For those with a Monte Carlo bar installed.....

[buening 63]

Can you give me a measurement for the outside-to-outside of the end mounting brackets up near where it is bent 90° to go over the inner fenders? Basically, I want to make sure my bar isn't too long before I start spreading the towers. I'm measuring exactly 40" for my bar using the above locations. I would REALLY appreciate the help! :biggrin::biggrin:

[buening 63]

Can you give me a measurement for the outside-to-outside of the end mounting brackets up near where it is bent 90° to go over the inner fenders? Basically, I want to make sure my bar isn't too long before I start spreading the towers. I'm measuring exactly 40" for my bar using the above locations. I would REALLY appreciate the help! :biggrin::biggrin:

[Jayru 17]

If no one else chimes in before me... I'll be home Wed night and can get you the dimensions.

[Jayru 17]

If no one else chimes in before me... I'll be home Wed night and can get you the dimensions.

[buening 63]

Even if they do I wouldn't mind another data point to confirm what I have!

[buening 63]

Even if they do I wouldn't mind another data point to confirm what I have!

[jkskinsfan 19]

The Inner fenders of my '69 SportsRoof measure exactly 40" from side to side, buening. That's just in front of the Monte Carlo Bar Mounting Bracket so you should be good to go. These cars weren't built to any close tolerances and I would think anything within 1/4" of that would be acceptable.

[jkskinsfan 19]

The Inner fenders of my '69 SportsRoof measure exactly 40" from side to side, buening. That's just in front of the Monte Carlo Bar Mounting Bracket so you should be good to go. These cars weren't built to any close tolerances and I would think anything within 1/4" of that would be acceptable.

[buening 63]

Sweet! If anyone else gets a measurement let me know, just to make sure me and the skinsfan don't have the same faulty bar :p

[buening 63]

Sweet! If anyone else gets a measurement let me know, just to make sure me and the skinsfan don't have the same faulty bar :p

[Cruzzar 22]

On my '70 it measures 40 1/2"!!! I don't know if this is an oddball (car has never been wrecked that I am aware of) or this is normal. It was originally a 6 cyl. and therefor may not have collasped the shock towers toward each other as a V-8 would. Anyone else have dimensions?

[Cruzzar 22]

On my '70 it measures 40 1/2"!!! I don't know if this is an oddball (car has never been wrecked that I am aware of) or this is normal. It was originally a 6 cyl. and therefor may not have collasped the shock towers toward each other as a V-8 would. Anyone else have dimensions?

[buening 63]

If it makes you feel better my towers measured a little over 38"! Thats why I was scratching my head when measuring this bar and thinking how I'd push those towers 2" apart.

[buening 63]

If it makes you feel better my towers measured a little over 38"! Thats why I was scratching my head when measuring this bar and thinking how I'd push those towers 2" apart.

[Pakrat 1,043]

If you jack it up and put stands under the front suspension that 2" will probably relax out pretty easy. I haven't added the Monte bar to mine yet but when I put on the export brace I got lucky that my towers had hardly settled at all but I was prepared to have to do this.

[Pakrat 1,043]

If you jack it up and put stands under the front suspension that 2" will probably relax out pretty easy. I haven't added the Monte bar to mine yet but when I put on the export brace I got lucky that my towers had hardly settled at all but I was prepared to have to do this.

[buening 63]

If you load the suspension it will make the towers collapse more. If you have the car on jack stands on the frame rails with the suspension hanging, it will allow the towers to relax. I have the stands on the frame rails for about 6 months and it didn't help much. A combination of threaded rods and coupler, along with loosening the motor mounts and jacking the motor up helped it drop right in. I could get it to expand to a certain point with the 3/4" threaded rod but then it wouldn't budge after that. Here is a pic of the point where it wouldn't budge, note the rod bending.

 

 

 

I finally figured out that the weight of the engine was preventing the towers from moving out any more, so jacking the motor up allowed the towers to spread even further. Once the monte carlo dropped right in, NONE of the bolt holes lined up. It appears the bend on the end brackets occurred too far down, which raised the bolt holes to an incorrect location. I can't even see the top bolt holes and the bottom slotted holes are about 1/4" off from getting the bolt in. I'm guessing the holes are about 1/2" too high. Slotting the holes will look like crap, so I'm looking into possibly having NPD exchange it. I've had it for quite awhile though, so not sure if they will exchange it.

[buening 63]

If you load the suspension it will make the towers collapse more. If you have the car on jack stands on the frame rails with the suspension hanging, it will allow the towers to relax. I have the stands on the frame rails for about 6 months and it didn't help much. A combination of threaded rods and coupler, along with loosening the motor mounts and jacking the motor up helped it drop right in. I could get it to expand to a certain point with the 3/4" threaded rod but then it wouldn't budge after that. Here is a pic of the point where it wouldn't budge, note the rod bending.

 

 

 

I finally figured out that the weight of the engine was preventing the towers from moving out any more, so jacking the motor up allowed the towers to spread even further. Once the monte carlo dropped right in, NONE of the bolt holes lined up. It appears the bend on the end brackets occurred too far down, which raised the bolt holes to an incorrect location. I can't even see the top bolt holes and the bottom slotted holes are about 1/4" off from getting the bolt in. I'm guessing the holes are about 1/2" too high. Slotting the holes will look like crap, so I'm looking into possibly having NPD exchange it. I've had it for quite awhile though, so not sure if they will exchange it.

[buening 63]

Here is a picture showing how far off the holes are:

 

[buening 63]

Here is a picture showing how far off the holes are:

 

[Jayru 17]

I believe their are two versions of the bar, one for earlier stangs and one for ours. Could you have the wrong one?

 

I had to slot my bar a tad (easily covered up by large washers), IIRC it was about the distance of a second bolt hole from the first.

[Jayru 17]

I believe their are two versions of the bar, one for earlier stangs and one for ours. Could you have the wrong one?

 

I had to slot my bar a tad (easily covered up by large washers), IIRC it was about the distance of a second bolt hole from the first.

[buening 63]

I'm looking at both NPD and Mustangs Unlimited catalogs and both have the same part number for the 65/66 and the 69/70. If there are special bars for our cars then neither place has them.

 

Rick at NPD is going to measure the ones he has at NPD to compare to mine, to see if the others are like this or if mine is a fluke.

[buening 63]

I'm looking at both NPD and Mustangs Unlimited catalogs and both have the same part number for the 65/66 and the 69/70. If there are special bars for our cars then neither place has them.

 

Rick at NPD is going to measure the ones he has at NPD to compare to mine, to see if the others are like this or if mine is a fluke.

[Burn 14]

My '70 is exactly 40". It came from the factory with a 302 and 3 speed manual. Now it has a 351w, 4 speed toploader with export brace and its still 40". My carlo bar's holes are off a mile. They're 3" with no slots and the holes in the appron are 2.6". I doubt I'll use it.