Yep that is it, let me know!
dundermifflen123
Front disc brakes with a dual reservoir master cylinder.
3 point seat belts.
Good tires.
Upgrade headlights.
Keep fresh rain-X on the windshield to avoid having to use the crappy wipers.
That's all I can think of at the moment.
3 point seat belts.
Good tires.
Upgrade headlights.
Keep fresh rain-X on the windshield to avoid having to use the crappy wipers.
That's all I can think of at the moment.
An app to clear the roads wherever I go... wait the Pandemic took care of that. No changes needed!
Disc brakes, if you drive nutz like me, and absolutely any frequently driven Mustang should have the Arning drop. I would also add a 1" front sway bar and export brace. These mods are crucial to any Mustang using radial tires.
I bought mine in '86, and didn't do anything to it for years and it was my only car. I put front discs on after about 10 years. And an export brace around the same time. Everything else has been done in the last 5 years, and it's no longer my daily driver.
If you spend a lot of time in parking lots or needing to parallel park, power steering might be nice and if you live in the Deep South and don't want to be soaking wet with sweat when you get where you're going you might want air conditioning. I have neither. Been driving mine almost 30 years that way.
Not a thing- there's nothing better than the feeling of 'being back in time' driving old cars. My '38 Ford Sedan had mechanical brakes, an AM radio with manual antenna, Armstrong steering, and a 5 speed (ok 3 speed, but it could get stuck between the gears pretty easily and still move!) Get hot- roll down ALL the windows ALL the way. Need to stop quick- use BOTH feet. Yup- it's a great feeling!!
I daily drive a 65 Mustang Convertible in Southern California. It is a C code, C4 car. For a daily driver that has to go through stop and go traffic, my car has or I have made the following upgrades for safety and reliability. Obviously the list could be endless until you have an entirely new car, but I'm bring budget conscious on my beater driver.
-Pertronix solid state ignition and coil.
-LED exterior and interior lighting. Other drivers need to see you and the original incandescent bulbs are archaic. Also, the LED helps lessen the electrical load on the ancient wiring.
-LED headlights with relay harness. Most LED units are around 37 watts each, so you decrease your load compared to incandescent while improving visibility. You can get 4400k bulbs out there if you want warm light as opposed to the modern 6000 kelvin (daylight) balanced sources out there.
-Front disc brakes. I had drums on a car, but obviously stopping is important.
-Good set of shocks. I would also recommend upgrading to a 1 inch sway bar. My car has 620s and HD leafs which are a bit stiff, like most modern cars. However, the car handles and maneuvers very well.
-proper alignment for radial tires and steering wheels returns to center on its own.
-Radiator overflow tank.
-Electric radiator fan. This may not be as important on 67+ cars where it is easier to fit a larger radiator, but in city traffic I was having overheating issues with a 3 row radiator. problem solved with a 3000 CFM electric fan controlled by and adjustable relay. Car never overheats.
-Modern alternator. Due to e fan, I upgraded to a 3G, 150 watt unit. Most could go with a modern upgraded 1G alternator that puts out 60 amps at idle. The fan alone was pulling 19 amps.
-Depends on where you live, but if you are going to daily drive a vintage car including to and from work, air conditioning is a must. I installed a stock style under dash evaporator, but upgraded to a 134a system with Sanden 508 compressor and high efficiency heat exchanger within the evaporator. I get readings in the 40s off the evaporator.
-trunk emergency roadside kit - jack, extra motor oil, power steering fluid, spare fuses, small tool kit, lug nut wrench etc.
-If you drive a lot on the highway, I would recommend 4R70W or T5 for overdrive. This is the last MUST to do item in my situation. The 16 gallon gas tank doesn't get you far at 16-19 mpg.
-eventually I'd like to instal EFI, electric water pump, electric fuel pump, but not necessary on this budget build. I'll save those for when I restore the car and go 347. Otherwise, the car has not left me stranded or felt unsafe once as my daily driver. It has been very reliable.
-Pertronix solid state ignition and coil.
-LED exterior and interior lighting. Other drivers need to see you and the original incandescent bulbs are archaic. Also, the LED helps lessen the electrical load on the ancient wiring.
