I would assume that if Ford decided to add them (eventually to both sides) of the car, then they had a pretty good reason to? To me anything to stiffen up the unibody is a good thing. If I had an early year car without them I would add them along with a one piece export brace and monte-carlo bar.

Someone here will know the details on what year they started having them on what side and all that. I don't really know. My '68 V8 Coupe and '67 V8 Convertible has them on both sides I know.

 

I think Mustang Monthly did an article a few years ago about adding them to a 65 or 66 coupe. Can anyone confirm?

 

Here is a link to the article.
1965-1966 Ford Mustang Hardtop Torque Boxes - Project Build - Mustang Monthly Magazine

 

How big a difference do front torque boxes make on a classic mustang? I know the I6 verts had them. But I'm looking ahead at another project mustang. Really just looking for a solid frame to build from. I'm wondering if there are any huge advantages to have front torque boxes from a V-8 body versus an I6 body (like a coupe) that doesn't have front torque boxes.

The torque boxes add somewhat more rigidity to what is really a pretty bad structure. The Mustang body is a pretty floppy piece of crap even in its stiffest V8-coupe form. There's little front end structure on the cars at all, and the rest of the car is nothing special.

Yes, the torque boxes can be added to cars that don't have them, Mustangs Plus for one has a kit to do so.

 

Back in '60 when Ford was developing the small unibodies like the Falcon then the Mustang 3D cad systems didn't exist. They developed these unibody structures by testing, experience, trial and error. The 64 1/2 Mustang verts (like my original) had too
much even by 1960's standards, flexing in the front end/suspension. Originally they hoped the left front torque box would be good enough. They added the passenger side front torque box, export brace and an under the dash brace to the verts later on the 65 model. How much are they worth? On today's cad systems they could better quantify. Suffice it to say they were added out of necessity!

 

Old Mustangs are notoriously limber in stock form. The "frame" of a Mustang is the front frame rails, the rockers, and the rear frame rails. The rear torque boxes tie the rear frame rails to the rockers. Without front boxes, the front rails are rather vaguely tied into the car via the floor pans and firewall. I can't imagine what Ford was thinking not equipping every Mustang with front torque boxes. If I were buying '66 or so without them, front torque boxes would be right at the top of my project parts list. Subframe connectors are good too but still don't achieve a really solid connection between front rails and the rockers. The rockers are the most rigid part of the underbody. Convertibles have extra bracing on the insides of the rockers to make them even more rigid. Mustangs Plus even sells kits to add similar bracing to coupes and fastbacks for owners seeking to really tighten their cars up.
To really appreciate what all this extra bracing and stuff does you'd probably have to take a bone stock '65 for a good long test drive then follow it up with a similar car that has had the usual bracing book thrown at it. I would bet after you did this you'd head right to the catalogs and start ordering parts. Such frame bracing additions aren't extraordinarily popular for nothing.

 

Anybody ever drive a Morgan?

 

Ahhh yes - I have not actually had the pleasure of driving a Moggie, but that wood ash frame structure must be rank right up there with there with macaroni in terms of flexibility....

 

How big a difference do front torque boxes make on a classic mustang? I know the I6 verts had them. But I'm looking ahead at another project mustang. Really just looking for a solid frame to build from. I'm wondering if there are any huge advantages to have front torque boxes from a V-8 body versus an I6 body (like a coupe) that doesn't have front torque boxes.

Oddly, the presence or not of torque boxes had nothing to do with the engine type. All convertibles had front and rear torque boxes. The 64-66 couupe and fastback had only the rear torque boxes. In 1967, Ford added the LH front torque box to all, and in 1968 the RH front box was added.

The torque box joins the end of the front or rear frame rail to the rocker panel, extending the structure, in a similar fashion to add-on frame rail connectors. The 64-73 convertible added (among other things) and extra rocker panel, more than doubling the strength of the rocker, kind of a frame connector on steroids.

 

I would add torque boxes. They're cheap and not hard to install. I used the Dynacorn heavy gauge torque boxes in my car. I think it was around $150 for both.

 

Good choice- Heavy steel, and comes unassembled, making them much easier to install.

 

Yup, very true.

 

Hi Slade -

Don't see you around much. Do you still post on the FSP forums? I'm still screwing around with my '65 I6 coupe. I would like to completely restore it in the next few years and I plan to add structural additions such as torque boxes, subframe connectors and a monte carlo bar. Even though I plan to keep the I6 (and I won't have frame twisting power) I think the body still needs to be stiffened up.

 

If you're not too worried about concours, add both sides. I added the RH torque box to my 67 fb and it, together with the export brace, does make a difference.

 

I have a 67 fb with original drivers side tb. I am planning to buy a tb for the passenger side, should I buy a new one for the driver's side as well? Is there any benefit in replacing the old one?

Also, what is a ballpark install time for a tb?

Thanks

 

It would be silly to cut the old one out and weld in a new one. Unless it's rusted through.

Good choice in adding the pax side torque box. I've added both to my '65 coupe.. and I'll add them to my rust bucket project too

 

Bringing them back from the dead, 2010. I would add torque boxes and convertible inner rockers while I was there.

 

Yeah, I think it makes more sense to search threads for your answer first, and then if you can’t find the answer, continue an old thread (regardless of age) instead of starting a brand new one on the same topic.

Thanks for the input. I’ll do some research on inner rockers.


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I regard this revived thread as actual evidence that someone here DID A SEARCH! Yay! There's so much archived info here it's hard to wade through sometimes.

I was out to do the same thing on my '67 and just add the right torque box. Later I discovered there had been mud and such up inside the left torque box that had rust damaged it inside where you couldn't see. Doh!

 

My cowl is pretty bad. when picking up my 66 on a lift I could watch the door to fender gap move. After installing both front torque boxes It doesn't have that issue,that's how good they work