Dan's 65 Mustang Fastback

[funbnme]

Kicking off my new project.

Car was delivered today...some pics of my starting point.


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/471C290E039941438CC1358E8DFD7E09_zpsw1cm-1.jpg

The other car is my Factory Five Cobra Replica. With a 347 stroker, it's a rocket ship on 4 wheels.


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/3E0083907BB0412E998CDE7196E78983_zpsefmv-1.jpg


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/FC90E81C501D4A158558013DFD51D332_zpslgk3-1.jpg



Been killing myself trying to decide what I want this car to be when it's done. I think I'm going for a loose interpretation of a Street GT350 (but with a rear seat delete and more modern front seats). Since it's a Pro-Tour car, I know I don't really have to stick with the original colors, but all the GT350's in 65 were white (some had stripes), so I'm really leaning toward this combo as my end goal.



https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/F2150EC7281A46E0BA0616DB743388CD_zpslcm7-1.jpg

Plans as of now look like this:
- Lowered 1" or so
- Front Suspension - replace all of it with modern components, but keep the stock mounting points.
- Rear Suspension - 4 link with coil-over
- Still on the fence with wheel size. Love the vintage look of 15's, but want the handling and tire selection you can get with 17's. 16" wheels look great on these cars, but need to see what tire selection and wheel option there even are at that size. Plenty of time to sort that out.
- Power rack & pinion
- Great brakes - probably Wilwood discs front & rear. Debating on power or manual brakes. One builder I know well says that with the right brakes, I won't need power...he recently took power brakes off a Mustang for a client of his and replaced everything with stuff that works better...and the owner likes it a lot more.
- A/C & basic sound system (can always upgrade the tunes later on)
- Small block Ford with a T5 Transmission...nothing too wild to try to stay in a budget.


Step 1 is going to be to sort through all the pieces I have to get organized and then figure out the suspension so I can make it a roller.

Updates will be slow, but I'll post them as I have things to report.

[slimjim]

great starting point, what a fun part to start with.
I'm down in charlotte, and I am very envious of your garage!

[slimjim]

double post

[Eurostang]

Very Nice. Maier for the front end!

[NOT A TA]

Looks like a really nice "starting point"! Was rust repair already done?

[Crestronwizard]

Awesome car to start with but I'm biased :).

[latoracing]

Looks like a solid foundation to build on.

Look forward to the updates.

[funbnme]

All the rust repair is done. Doing the inventory on all the stuff I have tonight.

So far, my decisions on parts are as follows:
Most likely looking at Control Freaks from & rear suspension (someone I know really well builds a good number of mustangs for his clients and uses those parts on his builds. It seems to fit within my needs and budget).

TCP Power Rack & Pinion steering with an ididit column

Wilwood disc brakes. Need to decide if I'm going to use 15" or 17" wheels so I can pick the brake package. If I go with 17" wheels, I can use a 6 piston caliper in front. If I want 15", then I'll have to use a 4 piston caliper. Been looking for pictures of 65/66 fastbacks with 17" wheels to see if I like the look. I really like the Cragar 500 Series (for the Shelby look)...just not sure they look 'right' in a 17" wheel.

Car will be lowered about 1 1/2" from stock.

[funbnme]

Had a friend come over last night and got things organized.


Here are some pieces I found in the car that I can't figure out where they go. Any ideas?
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/5E7BAE97BC63425A8569AA85AFB00568_zps8kbf-1.jpg

What are the hinges for?
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/1A6D53B615E44AACB7C5FCDB085A031B_zps5np3-1.jpg


For the seat risers, was looking online and saw that some guys plug weld these in place. How far apart should I drill the holes for the plug welds? Every 2" enough or closer?
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/E666903BCE074FFDB70903C08E986872_zpscora-1.jpg


From what I've read online, Fastbacks didn't have torque boxes installed from the factory. I'm probably going to do a 4 point roll-bar in the cab. Do I need to install torque boxes or would it be overkill for a street car with moderate power (probably 350hp max at the rear wheels)?

This is inside the driver wheel well.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/6EEEBBB5EF1E44A48F4868D71FD2F4F2_zpsvr1g-1.jpg

[Crestronwizard]

Hinges may be extras we had or came off of one of the other tear downs :)

[arcane73]

Here are some pieces I found in the car that I can't figure out where they go. Any ideas?

The piece in the lower right:
123457


is normally found under the front fender and serves as your front bump stop on the stock suspension. It covers the spring as seen here:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/65mustangassembly017-1.jpg

[funbnme]

Thanks...I do have two of those. I thought they were bump-stops but didn't see where they bolted in. The picture helps a lot. Will have to see if I use those when I get the aftermarket stuff installed.

