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Project 65 Mustang Resto-Mod Ver 2.0

76K views 1K replies 47 participants last post by  Black Gold 380R 
#1 ·
Hello All,

Some of you old timers may remember me. I initially built my 65 Mustang back in 2010/11. However, in 2015 I blew my motor. I had a thread here, but due to the photo bucket fiasco all the links to my pictures were broken. Here is the link in case you want to read some postings/comments.

https://www.vintage-mustang.com/threads/project-65-mustang-resto-mod.634977/#post-4168827

Anyway, the time has come for me to rebuild the car and do some things I could not afford to do before. Not to mention I did not have the time, skill or tools to do this either.

So, I'm starting this thread to share my experience with fellow vintage Mustang enthusiast.

The car's paint and interior is already completed. So, this time I want to focus on the engine bay and complete drive train. The plan is to install a Mustangs to Fear independent front suspension (IFS), remove the shock towers and install a 427 stroker motor, TKO 600 and Ford 9 inch rear end.

Here is a picture to show where the car originally started in 2010 and where I got it to in 2011.

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I started working in the car again about a month ago. So, I will post pictures of my progress. I'm hoping to have this build completed this time next year.

Thank you for taking the time to look at my build. I look forward to your comments and suggestions during the build process.
 
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#71 ·
Okay everyone, made some progress this weekend.

Ran into a couple small snags. Nothing major and I will point them out.

First I wanted to finish up my gas tank install and get my fuel lines ran

SNAG #1: I bought nylon covered steel braided hoses. I could NOT get that hose to go on my AN fittings. The nylon made the hose to thick for the AN fittings. I tried cutting the nylon back and then installing my hose that way. I got it to fit, but the nylon below the fitting was frayed and I did NOT like how it looked. So, I'm going to take my hoses to the local tubes n hoses shop and have them install my AN fittings.

Here I got my fuel filter and bulkhead fittings installed.
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Here you can see how the bulkhead fittings fit under the car. These are feed, return and vent lines.
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As mentioned above I couldn't get my hoses on my fittings. However, I had to install my fittings in order to measure for my hoses. You can also get a basic idea of how my hoses will be routed.
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Just showing how the underside looks with the new, powder coated tank. NOTE: The tank is sitting in place, but not permanently mounted yet.
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Here you can see that BOTH shocks are now mounted.
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#72 ·
Then on Sunday I wanted to mock up my front suspension. I needed to do this to see if there were any problems here since this is the major change I made to the entire set up.
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Wilwood makes it easy by placing arrows on their products. Even the calipers have arrows on them.
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Here I was making sure my wheels cleared the caliper. In my last set up I needed to place a 1/4 inch spacer to clear, but here the wheel clears the brake set up.
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I then turned the wheel frame to frame (way further than it will turn with the rack) to ensure it cleared the frame rail support system.
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Here you can see the rear of the wheel lines up dead center of the factory pocket in the frame rail. I'm really stocked about this. This indicates I got the Mustang II front crossmember and shock mounts mounted "exactly" where they are supposed to be.
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SNAG #2: While trying to install the upper "A" arm I had to man handle it and push it between the engine panel and shock mount. It is WAY to tight. If I try installing it this way, once everything is painted, I will scratch it all to hell. So, I need to cut the engine panel a little more to widen the gap between the engine panel and shock mount. I'll need to make the cut so it is functional and aesthetically pleasing at the same time. Time to bust out my sharpie and measuring tape and come up with a decent design.
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#73 ·
Lastly, I just had to see how it looked on the ground. So, right now she is a roller LOL. Obviously it's not going to stay this way for long. I need to get it back in the air to finish routing my fuel lines and brake lines. Although it seems I have come a long way, the journey is FAR from over...…
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#74 ·
For those of you following this thread you remember I had mentioned that I could not fit the upper "A" arm in between the shock mount and engine panel without some serious force. Indicating I would cause some serious scratches if I tried to install it like this once it was painted.

So, another project I worked on was fixing this situation.

