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

[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.

[Pakrat 1,043]

I distinctly remember a few years ago (at least with Virginia Classic Mustang) an announcement that a specific 69/70 Monte Bar was now being made and that you no longer needed to use the 65/66 style. I just thumbed thru one of their old catalogs from 2007 and sure enough they have listed for 69-70 the same part number as the 65-66 whether it's black or chrome or straight or curved. I just went to their website and now there are specific and different numbers for each 69/70 style. It's actually an extended number by one digit so I would venture to guess that the main difference in them is the bolt hole location, possibly the length too but it would appear that they should both be around 40" since they are interchangable except for the bolt holes being off.

 

 

http://www.virginiaclassicmustang.com/Search.aspx?k=monte%20carlo%20bar

[Pakrat 1,043]

I distinctly remember a few years ago (at least with Virginia Classic Mustang) an announcement that a specific 69/70 Monte Bar was now being made and that you no longer needed to use the 65/66 style. I just thumbed thru one of their old catalogs from 2007 and sure enough they have listed for 69-70 the same part number as the 65-66 whether it's black or chrome or straight or curved. I just went to their website and now there are specific and different numbers for each 69/70 style. It's actually an extended number by one digit so I would venture to guess that the main difference in them is the bolt hole location, possibly the length too but it would appear that they should both be around 40" since they are interchangable except for the bolt holes being off.

 

 

http://www.virginiaclassicmustang.com/Search.aspx?k=monte%20carlo%20bar

[LoneWolf2U 136]

I have 40 inches from tower plate to tower plate, No Mc bar.

But considering the hoods and fender 1/8th gap,

Anything wider or narrower and it would be off.

 

Bought one and it didn't fit eather, So I'll be making my own.:shifty:

[Pakrat 1,043]

Where did you end up on this anyway buening? I hate when stories go unended!

[buening 63]

Sorry bout that. I gave up on the Monte Carlo bar. I worked closely with NPD and they measured numerous bars and ones from different manufacturers (black/chrome/satin chrome/stainless in both bent and straight) and all had very similar distances from the top bent plate down to the first hole. My towers and inner fenders, for some odd reason, were drilled about 1/2" or so too low.

 

I jacked the motor up and that helped spread the towers further. The bent threaded bar in the above picture was to the point where the motor was preventing the towers from going any further apart, regardless of the motor mount bolts being loose. Once I jacked the motor up the towers spread easily. FYI for those that run into that issue!!

 

So once I got the towers spread and the bar plopped right in, the friggin bar hit the Sanden A/C compressor. That was the icing on the cake. While dropping the motor 1" helped, sliding it back 1.25" made things worse. A straight bar would have worked but I was too pi$$ed at the time. I'm rolling with just the export brace for now and may look into a Street Or Track monte carlo bar...something thats adjustable and doesn't reuse the stock holes that in my case are way off.

 

Oh and 40" between the end brackets was what NPD measured on all of their bars...FYI

[Pakrat 1,043]

Got ya, thanks for the closure. Well if you do decide to revisit it, before you go custom give the folks at VA a call and see what their bolt holes measure or ask what is now different from the 65-66 version. I don't think your holes are off, I just think everyone else is still not selling a true 69-70 bar like VA is.

[buening 63]

I measured 1 9/16" from the top of the inner fender down to the first hole, and 2 5/8" between holes on the inner fender. With all three bars that they measured having roughly 1 1/8" from the top to the first hole. The distance between the holes isn't as critical as that 1 9/16" dimension. If anyone has time and access to their car, they could get this measurement to verify that my car is whacked out or if it is different on the 69/70 cars. Someone with a 68 measured his and he got 1" from the top of the inner fender down to the first hole, so it must work on the pre-69 cars. I don't have access to my other 70 to measure, unfortunately. This measurement is along the centerline of the 3 bolt holes, not straight down perpendicular to the ground.

[Cruzzar 22]

I just measured my '70 and it is 1 9/16 down and 2 5/8 center to center just like yours.

[buening 63]

Interesting! I just in informed Rick at NPD about this and sent him a link from the Virginia Mustang website. He said they were not aware of the difference nor aware that a special bar is made, but said that they would research a bit further and incorporate a new bar into the 2011 catalog. Thanks everyone for the help on this matter. I just figured my car was goofy, but apparently everyone with a 69/70 modified their monte bar holes and didn't make NPD or others aware.

[Pakrat 1,043]

That's exactly what I figured, I even recall some catalogs having a note that some modification is required. I think the only reason a 65' was always used was because the 40" length was right. That would account for why the 68' measured was different and why even though it would seem to make more sense, folks have used a 65/66 on a 69 and not a 67/68 bar.

 

I will be at a friends house on Saturday who owns a 66'. I am going to measure it just for shits and giggles but I'll bet it matches up with the bar you have quite well.

[buening 63]

Rick at NPD said he has two virgin 69/70 cars that he'll be measuring as well, just to confirm our suspicions. These bars have been made for how long and no one but VA has came up with the solution? Geez! LOL

[Pakrat 1,043]

I know, it boggles the mind, but as a wise man once said, "When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth".

 

I think it's just a case like most Mustang things, you can practically build an entire 65-66 from a catalog, get almost everything for a 67-68, get many things for a 69-70 and practically nothing for a 71-73 in comparison, hell I don't even think they offer any kind of a bar for those guys at all.

[Cruzzar 22]

FYI. I just measured a friend's '67 this morning and the distance between the shock towers is about 38 3/16". This car is a little rough so I don't know if this is typical or not.

[BuckeyeDemon 211]

just for reference, mine measures 40 1/8. it's just a shell, no engine, no suspension.