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Target's 1967 Mustang

82K views 408 replies 71 participants last post by  V6-8 
#1 ·
My name is Quinn. I'm 17 and live in Los Angeles, California. I picked up my '67 for a decent price in June 2014. The condensed plan is to make her a reliable daily driver over the course of the next year or so.

My school does not offer a single automotive or mechanical class despite being one of the higher level public schools in Los Angeles. While I could have just gotta a '90s Japanese car for a daily driver, I'm really striving to actually learn everything I can about automotive maintenance and restoration. I genuinely enjoy the experience, but I haven't had many opportunities to work on older cars until recently. The most complicated thing I've done until recently was rebuilding a carburetor for a '75 Honda ST90.

My family has had quite a long history with Mustangs. That's was not the driving force behind me wanting to get one, but it's still cool. My mom's first car was a '65. My dad had a '67 and '68 in high school. My grandfather bought a '66 new and he still has a '70 Convertible that he's owned since ~'71. My other set of grandparents claim to have used a '65 Fastback for their wedding too. So that's just a bit of family history you guys might find amusing, if I can find any pics of the cars I'll post them.

The goal for this car is reliability first, power second. That's the condensed version. I have no experience with a blowtorch but if I can find a class at a local college or somewhere to learn, I'd definitely look into installing various supports onto the car. But for now, I'm going to be working primarily on the engine/drivetrain followed by interior.

This will be a very picture heavy thread. I'm primarily using my iPhone to take pictures and uploading them to imgur. While a lot of what I'm doing may be obvious and simple to the more experience members here, it's great for me to have reference for everything I've done and I'm documenting it in a way that if I had to do it again, I could without much trouble.
 
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#3 · (Edited)
Day One - June 26th, 2014

After spending the last several months searching, I finally found a '67 for a decent price and almost rust free. I had called on and looked several different '67s and '68s and they were all either rust buckets or they had the VIN sanded off.




She wasn't running (well... kind of was, had been sitting for a decade). So she needed a bunch of mechanical work, but the body was strong with the exception of the passenger side quarter panel.


The floors and the bottom of the car were all solid and original. So even as just a rolling shell, it was very sound.

Here's what the 6 cylinder looked like when we got it. As you can see, it's seen better days.



She's fairly beat up and the odometer has definitely rolled over at least once, maybe twice. But she's mine and great first project car.


I'm able to trace the history back about 15 years with various paperwork. It looks like the car was hit in the rear quarter panel and that was replaced. It was probably stripped to be prepared for paint and then garaged. The interior is absolutely bare with the exceptions of seats and the instrument panel. The car was built in Dearborn, shipped to Chicago, then brought to California in the early 70s (judging by the license plate number).

Here's the Marti Report. She's a bottom of the line T code with six "options." But hey, at least I won't feel guilty about changing everything.
 
#5 ·
Engines
The next chapter of our epic is about engines.

Engine #1
This... could've gone a little better. As the pictures posted above can clearly indicate, the 6 needed quite a bit of work to run. This included a new gas tank and new carburetor. Well... it had a rod knock and some compression issues. So the hunt for the second engine begins!

Engine #2
Well, now's the time to upgrade to a V8. My grandfather (the one with the convertible) had a '64 Ranchero that he'd been using for parts for his '64 Falcon Wagon. Well, it had a 289 V8 that was connected and appears to have come off of an A code Mustang (judging by the numbers on the manifold).

Here are the two next to each other. The Ranchero was a failed restoration project that my grandfather got for a relatively decent price. The engine had already been repainted and appeared it had been gone through already. The rust on the body was fixed properly so we assumed it would work.


Well, several cylinders aren't firing and the compression is all over the place. It hasn't been dismantled yet but it's running really really poorly, presumably a cracked block or damaged piston. Something along those lines.