Here you can see how it was originally.
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I ended up trying to cut a notch around the shock mount in order to provide more room/clearance. I even used my mini belt sander to shape the cut and make it flow a little better with the overall opening/design. I think it looks pretty good AND the "A" arm now fits in without ANY interference or contact. Should not have any scratches once it's painted.
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View from inside the engine bay.
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Lastly, I believe my engine will be completed soon. So, I assembled my new engine stand to prepare for the arrival of my beast of a 427.
:D
:D
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#75 · (Edited)
Another project I started to tackle was my electronics panel that will be mounted under the dash. I don't like it when I'm not working on the car. Feel like I'm wasting time, so I decided to start this. The black lines are where the panel will contact metal under the dash and become my mounting points.
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Here you can see my basic layout. The relay's with the white tabs are for my headlights. The other two relays will be for my electric fans and my electric fuel pump. The 175 AMG fuse will go between my alternator and my starter solenoid. The red and black rectangles are my power and ground distribution blocks. I have various weather pack connectors coming (you can see one connected to my headlight relays next to the MSD box), so I can make this look a little more professional once it's completed and to give me easy separation points in case anything needs to be removed, replaced or upgraded.
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I found a website that has colored wire. It is "NOT" OEM style. My original wire has a solid color and then a straight stripe on it. The wire I found has a solid color with the stripe color wrapped around it like a candy cane. This is no problem for me as I'm not going for a factory look. I'm more interested in the wire having the similar color pattern as my factory wires.

The colored wire seems like it is going to make things a lot easier. Most local automotive parts stores just carry the basic color wires. My brother told me that when he wired his car he used the automotive parts store wires and when he started his car the first time he got some wires crossed because they were a standard color and he ended up melting a bunch of his new electrical wiring set up. I want to avoid that situation.

I also ordered some various weather pack connectors. I think it will be easier to wire this thing up if I can plug and unplug wiring harnesses.

Here is some of the wire I ordered. I purchased this from www.4rcustomswire.com. (Disclaimer: I am NOT sponsored by this company nor am I endorsing this company. I'm merely providing a source for those who may be interested in a product like this)
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I did a little more work on my custom electrical panel. I also mounted new wires/relays for my electric fans and fuel pump (the old ones were ugly LOL). I installed some connectors and shrink tube to the wires I placed on the starter solenoid and I added some weather pack connectors to my headlight harness and my MSD box.
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Oh AND look what the nice man in the "white" truck delivered this weekend...… Glad UPS and FedEx are contributing to my sickness LMAO!!!

These billet aluminum hinges are amazing. VERY smooth operation and a ton of adjustments built in. I should be able to get my hood dialed in nicely as they came with detailed instructions and all the hardware. I think they look GREAT!!! Going to be a very nice addition to my engine bay….

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#76 · (Edited)
I got all my brake lines routed to all my wheels. I actually feel like I met another mile stone in this build. I'm still waiting on my master cylinder (MC), but I received a shipping notification from Summit. So, it should be here this week. I did call Wilwood to check on the MC before I received the notification. Just to give you guys a heads up.... I was told you never put Teflon/thread tape on brake fittings. However, the Wilwood tech indicated that their fittings that go on their calipers is an NPT fitting. The tech said ALL NPT fittings "DO" get Teflon/thread tape. So, I had to go back to my rear calipers and get that taken care of.

Man, I love living in the south. It was around 58 degrees this past weekend. The weather is allowing me to continue to make progress on this build.

Okay, as most of you know I am "trying" to keep my engine bay as sanitary as possible using my skill level and tools. Therefore, I'm trying to keep brake lines, electrical, hoses and anything else I can do to keep things "out" of the engine bay.

So, I needed to find a place to install my Wilwood proportioning valve/distribution block. Settled on the lower area of the rear outer frame rail on the driver's side. Felt this was out of the way, would not be susceptible to tire/road debris and I could easily access it when I need to make adjustments.

