Free Mustang?

You might want to install a gas tank firewall as it was a known deficiency with early mustang's.

In the event of a substantial rear end collision, the tank could rupture into the trunk compartment and vehicle.

This could easily develop into a substantial fire which could seriously burn and or kill the occupants.

 

http://tankarmor.com/index.php?

 

Thanks Vic. I will bookmark that. I dont think ill buy the new tank until i get the engine but i will keep this in mind. Anyone have suggestions on what gear i should be running in the rear for a 347 with a TKO600 that will be mostly a street car but i want to be able to run 9n the interstate at 70-75 without really high RPMs.

If that rust isn't pitted through the floor pan and is only surface rust thus far, it should be relatively easy to either media blast, grind it down or even use naval jelly (Phosphoric acid) to remove it. I agree with the above, you will want to then seal the hell out of it to prevent it from happening again.

 

Most of the rust on the body of my 924 looked like a nightmare, but was surface rust and not eating into things and causing damage. It's sealed now and happy.

 

This is a sweet project!

If that rust isn't pitted through the floor pan and is only surface rust thus far, it should be relatively easy to either media blast, grind it down or even use naval jelly (Phosphoric acid) to remove it. I agree with the above, you will want to then seal the hell out of it to prevent it from happening again.

 

Most of the rust on the body of my 924 looked like a nightmare, but was surface rust and not eating into things and causing damage. It's sealed now and happy.

 

This is a sweet project!

 

Definitely! In one of the last pics up, 3 of those bottles sitting on the cowl are Naval Jelly. Never used it before. Would like to grind and sand down saturday and see what it looks like. Even just going at some areas with a wire brush made a big difference. Looking forward to getting to that point and getting some black POR15 all over and it should look much, much better.

Thanks Vic. I will bookmark that. I dont think ill buy the new tank until i get the engine but i will keep this in mind. Anyone have suggestions on what gear i should be running in the rear for a 347 with a TKO600 that will be mostly a street car but i want to be able to run 9n the interstate at 70-75 without really high RPMs.

 

Depends on how the TKO is geared ( why not T56? just wondering) 3.55-3.73 rear gears is a safe bet for being a street car, a 347 will have plenty of torque to move that car even with a longer gear.

 

Lots of suspension kits around, and depending on what you want to do with it and how obviously how much you want to spend, Griggs makes a Bad ass suspension setup for those cars with coil overs and/or watts links-torque arms which would remove the need for new torque boxes. Maximum Motorsports also makes a more affordable setup and is still very good. Both company make the entire front end tubular and it also opens up the options for engines because they make the suspension setups with motor mounts for everything that ford makes (Big block or Small Block) plus the common GM Motors if you were to venture down that route (Which you would definitely catch hell for in the future from mustang people)

Depends on how the TKO is geared ( why not T56? just wondering) 3.55-3.73 rear gears is a safe bet for being a street car, a 347 will have plenty of torque to move that car even with a longer gear.

 

Lots of suspension kits around, and depending on what you want to do with it and how obviously how much you want to spend, Griggs makes a Bad ass suspension setup for those cars with coil overs and/or watts links-torque arms which would remove the need for new torque boxes. Maximum Motorsports also makes a more affordable setup and is still very good. Both company make the entire front end tubular and it also opens up the options for engines because they make the suspension setups with motor mounts for everything that ford makes (Big block or Small Block) plus the common GM Motors if you were to venture down that route (Which you would definitely catch hell for in the future from mustang people)

 

Haha well i think I will stick with a Ford 347. And honestly, I mentioned earlier that I was planning for a T56 but i would have to modify the trans tunnel, which shouldnt be a huge deal so that is the only reason im torn. The TKO600 wouldnt require mods.

In terms of suspension, i was planning to go adjustable coilovers but now im thinking that might be overkill for my usage. I was also planning,on switching to a 9" rear end. Now im thinking i should just do a basic suspension with all new stock type parts except roller perches and shorter springs. Rebuild the 8" rear and get new leaf springs. Would be much, much cheaper. And then if the rear end grenades after a couple years i could upgrade then. So im still kind of looking around and researching.

