Rsanter

You do not need a fancy system for what you are using the car for. 
All you are buying is bling is the way it looks to me.
if you use good quality components, lower the upper A arms , sway bar and add eibach variable rate coils you will be in good shape. Way under the $2500 mark
 
basically i have my car set up similar to the Shelby R model and I have had it on the track at 143mph with no trouble
 
bob

Put it in a shipping container.
When the shop is done then move the shipping container to the back of the shop to store things that you don't want in the shop
 
Bob

The old school way was to put in the middle of the center of the dash pad on a non AC car. This should be where the AC vent would have gone.
I have seen a number of them done that way.
 
I have seen a couple people that did not want to cut a dash pad order an AC dash for a nonAC car and make an adapter to hold the guages
 
One thing I think would look cool if you can do some fabrication. If you have a good dash pad that the speaker area is shot. Make a pod that will go on the dash there to hold a couple of guages. Some carful covering with the correct vynal and you could have a cool guagenpod and not have to replace your old dash
 
Bob

Part of it depends on what you want the look of the car to be. If you are going to hot rod or modernize the car then I would look for modern seats from cars you have locally and pick something that is comfortable and sized correctly to the car.
If you want to maintain an original look, there are seat covers and foam kits that will fit the original seat frames, have a mostly original look but have some modern countours added.
I did that with my 69 conv and they look great and are more comfortable than stock. The negative is that they don't work well with the original console. Sure wish they had told me that
 
Bob

One down
Ten more to do......
 
Bob

First things first.
You need to pull the engine and do an inspection. Depending on the quality and the miles the cylinder bore may not be worn and perhaps you can get by installing a crank/rod kit and repair your engine.
Then you can spend some money on other upgrades.
 
If the bore of the engine is already too much then you will be looking at another block. If this is the case then looking at the purchase of a complete shortblock 'crate' engine may be an option to you. You can get these already as a larger size stroker and then you just have to complete it
 
If you go this route you can also look at the option of going to a stroker 351 as you can then go all the way to 408 cubes if you really want some power
 
You might also find a wrecked 5.0 mustang with a good engine and do a swap with that.
 
Just some options that you can look at based on what you want to do with the car
 
Bob

You need to run enough amps to get good penetration for sticking the metal together and not getting too tall of a weld. You also need to have it adjusted low enough that you are not applying excess heat.
To help prevent blow through you can use a copper backing at the weld seam. The copper will resist the weld, will draw some of the heat out of the weld and provide a backing to prevent blow through.
You need to make a series of short welds of no more than an inch, skip a couple inches and then go again. Then cycle back and stitch in the areas between the welds giving cooling time between.
Welding is about practice, practice, practice.
Get some old bent fenders or hoods to practice on, you need to do some learning and get a feel for how the metal reacts to what you are doing.
 
Bob

Factory uses no gaskets with the iron manifolds.
Don't take the manifolds in just yet, put a straight edge on them and check it out first.
I never used manifold gaskets unless I am using headers and then I only use the copper gaskets, not the ones that come with the headers.
Use a thin smear (not a bead) or black adhesive silicone and be sure both surfaces are clean. Or use a copper gasket if you must
 
Bob

I have tried every type of spot weld cutter I have seen or heard of.
 
If you are removing a spot weld in a panel you will not be reusing, I use a 3/8 carbide ball on a die grinder.
I eat away the top of the spot weld till I see a blue ring begin to appear around the weld. This tellls me that the metal is thin enough to rip off my hand.
Once the metal is ripped off it leave a little but if a nub from the remainder of the spot weld which I knock down with a sanding disc on a grinder.
 
Advantage.....you are never off center, the drill will not slip or walk, you don't have to center punch, and you never damage the base material you are going to reuse
 
Bob

Ideally you would run through the range of motion with no spring. This will make sure that there is no bind or limit reached on the ball joints when the upper arm reaches the limit bumper. You can rerun the test with the shock in place and see if you are bottoming or close to bottoming the shock at travel limit.
If you are bottom the shock, buy how much?
You can install a washer under the shock tower/cap and you can install a few washers under the top of the shock to the shock tower cap. You may need slightly longer bolts.
R-model shelbys used a short piece or pipe cut to be a spacer to correct the issue.
 
