[jered88]

Hi I'm new on here and for the past year and a half i have been looking at what i need to get for my mustang to put my 351W from my 73 Ranchero GT. I had the engine bored .60 over at lopers and the thing is amazing in the ranchero but i love my mustang (it was my first car that i saved up for since i was 7). But i blew out the tranny on the freeway and decided i wanted a V8. I been looking around but im not sure what gear ratio would be good and whether to go w/ Posi, lockers, or lim. slip. and what all would i need for the front end? I know new Springs, but control arms and what not too? And where could i find all these parts, i know i can get stuff from falcons and cougars, is there any others? All info would be great thank you =)

[1965 pony]

Welcome to the forum. I don't get a chance to get on here very often, but there is some good info to be had from guys that have done it already and like to tell others some of the tricks to make working on America's favorite pony car that much more enjoyable. I have a 1965 fastback that I drive everyday, except when there is salt on the road. One of the biggest problems you will face with a built 351W is cooling it with the size of radiator that the 65 has. A good thick aluminum radiator is worth the money and saves your engine a lot of grief. I just put a set of hooker comp ceramic coated headers on a 1969 mustang with a 351W and they fit excellent. They had about a 1/2" of room on each side, and the engine bay on the 65 is very similar in size, I would assume the ones they offer for the 65 fit just as nice. You are not going to be able to fit a C6 in there unless you do a little bit of clearancing. The C4 and T5 fit excellent though. I have a mildly built GT40 302 in mine with a T5 and it is very enjoyable to drive and gets great mileage, in fact my family and I have taken it on many road trips across a couple states. If you don't already have it swapped over to 5 lug, you will want to. Your brake choices will greatly expand, and the original 4 lug rear will definitely not hold up. I have a 8" 5 lug rear in mine, and it is marginal at best, unless you put good money into a nice center section, with good bearings, gears, and carrier assembly. I hope some of this helps, you will love it when done. They are a great car to have fun with, but when you put some good power in them, they become a riot!!!!!!

[andrewmp6]

Give this a reading Six Cylinder Upgrade V8 - Mustang & Fords Magazine the cheapest way to get the front a 5 lug is Welcome to CSRP a 351w is a tight fit in a 65 so make sure you got the right headers and look in to ron morris motor mounts they are pricey but adjustable.

[PaulS]

YOu are going to need swap headers for the 351W swap into the 65. No headers willl fit in the confines of the engine compartment that are made for anything else. If you are running anything but a C4 with a floor shift the headers get even harder to find. There are some shorties that work, and one or two long tube headers that will need a bit of "massaging" with a hammer to get them to work. There are always custom headers that can be made to fit the application or you can take it to an exhaust shop and let them make headers to fit your application.
My search was complicated with my choice of a Toploader four speed. I finally found a set of mid-length shorties that would fit. They don't give the same power as the long tubes but mine is a street machine so I can put up with the loss.