Chip, too bad your car wasn't this one.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/03/25/...-40-years-dust/

Haha well i think I will stick with a Ford 347. And honestly, I mentioned earlier that I was planning for a T56 but i would have to modify the trans tunnel, which shouldnt be a huge deal so that is the only reason im torn. The TKO600 wouldnt require mods.

In terms of suspension, i was planning to go adjustable coilovers but now im thinking that might be overkill for my usage. I was also planning,on switching to a 9" rear end. Now im thinking i should just do a basic suspension with all new stock type parts except roller perches and shorter springs. Rebuild the 8" rear and get new leaf springs. Would be much, much cheaper. And then if the rear end grenades after a couple years i could upgrade then. So im still kind of looking around and researching.

 

The TKO is a good tans and the only reason I asked is 5-speed vs 6 speed.

 

Sticking with the 8" rear is definitely the most economical way to go, I ran 600rwhp through my 8" in my cobra with no issue and it was far cheaper than building a 9" and modifying everything accordingly. I would say going with adjustable coil overs may be over kill right now but it would keep you from having to re-do the suspension later on if you decide the leafs aren't really what you want. With the leafs, you're going to get a lot of tail happiness with the 347, and setting up the leafs to accommodate the torque is possible but is going to put a lot of strain on your drive-line (specifically u-joints). Something like the link below is a relatively simple install and will drastically change the handling capability of the car.

 

http://stang-aholics.com/ShowItem/111053%2...Link%20Kit.aspx

 

Sorry for all the constant input, mustangs were my life for quite a few years and I still like them a lot.

 

Chip, too bad your car wasn't this one.

 

http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/03/25/...-40-years-dust/

 

That would be pretty cool. A coworker showed me that yesterday too. There was something kinda similar about a 427 Corvette a couple of weeks back on fox news too!

 

The TKO is a good tans and the only reason I asked is 5-speed vs 6 speed.

 

Sticking with the 8" rear is definitely the most economical way to go, I ran 600rwhp through my 8" in my cobra with no issue and it was far cheaper than building a 9" and modifying everything accordingly. I would say going with adjustable coil overs may be over kill right now but it would keep you from having to re-do the suspension later on if you decide the leafs aren't really what you want. With the leafs, you're going to get a lot of tail happiness with the 347, and setting up the leafs to accommodate the torque is possible but is going to put a lot of strain on your drive-line (specifically u-joints). Something like the link below is a relatively simple install and will drastically change the handling capability of the car.

 

http://stang-aholics.com/ShowItem/111053%2...Link%20Kit.aspx

 

Sorry for all the constant input, mustangs were my life for quite a few years and I still like them a lot.

 

No apologies. I definitely appreciate the input, especially since this is all new to me. I was looking at Open Tracker for all the suspension stuff and they have some leaf springs that result in a 1" drop as well as traction bars. But if those end up not working out, then ill update that a couple years down the road. I got an estimate this morning from a driveline place for a T56 and essentially everything from the flywheel to the rear diff including pedal, shifter, hraulics, etc and it is right at $6k. And the 347 im looking at that is turn key with efi is just under $9k. I need to do a spreadsheet with everything im planning and just to keep track of everything too.

 

So i came up with a spreadsheet today of every single thing i was thinking of buying or having to pay for like paint job, and it is looking about $35k. YIKES

So i came up with a spreadsheet today of every single thing i was thinking of buying or having to pay for like paint job, and it is looking about $35k. YIKES

 

Still sure you want a mustang??

It will essentially be like a brand new car. I am enjoying it so far lol. Just the engine running an EFI and trans back to the rear diff is $15k, so i could definitely find a cheaper option but i think it will be set up pretty cool. And my dad has been out there helping me a little so it is good memories too. So very likely something i will never sell. And im buying stuff a chunk at a time so it wont be so bad.

Sticking with the 8" rear is definitely the most economical way to go, I ran 600rwhp through my 8" in my cobra with no issue and it was far cheaper than building a 9" and modifying everything accordingly. I would say going with adjustable coil overs may be over kill right now but it would keep you from having to re-do the suspension later on if you decide the leafs aren't really what you want.....