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I made my own mounting plate. I welded the nuts to the back of the plate to make installation or removal easier and then welded the plate in place. This whole outer area will be Rhino lined so a lot of the imperfections will not stand out. Besides, everything will be covered by the fender, suspension and wheel/tire.
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Then I mounted the Wilwood proportioning valve/distribution block.
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Next was the difficult task of bending the hard lines. I had no template. I just figured out how I wanted to run the lines, made my measurements and then bent the line to fit the way i wanted it to. I started off with the driver's side since it was the shortest in order to get the hang of it. I also had my wife help me hold the brake line as I bent it (she mainly helped me with the passenger side).
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After I was satisfied with the driver's side I tackled the passenger side. This was very difficult for me as I wanted to run the line a specific way. It needed to be out of the way, semi hidden and not interfere with other parts I need to mount (rack and pinion, suspension, oil pan, etc.). I have to be honest and tell you I looked at the MTF website to see how they ran their line with this front suspension. I got a good idea from them, but had to modify the route a little as there's is routed to the MC "inside" the engine bay. I also wanted it to mimic the routing on the driver's side to the proportioning valve.
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Here is how I routed it along the cross member.
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And here it is up to the passenger side mounting point.
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Lastly, I had to finish up the rear brake line and get everything cleaned up. So, I installed some aluminum brake line separators. I still need to install the MC and run the hard lines to the proportioning valve. However, I'm also thinking about installing a line lock. So, we will see how that goes.

I have to say, for a rookie, I am VERY happy with how this project came out. I am really enjoying this build. And it is nice not to feel rushed to get this done. I feel I have given myself more than enough time to meet my October 2021 deadline.
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Here is the NPT fitting I mentioned earlier. This went quick and easy. I'm glad I talked to the Wilwood tech. I really want to avoid leaks or any issues due to simple mistakes.
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#77 ·
Hello everyone,

I realize that there is a plethora of classic Mustang build threads here. Mine is no exception and nothing really outstanding compared to others on this site. So, I have decided to stop providing updates here.

I have another thread on another site where my build is getting way more attention, surprisingly. My other thread has just over 10,000 views. I barely have over 4,000 views here. I'm not a view count whore. But, it is obvious the other site is getting more looks. So, I'm going to just keep updating the other thread because there just doesn't seem to be that much interest here.

If you are interested in seeing what I'm doing you can following the link below. It will take you to where I left off here.

Thank you to those who have viewed my thread here and especially to those who took the time to comment. It was greatly appreciated.

You do not need to sign up or anything, just to view this thread. However, like all sites, if you want to comment you will need to create an account/screen name.

 
#78 ·
Hello everyone,

I realize that there is a plethora of classic Mustang build threads here. Mine is no exception and nothing really outstanding compared to others on this site. So, I have decided to stop providing updates here.

I have another thread on another site where my build is getting way more attention, surprisingly. My other thread has just over 10,000 views. I barely have over 4,000 views here. I'm not a view count whore. But, it is obvious the other site is getting more looks. So, I'm going to just keep updating the other thread because there just doesn't seem to be that much interest here.


I run mostly same pictures, and sometimes word for word (copy and paste) of my build on a dedicated Facebook page. Got a lot of friends and relatives, and other car enthusiasts who aren't on here who follow my build there. Saves me a LOT of questions about how the car is coming. Instead I get a lot of comments about following it on Facebook and telling me how they liked a certain post.
EDIT: A lot of times I go deeper into explanations on the Facebook page to make it easier for the none gear heads to follow why I doing something in a certain manner or the tech behind part of the build.
 
#86 ·
Noticed you sprung for the White Lightning shifter. Let us know what you think of it. I was going to order it and the sales rep said unless I was regularly competing, it was a waste of money. I've already come to the conclusion that whatever they are paying him is a waste of money and wonder if I should have insisted on ordering it.
 
#91 ·
Thank you Quicksilver66! I have been wanting an 8 stack injection for years. I have to admit I wimped out 10 years ago when I did my research and seen the price when I built the car the first time around. This time around I was able to make it happen and man the visual punch is worth it alone LOL.
 
