Hello everyone!
In summery - I have a 1966 Mustang Convertible I want to make into a
semi-daily driver. I am a Mopar guy (gasp) and all of my car-guy friends are
either Mopar or GM lovers so I am having a hell of a time trying to make
decisions on what I want to do with this car. The car in question is a 6cyl,
automatic, A/C, no power steering, no power drum brake vehicle. The car was
purchased from the wife of a close friend who passed away last year. Its
important to me to keep the car alive as long as possible, it was his baby and
possibly his most prized possession - it now means a great deal to me too.
Three things I have decided I must have on this vehicle are the ididit tilt steering
wheel, the Thrust-D 15" 5 Lug wheels, and the WC T-5 Transmission. I really
would like power steering and power disc brakes. I have had a good history with
I6's in my jeeps so I am perfectly happy with the 200cid but not overly in love
with it. Since I am limited both in mechanical knowledge and time, the less
complicated the work the better. I also like heritage so the more OEM the
component the more I like it. Trouble is that since these three components rely
so heavily on the setup, if I build as I go I could be spending a fortune every time
I upgrade - whats worse, not upgrading is holding me back from driving the car
(for instance - the radiator is currently leaking, if I buy a 200cid radiator so I can
drive, and decide to go 289, I just wasted an afternoon and half a paycheck.)
My hang-ups:
- Everything I read says the T5 will not hook up to the 1966 200cid, but will
(basically) bolt on to the 1967 200cid. Is there a way to easily mate the T5 to the
1966 200?
---> If I need to swap the 200cid anyway I am just going to put in a 289cid. That
being said, I REALLY like fuel injection. I have read where the 5.0 EFI systems can
be shoehorned onto the older 289s with pleasant results. I would expect a
289cid EFI with a T5 manual to be a reliable combo - any reason to think
differently?
- Since I am swapping an automatic for a manual transmission, what
components would be needed to make this work? I had originally planned on
purchasing a V8/Manual parts car to supply the needed hard pieces, but my
non-ford guys all say that if I am going to bother with a conversion anyway I
should take advantage and upgrade the linkages. The parts suppliers all have
various kits, in looking for simplicity and reliability is there one I should focus
my attention on?
- If I decide to purchase a parts car, am I only limited to 1966's or can I get what
I need out of a 1964/65?
- To get the wheels I need to swap out the 4-lugs for the 5-lugs. Having been
discussed numerous times I have only one real question - everyone says to get
the Grenada/Mustang spindles - what else would I need? I am mentally hung up
on buying just spindles, I would think there would be more needed to attach
spindles to the old 4-lug steering setup. And if I do buy the spindles and rear
axle is there anything I should pay attention to with the incoming parts (ie, are
say Grenada spindles prone to crack, ectera....)
- Every supplier I look into for the convertible top offer only black or white as
colour options. Mine currently has an emberglo top that has seen better...
decades. Is it possible that I have a 1967+ top? And are they interchangeable?
- All of the parts suppliers I looked into offer brake boosters, but don't
differentiate between V8 or I6. I wouldn't think so, but there be any conflicts
with using the V8 booster if I decide to keep the I6?
- I have a working, healthy, original R12 air conditioner currently installed - will
this transfer over easily to a 289, or will a completely new setup be needed?
- As a non-ford guy, are there any "must have" or "recommended" modifications
I should look into? I have a laundry-list of parts currently on hold as I decide
where I am going with this project.
I am looking to define this project quickly because in its current state she is not
very comfortable/reliable to drive. The sooner I start buying parts the sooner I
can have her on the road where she belongs. I really appreciate any and all help
with this project and if there are any local owners (lower Delmarva) who would
be willing to let me bounce ideas off of please let me know. Thanks again!
In summery - I have a 1966 Mustang Convertible I want to make into a
semi-daily driver. I am a Mopar guy (gasp) and all of my car-guy friends are
either Mopar or GM lovers so I am having a hell of a time trying to make
decisions on what I want to do with this car. The car in question is a 6cyl,
automatic, A/C, no power steering, no power drum brake vehicle. The car was
purchased from the wife of a close friend who passed away last year. Its
important to me to keep the car alive as long as possible, it was his baby and
possibly his most prized possession - it now means a great deal to me too.
Three things I have decided I must have on this vehicle are the ididit tilt steering
wheel, the Thrust-D 15" 5 Lug wheels, and the WC T-5 Transmission. I really
would like power steering and power disc brakes. I have had a good history with
I6's in my jeeps so I am perfectly happy with the 200cid but not overly in love
with it. Since I am limited both in mechanical knowledge and time, the less
complicated the work the better. I also like heritage so the more OEM the
component the more I like it. Trouble is that since these three components rely
so heavily on the setup, if I build as I go I could be spending a fortune every time
I upgrade - whats worse, not upgrading is holding me back from driving the car
(for instance - the radiator is currently leaking, if I buy a 200cid radiator so I can
drive, and decide to go 289, I just wasted an afternoon and half a paycheck.)
My hang-ups:
- Everything I read says the T5 will not hook up to the 1966 200cid, but will
(basically) bolt on to the 1967 200cid. Is there a way to easily mate the T5 to the
1966 200?
---> If I need to swap the 200cid anyway I am just going to put in a 289cid. That
being said, I REALLY like fuel injection. I have read where the 5.0 EFI systems can
be shoehorned onto the older 289s with pleasant results. I would expect a
289cid EFI with a T5 manual to be a reliable combo - any reason to think
differently?
- Since I am swapping an automatic for a manual transmission, what
components would be needed to make this work? I had originally planned on
purchasing a V8/Manual parts car to supply the needed hard pieces, but my
non-ford guys all say that if I am going to bother with a conversion anyway I
should take advantage and upgrade the linkages. The parts suppliers all have
various kits, in looking for simplicity and reliability is there one I should focus
my attention on?
- If I decide to purchase a parts car, am I only limited to 1966's or can I get what
I need out of a 1964/65?
- To get the wheels I need to swap out the 4-lugs for the 5-lugs. Having been
discussed numerous times I have only one real question - everyone says to get
the Grenada/Mustang spindles - what else would I need? I am mentally hung up
on buying just spindles, I would think there would be more needed to attach
spindles to the old 4-lug steering setup. And if I do buy the spindles and rear
axle is there anything I should pay attention to with the incoming parts (ie, are
say Grenada spindles prone to crack, ectera....)
- Every supplier I look into for the convertible top offer only black or white as
colour options. Mine currently has an emberglo top that has seen better...
decades. Is it possible that I have a 1967+ top? And are they interchangeable?
- All of the parts suppliers I looked into offer brake boosters, but don't
differentiate between V8 or I6. I wouldn't think so, but there be any conflicts
with using the V8 booster if I decide to keep the I6?
- I have a working, healthy, original R12 air conditioner currently installed - will
this transfer over easily to a 289, or will a completely new setup be needed?
- As a non-ford guy, are there any "must have" or "recommended" modifications
I should look into? I have a laundry-list of parts currently on hold as I decide
where I am going with this project.
I am looking to define this project quickly because in its current state she is not
very comfortable/reliable to drive. The sooner I start buying parts the sooner I
can have her on the road where she belongs. I really appreciate any and all help
with this project and if there are any local owners (lower Delmarva) who would
be willing to let me bounce ideas off of please let me know. Thanks again!