Engine #3
This is the 3rd and final engine. I posted some questions about what it would take to install a 302 or 351w in a '67, and VMF member pwrecker0 offered to sell me a 302 he had pulled out of his Mustang. He only lived about 30 minutes away and I jumped on the opportunity.




There's seven more pictures here: Mustang Engine - Album on Imgur

This engine actually ran properly. It needs a few things here or there but as a whole, we finally have a running drivable vehicle. This is how I spent my July, August, and early September unfortunately. It was a real bummer having so many engine issues but it all works out in the end. From here on out, I should be able to do most of the work myself.

This is a picture from March 2015
 
#7 · (Edited)
At this point in time, she's a 302 V8 3 speed automatic running on 6 cylinder running gear. Now it's a game of priorities. First things first, cover this stupid skull heart stencils and exposed metal on the quarter panel.




This here is the biggest issue the car faces. This quarter panel is not original, it's off of a red '67 (and this car was never red). The car has a junkyard drum on the passenger rear and somebody at some point did a terrible job replacing it. The C pillar is filled with cracking bondo and I might have to replace the whole quarter panel. Fortunately it's not going anywhere and I'll deal with that at a later date.



However, I did go over the door and quarter panel with a can of primer to make it look better. I can't be driving to school with heart skulls on my car!


There's some more close up pictures here.
http://imgur.com/a/kSMvq

This is also on the list of things to address. I don't think they are bullet holes but they give off that appearance.


AYou have to learn from your mistakes right? On the bright side, at least I know how drum brakes work now!
 
#8 ·
cvery cool but be sure to update the front suspension and all brakes for the larger v-8
 
#9 ·
Rustbuckets in California? Ever see rust belt rustbucket?
 
#11 ·
You'd be surprised. The car I ended up purchasing is shockingly rust free but some of these had the entire floor pans falling off and frame rails missing. There was a car that was rusted and damaged so badly that the battery was sitting several inches into the fender. It's LA and there are a lot of cars around here, so it's bound to happen occasionally. Haha

cvery cool but be sure to update the front suspension and all brakes for the larger v-8
Yessir. I'm under the impression that suspension, at least spring wise is fine with a V8 because it's only a ~200 pound weight difference. Brakes and the rear end are going to be addressed (I've still got several months of info to post!).
 
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#10 ·
September

Now is the time that I began to define my goals. I want to keep the car true to it's origins as much as I can, at least on the outside. My goal for the most part is to avoid adding anything that can't easily be removed (body mods for example). A few things here or there like a passenger mirror are fair game, but I ultimately want a sleek vehicle rather than a chromed out pinned striped subwoofered one. Everybody's style is unique and I can respect people's decisions, they just aren't for me.

At this point, I'm still quite a ways off from paint but I can still build up the car with paint in mind. I want a dark blue that makes the chrome stand out. Probably either Nightmist Blue or BMWs dark blue.

This was one eBay a while back and I messaged the seller about the color. I saved all the pics from the listing but this is one of the better pics. It's a few steps up from black but it's dark enough to have a very nice sleek look. I'm not a fan of the Billit grill, but I digress.


This is around the time that I found a turn signal hood with the inserts and wiring for $125. It has a little surface rust underneath but nothing that can be sand blasted away when it comes time for paint. That'll be sitting in the garage until it's time to prep the car (I've already got a door and quarter panel the wrong color, the hood can stay blue).

While I was waiting for the mechanic to finish installing the 3rd engine, I was amassing some parts. As soon as I got her back, I swapped the steering wheel. This car does not have power steering mind you, a small steering wheel like this just doesn't cut it.

 
#12 · (Edited)
Front Brakes and Wheels

Between getting the car and the week of Thanksgiving, I met a third or fourth cousin who lives nearby and is a mechanic. After speaking to him and doing some research on my own, I bought a kit from CSRP for power disc brakes. Admittedly, there was quite a bit of hand holding through this process. However, I feel confident that if I had to do it again that I would be able to on my own. Due to the nature and importance of brakes, it's probably better somebody helped me.
Before and after.