-LED headlights with relay harness. Most LED units are around 37 watts each, so you decrease your load compared to incandescent while improving visibility. You can get 4400k bulbs out there if you want warm light as opposed to the modern 6000 kelvin (daylight) balanced sources out there.
-Front disc brakes. I had drums on a car, but obviously stopping is important.
-Good set of shocks. I would also recommend upgrading to a 1 inch sway bar. My car has 620s and HD leafs which are a bit stiff, like most modern cars. However, the car handles and maneuvers very well.
-proper alignment for radial tires and steering wheels returns to center on its own.
-Radiator overflow tank.
-Electric radiator fan. This may not be as important on 67+ cars where it is easier to fit a larger radiator, but in city traffic I was having overheating issues with a 3 row radiator. problem solved with a 3000 CFM electric fan controlled by and adjustable relay. Car never overheats.
-Modern alternator. Due to e fan, I upgraded to a 3G, 150 watt unit. Most could go with a modern upgraded 1G alternator that puts out 60 amps at idle. The fan alone was pulling 19 amps.
-Depends on where you live, but if you are going to daily drive a vintage car including to and from work, air conditioning is a must. I installed a stock style under dash evaporator, but upgraded to a 134a system with Sanden 508 compressor and high efficiency heat exchanger within the evaporator. I get readings in the 40s off the evaporator.
-trunk emergency roadside kit - jack, extra motor oil, power steering fluid, spare fuses, small tool kit, lug nut wrench etc.
-If you drive a lot on the highway, I would recommend 4R70W or T5 for overdrive. This is the last MUST to do item in my situation. The 16 gallon gas tank doesn't get you far at 16-19 mpg.
-eventually I'd like to instal EFI, electric water pump, electric fuel pump, but not necessary on this budget build. I'll save those for when I restore the car and go 347. Otherwise, the car has not left me stranded or felt unsafe once as my daily driver. It has been very reliable.
I wouldn’t mind AC but it’s a lot of stuff to add so I haven’t.
I have done 3 point seat belts, headrests, arning drop, 1” sway bar, open tracker control arms, export brace, Monte Carlo, tank armor, sub frame connectors, already had front disk and dual master cylinder.
Modified the AM stereo to FM. Added an electronic telescoping antenna, rear trunk electric opener original ford.
Also did pertonix and recurved original distributor.
Added Gear Vendors overdrive to the top loader, as someone else mentioned above I did replace almost every bulb with LED including sequential LED tail lights and I added H4 headlights with a relay kit. Car lights up well at night.
I am sure I’m missing some things.
I have done 3 point seat belts, headrests, arning drop, 1” sway bar, open tracker control arms, export brace, Monte Carlo, tank armor, sub frame connectors, already had front disk and dual master cylinder.
Modified the AM stereo to FM. Added an electronic telescoping antenna, rear trunk electric opener original ford.
Also did pertonix and recurved original distributor.
Added Gear Vendors overdrive to the top loader, as someone else mentioned above I did replace almost every bulb with LED including sequential LED tail lights and I added H4 headlights with a relay kit. Car lights up well at night.
I am sure I’m missing some things.
I was daily driving in Extremely dense Los Angeles rush hour traffic for a few decades and have been rear ended three times so I would get MUCH brighter stoplight bulbs.
I have drum brakes and use Porterfield R4-S carbon kevlar brake shoes up front. Car stops maybe 20 percent faster. Disc brakes would be even better when that Honda Civic cuts in front of you and ends up slamming his brakes.
One more thing:
Get M U C H Brighter Taillights.!!
I have drum brakes and use Porterfield R4-S carbon kevlar brake shoes up front. Car stops maybe 20 percent faster. Disc brakes would be even better when that Honda Civic cuts in front of you and ends up slamming his brakes.
One more thing:
Get M U C H Brighter Taillights.!!
The only thing I see missing from the above posts is a metal trunk divider behind the back seat (for a coupe or vert). Not only does it provide a bit more protection from allowing gas into the passenger compartment in a rear-end collision but it really does help stiffen up the car. And it's cheap... easy to add... easy to remove...