Bob

Use epoxy and also epoxy on a patch on the back side to add strength. I like to use the aluminum from drink cans.
Pieces missing can be built up with epoxy and the use an exact to scratch in the graining.
 
Bob

You need to strip the paint and bondo to see what you really have there.
Sometimes old damage can be fixed without too much trouble and sometimes their toast.
 
I have a door jamb for the pass side but not the qtr panel
 
Bob

I have two really nice trunk lids
$100 plus shipping

If you are worried about the power loss, how about you lightly port/smooth the inside of the stock manifolds. That will help flow a little and gain you a couple of ponies back.
They you are also stock without the low clearance problems
 
Bob

I have two really nice trunk lids
$100 plus shipping

Overall I like R&P if the car/suspension was designed for it. What I don't like is when they do the conversion nobody is getting all of the geometry correct. You are always loosing something.
A whole new suspension system is like a conversion to Detroit speed or mustang II. You are changing all the points and you are changing the spindles.
A conversion to coil over and tube arms that use basically the same mount points is not a new system but rather just an upgraded stockish system. While there is nothing wrong with that, it is still not designed for use with the R&P.
 
Now, if you want a cruiser and you are never going to track the car, you will likly never really know all the compromises that a R&P conversion may have. However if you are going to push the car and you have some driving skill, you will learn or feel some of the geometry compromises.
This is why those high end blank slate suspension conversion are so good. They update all the geometry to modern specs and you will truly get the handling and ride qualities that can be found with 40 year newer technology
 
IMO, the borgeson type power steering conversion is one of the best things to happen to our cars in a long time. You have a nice upgrade at a resonable cost that does not diminish from the original geometry.
 
Your other choice would be a conversion to manual and then the addition of electric power steering
 
Bob

While this is not specific to convertable, I have always made my own subframe connectors.
If you are a good enough welder fabricator to install them then you are good enough to make them...IMO
I don't like the bolt in ones
 
Bob

Wheels set the attitude of the car. What attitude do you want to convey?
 
IMO...you have the best looking wheels,for,your car. You car has a vintage look,with the stripes and all. The magnums look perfect.
 
Changing the wheels will change what you are conveying and could make those stripes and wing look out of place.
 
How about minilites and a lowered stance? Trans am look.
 
Bob

I'm on a plane to France right now. Headed to Paris and then Colmar
 
I know there are some members here from France so I am looking for sugestions.
 
I have been th Paris before so I am not looking to visit the top 10 tourist sites again.
I would like to see or do something interesting that is perhaps not as well known.
Museaum or other interesting sites.
Is there a car museaum there?
 
Anyone live in Paris or Colmar and want to meet to have a beer?
 
Bob

Those sub frame connectors are way overkill.....but hey what the heck.
 
If it was me I think I would trim those to fit the contour of the floorpan. It will make a cleaner install and then stitch weld to the floor all the way down.
 
The only other way of it is more of a race car is to cut the floor pan to allow the rail to sit straight and then weld the pan to the rail to seal everything up
 
Because of the way you are adding in the frame connectors I think you are reducing/eliminating the need for the added bracing in front of the firewall. You are tying the back of the front rails into the body better which will get done what I think you want. Remember that you want the car to be able to have an area to bend in an accident or all the transferred forces go to the occupants
 
Bob

Your car is one of one....
It's the only FIRST mustang you will ever have....
 
Bob

Your car is one of one....
It's the only FIRST mustang you will ever have....
 
Bob

Scott drake progressive rate front springs
For small block 67-70.
As many recomend these have had one coil cut off so the car will sit a little lower.
I only put about 200 miles on the car before swapping them out as I wanted the car a little lower
These are over $160 new
Asking $80 plus shipping