 

Ryan, did you keep the 8" rears stock or were they built up? Ive seen some heavily rebuild drop ins on ebay for about $900 but a master rebuild kit with Timkin parts is around $200. Not sure what i should do there.

So i came up with a spreadsheet today of every single thing i was thinking of buying or having to pay for like paint job, and it is looking about $35k. YIKES

If you are at $35k already, I got some bad news. It is probably only going up from there.

 

 

Ryan, did you keep the 8" rears stock or were they built up? Ive seen some heavily rebuild drop ins on ebay for about $900 but a master rebuild kit with Timkin parts is around $200. Not sure what i should do there.

 

You definitely want to build it up. I don't think the 8" in stock form can handle too much power. From the price your quoting on the Timkin kit that is just going to be bearings, shims, maybe carrier bolts etc.. that will repair a worn rear, it won't let it handle any more power. $900 for a solid rear is pretty cheap, if that is rated for your HP requirements I would go with that. It is a lot better to have some wiggle room in the drive train unless you plan on driving Miss Daisy.

 

 

 

As for the rust and stuff if it is just surface rust I would reccomend trying some of the 3M roloc pads (red) and see if they get it out. They fairly abrasive but won't take off much of the good metal. You also might want to look at Por 15 products. Even if you think you got it all out, it wouldn't be a bad idea to use some sealer and stuff even if it is just in the small cracks and crevices that are hard to get to.

 

It really doesn't look bad at all though.

Thanks!

My spreadsheet is very thorough...down to rubber gaskets. So it should be pretty solid for now. And youre right, i looked again and a rebuild kit with a 3.55 gear is $590. So i will go with that and see how it holds up. For sure planning to do the POR15 products! I would post my spreadsheet here but i dont know how or if Excel attachments can be added.

Ryan, did you keep the 8" rears stock or were they built up? Ive seen some heavily rebuild drop ins on ebay for about $900 but a master rebuild kit with Timkin parts is around $200. Not sure what i should do there.

 

I built mine. The stock 8.8 isn't to bad if you're not trying to do 5k launches on slicks. I'd still recommend building it regardless. Throw a decent LSD and carrier , 31 spline axles and you'll never have to worry about it again. I think I was about a grand into mine but I had to get an entire rear end (housing and all) because I replaced the IRS in my cobra.

 

On my way to Disneyland right now. I'll throw together a list of things I used when I did mine later when I get home.

I built mine. The stock 8.8 isn't to bad if you're not trying to do 5k launches on slicks. I'd still recommend building it regardless. Throw a decent LSD and carrier , 31 spline axles and you'll never have to worry about it again. I think I was about a grand into mine but I had to get an entire rear end (housing and all) because I replaced the IRS in my cobra.

 

On my way to Disneyland right now. I'll throw together a list of things I used when I did mine later when I get home.

 

Thanks Ryan. I am pretty sure the stock 66 housing is 8" and i dont think the stock axles for me are 31. I think they are 25 or 28 but i did factor those in to a build and overall pricing but i havent even looked at the axles that are on the car now. For $300-400 i figured i might as well. The main things im unsure of right now are what headers and exhaust will fit. And which radiator and electric fan assembly i should go with.

Thanks Ryan. I am pretty sure the stock 66 housing is 8" and i don't think the stock axles for me are 31. I think they are 25 or 28 but i did factor those in to a build and overall pricing but i haven't even looked at the axles that are on the car now. For $300-400 i figured i might as well. The main things i'm unsure of right now are what headers and exhaust will fit. And which radiator and electric fan assembly i should go with.

 

 

Stock axels are definitely not going to be 31 spline. But like you said for the few hundred bucks it worth doing.

 

As far as Radiators and fans, it really depends on how crazy you're going to get. Flex-a-lite and Fluidyne are the two "go to" companies for those products, but they are quite pricey if you're only doing a mild motor and you're not going to race it often. My buddy has the whole flex-a-lite electric fan/7in aluminum radiator but that is nearly $1k. But he races the car hard regularly and it's even a bit over kill for his car. A factor replacement in aluminum would be plenty for what I think you are planning on doing with yours.

