Angel's 69 Restomod Coupe

[Angel 24]

Honestly, the R&C kit was much easier to install than I had anticipated. I found that you can use the original sway bar bracket to locate the m2 crossmember. Ofcourse I measured everything about 20 times before finally welding things in place. The r&c kit comes with clear instructions and even a DVD of the install. Willie at R&C was very helpful throughout the whole process. From purchase to install, I was able to rely on their customer support. It may not be the best suspension out there, but it is the best suspension option for me and what I want to do. I wanted a reputable suspension kit that was relatively affordable($2,635), would allow the use of a modular engine, would allow the use of a r&p, and would also allow me to use the 13" cobra brakes. Additionally, I wanted a kit that would give me plenty of room in the engine compartment. I know I might be sacrificing some performance but this car will mainly be a cruiser.

 

I had a naturally aspirated 2001 cobra engine that I was initially going to use for this project. After doing a lot of research, I had decided to use 4.11's for that engine because that seems to be what most people agree works best with that engine. Apparently, although the cruising rpms would be higher, the engine would be in it's power band and as a result, gas mileage would actually improve. Counter intuitive, I know. But most claimed that at the very least, fuel economy would not decrease. I don't know. Anyway. I switched to the 3.25's because of the broad torque curve that the '03 engine has. It should help with traction and fuel economy. At least I hope so.

[Angel 24]

To the top!!

Well I took a long break from the car to focus on my degree and I promised myself I would get back to the car when I was done with that. Im excited to start working on this thing again! Problem is, I have no clue where to start or what direction to take. Im in a rare position where I have both time (looking for a job) and money to invest in the mustang so I want to make some progress.

 

The car is pretty much a gutted roller. I need a transmission mount for the T-56, a driveshaft, return fuel system, wire harness/computer to run the engine, a/c system, new gauges, and a clutch pedal for the auto-manual conversion. Those are the big items. However, because of the power I expect to make, Im really considering a mini tub and 4 link suspension. Where do you guys suggest I start? 

 

I noticed all the old pictures I uploaded have been deleted. So here are a few of the car before I tore it apart and where it is now. Im hoping that kick starting this thread again will motivate me to move it the right direction. As usual, all comments and suggestions are welcome.

[Angel 24]

So I need to start putting together my fuel system. Im contemplating whether or not I want to run the engine on E85. Mainly for the additional power I can make. The disadvantages of it over gas are things I need to consider in further depth before making a decision. In either case, I think I found a tank and pump that will work for me. Anyone running this system from Tanks Inc?

http://www.cjponyparts.com/fuel-tank-kit-efi-22-gallon-with-sending-unit-and-400-lph-fuel-pump-1969-1970/p/FTKEFI6/?gclid=CLGB4crl8s8CFQuAfgodZB8MPg

 

Also, I think I found a transmission cross member that I can use. If I could weld I would probably make a custom one. Since I cant, I'll most likely be buying this one from Ron Morris.

http://www.cjponyparts.com/universal-transmission-crossmember-1964-1970/p/T5C6/?year=1969&gclid=CPSv-e7l8s8CFQx6fgodldcJIw

[Angel 24]

So progress has been slow. I've been doing a lot of test fitting. I ordered a set of Pacesetter full length headers and while the driver side fit, the passenger side didnt. The cylinder 1 tube hits the frame on the passenger side. I can either reroute that single tube or buy another set that hugs the block better. So I have a set of Stainless Works headers on the way. From the pictures Ive seen, the tubes are routed closer to the block. We'll see if they fit.

 

I had modified the motor mounts in order to lower the engine more and avoid hood clearance issues. Well it worked, problem is, I didnt have all accessories installed. I have three engines. The complete engine, which I'll be using from the 03, a long block from a 97 cobra, and a bare aluminum block. I didnt use the complete engine for mock up and now the alternator hits the frame. Stupid mistake. I dont want to notch the frame so I raised the engine back with stock motor mounts only to find that it still hits. Luckily, I am planning to install electric power steering so I hope to relocate the alternator to where the power steering pump is on the block. 

 

Other than that, I've just been collecting parts and doing a lot of research. Does anyone know if CJ pony parts will be having a sale anytime soon? Maybe for Veterans day or black Friday? 

