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New to me 65

860 views 10 replies 9 participants last post by  sp66stang 
#1 ·
Hey everyone I just inherited an all original very rough stock 65 with the 6 and 3 speed automatic. I know there's no such thing as matching numbers for these cars but all the numbers are period correct and I know grandpa didn't put a new engine or transmission in the car but did have the transmission rebuilt back in 1981. This was literally grandma's grocery car. My dad bought it for her back in 1965 when he went home to their farm to visit in his brand new 64 1/2 and she fell in love with it.

I want to make a daily driver out of it and am curious of the pro's/con's of doing an engine/trans swap with a new front end with disc setup. I am not looking to make a drag car out of it or any kind of horsepower monster. My concern is maybe a little more horsepower and fuel economy with better handling and braking. The car is in very very rough condition and hasn't ran since 1984 when it was literally driven into the barn and forgotten about when my grandmother went in a nursing home. The doors need to be re-skinned,there's rust in both quarter panel and both front fenders are rotten at the bottom. The engine isn't frozen but I'd be willing to bet the fuel system is complete garbage by now requiring a carb rebuild, new fuel pump and lines at the very least. I am looking for some advice primarily if it would be worth the added cost to rebuild it being it's all original or to modernize it if there isn't any value difference with it being a 6cly/auto.
 
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#2 ·
I want to make a daily driver out of it and am curious of the pro's/con's of doing an engine/trans swap...maybe a little more horsepower and fuel economy...
More HP and fuel economy do not belong in the same sentence. The 6 was sold because it was more economical to operate. If you want the MPG of a new Focus you would be much better off to buy a new Focus.

One reason there are still I6 Mustangs out there to be found is that 30 years ago no one interested in these old cars wanted anything but the V8s. There is now, and has long been a much bigger value difference between a 6 and and 8 than the few dollars difference there was from the factory.

You have a BIG project on your hands which may not be worth your time and trouble. It may not be worth much unless you have sentimental connections to it. Having been sitting for 32 years there may not even be any parts worth selling. Its going to take a lot more than a carb rebuild to make that engine run again. No offense intended, but the Gulf coast is about the worse place in the country for a car to survive. You describe a true rust bucket.

How experienced are you at working on old cars?
 
#3 ·
How experienced are you at working on old cars?
Very experienced. the only thing I have never done on a hotrod/rebuild was re-skin a door. Have rebuilt 6 gulf coast rust buckets over my life and I am a steel worker. Cutting and welding do not worry me, and yes hp and fuel economy do sort of go hand in hand to a point. If it's under powered then fuel economy plummets, over powered and fuel economy plummets. There's a fine line to get added hp and retain some fuel efficiency. My old 70 CST with a 383 stroker would give me 17.5mpg with the 4 speed in it. I'm not looking for ford focus economy (crazy comparison btw) but I also am not looking for an 10-12mpg car either. If I can keep it in the low to mid 20's I would be very happy. Which is why I was thinking a later gen V6 or maybe even a 4.6l. I however do not want to do this if it will completely destroy any kind of resale value on the car. I know it's going to be a money pit but it does have some sentimental value. Especially being the second owner. The engine is not frozen, every cylinder has good compression. Every cylinder was registering between 171-173. I know it's not as simple as a carb rebuild gas and go. I just don't know the in's and out's of the 200ci which is why I turned to here for some possible help or pro's/con's
 
#4 ·
Fix it!
What a story behind your grandmothers mustang.
I've had my mustang for about a year, seized motor, rusted transmission components, holes in the floor pans, ruts on lower quarters, wheel houses, trunk drop off, and 45 years of dents.
I didn't work on it for three months.
It runs and drives now, finishing up minor front suspension work and getting it ready for paint.
Pretty good for about a years worth of work.
It can be done.
Good luck.
 
#5 ·
If it were me, I leave the drive train intact. I think original 6 cyl. mustangs are neat original cars. Does it have the the generator or alternator? This being stated, there are a number HP kits for the 6s. Check with Clifford Performance.
My door skins were OK(?) but most of the damage was along the bottom of the shell, wherein, the drains had clogged. I had to replace a 4" sq. area of the skin in a corner. There a number of 6 cyl. HP kits for the 6s. Check with Clifford Performance.
Happy Trails.....
 
#6 ·
Great story. With the cost of rust repairs it's very difficult if not impossible to increase the resale value more than the cost of repairs. So if that's your goal just stop right where you are and sell the car as is.