 

Headers and exhaust depends on what you're doing with the front suspension. if you're not going to do anything custom then factory replacement headers or long tubes should work with little to no modification. I like Kooks headers personally. Header back exhaust, basani, Magnaflow, or good ol' Flowmaster have kits that all fit. If you want a classic mustang sound stay with H-pipe style exhaust systems, if you want a more raspy, race car sound, then X-pipe systems will give you that. The sizing of the exhaust will be based on the requirement of the motor you end up buying. Who ever you end up buying the crate motor from, as for recommendations as far as sizing and backpressure requirements for the motor.

 

 

Good point on the shop recommendation. So youre saying i should replace my stock axles with 31 spline axles? Wouldnt i need to get special inner gears to match? Nothing custom in terms of suspension really. All the Open trackers parts. Was looking at Dougs tri y headers and some side exit pipes with the glass pack mufflers.

I looked into the splines more and I can barely find any info on what I need to swap to run 31 spline axles in an 8" housing. So I may just stick with 28's and see how they hold up.

I looked into the splines more and I can barely find any info on what I need to swap to run 31 spline axles in an 8" housing. So I may just stick with 28's and see how they hold up.

 

If you're planning on building up the rear end, you would buy a differential that accepts 31 spline instead of 28, that's really about it. All the seals and bearings usually come in the kits. The 8" is a little more difficult to find parts for than the 8.8" rear that was standard from 1973-2010 (maybe even current ones, but I am not 100%). IF you are planning on building the rear other than just gears I may suggest getting a more modern rear end, something like this would be perfect. Already built, all new parts, 31 spline axles, LSD, plus it makes a very simple upgrade to rear disc brakes which can be found fairly inexpensive as well. If you simply want to swap the gearing then stay with the 8" because it's only going to be a couple hundred bucks for the gear set. This was just a quick search, you can probably find it cheaper with a little more research. Ford Racing 8.8 Rear

 

Dougs Makes a good set (I didn't even know they were still around). the Tri Y's are shorties if I remember correctly which are good for a mild motor, lots of guys like to throw outrageous exhaust systems on mild motors and totally kill the performance of the engine.

Thanks Ryan. I think ill just rebuild the 8" housing and stick with 28 splines for now. I asked the Modern Driveline if they had a suggestion on headers that would work well with the setup they were suggesting and they said FPA headers in WA. Still have some time to decide though.

Thanks Ryan. I think ill just rebuild the 8" housing and stick with 28 splines for now. I asked the Modern Driveline if they had a suggestion on headers that would work well with the setup they were suggesting and they said FPA headers in WA. Still have some time to decide though.

 

 

Those headers look ok, but honestly never heard of them. Seems kind of pricey (900-$1000) and just a quick google and i found three different accounts of where the headers didn't fit and either needed to be modified or returned for a different set. Again another quick google search returned a lot of good reviews of Hedman JetHot coated headers and Hooker Super Comps, both companies that I have had experience with and were happy with, however I didn't use these on my mustangs. I had used Bassani, who is quite expensive but their quality is top tier, unfortunately it does not look like they make anything for vintage mustangs.

 

After some searching, if you're staying with the 8", the 28 spline is the way to go, because it seems that you would have to have custom axles made to do anything else and it wouldn't be worth it.

Thanks Ryan. Ill probably do the headers and exhaust close to last. Moser makes some replacement 28 spline axles which they list as being for a 9" but they replied to my email that they work in the 8" too.

Engine out. Wanted to pull the whole assembly but one of the U bolts on the rear of the driveshaft is being a bitch. So I separated the trans and pulled just the engine. Cant wait for it to be cleaned up with new panels. The reassembly i will enjoy!

 

 

Trans and driveshaft are out and the trans is tentatively sold. Got $400 for it. The new panels and stuff are finally on the way. And went ahead and bought some Koni STR.T shocks all around. Hopefully will be able to get that stuff w3lded in this month. But hoping to get the Diablo back on the road this weekend.