[latoracing]

The part on the lower left is a replacement rear torque box top. The middle top piece is a mystery piece, haven't seen that one that I recall.

The plug weld spacing on your seat riser would need to be between 1.5" to 1.75" apart, as needed. The factory had diagrams to go by (which you can buy) and spot welded them in the general locations, approximately. Drill 5/16" ish holes as it is a little thicker material than other locations.

Torque boxes would be a fantastic upgrade and will add noticeable torsional stiffness to your chassis. With your planned 4-link and coil over conversion I would suggest installing convertible inner rocker panels as well. These tied into your 4 point bar would stiffen up the "wet noodle" chassis even more allowing your new suspension system to work even better. Any bracing installed into the platform will help, in the right places.

[xsboost90]

i put torque boxes in my coupe on both sides, plus frame ties and a rear rollbar. Cant go wrong making it as stiff as possible while you are in there....

[Eurostang]

Had a friend come over last night and got things organized.


Here are some pieces I found in the car that I can't figure out where they go. Any ideas?
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/5E7BAE97BC63425A8569AA85AFB00568_zps8kbf-1.jpg

What are the hinges for?
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/1A6D53B615E44AACB7C5FCDB085A031B_zps5np3-1.jpg


For the seat risers, was looking online and saw that some guys plug weld these in place. How far apart should I drill the holes for the plug welds? Every 2" enough or closer?
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/E666903BCE074FFDB70903C08E986872_zpscora-1.jpg


From what I've read online, Fastbacks didn't have torque boxes installed from the factory. I'm probably going to do a 4 point roll-bar in the cab. Do I need to install torque boxes or would it be overkill for a street car with moderate power (probably 350hp max at the rear wheels)?

This is inside the driver wheel well.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/6EEEBBB5EF1E44A48F4868D71FD2F4F2_zpsvr1g-1.jpg

I would always add torque boxes! By the "64.5-66 mustang weld and sealant assembly manual" . It will have all the weld points in it!

[funbnme]

Got the manuals so I can figure out how it all goes back together.

Also spent the weekend getting the seat risers to fit and prepped for welding. I had to do a good amount of adjusting to get the driver side to sit flat on the floor (picture not shown), but it sits nicely now. Have them held in place with some sheet metal screws now (just a couple on each edge).

Just waiting for the weld-thru primer to arrive and then they will go in permanently.

Anyone know what gauge metal the seat risers & floor are? I have a sheet of 22 gauge I picked up at the store so I can practice plug welding...does that seem like a good piece to use for testing?

[Crestronwizard]

I have two cans at the shop :)

[migg400]

Looks like you are off to a good start! Great project.....

[1967marti]

The seat pans should be in the 14-16 gauge flavor. Depends on the quality... Before you weld those in you should look into getting a one piece seat pan for the coupe/fastback. It will add tons of support and stiffness to the car.

[Eurostang]

I agree with 1967marti! Go with the one piece seat base. It will add a fair amount of strength to the build. Use the torque boxes and frame connectors.

[1967marti]

I see a few big red flags in the last set of pictures.... In the image attached i circled them in red.... There looks to be severe pitting on the rocker as well as very poor welds along the floor pan and most worryingly, the rear torque box.
I would do a very thorough inspection of the 'rust repairs' done before you start bolting stuff on the car, it looks like you need to do some repairs to their repairs...123751

[funbnme]

Thanks for the pointer. I'm going to get some welding done to reinforce the front shock towers and will have a bit to do for the 4 link in the rear, so I'll be checking out other areas and will be filling where needed.

I'm practicing my plug welding, so I will tackle the easy stuff, but going to get a guy over here to do the harder stuff so I don't wind up with a bunch of unsafe booger welds holding my front suspension together.

[1967marti]

Unfortunately it looks like those "plug welds" were sprayed over and you will not be able to just fill them in. I would stitch weld around those areas (after wire wheeling to clean bare metal), with importance placed on the rear torque box(s).

Another thing to keep in mind is that when you put ion a 4-link you are moving the location where the rear weight of the car is being placed. It is very important that the rear frame rails be in great shape and the mounts for the shocks be properly welded and braced against the frame, whenever possible you should have plates welded to the frame and then the new equipment welded to that. A good example of this is how you must install a roll cage.

Shoot me a PM if you want my cell # and we can chat offline about some of your cars issues, if you want a second opinion from what your shop is telling you.

