1969 Mustang convertible

[Given2Fly]

Hi,
Someone over at Vintage Mustang Forum, where I've been a member since '01, posted a link to one of the Mustangs here. I dropped on over and liked what I saw - I have a soft spot for Chevys since a kid, my Mom had a '57 four door and in graduate school in Rochester NY I picked up a '64 Impala, 4 door with a 327. Lurking in the background always was my Dad's Mustang, which he bought new in Seattle and we kids saw only on visits. Fast forward to spring 2001; he's retired and has run out of room for his MG's and XKE's, so he offers me the Mustang which I'd already taken friendly dibs on. At age 70 he and his fiance drove it from Seattle to Washington, DC, and handed me the keys. When my wife and I got our house in the near MD suburbs, I'd insisted on a garage for this very purpose.

The car was daily driven till about '82 in Seattle. One of about 1200 convertibles that year with the 351 Windsor. Original motor and FMX transmission. Besides the 351W the only options were the power disc brakes, remote driver's mirror, and folding glass rear light. Painted once in the late 80s original Indian Fire Red - original interior, never wrecked, etc.

What have I done with it? Well, besides drive it about 2000 miles each summer, the approach has been improve the handling, suspension, and safety features first - then tweak it a bit for speed. To date:

• Total Control Products subframe connectors
• Pro-Motorsports Negative Wedge kit (lowered control arms 1.75")
• Eibach progressive rate springs, cut 1 coil (total front drop about 3 inches)
• custom-milled 1/2" lowering blocks (total back drop about 2" - realizing a fine vintage rake)
• Vintage Wheel Works Vintage 45 wheels - 16x8, 4.5" backspacing - spokes and inner surfaces powdercoated black
• 1957 Fairlane axle/9" - two inches narrower than the original rear housing - using the original differential 2.75
• Dunlop SP 2000 ft: 225x16R50 rr: 255x16R50 - all fit without rolling the fenders
• KYB shocks
• roller-bearing spring perches
• Mach 1 front sway bar
• Mustang Project LED brake lights and 6" LED third brake light
• year-correct racing mirrors and dual-quad exhaust tips
• front three point seatbelts mounted using spring steel/D-ring sash extenders for the top pivot attachment point, using Julianos and Grade 8 hardware, designed to approach SFI 16.1 and FMVSS 208, 209, 210

The car handles very very well on the road, loves the twisties, on-ramps, etc. and tracks straight. I work with an old-school Ford guy in Maryland who knows alot of tricks in making the original steering and suspension to perform and I'm happy with the modifications so far. No plans for R&P, IRS, etc.

Wishlist/plans for the drivetrain:

• clean, strip, paint engine compartment
• Edelbrock Performer Air-Gap intake
• K&N air filter
• Barry Grant Road Demon carburetor
• Ford Powertrain long-tube headers, JetHot coated
• Borla mufflers, aluminized or SS dual exhaust

One of the things that attracts me to this board is the number of threads (a whole sub-forum) focused on safety. As you can see, my approach to this car is geared in that direction - and I have researched and engineered the restraint system to overcome the geometry flaws I feel are inherent to the 3 point systems on the market for vintage convertibles. The push back or outright lack of consideration on this topic elsewhere baffles me. It is a work in progress but I can see the discussion here is well advanced and I look forward to adding to the accumulated knowledge - especially in regard to convertibles.

So, that's about it. My other hobby/passion is photography, so I'll save a thousand words and share these:





I look forward to learning from your community, and adding where I can!
Ken