#93 ·
I believe there are teenage boys who would put posters of that motor on their bedroom walls!
 
#97 · (Edited)
Okay all,

For those of you following this build here is the progress I made over the past few weeks. Not as grand as the reveal of the 8 stack injection, but things that need to be done when building a car.

And, as always, comments and feedback are appreciated.

 
#103 ·
No sir I do not LOL. Not unless you consider my wife, step son and brother who have helped me on some minor projects. Needed help rocking the motor into place while I pushed the motor mount bolt through. Needed help lifting the rear end into place and needed help measuring for my driveshaft. Had a buddy help weld in my Mustangs to Fear front suspension. That's a major component and don't want it to fail because I welded it incorrectly.

So, I have had help, but very little. I'm in the garage every weekend and work on the car an average of 6 hours both days. I'm just very motivated to get the car completed Grabber. And since my wife doesn't want to go anywhere due to COVID, my calendar is wide open LOL.
 
#104 ·
Hello All,

I have been learning how to create videos as I know I will need to start posting videos pretty soon. So, I took the time to create a video collage kind of marking the halfway point of my build. I know the music might not be for some of you, but I love it. And, hey, you can always hit the mute button LOL.

So, I hope you enjoy the video as much as I enjoyed making it.

 
#105 ·
Hello everyone,

Well it's the end of the month. I've made some really good progress on the build.

Here is the updated link for those who may be interested.

Thank you for your time and please provide comments on what you think about the build. Your point of view is greatly appreciated.

 
#106 ·
Many things have come along nicely in a short amount of time. I think the gauges being/looking all the same was definitely the way to go. That stack injection setup looks sweeeet, I know it makes me drool looking at it. Can't wait to hear it run when you get it tuned. Console is turning out well, looking forward to seeing it when you get it back. So are you going to do anything different rim wise then what you had on there previously?
 
#107 ·
Thank you Grabber! Appreciate your comments. Yeah, that stack injection gets everyone going. When I took the car to the fabricator's shop that's all people seen. It's like all the other work I have done to the car didn't exist LMAO!!!

I thought about going in a different direction on the wheels at the beginning of the build. However, like most folks do, I have already gone over budget on this build and the wheels I have are Boyd Coddington Smoothie 1's that you cannot get anymore. So, due to those two factors I think I'm going to keep my current wheels. Besides it's hard to beat a 5 spoke wheel on a classic car and I don't think there are very many 65 Mustangs out there with this exact wheel.

One thing I have "always" strived for with my Mustangs is to be different. So, when I go to a classic Mustang show I want my 65 to stand out from the crowd. I hope I'll be able to achieve that goal, but I do believe I'm on the right track thus far.
 
#108 ·
Okay everyone,

Another month has passed. Here is the link to all the updates. Things have been progressing nicely. I'm currently in the middle of getting the engine bay painted. Once this milestone is completed the project should be on the downhill.

 
#110 ·
Hello Dan. Thank you for taking a look at my build. My stack set up comes from Borla injection. My fuel rails are connected at the back so need need for a front crossover tube in my set up.

I have not had the car running yet, but it is an incredible piece of engineering in my opinion. Can't wait to get my engine bay painted and drop that injection set up back in :). I have always wanted a stack set up in my Mustang.

If you can, post a pic of your set up in here please.
 
#111 ·
I think my fuel rails are a bit lower than yours. I haven't put a distributor in place yet to check it out.
I was planning on feeding them from the back too...but it would be better to have the fuel feed in from the back of one side...cross over at the front...go out the other side and then into the fuel pressure regulator. That's how factory EFI systems are plumbed.

 
#112 ·
I think my fuel rails are a bit lower than yours. I haven't put a distributor in place yet to check it out.
I was planning on feeding them from the back too...but it would be better to have the fuel feed in from the back of one side...cross over at the front...go out the other side and then into the fuel pressure regulator. That's how factory EFI systems are plumbed.

I agree that is the optimal routing, but if Borla thinks running fuel from the back to both fuel rails is good then I'm going to run with it LOL.
 
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