+1 on the...
(1) Front disc brakes
(2) Bright LED taillights
(3) Headrests
(4) Shoulder belt or 3 pt seat belt
(5) Dual bowl brake reservoir
(6) Collapsible steering column
(7) Export brace
(8) Modern alignment (more caster) and Arning drop
+1 on the...
(1) Front disc brakes
(2) Bright LED taillights
(3) Headrests
(4) Shoulder belt or 3 pt seat belt
(5) Dual bowl brake reservoir
(6) Collapsible steering column
(7) Export brace
(8) Modern alignment (more caster) and Arning drop
I don't drive mine daily but it could be. Pertronix ignition, underdash A/C w/Sanden r134a, Bilstein Shocks (huge massive difference) the export brace, electric choke. Things I would do if I was nuts enough to destroy it on my heavy traffic commutes....AOD tranny. The 3 speed C4 is just too high on RPM to do all the time to feel comfortable at anything over 65. Front disc brakes. I'm still 4 drum but they stop phenomenally with today's shoe technology so I'm in no rush on that one. I'm adding an under hood temp gauge with accuracy so I don't have to fret every time the needle spikes in hot weather. It's not very accurate. Car has never overheated even near or at "H".
I like the brighter tail lights idea. I'm going to have to figure out a solution there for my daughter's car. I guess my car too.
For a daily, I actually don't hate the idea of adding an auxiliary CHMSL third brake light. It'd work especially well with a coupe. Sure it's not original, but it might keep your rear sheet metal original. Maybe do a quick-disconnect on the wiring for shows or whatever.
For a daily, I actually don't hate the idea of adding an auxiliary CHMSL third brake light. It'd work especially well with a coupe. Sure it's not original, but it might keep your rear sheet metal original. Maybe do a quick-disconnect on the wiring for shows or whatever.
Mustang Project LEDs are pretty good. I just had one fail after more than 10 years got a 20% discount on new ones.
I just couldn’t drive the car with one taillight out I was freaking me out!!
Very happy with them now.
I just couldn’t drive the car with one taillight out I was freaking me out!!
Very happy with them now.
I have not made many modifications to my `66 but the intermittent setting I installed on my factory two-speed wipers is wonderful when it is just spitting.
This would be essential for a daily driver.
1. Fuel injection because who wants to mess with carburettors.
2. Power-assisted brakes as they brake with more force than standard brakes.
3. Mustang 2 front suspension as newer equals better.
4. Power steering as manual steering sucks.
5. Rack and pinion steering as the steering box is too vague.
6. A straight Monte Carlo bar as the curved ones bend.
7. 4 bar rear suspension as leaf springs are from the 18th century.
8. Electric fuel pump as the mechanical ones are unreliable.
9. Hydraulic clutch as the old clutch linkages require too much effort.
10. Rear disc brakes as the drums are inefficient.
And of course, this is just a bit of humour.
1. Fuel injection because who wants to mess with carburettors.
2. Power-assisted brakes as they brake with more force than standard brakes.
3. Mustang 2 front suspension as newer equals better.
4. Power steering as manual steering sucks.
5. Rack and pinion steering as the steering box is too vague.
6. A straight Monte Carlo bar as the curved ones bend.
7. 4 bar rear suspension as leaf springs are from the 18th century.
8. Electric fuel pump as the mechanical ones are unreliable.
9. Hydraulic clutch as the old clutch linkages require too much effort.
10. Rear disc brakes as the drums are inefficient.
And of course, this is just a bit of humour.
Must:
LED rear lights. I got mine from vintageleds.com.
Updated wiring for the headlights (with relays). I got mine from NPD.
Performance brake pads/shoes. I got Porterfield R4-S from Street or Track.
Dual circuit brake master cylinder if the car has a single pot master.
Check the entire steering system for worn parts. I got mine rebuilt by @CHOCK. Get a modern alignment.
Tires - the best you can.
Should:
3-pt belts. I just ordered a set from Wesco Performance. Several posts on here about how to go about doing that.
