[Ivy66GT]

This is a minor point, but...

The '66 convertibles had an extra tubular brace under the dash going from the firewall end of the clutch/brake pedal support to the bottom edge of the dash metal at about the left edge of the glove box. The '55 T-birds had somewhat similar braces so I suppose earlier Mustang years had them also. The paint markings indicate it was attached to the dash from the top with the 1/4-20 bolt inserted from the bottom so only the bolt head protrudes below the dash. When I bolt mine this way the only contact with the dash is at the raised edge of the dash metal. The slot in the brace is then 1/2" above the hole in the dash. I added a 1/2" spacer so that the brace is firmly attached to the dash. The 1" long bolt seems to have expected such a spacer but I didn't find one in my box of removed parts.

Am I missing something here that should be occupying that 1/2" space?

[Veronica]

Hello. To be perfectly honest about it, I have no recollection of ever having seen one of those on a 65/66 Mustang convertible. The earliest Mustangs that I actually remember seeing it on was a 69. However, that in no way implies that they didn't use them on the 66s. It's been quite a while since I took a 66 convertible apart to that extent. More than ten years, so, it could be that I just plain don't remember something that was, in fact, there.

[Ivy66GT]

I do understand. My problem is its been 26 years since I took this one apart and I didn't remember it either. Imagine that.

See attached pic. After I re-discovered it last month it took a couple of weeks to identify where it went. The brake support bracket I replaced has an imprint of the left end clearly visible in the light rust near the firewall on the passenger's side of the steering column. My '66 Dearborn coupe lacks the rust but has the same mounting hole but, of course, with nothing in it. That would indicate the brace wasn't something that Mr Prior Owner added just for the heck of it as he seems to have done with other things. When I finally found the notes I made in 1982 they told me where it attached to the dash. However, without a spacer its a very shaky connection which would defeat the purpose of a brace.

As I mentioned, classic T-birds have two similar braces under there so it wasn't a totally new idea for Ford.

Other than that it may have come from an alien spaceship for all I know.