wife convinced on what the car could be and she's having more fun driving it...happy wife happy life!

I was trying to figure out which springs to run in the back, 165lb or heavier 195lb. I didn't want to go too soft but didn't want to wear a kidney belt every time I drove it. I ended up finding a complete set up from a guy going to a 4 link. $250 later I have 195lb springs, beefy spring plates, new shackles and bushings and QA1 adjustable shocks! Another weekend of cleaning and installing and I'm feeling like the suspension is starting to really come together. I'm now having a hard time keeping hubcaps on! The car feels pretty solid, confident in the turns and rides just the way I had hoped.

I put a lowering block in the back and kept it running for the remainder of the summer. It's in the garage now, I pulled the six yesterday and it's coming apart. I have a pile of parts to get installed over the winter, more suspension, fiberglass parts, 9", better brakes, and a low mileage 302 and AOD.

This is the donor I picked up this week....sketchy as hell, bought in the middle of the night in the not so good part of town go prepared!

[camcojb]

Those look like they'll be fun. My father in law has a '75 or so Mustang II that he bought new in Socal and drove up to Oregon and put up on blocks, never driven again. I think it has less than 1000 original miles. Maybe I need a project...

[DBasher]

So before I pulled the motor I decided to mock up the fenders I bought earlier this summer.

I picked these up in Oregon, never mounted and pretty nice quality really. I spoke with Mike Maier and he said that they look like the 1.5" flare that he used to sell.


Middle of last week my oldest boy decided to help out after school so we got to it.

I prepped the motor and trans for pulling and got that done yesterday with the help from a buddy. Today was spent cleaning the engine bay until my dad and brother showed up. Shifted gears a bit and went to town on the Lincoln. Motor, transmission and driveline out and in the garage, I'll call the scrapper tomorrow and get this pile outta the driveway.


So now I've got a couple days of cleaning and getting the garage back together. I hope to get the rest of the front suspension put together next weekend and maybe slide the motor/transmission in over the thanksgiving holiday.

Progress.

[WSSix]

$220o for a solid 66 Mustang? Good score I'd say. Good luck with it Dan.

[DBasher]

Turns out it comes apart real easy! Pulled all the front suspension off and started cleaning and painting parts.

Drilled out the spot welds for the strut rod mounts...what a pain in the azz. Went through a couple bits, Ha! glad to be done with that!


I hope to get the new lower arms on and the front suspension back together today, it's damn cold out there but I gotta keep moving forward. Like I told my boys, this car won't build itself.

[GregWeld]

GET OUT THERE!!! LOL


Looking good Dan!

[DBasher]

Oh I got out there alright. Thermals, flannel, Carhart and some coveralls got me through the day! I warmed my lil work space with a portable heater and some halogen lights....shoooot it got up to 38 degrees!

I was able to get the sub rails wire wheeled and the CCP mini sub frame kit installed.

Now I have some questions....the bj on the lower arm is tapered like I would expect it to be, thing is it has this spacer and washer.

So what I'm thinking is it goes together as normal and the spacer and washer sit under the castle nut on top of the spindle....is that correct? So if that's the way THAT goes, what's the deal here?

It looks like it's tapered as well but has a tapered spacer and just a bit of a shoulder to sit in the center link. Would it really be connected to a rack with a heim?

Not sure what's going on with all the steering yet, it's all 6cyl from steering box to center link.

I'll be ordering my AOD crossmember this week as well as picking up some miscellaneous hardware for the brakes. The "while I'm there" is creeping in on me and now I'm thinking about steering boxes....can't find too many options for manual boxes, we'll see what happens.

Good times!

Greg, that thing with the guy and the stuff I had emailed you about, RESOLVED!