Head rests. If you have a 65-67 many vendors have duplicates of the original factory part for dealer installation. 69+ had them standard. 68 is a step-child with a unique optional headrest that no one makes and there are few out there. The three versions are not interchangeable.
Replace the starter solenoid, alternator regulator and instrument cluster voltage regulator with the best you can find (not at a big-box store).
Helpful:
Suspension and chassis. Stiffen the chassis with an export brace and subframe connectors. Improve the suspension with the Arnic/Shelby drop, Bilstein or Koni shocks, 1" sway bar.
Next:
The sky is the limit for what you can do, not necessarily what you should or need to do.
LED rear lights. I got mine from vintageleds.com.
Updated wiring for the headlights (with relays). I got mine from NPD.
Performance brake pads/shoes. I got Porterfield R4-S from Street or Track.
Dual circuit brake master cylinder if the car has a single pot master.
Check the entire steering system for worn parts. I got mine rebuilt by @CHOCK. Get a modern alignment.
Tires - the best you can.
Should:
3-pt belts. I just ordered a set from Wesco Performance. Several posts on here about how to go about doing that.
Head rests. If you have a 65-67 many vendors have duplicates of the original factory part for dealer installation. 69+ had them standard. 68 is a step-child with a unique optional headrest that no one makes and there are few out there. The three versions are not interchangeable.
Replace the starter solenoid, alternator regulator and instrument cluster voltage regulator with the best you can find (not at a big-box store).
Helpful:
Suspension and chassis. Stiffen the chassis with an export brace and subframe connectors. Improve the suspension with the Arnic/Shelby drop, Bilstein or Koni shocks, 1" sway bar.
Next:
The sky is the limit for what you can do, not necessarily what you should or need to do.
Now to drive my classic (If I still had one) on the street, enjoy it--First thing that would go in the lake is those Damn performance headers.
Headers are a royal Pain.
Headers are a royal Pain.
I also did Mustang Project tails about 20 years ago and they're still rocking. Just haven't gotten around to 6K LED headlights and amber LED park lamps yet.
Since all my mods were done in the late 80s ,The only mod i would do/need to do ,would be pulling the big cam out and putting in something more streetable. Back in the old days with a carb you needed a lumpy cam to make power--unlike new cars these days.
Not counting back when these cars were new, I’ve had 5 daily driver classic Mustangs ; a ‘67 A code coupe, a 66 A code fastback, two ‘66 Shelby’s, and a ‘65 K code fastback.
I didn’t have to add anything to any of them to make them “daily drivers”. The modifications I did make on occasion had nothing to do with making them more dependable or otherwise suitable for daily driving .
most of the modifications that people make in the name of dependability or daily driving suitability just end up turning a nice simple and easy to work on car into something unnecessarily more complicated.
Z
I didn’t have to add anything to any of them to make them “daily drivers”. The modifications I did make on occasion had nothing to do with making them more dependable or otherwise suitable for daily driving .
most of the modifications that people make in the name of dependability or daily driving suitability just end up turning a nice simple and easy to work on car into something unnecessarily more complicated.
Z
I think the Achilles Heel is that people are leaving old parts on that are prone to fail due to age and wear rather than using new parts or using lower quality parts as part of the refresh/restoration. Mine was a daily from 67 until the late 90s then a well used pleasure/retiree car until it was parked. The recurring issues I’ve had are due to a 35 year old replacement carb that’s been rebuilt and some 53 year old wiring that was brittle to the touch. It cracked when you handled it exposing the copper. The cam on my distributor is near rounded so the 53 year old distributor will have to be replaced. My overheating issue was old radiator, bad thermostat and 53 years of built up grunge in the block. The theme here is old, worn parts. Just like me...
As long as the parts are kept in good shape within tolerance it’s well reliable. Just like in the olden days. One thing though is back then even in high mileage commute areas like So Cal a 10k mile a year commute was getting up there in terms of distance. Now it’s common to put 30k miles a year on in just commuting. That’s going to be one area where regular maintenance of carb/points cars will be more in terms of time than they were back then. For example the 10k mile “tune up” (rotor, points, cap, idle adjust) might need to happen a couple more times in a year because we’re putting what used to be 3-5 years of mileage on the car in a year.
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