[RPM 1,190]

How much clearance do you need get? When I welded up my headers I had about 1/4" interference with the drivers side at the Pitman arm. I followed a tip from MustangSteve.com and used a pry bar between the collector and frame to move the tubes. 

[Angel 24]

Its more than 1/4" from what I can tell. I couldnt even bolt the header onto the head. I have a set of JBA shorty headers that I can use as a last resort, I just really want to try and make some long tubes fit first. Ive seen it done, but that car had an AJE front cross member.

[Angel 24]

So I have room to play with now that the power steering pump and oil cooler are gone. For a swap like this, a remote oil filter kit is necessary if you want to run the stock oil cooler. I decided to remove the oil cooler all together and use an aftermarket cooler instead. The stock coolers are known to leak oil into the cooling system. I'll have to make some brackets to mount the alternator in the new location. They'll have to be beefy too since the alternator runs off of the supercharger belt.

[Angel 24]

So my Stainless Works headers came in today. This is the first time I've owned a nice set of stainless headers. They are sweet! Much better quality and fit than the Pacesetters. Most importantly, no interference with the frame rails. They tuck in closer to the block by about an inch, that's about what I needed on the passenger side. They do hang lower than I'd like, but they dont hang lower than the Hedman hedders I had on my 351, so they'll work.

I installed the trans and while there are a few places that will need time with a BFH, it doesnt look like Ill need to cut the floor. The shifter hole might need to be enlarged as its too far back, surprisingly. Still need to set the proper engine/trans angle though, so that may change. Im going to try to figure that out tomorrow.

[69Mustang16 92]

So my Stainless Works headers came in today. This is the first time I've owned a nice set of stainless headers. They are sweet! Much better quality and fit than the Pacesetters. Most importantly, no interference with the frame rails. They tuck in closer to the block by about an inch, that's about what I needed on the passenger side. They do hang lower than I'd like, but they dont hang lower than the Hedman hedders I had on my 351, so they'll work.

I installed the trans and while there are a few places that will need time with a BFH, it doesnt look like Ill need to cut the floor. The shifter hole might need to be enlarged as its too far back, surprisingly. Still need to set the proper engine/trans angle though, so that may change. Im going to try to figure that out tomorrow.

Very nice! We are runnning the SW headers as well. Really quality piece.

[Angel 24]

Well some of the parts I ordered on Black Friday are starting to come in. Parts that were on back order should be here soon. I went with the Tanks inc 22 gallon fuel injection tank. Looks great inside and out. Also got the walbro 400lph pump. I'm hoping it'll be enough. Here are some pictures of the internal baffles.

[Angel 24]

Here’s some progress I’ve made over the last year. I installed the headliner and decided to wait on the final touches until after paint.

I cleaned up the firewall and dash. I painted it white to make it easier to see when working under the dash. Next, armed with very little welding experience, I bit the bullet and cut the tunnel to make room for the T-56. I raised the tunnel 5/8” from the tunnel brace forward and an inch from the brace to the firewall. This should allow me to keep the ash tray and use the stock carpet. Also had to relocate the shifter whole. I wouldn’t recommend doing it the way I did it, but it was a learning experience for me. 

I did some rust repair and started getting the car ready for paint. Went ahead and rebuilt the door hinges while they were out. 

[Angel 24]

Both of my doors were rusted on the skin and the inner shell. I bought new doors from CJ pony. Neither fit perfect, but passenger was worse than the driver side. Had to do a lot of work to make the passenger side fit decent. The inner shell wasn’t stamped right and I had to work to move the door back enough to get an acceptable door/quarter gap. Latch hole wasn’t in the correct location. Had to weld/build up the front edge as well. 

[Angel 24]

While the car was at the body shop, I stayed busy with little projects. The biggest was having to modify the steering column to work with the rack and pinion. The shaft had to be cut to accept a DD shaft and the column had to be trimmed to accept a bearing retainer. Not too bad, just had to follow instructions. Freshened the column up while it was apart. 

Couple months later, car came back and it was time to take it apart again. 

[RogerC 136]

6 hours ago, Angel said:

I cleaned up the firewall and dash. I painted it white to make it easier to see when working under the dash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is exactly my thinking. Painted the backside of the lower dash white for the same reasons.