- matt

[Craig510]

Have you picked out your seats yet? Head / helmet clearance can be an issue with the stock seat pans. I would wait to weld those in until you have your seats to make sure the car fits you.

[funbnme]

Good idea. I want something like the Procar Elites or maybe something out of a modern mustang (have plenty of time to decide). I have the stock seats, so I'll throw those in to see how much room I have. From what I remember reading, there isn't a big head-room difference compared to the stock seats…am I right?

I don't really plan to use this car for track duty, but I'll throw the helmet on just in case.

[Craig510]

Stock mustang seats have very thin bases, modern seats are generally much thicker.

[rickpaw]

In addition to torque boxes, you may want to install convertible rockers and one piece seat pan too. Those rockers install inside and will add substantial stiffness to the car.

[funbnme]

Stock mustang seats have very thin bases, modern seats are generally much thicker.

I'm going to use a one-piece headliner, so that will give me a bit more room up top. I'm 5'10, but more legs than torso. I think I read that the difference between the stock seats & late model mustang seats was only an inch or so (digging to find that post), so I think I'll be OK. I'll post up the headroom measurement with the stock seats and see if you guys think I'll clear.

Found the thread I was talking about. http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/vintage-mustang-forum/609577-seat-questions.html#post3949634



In addition to torque boxes, you may want to install convertible rockers and one piece seat pan too. Those rockers install inside and will add substantial stiffness to the car.

I did some reading on these earlier, but with what I have planned for the car, the rollbar and sub-frame connectors should help enough. I might look into connecting the rollbar to the firewall in front (if that can be done without making it too hard to get in & out of the car.

[funbnme]

Torque boxes are installed.

I started with the passenger side (mainly because I had more room to work on that side of the garage). It probably took me around 12-15 hours to get it in. Most of that was spent beating it into submission until it would fit. Even with the 2 piece units, they still needed adjustments to get them to sit right.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/03/PassSideTourqueBox_zpsu6xcuk55-1.jpg


Then I moved to the driver's side and it went a lot faster...maybe around 8 hours or so. This side seemed to fit better, but maybe that's just because I knew what to do so I didn't have to take it on & off as many times to get it right.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/03/A61A1A8201784DF1A5BF07F074194BAE_zpspqqv-1.jpg

My welding skills are improving as I go. Still not good enough to want to weld in area of the car that would be seen...but better than when I started this project a short time ago. They aren't pretty, but penetration was good so they will hold.


I found a motor for the car. Bought it a bit early, but it was a good deal, so I pulled the trigger.

It's a 302 with Dart Iron Eagle Heads and a Holly carb. It has a bit over 3,000 miles on it and is complete from carb to pan. It's only rated at 305hp...but it came out of a running Backdraft Cobra that's getting a major performance upgrade, so it should be a problem free starting point for me. For now, this is what my budget would support. I figured as a future winter project (after the car is done), I could always pull it out and make a stroker out of it if I wanted more power.

I'll still need a T5 trans & bellhousing, but I can watch the ads for a good deal while I work on other stuff.

[Crestronwizard]

Coming along!

[xsboost90]

looking good- been there done all that- if you need any advise.

[funbnme]

I'm installing a Shelby style roll bar. It doesn't do much for chassis stiffening or rollover protection, but it will give me a place to mount a 5 point harness and it has the vintage look I'm going for.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/03/4DA79E7B09D443539E38033BCE588094_zpsac6q-1.jpg

The bar came with brackets and was supposed to be a close fit, but since my car had the floors replaced, it didn't fit that well. So I cut off the lower mount and am making mounts from scratch. Found the idea on the Mustangs to Fear website.

This shows the gap at the bottom.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/03/51CA510915F74F9786002E0CD1D9F32B_zps2kao-1.jpg

Here's the mount on the driver side tacked to the floor.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/03/8BCA6BE0FE4F46A29BE64C07AF512E71_zpsjiuj-1.jpg


First time notching tube…fit came out pretty good. Found a couple of videos on youtube and practiced on a piece of scrap tube I bought at the recycling yard first…then dove in with the real thing.

Here's the passenger side with the lower mount welded in and the rear leg cut and ready to weld.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/03/E35C8B4C3F1A43D499C1AED5BEBD899B_zpsmkpb-1.jpg

My welds still won't win any beauty contests, but I'm getting better at it.

After I get seats, I'll mount them so I can put the cross-bar for the belts in the right spot. I'll make the cross bar removable too in case I need to get into the back of the car for anything.

[Crestronwizard]

I like those tools!

