70 mustang grill swap

[70 FrostByte 10]

Hello, I have a 70 mustang with the two 8" head lights but I am interested in 69 ( four - 6" bulbs) style grill and headlight set up. My question, Is the grill and fender extensions ( plus the appropriate wiring) interchangeable or is it more involved than that.

 

Thanks

 

Frostbyte

[mustangman70 10]

:nono:Nooooooooooooooo!

 

lol

 

I THINK there is a way to convert them. But just buy another 69 so you have the best of both worlds!

[Pakrat 1,043]

It can be done and it has been done. I can see why you would want to, the 69' is obviously the swan in the family.:devil2:

 

Seriously though, the investment for 2 new headlight buckets, all new front fascia, all new grill and trim and every little clip and part is not cheap, some of clips may not even be reproduced. Your best and most affordable option would be to find a donor front clip from another car. You would still have an issue with the marker lights though since in 70' they are part of the fender and in 69' they are part of the gravel shield. Either way you have some holes to fill in the body.

 

Have you considered just going with a Mach one style grill that has fog lights intigrated into it? Or more extremely I think it would be easier for you to get a 69 wiring harness, make you current headlights just high beams and then modify your fake headlight bucket scoops to accept a housing from behind with you regular beams. They did a body mod for the brand new Mustang that mimics this look as a parnelli Jones Trans AM racer and it ain't too shabby. I have to belive even this would be easier and cheaper than what you propose.

 

[Cupid 10]

You could always go with your own modification. I'm going to build my own mounting bracket behind my current grill and install 6" driving lamps. I like the "through the grill" look. I'm still going to ditch the current grille, but haven't found an aftermarket one yet.

[70 FrostByte 10]

Pakrat, thanks for your input.

I was planning on leaving the marker lights and lower valance alone. I was hopping I could reuse my current mounting clips and maybe some trim molding. The electrical harness will be modified with a pair of relays to give the brightess light possible. I was also thinking about the crystal headlight conversion as well.

[Pakrat 1,043]

Well, I think you are going to find that the only molding that you MAYBE could get by with is the one at the end of the hood but I doubt it, so without a donor front clip that you can transfer from and buying all new, leaving the marker lights and lower valance as is and making do with your current clips and mounts the best as possible I'd say you at least need is: a support brace, grill, ornament, lower grille panel and side moldings, outer trim moldings and lower panel molding and of course a set of new fender extensions that just started to recently reproduce. So ballpark, figure on around spending well over a grand and that would be for pretty much all repro parts, no OEM ones.

 

Unless you have cash to burn I'd consider going to a show if you don't have a buddy with a 69' and look at two cars parked next to each other to get a good grasp of exactly how different both cars really are.

[70 FrostByte 10]

Pakrat, thanks again. I agree it will be a costly adventure but that's what Papa wants. I really don't want to mix and match the years but time will tell. Maybe the Crystal Headlights alone will get me the light were looking for.

 

thanks

[Pakrat 1,043]

Pakrat, thanks again. I agree it will be a costly adventure but that's what Papa wants. I really don't want to mix and match the years but time will tell. Maybe the Crystal Headlights alone will get me the light were looking for.

 

thanks

 

I hear that, I spent a fortune mating a shelby deck lid to a stock tail panel because that's what I wanted, a full Shelby rear conversion would have cost far less in the end. Be sure to post pics of the progress as you go if you end up doing it and keep your eyes peeled for a full front 69' clip, you might be able to get one for half of just the parts.