New 1965 Mustang. Finally broke into the classic world
Hey fellas, im new around these parts! I just picked up a beautiful 65 coupe (pics are available in mustang lounge) that has a factory I6 in her, and actually runs!
Of course, thats not enough juice for me, so the v8 will be coming soon enough.
I just have a few questions for you all.
Im looking to upgrade the suspension and braking components first, and of course would like to go 4 wheel disc, 5 lug (to fit the late model bullitt wheels) and be able to handle like a champ.)
If anyone has any experience in which way is best to head with suspension components, im just trying to gather some info.
Thanks!
-corey
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1965 Mustang Coupe Project: 1965 Mustang Inline 6 (For Now) Coupe, New Floors, New Quarters | Ford 9 Inch Rear, 11" Rear Disc Brakes, 3.50:1 Gears | Control Freak Front U/L Control Arms, Global West Adj. Strut Rods | KYB Gas-A-Justs, Grab-A-Trak 620 Coils & Mid-Eye 5-Leafs | Global West Tubular Subframe Connectors | Addco 1-1/8 Front Swaybar Kit
The Bullitt wheels use a different offset, so you'd either need a suspension with an inherent wider tracking width, or wheel spacers. You don't need me to tell you which is better...
You might try to find a set of American Torque Thrusts, that's what the Bullitts are modeled after, and I believe, what Steve McQueen was rollin' on his '67.
I saw the pics in the Lounge, that thing is sweet!
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1992 Deep Emerald Green Mustang GT Hatch, 5 speed, 2.73s, Mac fenderwell cold air intake, '93 Cobra MAF, Mac 70mm throttle body & spacer, Explorer intakes, Mac unequal headers & offroad pipe, Magnaflow catback, Walbro 110lph fuel pump, Jet adjustable FPR, MSD Blaster coil, Accel 8mm wires, FRPP aluminum quadrant, UPR firewall adjuster, stock cable, Granatelli upper control arms.
Waiting to go on: Granatelli lower control arms, and GT40 Iron heads!
i found these kits at vintagevenom.com, and it appears that as long as i am using oem spindles (which i would be, but plan on changing a-arms and to coilover setup) i can fit cobra brakes and bullitt wheels on. does however seem like their kit is nothing more than mere spacers and brackets... ill have to learn up a bit more on them i guess.
anyone want to buy a complete 5-lug conversion for a 5.0???!
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1965 Mustang Coupe Project: 1965 Mustang Inline 6 (For Now) Coupe, New Floors, New Quarters | Ford 9 Inch Rear, 11" Rear Disc Brakes, 3.50:1 Gears | Control Freak Front U/L Control Arms, Global West Adj. Strut Rods | KYB Gas-A-Justs, Grab-A-Trak 620 Coils & Mid-Eye 5-Leafs | Global West Tubular Subframe Connectors | Addco 1-1/8 Front Swaybar Kit
Check at Mustangs Plus..They've got all kinds of "restomod" goodies
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"Life is not a journey to the grave with intentions of arriving safely in a pretty well preserved body,but rather to skid in broadside,thoroughly used up,totally worn out and loudly proclaiming.....WOW!.....What a ride!
"As you grow older,don't slow down,speed up-there's less time left"--over 45 and just now realizing how much I don't know
If you are going to use OEM spindles make sure they are for the V8 suspension. Much difference in strength.---Chuck
yowza, ill keep that in mind. didn't know there was a difference.
thanks!
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1965 Mustang Coupe Project: 1965 Mustang Inline 6 (For Now) Coupe, New Floors, New Quarters | Ford 9 Inch Rear, 11" Rear Disc Brakes, 3.50:1 Gears | Control Freak Front U/L Control Arms, Global West Adj. Strut Rods | KYB Gas-A-Justs, Grab-A-Trak 620 Coils & Mid-Eye 5-Leafs | Global West Tubular Subframe Connectors | Addco 1-1/8 Front Swaybar Kit
Alrighty so i need to do a spindle upgrade then... are there any aftermarket spindles i can purchase? Also, will i need to do a control arm upgrade? I was planning on just sandblasting and powdercoating, as the stockers are in very good shape. If the V8 control arms are different, then I will just go tubular. Thanks for the help guys, and try to bear with me. I am a fast learner and soon enough will be deep into the classic realm.
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1965 Mustang Coupe Project: 1965 Mustang Inline 6 (For Now) Coupe, New Floors, New Quarters | Ford 9 Inch Rear, 11" Rear Disc Brakes, 3.50:1 Gears | Control Freak Front U/L Control Arms, Global West Adj. Strut Rods | KYB Gas-A-Justs, Grab-A-Trak 620 Coils & Mid-Eye 5-Leafs | Global West Tubular Subframe Connectors | Addco 1-1/8 Front Swaybar Kit
Hello. The upper and lower control arms are the same on the 6cyl. cars as the ones on the V8s The steering stuff, drag link, tie rod ends, idler arm and pitman arm, is different though. But, you won't be able to swap that stuff out until you actually put the V8 into the car. The configuration of the oil pans are entirely different. One thing that you will definitely be wanting to swap out will be the rear axle assembly. The integral carrier that you have now is pretty flimsy. An 8 inch or, even better, a 9 inch rear end will be much more suitable for what you probably want from the car.They are both virtually indestructible. The transmissions that came with the 6cyl cars are also subject to explode at any time.The 6 cyl trannys are also not interchangeable with the V8 units. The input shaft is different, along with some other stuff. When you do swap out the motor, you will also need to swap out the tranny, drive shaft, rear axle assembly and steering. Not exactly cheap, but by far cheaper than swapping out the motor and 'modifying' the input shaft on the tranny, blowing up the tranny, swapping it out and modifying the drive shaft, blowing up the rear end and then swapping it out. Hope that helps.
yup i figured all that. thanks for the confirmation I wasn't very sure on the steering stuff, i might try and find a way to go rack/pinion if i can. I was planning on putting a 302 in, so I'm sure there will be even more work involved than a standard swap, but i've got some time, and a little bit of cash, and i'm not married yet, so it should be fun
are there 8 inch rears available without all the control arm BS from the newer stangs? What cars should i be looking at for rear ends?