[funbnme]

Been keeping busy doing things until the suspension pieces arrive.

Roll bar is mostly done. After I make a decision on seats, I'll get them in and then mark the height for a removable harness bar.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/04/7EDD91690B614F14AC7A517EBBED736D_zpscd2g-1.jpg

My night vision isn't very good (laser treatments to treat retinopathy from being diabetic ruins the night vision), so getting the weld torch in the right spot when I have the helmet down hasn't been easy. I made up a small flashlight holder that attaches to the handle and it helps a whole bunch (and it's not in the way).

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/04/69277A05EC7A4233A0148C341A34D107_zpslptj-1.jpg

I know there's a tool made for this, but I couldn't find it online and this one was free - even the flashlight was a freebie at Harbor Freight last week.


I welded up some parts of the shock towers for extra strength. Here's the passenger side.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/04/A2FB9D2AB6884B1EB1623FCA4C7ABB47_zpst0wc-1.jpg

[Crestronwizard]

Ingenuity at its finest :)

[JRHorne]

Dan I am in Raleigh and have a 65 Fastback V6, but it is in storage and I am not currently working on it. I'd love to lend a hand, but between my job, 15 month old, and own projects (home and cars) I am not sure I could find the time! I'll follow along here but let me know if you need an extra set of hands. I don't fab, weld, or do body work, but when you get to assembly and bolting stuff together I can be useful.

[funbnme]

Welded the front frame rails to help keep things together a bit better.

The passenger side section where the upper & lower control arms will straddle the frame (where the shock tower is) needed more work than the driver side. But I was able to get in there nicely with my welding torch and get a series of good tacks & short beads in there.

I seam sealed the driver side too...waiting for more to come via Amazon so I can do the passenger side and finish up some spots on the driver side frame.

Passenger Side
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/04/6EE68B68289D44A58ADF8BA44663A8FC_zpslsgd-1.jpg

Driver Side
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/04/19B5CF734F8D4B15B09AA61CCFDC24B8_zpsh1gl-1.jpg

[Z06killinSBF]

Be a good time to add in shock tower plates since its right there and already clean.

[funbnme]

I've been thinking about that....but for a street driven car, is it something that's a 'must have' or 'you probably won't notice the difference because you aren't pushing the car to the limits'?

Who makes the shock tower plates for a 65?

[Z06killinSBF]

Well you stich welded the frame, is that necessary for a street car? I bet you could easily whittle some out of plate in about 5 minutes.

[funbnme]

Good point.
I'll get my front suspension setup (if the parts ever arrive) and then I'll make a template so it all fits nicely.

[Eurostang]

Add the plates!!! And drill for the shelby mod to the A-arms! By the way where did you get the roll bar?

[funbnme]

Shelby drop is planned.

Here is a link to the bar on eBay. He makes it for other years too.

https://www.ebay.com/ulk/itm/250510420661

67 68 Mustang Shelby Eleanor Fastback Roll Bar


He sold me the tubing for the rear legs and harness bar. I made the mounts myself.

[69chevelle540]

Kicking off my new project.

Car was delivered today...some pics of my starting point.


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/471C290E039941438CC1358E8DFD7E09_zpsw1cm-1.jpg

The other car is my Factory Five Cobra Replica. With a 347 stroker, it's a rocket ship on 4 wheels.


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/3E0083907BB0412E998CDE7196E78983_zpsefmv-1.jpg


https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/FC90E81C501D4A158558013DFD51D332_zpslgk3-1.jpg



Been killing myself trying to decide what I want this car to be when it's done. I think I'm going for a loose interpretation of a Street GT350 (but with a rear seat delete and more modern front seats). Since it's a Pro-Tour car, I know I don't really have to stick with the original colors, but all the GT350's in 65 were white (some had stripes), so I'm really leaning toward this combo as my end goal.



https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/02/F2150EC7281A46E0BA0616DB743388CD_zpslcm7-1.jpg

Plans as of now look like this:
- Lowered 1" or so
- Front Suspension - replace all of it with modern components, but keep the stock mounting points.
- Rear Suspension - 4 link with coil-over
- Still on the fence with wheel size. Love the vintage look of 15's, but want the handling and tire selection you can get with 17's. 16" wheels look great on these cars, but need to see what tire selection and wheel option there even are at that size. Plenty of time to sort that out.
- Power rack & pinion
- Great brakes - probably Wilwood discs front & rear. Debating on power or manual brakes. One builder I know well says that with the right brakes, I won't need power...he recently took power brakes off a Mustang for a client of his and replaced everything with stuff that works better...and the owner likes it a lot more.
- A/C & basic sound system (can always upgrade the tunes later on)
- Small block Ford with a T5 Transmission...nothing too wild to try to stay in a budget.


