Author Topic: 64 1/2 mustang upgrades, advice welcome  (Read 1835 times)

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Joey120373

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64 1/2 mustang upgrades, advice welcome
« on: August 04, 2019, 11:22:42 AM »
I inherited my grandmothers 64.5 mustang, it’s been sitting in a field, uncovered, for as long as I can remember, around 40 years.
So it needs a lot of work, pretty much everything, has some rust holes in the front fenders, couple other small spots here and there but otherwise it’s straight.
I’ve been holding out thinking I would just save up and do it all at once,  but I’ve changed my mind, I think I will do the “road kill” thing and just get it back on the road, and upgrade as I go.

So the first thing I’m going to attack is the suspension, brakes and possibly steering.
I know the easy thing to do is just slap a mustang II suspension on it, but I’m not to fond of that suspension, and wondering what recommendations you all might have. I know there are a lot of choices out there, and prices are anywhere from scary cheep to second mortgage level.
I’m curious to know if the stock stuff can be upgraded enough to make a decent driver.
I’m also really wanting to swap out the original power assisted steering  for a R&P unit, wondering if any of you have a manual r&p and how it drives.

Ultimate goal is to have a car that drives and handles like a modern sports car, 5-600 hp and a manual trans.

Thanks
« Last Edit: August 04, 2019, 01:04:05 PM by Joey120373 »

cattleFEeder

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Re: 64 1/2 mustang upgrades, advice welcome
« Reply #1 on: August 04, 2019, 10:43:44 PM »
There is a couple of different routes to go with this guys stuff, great quality product.
http://www.streetortrack.com/Street-or-Track-Tubular-Front-End-System-pr-24480.html
Remember, RPM is your friend

Heo

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Re: 64 1/2 mustang upgrades, advice welcome
« Reply #2 on: August 05, 2019, 01:59:49 AM »
You can make a decent driver out of it with the stock suspension.
Do the Shelby lowering of the upper A-arm, 1 inch front swaybar
adjustabel rear swaybar so you can tune ower/under stear
Shelby springs, good shocks, 4 degrees camber up front.
Make the front end sit one inch lower than rear, so the air go ower
the car and not under it reinforce shock tower with a 45 degree brace
under the a arm mounting holes to outside of frame rails. Export brace
Monte carlo bar, torque boxes from a convertibel. did a few of them like
that in the 80s. with good tires it throw you out of the vinyl seat in the
bends ;)



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Joey120373

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Re: 64 1/2 mustang upgrades, advice welcome
« Reply #3 on: August 06, 2019, 07:09:00 AM »
Thanks for the info and the link, thats pretty much exactly what I was hoping to find.

Next question, is there any way to get good steering feel/feedback with a stock type steering box ?

My experience with older steering box set ups is, with power steering there is little to no road feel/feedback. Manual boxes are better, but on/near center they have the same issue.
R&P is great, but I’ve read most conversions suffer from bump steer.

If someone offered a gear box, power or manual that could get close to the performance of a good R&P unit I would try that for sure.

Thanks again.

Heo

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Re: 64 1/2 mustang upgrades, advice welcome
« Reply #4 on: August 06, 2019, 01:12:55 PM »
I bet a GM small frontwheeldrive rack the one mounted on the
firewall. here known as Opel kadett SAAB etc , with a few brackets
and a centerlink would give you a bumpsteer free R/P did some
conversions with them not on a Mustang though
It would be that or a Opel omega box on my Galaxie this winter



The defenition of a Gentleman, is a man that can play the accordion.But dont do it

hotrodford

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Re: 64 1/2 mustang upgrades, advice welcome
« Reply #5 on: August 07, 2019, 10:13:47 PM »
I have a 64.5 that I have owned since Apr. of 67.  I have been doing open track events with it since 2010. I added Spintech sub frame connectors, right and left torque boxes, TA brake set up on the front (69 Lincoln calipers with 12" rotors), 2 1/4" X 10" drums on the rear, stock UCA's with the one inch drop, open tracker LCA's with the spherical bearings, adjustable strut rods, 1" front sway bar, Koni shocks, 620 front springs, 4 1/2 leaf rear springs but 5 leaf would be better,  Flaming River 16:1 stock type steering box, Cleveland engine with AFD heads, T5-Z trans, 57 Ford 9" housing and Moser axles.  The car runs and drives great on the street and the track. 
« Last Edit: August 08, 2019, 09:39:25 PM by hotrodford »