I'd like to go 8" as i already have a nice set of 3.73's sitting here i'd like to install Also, rear disk is going to be a must as well.
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1965 Mustang Coupe Project: 1965 Mustang Inline 6 (For Now) Coupe, New Floors, New Quarters | Ford 9 Inch Rear, 11" Rear Disc Brakes, 3.50:1 Gears | Control Freak Front U/L Control Arms, Global West Adj. Strut Rods | KYB Gas-A-Justs, Grab-A-Trak 620 Coils & Mid-Eye 5-Leafs | Global West Tubular Subframe Connectors | Addco 1-1/8 Front Swaybar Kit
Hi again. Actually, the 302 will drop right in. It's the same block. In 68 you could get a 302 or a 289. They use the same motor mounts and everything. The 65/66 cars didn't have anything resembling independent rear suspension.The axle assemblies consisted of one solid axle housing and a center section, called for some mysterious reason, the third member. It always seemed to me that, if you have one solid axle housing and a center section, it would be the second member. As far as which units will work in your car goes, if you don't mind moving the spring perches, which involves welding, then there are a whole bunch of cars that have something that would work, from a 55 T-Bird on up to a mid 80s Lincoln Versailles.If you want a straight up, yank it out of donor and bolt it into Mustang, any 65-68 Mustang or Falcon would work. Since they built about 3,000,000 65-68 Mustang/ Falcon cars, it won't be too difficult to track one down. You're best bet would probably be to get all of your ducks in a row by rounding up everything that you'll need in the way of motor, tranny, steering components, etc... and then just do it all at once. Good luck.
The Versailles will get you a 9 inch with rear discs.
I think some of the late '50s Fairlane diff housings are directly interchangable, and they're 9 inchers too. Not sure 'bout the spring perches on 'em though.
I'm guessing that the crossmember under the motor is #1, the on under the tranny is #2 and that's why they call the rear axle assemby #3 - though it's not hard-mounted to the body or frame, like the first two are...
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1992 Deep Emerald Green Mustang GT Hatch, 5 speed, 2.73s, Mac fenderwell cold air intake, '93 Cobra MAF, Mac 70mm throttle body & spacer, Explorer intakes, Mac unequal headers & offroad pipe, Magnaflow catback, Walbro 110lph fuel pump, Jet adjustable FPR, MSD Blaster coil, Accel 8mm wires, FRPP aluminum quadrant, UPR firewall adjuster, stock cable, Granatelli upper control arms.
Waiting to go on: Granatelli lower control arms, and GT40 Iron heads!
alright you guys are awesome! I'd like to have the rear disc, but a more modern, conversion type setup, so ill be going for a stock 8cyl mustang rearend if i can find one. It's good to know about that tranny input shaft too, because i was thinking of keeping the tranny. My dad will be happy about that, hes going to be putting the I6 (and the tranny now too) into his 51 merc. Should be pretty cool.
Hey mean green, you wanna buy a complete 5.0 5lug, rear disc conversion? :P I feel bad that i got all that **** ready to go and am now just ditching it. Oh well! Someone will get use from it i hope.
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1965 Mustang Coupe Project: 1965 Mustang Inline 6 (For Now) Coupe, New Floors, New Quarters | Ford 9 Inch Rear, 11" Rear Disc Brakes, 3.50:1 Gears | Control Freak Front U/L Control Arms, Global West Adj. Strut Rods | KYB Gas-A-Justs, Grab-A-Trak 620 Coils & Mid-Eye 5-Leafs | Global West Tubular Subframe Connectors | Addco 1-1/8 Front Swaybar Kit
New 1965 Mustang. Finally broke into the classic world 
The upper and lower control arms are the same on the 6cyl. cars as the ones on the V8s The steering stuff, drag link, tie rod ends, idler arm and pitman arm, is different though. But, you won't be able to swap that stuff out until you actually put the V8 into the car. The configuration of the oil pans are entirely different. One thing that you will definitely be wanting to swap out will be the rear axle assembly. The integral carrier that you have now is pretty flimsy. An 8 inch or, even better, a 9 inch rear end will be much more suitable for what you probably want from the car.They are both virtually indestructible. The transmissions that came with the 6cyl cars are also subject to explode at any time.The 6 cyl trannys are also not interchangeable with the V8 units. The input shaft is different, along with some other stuff. When you do swap out the motor, you will also need to swap out the tranny, drive shaft, rear axle assembly and steering. Not exactly cheap, but by far cheaper than swapping out the motor and 'modifying' the input shaft on the tranny, blowing up the tranny, swapping it out and modifying the drive shaft, blowing up the rear end and then swapping it out.
Hope that helps.