The difference is amazing. I don't have to make room in my schedule if I want to stop!

So naturally, with five lug brakes you need five lug wheels. My grandfather (again, the one with the 'Vert) had a set of Magnum 500s that he wasn't using. He said that he was looking to get a new set of tires and found a second set of Magnum 500s for a good price with new tires. So that's what I've got. The only issue is that the tires are from 1987.


 
#13 ·
Exhaust

At this point it's mid January. I've had a few issues with the ignition here and there but overall the car is sound. Let me provide some background information. Remember that '64 Ranchero? Well it had a dual exhaust and we used those pipes on my car. Well, the pipes were dumps that let out under the back seats. And that means that I got a nice does of exhaust fumes every time I drove her. So that needed to be addressed. I found a local exhaust place who handled it for ~$200. They raised the pipes up about 4 inches closer to the body (they would hit the ground when going over speed bumps), ran them over the rear and out the back, and put chrome tips on them.

Unfortunately I don't have any before pictures, but this is what was done.



 
#14 ·
really nice work. 17 YO? if that beast dont get you some dates nothing will.
 
#15 ·
Haha It's not as "spontaneous" as you think. I've got people wanting to race me in their 4 cylinder Camrys. Just goes to show that most people my age don't even know what they are looking at. But at least I'm practically guaranteed a page in the yearbook senior year! :cool:
 
#16 · (Edited)
Tires
Disclaimer: This post might be a tad uninteresting to most of you, but I've never replaced a set of tires before. It's pretty exciting.

So my 1987 vintage front tires and sun baked rear tires are an issue. I didn't put this one on the car but ya know, it's definitely road worthy...


I had to track down a set of Raised White Letter BF Goodrich Radial TA tires. I know there's a bunch of mixed opinions on these tires but aesthetically, it's what I wanted. They seem good so far. I had to find creative ways to transport them to the tire place.

New Rubber...

Now I've got a fresh set of tires on the front. The new rear tires are sitting in the garage presently. I had the guy put the best of the 1987 vintage ones on a black 5 lug wheel for a full sized spare. Might as well, right? This one was in the trunk of my grandfather's Mustang so it's actually pretty decent. The center caps had to be removed for balancing but those will be glued back on soon (so they don't get stolen...).


The rear end is still the 6 cylinder rear, but I did obtain 3.00 V8 rear. It doesn't have the buck tag though. It needs to be pressure washed and painted before it gets mounted.
 
#18 ·
I posted a picture just a second ago of a 5 lug rear. That's the next thing on the agenda.

Regarding suspension, what do you suggest?
 
#23 · (Edited)
Thanks guys! I've got a few more things to post until I'm updated to present time.



Okay. Shocks and a new steering box were already in the plan. The current steering is a fairly loose and iffy, probably due in part to the fact the chassis is probably pushing 300,000 miles.

My biggest concern is the cost. This isn't exactly a budget build but it's also not a $20,000 project either. With that in mind, what shocks would you recommend?

I've heard the term Shelby Drop before but I'm unclear as to what it entails. My current work ethic has consisted of finding something wrong and then learning about that specific item inside and out.

Great progress! Keep it up and your going to have a sweet ride.
As for the 80 something spare I wouldn't trust it.
Thanks! I'm just doing the best with what I've got. I don't trust it but if I needed to make it home from school, it should hold up.
 
#21 ·
One of the reasons I kept reading into page 2!

Great project, vision and writing. Greetings from another L.A.-based '67 daily driver.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Instrument Panel

The beginning of February I decided to swap the current instrument bezel with a reproduction. The original had paint peeling and was cracked at the top. It was time for an upgrade. I pulled the panel off the car without much problem and unscrewed the bezel without any major issues. When I went to put it back on the car, that's when disaster struck. Well, not really disaster. But while I was tightening the nut on the back screw (on the right side, it goes through a hole near the AC vent slot), the screw broke off and damaged the paint on the other side.

