[Billet-Brain]

if you're in lockdown and bored, here are some pics of where I'm up to with my rebuild.
Its a 65 coupe, and I've converted from 6 cylinder auto with drums, to Injected 302 with T5, and Brembo brakes on the front. Just took my first morning off work since Feb, and spent most of it doing those bloody HT leads ?

• I've tried to replace everything with new or rebuilt, as this car is going to be a lifer for me.

 

[Huskinhano]

Looks great! Lucky you, I'm stranded 150 miles from home and can't get anything done. Looking at your pictures one thing caught my eye that I don't like. The poly bushings on the strut rods. They tend to limit travel and some cases breaking the rod. The ideal thing to do is to use a rose end or as we call them rod ends. They allow free and unobstructed movement while eliminating deflection under braking. They really make a big difference in stopping. At least flip the cups around on the poly bushings otherwise.

 

[Billet-Brain]

Thanks for the tip

 

[LeeFred]

Looks great! Lucky you, I'm stranded 150 miles from home and can't get anything done. Looking at your pictures one thing caught my eye that I don't like. The poly bushings on the strut rods. They tend to limit travel and some cases breaking the rod. The ideal thing to do is to use a rose end or as we call them rod ends. They allow free and unobstructed movement while eliminating deflection under braking. They really make a big difference in stopping. At least flip the cups around on the poly bushings otherwise.

What he said. There's a few pictures floating around this forum of broken strut rods after the owner decided to go with polyurethane bushings on them. Poly seems to be okay everywhere else on the suspension, but not on the strut rods.

 

[rob65_fastback]

Looks great! Do you have more details on the engine build? The white is really neat looking! I cannot wait to see more pictures

 

[blueovalfan68]

Looks great! Lucky you, I'm stranded 150 miles from home and can't get anything done. Looking at your pictures one thing caught my eye that I don't like. The poly bushings on the strut rods. They tend to limit travel and some cases breaking the rod. The ideal thing to do is to use a rose end or as we call them rod ends. They allow free and unobstructed movement while eliminating deflection under braking. They really make a big difference in stopping. At least flip the cups around on the poly bushings otherwise.

+1 on the strut rods


Sent from the interwebs... where else?

 

[Billet-Brain]

What he said. There's a few pictures floating around this forum of broken strut rods after the owner decided to go with polyurethane bushings on them. Poly seems to be okay everywhere else on the suspension, but not on the strut rods.

I did think they felt a bit inflexible when I fitted them. I will look into alternatives

 

[Billet-Brain]

Looks great! Do you have more details on the engine build? The white is really neat looking! I cannot wait to see more pictures

I'm not going crazy with the engine. I want it to be reliable and usable. I bought a short engine (no ancillaries at all) from an importer. Think its out of an 80's truck. Completely rebuilt, Inc rebore, chemical clean, and all new bearings. I upgraded the solid cam followers to roller type. The cam is a stage 2, as advised by FiTech. Can't go too hairy as the injection system requires a certain level of inlet manifold vacuum. FiTech Go Street 400. Stainless Tri-Y headers, and just ordered a stainless 2.5" mandrel bent Magnaflow system.
I'm hoping it will gave me good hot and cold starting, smooth efficient power, and enough grunt, via the T5 box, to lay down a set of dirty elevens when I feel the need ?

 

[c6fastback]

Looks very nice and clean . Like the white plug wires .
one question ...are you installing a 1 piece export brace in place of the thin bolt on factory piece.

 

[rob65_fastback]

I'm not going crazy with the engine. I want it to be reliable and usable. I bought a short engine (no ancillaries at all) from an importer. Think its out of an 80's truck. Completely rebuilt, Inc rebore, chemical clean, and all new bearings. I upgraded the solid cam followers to roller type. The cam is a stage 2, as advised by FiTech. Can't go too hairy as the injection system requires a certain level of inlet manifold vacuum. FiTech Go Street 400. Stainless Tri-Y headers, and just ordered a stainless 2.5" mandrel bent Magnaflow system.
I'm hoping it will gave me good hot and cold starting, smooth efficient power, and enough grunt, via the T5 box, to lay down a set of dirty elevens when I feel the need ?

I’ve been thinking about the same exhaust system after it came highly recommended by my transmission installer. I recently upgraded from a T10 with an open diff and 2.80 gears to a T5 with Eaton trutrac and 3.80 gears. Absolutely love it! What rear gears did you go with?

 

[Billet-Brain]

Looks very nice and clean . Like the white plug wires .
one question ...are you installing a 1 piece export brace in place of the thin bolt on factory piece.

Haven't really thought about that. Do you think I need one?

 

[Billet-Brain]

I’ve been thinking about the same exhaust system after it came highly recommended by my transmission installer. I recently upgraded from a T10 with an open diff and 2.80 gears to a T5 with Eaton trutrac and 3.80 gears. Absolutely love it! What rear gears did you go with?

Haven't got that far yet. I've bought an axle from a 66 V8, and was going to put a LSD in it.

 

[Quicksilver66]

Nice clean work, looks great!!

 

[kechke]

Looks great, I like the white.
If you have done it already great, if not fold over the cotter pin on the idler arm, those suckers will make you bleed big time if it snags you while crawling around under the vehicle.

 

[Billet-Brain]

Looks great, I like the white.
If you have done it already great, if not fold over the cotter pin on the idler arm, those suckers will make you bleed big time if it snags you while crawling around under the vehicle.

I haven't bent the ends of that pin yet as I need to find out how tight to do that nut up. I don't have that bit of info. The steering is all new and for a manual steering V8. Can anyone enlighten me?

 

[englishman]

Looks lovely and clean!! I'll chip in about the strut rods too - have a look at Opentracker or Street or Track ones. I noticed a big improvement in handling when I fitted the rose jointed ones and dialled in as much caster angle as I could get.

The export brace and Monte Carlo bar are well worth the small cost - even buying them in the UK.

 

[Billet-Brain]

From somewhere like

Looks lovely and clean!! I'll chip in about the strut rods too - have a look at Opentracker or Street or Track ones. I noticed a big improvement in handling when I fitted the rose jointed ones and dialled in as much caster angle as I could get.

The export brace and Monte Carlo bar are well worth the small cost - even buying them in the UK.

From somewhere like Mustang Maniacs? Or is there a better UK source I have yet to discover?

 

[englishman]

My export brace came from Mustang Maniac. If you're not importing a big consignment then I don't find it's worth it, although NPD are the best source if you do want to get stuff shipped from the States.

I built my own Monte bar, there's a write up on here somewhere.

For suspension stuff that isn't plain vanilla, I have used Opentacker and would recommend them - John & Sheri are really helpful.

Your Brembo conversion is incredible by the way - cool as **** !!!!