That being said most of us here have more into repairs than the value is worth, but we still do this hobby. Because we love these cars more than mere money. That being said, it's your car so do with it what makes you happy. If it's a daily driver you're after then you need it to be safe and convenient. In my opinion keeping it all original is not at all a concern.

At the least you'll want to upgrade the front brakes to disk, a dual master cylinder and power booster. Kits for this are relatively cheap, and you can sell the old parts.

Next consider your fuel system. The old carburetors weren't made for modern fuels so in my opinion change it out. Consider EFI for driveability reasons as well as why I chose it, to reduce warm-up times and to eliminate the gas stink in my basement garage. Often, the cheapest way to do that is from a late model donor car, taking the engine/ transmission, ECU and wiring harness. Adding it to a worn-out I6 probably isn't a good idea.

Depending on how you go with a fuel system, next think about your new gas tank. Don't bother trying to clean the old one because new ones are so cheap. Consider a fuel cell because the top of the tank is the floor of the trunk...
 
#7 ·
Keep in mind that the I-6 cars have smaller and lighter duty everything, brakes, rear end, and 4 lug hubs. So if you go with newer engine then look at all the other stuff too.
 
#8 ·
Go with what you have.

Hi. I had a '66 Mustang with the I6 as a teenager, I drove it all through high school with no problems other then the teeth on the converter went away every few years. I would pull the converter and have the teeth welded back on (too cheap to buy a new one) and I was good to go. It had a C4, chrome wheels and tires, and air shocks. They are totally reliable and if you are not looking for a lot more more power I would stay with what you have. They are a lot of fun to drive and will even chirp the tires on a turn. It doesn't sound like the rust repair will give you problems so pull the fuel tank, see what's inside. If it's rusted out order a new tank and lines plus fuel pump. You could either rebuild your stock 1 bbl Autolite carb or locate a new one. Go through the brakes with new wheel cylinders and shoes, have the front end looked at and have fun just driving it. A Pertronics ignition kit would help the reliability. It seems everyone today is into massive power but sometimes it's fun just to get in and drive.
 
#9 ·
Oohrah 4295! I'm sorry that a very small minority of folks on this forum seem to revel at dishing out the negativity. To be fair, most are not Devildogs and we ARE unique in our abilities to "Adapt, Improvise, and Overcome!" I am new to this forum too and frankly, I was surprised at the mixed reception... though a vast majority of these folks are true of heart and technically expert with these classic cars. I am happy to say that there are genuine folks here who really want to help and I, for one, appreciate the support.

You DID clearly state your intent to build a daily driver. As for negatively impacting the value of a 6-cylinder "T" code by swapping in a V8, IMHO you won't be hurting the value. Though it does involve suspension and rear end upgrades and that takes money. The I6 does have a following and I understand that you could do a great deal to it to boost performance and economy (within limits, of course). I don't pretend to be an expert above the rest and I'm sure that I've opened myself up to that very small minority who will happily do their best to beat me up from behind the security of their keyboards. It's OK, we're Marines and they issued us thicker skins. Besides, we fought for their right to speak their minds.

I look forward to following your progress and I will stay tuned to see which route you choose to take.
Semper Fi!
'88-93, 2nd Tank Bn., 2nd Marine Division
 
#10 ·
Semper Fi Brother! As fara s getting beat up. meh no worries there. I'm just really kind of in a trick bag at the moment. I have a running driving 5.0 fox body I can pick up for a donor for around $1200. As far as front suspension, if I was to do a V8 swap I would definitely look at tube front end complete replacement with coil overs. I read a lot about modifying the strut towers to make that work and something about wheel spacing. The budget I gave myself on this car is $10,000. Local guy here has a "complete fatman frontend" for $1600 that he bought and never installed for a '66. I was weighing the options of both of these. Completely tearing apart the front end and installing everything from the donor Fox, including the T5. but then it comes into also installing a clutch pedal. and everything involved with that and teaching the fiancee how to drive a standard. Unfortunately I haven't gotten around to doing some junkyard searching for a good 4 speed automatic for bell housing dimensions to see if it would even be feasible to cut enough firewall/floor out to stab one. Sadly my history is with chevrolet's and there's a few small housing options out there for over drive automatics. (thm200r4 I'm talking about you). This is why i came here. To ask from the experts. As soon as I figure out how to post pics I will.
 
#11 ·
you don't have to cut firewall for the auto. and 1200 part car is a great deal. also fatman front end at that price is a steal. clutch a pretty easy if you go that way. friend on here just finished what you are thinking about, and is great about sharing info. moses is his username.
 
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