Doesn't look too bad in the dash. A few wires that should probably be connected to something, but nothing major.

Here are the pics of the piece after it broke.



I contacted CJPonyParts and they offered to send me a replacement for $25. I went ahead and went with that route, figuring I could sell the broken one for at least $20. I also bought a set of dash LEDs to install at the same time. So the process begins once again.

In the end, only the turn signal lights and high beam indicator worked. The dash lights worked before I usurped it the second time. I'm assuming a ground wire was disconnected somewhere but I'm still unsure. I left one bulb original, as per the instructions.

Irregardless, here's a before and after. It looks way better now.



Here's another dozen pics or so.
http://imgur.com/a/wGdMa
 
#27 ·
Instrument Panel

I contacted CJPonyParts and they offered to send me a replacement for $25. I went ahead and went with that route, figuring I could sell the broken one for at least $20.

Mustang Album 4 - Album on Imgur
Hey Target - If you're close, I'll take that bezel off of your hands for $20. In what area of L.A. you located?
 
#25 ·
The 6 banger rear will put up with the motor for a while. Its gearing and peg leg nature along with less than sticky tires probably helps. Mine lived for YEARS behind my turbocharged inline six and my buddy's 67 with 351W still runs on it (8.8 is sitting in the garage, just gotta get him off his butt to swap). His 67 is still running the 6cylinder steering but he swapped to V8 lowering springs and 5 lug disc brakes and is perfectly happy with it altho his steering is much much tighter than you describe. Keep it up!

Matt
 
#26 ·
Electronic Ignition

On March 7th I installed a Pertronix Ignitor II and Flamethrower II. The points on my car were starting to fail and I've had some issues starting her up as of late. We'd go out for dinner and come back two hours later and she'd turn over 30 times. Took me about two hours but when I finished, she turned over twice and started right up after sitting for a week. I'm pretty proud of myself, considering I didn't have to break out the fire extinguisher. Engine timing is a little off but that shouldn't be too hard to set correctly.

The distributor rotor could probably be replaced. I have no idea how old it is.


So I'm of the opinion that the negative connector shouldn't be in the shape of a U...


The engine bay presently.


I also dug this out of a rubber gasket. Yeah... I'm just gonna wrap that in tape and throw it away.


So now, I need to get the rear end dealt with and figure out why the dash LEDs aren't working. So we'll see how that goes. I need to get some help to transport that rear end to a place to clean it.
 
#31 ·
here's some Shelby drop info attached for you.

attachments:
1. shelby drop template. for your '67, use the bottom image, and mirror for the passenger side. this shows the original upper control arm mounting and the new location.
2. a photo of a '70 showing the upper arm removed and original and new sets of mounting holes drilled.
3. alignment specs. when you get a front suspension alignment done, be sure to use the Shelby specifications. the changes in caster and camber work much better with modern radial tires. DO NOT USE THE FACTORY SPECS! if you don't align it yourself, a good place not far from you is Valley Pacific Frame and Suspension. Frame Straightening, Alignment, Auto Repair, ABS Brake Experts - Valley Pacific Frame & Suspension. i know some other old car people that won't take their machines anywhere else.

use the proper tool for removing the suspension spring. it is extremely dangerous when a compressed suspension spring suddenly releases unintentionally!

.
 

Attachments

#32 ·
You've made a good start! Glad to see more young people getting a hold of the old ponies. I got mine when I was 19.

The Shelby drop is free, which is the awesome part about it. While you've got the control arms out just swap everything for stock v8 or GT parts and it should not be too hard on the wallet. Fortunately there are parts floating around on craigslist everywhere near you since you live in CA, so keep an eye out for good deals on upgrades!

The steering box might be tired or it might just need grease. Greasing it won't hurt so you might as well try it before pulling the whole box for a rebuild. However, if you do pull the box, upgrading to a 16:1 box is really great for improved steering. Much quicker response time and fewer turns lock to lock.