Step 1 is going to be to sort through all the pieces I have to get organized and then figure out the suspension so I can make it a roller.

Updates will be slow, but I'll post them as I have things to report.

What brand/model lift are you using in your garage? Looks nice and compact.

[funbnme]

The lift is an older Eagle brand. I can get measurements if you'd like them...send me a PM.

[funbnme]

Nothing major to report…the front & rear suspension pieces arrived. I'm finishing up welding some things on the front of the car…then I'll seam seal and put berliner (or something similar) on the inner fenders.

I was surfing craigslist today and found a pair of fox mustang seats. I figured I'd pick up the seats because I could put them in and then mark where I want the seat belt harness bar to go. They need to be recovered, but the foam is in good shape.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/05/6DF7ADF909534F1A942C4660EF98B99D_zpsm1te-1.jpg

Where do you find reasonably priced upholstery for these seats?

At most of the places I'm finding online, they sell TMI. I'm sure the quality is good, but I'm picked up the Fox seats mainly because I thought I could save a few bucks. By the time you buy the TMI covers and pay a shop to put them on, I could have bought ProCar or similar seats ready to drop in.

[GTOtzel]

You could always install the TMI covers yourself to save on the install. It is not too difficult of a job, just time consuming. Here is a video of guys installing TMI stuff on an early mustang seat. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc7xKc6A2T4

[funbnme]

I finished welding and seam sealing the front end, so I used some bedliner on the inner fenders. This will give it better long-term protection from the elements and add a bit of sound-deadening to the sheet metal (not that anyone would really be tapping the inner fender from the engine bay side.

I did this part now so I can mock up the front suspension and leave it there when I eventually get the car on the road and drive around in primer for a while (before I tear it down for paint).

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/05/87C79E904C0445C9B0DFC4EEB8F2DD1C_zpsxzrw-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/05/8521EA65C41147B189BC9923A43E351F_zpsuool-1.jpg

Now I'm working on doing some welding on the back end of the car (improving the welds on the rear wheel housings and getting the 4 link brackets tacked to the frame).

[funbnme]

Still waiting for some parts to arrive so I can get the suspension installed.

I'm still not sure if I'm going to do a side or rear exhaust, so I figured I would put the floor reinforcements in place just in case I go out the back. It's a lot easier to get these in now before I spray sound-deadener on the floor.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/06/B6C83A67A7DB497086EBEE1D364BCBEF_zpsdtyr-1.jpg

I'm also doing some prep-work in the engine bay so I can spray it with a satin black epoxy primer...but no pictures to show for that work. It's the basic sand/fill/inspect/repeat process we're all used to.

[funbnme]

Been a while since I updated this thread.

Got the front & rear suspension installed.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/11/8D8723349CDD47D599E624BE490DE5BB_zpsligw-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/11/0B732D6E956E4CC18E979DF42034A320_zps3lpj-1.jpg



I found a used set of Speedhut gauges and wanted to use a 66 GT 5 gauge cluster. Made up my own mounting plate to make it look as close to stock as possible. I'll have the dash pod for the tach & oil temp.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/11/40148602848946C18C27DC29BF374060_zps0ekp-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/11/A5CC5ECC075743B88573439FDCE2D638_zpsov3x-1.jpg

Got the wheels & tires on the car:
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/11/774D2975670C48748B895D9E32A2EF36_zpskxgk-1.jpg

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/11/738C62D8B34D402DA00B8696B1BDB635_zpshomr-1.jpg

Wheels are Cragar Eliminator 17x7 (4.25" backspace) and tires are BFG Comp2a 225/45/17.
I measured with the wheel fit tool and couldn't fit wider wheels on the car without having to modify the car too much.

Last night, we got the car off the body cart and onto the ground for the first time. Here's a short time lapse video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g39R_bpxp8Y

[JacobGrant]

Looking good! I plan on running those same wheels initially until I can afford a custom set (I picked one up for $50 as a display). What front suspension is that?

I also have a similar gauge cluster but used a BOESE engineering adaptor plate but yours looks just as good is way less expensive lol.

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/10/gasg_zpsut1xmkum-1.png

https://static1.pt-content.com/images/pt/2016/11/tyyu_zps3f2ubvzw-1.png

[funbnme]

Thanks. The front and rear suspension are from Control Freak. Freakride.com