Come see the VMF crowd at Knott's in April!
 
#33 · (Edited)
Kelly
I appreciate the support. We spoke a while back on reddit, not sure if you remember though. I'll definitely keep my eyes open for parts. Anything besides coils that I should be looking for? You say everything, but I'm not entirely sure what's different.

I haven't spent much time in gearbox R&D, it could just be grease. The only constant is that I can turn the wheel about 60 degrees in each direction without the wheels turning. Parallel parking is a nightmare without power steering though.

Haha I'd love to go. There's a lot of variables currently. I want to get a lot of this suspension done and fresh tires on the rear before I go on a 60 mile road trip (30 each way).

I've got a question for you. I know you had some under frame supports welded onto Jane before The Incident. I've been trying to find a local place that I can take some welding classes with the intention of adding supports and doing some basic bodywork myself. What sort of stuff would you recommend?

Thanks Darth.
That really does seem fairly simple. Does the A Arm mount to those holes without any other modifications? I'm thinking about 10 different things right now in relation to the suspension and future plans. I need to get the front of the car taken apart soon to replace the drivers side headlight bucket (bought a set on eBay a while ago, I need to sell the other one cause they cost quite a bit), that might be a good time to tackle suspension.

Coil wise, is this all I'd need?
Mustang Coil Spring Pair 6-Cylinder/Small Block 1967-1970
Granted I would cut it down a bit to fit. I'm still researching shocks but I've got no idea what a good brand is vs a mediocre brand.

Tis but a scratch!
 
#41 ·
Kelly
I appreciate the support. We spoke a while back on reddit, not sure if you remember though. I'll definitely keep my eyes open for parts. Anything besides coils that I should be looking for? You say everything, but I'm not entirely sure what's different.

I've got a question for you. I know you had some under frame supports welded onto Jane before The Incident. I've been trying to find a local place that I can take some welding classes with the intention of adding supports and doing some basic bodywork myself. What sort of stuff would you recommend?
Ah! I knew that the U/N was familiar for some reason but couldn't figure out why... d'oh.

The control arms and struts are the same no matter what engine is in your car. However, you should still check for excessive wear while you're in there and replace anything that is worn out. Replace rubber bushings, grease fittings, yada yada. Your shocks may need replacing as well. So when I said "replace everything with stock V8 or GT parts" I mostly just meant "replace anything that is trashed with a part that is definitely for a V8, if applicable". Sorry for the awkward wording! I was also thinking of steering at the time that I wrote that sentence.

What sort of stuff would I recommend, as in welding classes? Learn to weld, practice a lot until you're good or at least passable :p What sort of stuff would I recommend, as in for extra rigidity for the car? Spintech subframe connectors are what I have on Jane. They are welded to the frame rails on either end as well as being spot welded into the floor, which adds a lot to the rigidity of the car. Highly recommend them. If you're feeling ambitious, there is a DIY version of those spec'd out by DazeCar that will save you a lot of cash. Or, go for some of the ones that are just welded on either end of the frame - not as good IMO but they are an easier install and may work better for you as a new welder. Tinman is the name that first comes to mind but I know that there are a ton out there. It all depends on the time you want to spend on them and the cash you have. They are one of those things that I personally would not skimp on though, knowing what they have done for my car.

For additional welded body stiffening, you already have torque boxes, so just make sure they're in good shape. Some people have put in convertible rockers which are very good but also fairly difficult to install.

The cheapest and best stiffener for your car would be a good thick export brace (Scott Drake makes a nice one I believe) and a Monte Carlo bar. The export brace will run you ~$50 and the monte carlo bar will run you ~$25. Two best things that you can do to stiffen up your engine bay. There are very few cars that I've seen without these two things. I'd suggest you go for those first as they will really improve how the car handles. A good front sway bar will also improve handling though it does not really increase body rigidity.
 
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