1969 Mach looking for Disc Brakes

[Drews93fox 8]

Hey all,

 

I am new to this forum, I have grown up in a mustang family and currently own a 1993 LX fox, 1996 and 2005 4.0. My wife and I just purchased our first classic mustang. 1969 Mach 1, Acapulco Blue Metallic w/Flat Black Hood, 351 with a FMX trans. We found it in a gravel lot about 30 min from our home town, showed up with cash and walked away with the car. It is rough, It has been sitting outside for the past 4 years and was rode rough before that. We hope to do a resto-mod with the car. I will be doing all of the work myself. Plenty of questions will ensue. My first concern is getting the car on the road and safe. I know that drums can be safe but I would like to get disc brakes on at least the front. My question is spindles. I heard a long time ago that Granada Spindles are the ones that I need but I don't know what years will work. I also have not found a company that makes them.. Is this true? Is there not a company that makes spindles that would fit on my car? 

 

Thank you for your help!!

 

Drew

[rwcstang 201]

Granada swaps are good, I had them and they did the job but i would recommend going with something a little better that uses your original Drum Spindles.  there are a ton of kits out there: Wilwood, Baer, Street or Track, CSRP, Mustang Steve Cobra/GT/Mach1 brake Conversion kit (requires 17" wheels).

[Drews93fox 8]

Granada swaps are good, I had them and they did the job but i would recommend going with something a little better that uses your original Drum Spindles.  there are a ton of kits out there: Wilwood, Baer, Street or Track, CSRP, Mustang Steve Cobra/GT/Mach1 brake Conversion kit (requires 17" wheels).

Thats good to know. I didn't know that I could use the drum spindles at all. I have looked at the Wilwood and Baer kits, and couldn't figure out what people were doing for the spindles. Good to know. Thank you

[Rsanter 152]

Skip the Granada stuff and do it right. The Granada spindles do not have quite the same geometry you want.

Get the correct spindles or,if you want an upgrade with the stock type brakes then convert to the 1970 spindles with the larger bearings.

 

Another option is to stick with the drum spindles and install an aftermarket brake kit designed for re are very good brake kits that will go right on the drum spindles

 

Bob

[Rsanter 152]

And post your location, there may be members near you with parts

 

Bob

[rwcstang 201]

Thats good to know. I didn't know that I could use the drum spindles at all. I have looked at the Wilwood and Baer kits, and couldn't figure out what people were doing for the spindles. Good to know. Thank you

Glad to help!

 

A few questions though, what are your plans for the car? are you keeping it stock or are u going with the resto-mod/pro-touring perfomance/look? either way, any kit now is affordable it just depends what you want to do with the car. 

 

Most of the guys here use the brands I mentioned, including myself. I have the cobra front and rear brake conversion and you get to use the OEM parts that came in the newer mustangs.

 

be sure to post pics of the car!! 

[Brian Conway 264]

Might check in with this guy; chock o stang, seems he helps a lot a guys with stock parts and assemblies over on the VMF site.  https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiip4bbjp7MAhUKz2MKHcBrCyQQFggcMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.chockostangclassicmustang.com%2F&usg=AFQjCNHxEZedpYTUr2pSkW37zSpVjOLCNQ&sig2=PsyCAjXUvTm_0KNwKiabFQ  Brian

[barnett468 418]

you want radial calipers and discs that are thicker than stock for the best performance . willwood has both of these but you need to do some searching on their site to find them.

 

i would also run an original proportioning valve . you might also need to add an adjustable one.

 

if you really want them to work well, install 2 lb residual valves in the front lines.

[Drews93fox 8]

As of right now, I am in the process on getting a bonded title. The guy I purchased the car from never put the car in his name and then lost the title... 30 years ago.... Since the car is my dream car, I could not pass up the deal. Bonded or not. The process for the bonded title is straight forward in Iowa, I'm not really worried about loosing the car, but I will not touch it until I have title in hand. I am also still in school, I have one year left for a mechanical engineering degree. The car won't get a lot of attention until I am done with school. 

 

Plans for the car are still up in the air. We want to do a resto-mod to the car, but mostly taking it back to stock. Bigger brakes, better stance and of course a built engine. I know that I will have the car for the rest of my lifetime, and don't want to cut corners. I want to get my ducks in a row before we start on anything. 

 

Another odd part to the whole deal, was the PO said that the car is not a Mach 1 and was adamant about it. Knowing what I was looking for, the door code stated a 63C. His story was weird, so when we returned home with the car we purchased the deluxe Marti report and the car was a Mach from the factory and everything checks out.

 

As soon as I figure out the attachments I will post a couple of pics

[danno 128]

Drews, this is a great project you have gotten into. Also a real blessing that it is a real Mach, would have been depressing to find out something else.  I graduated from the U of I a few years back as an electrical engineer, bought my 69 vert a few years later.  Finish school, then you will start getting the money needed for go this right.   A nice Mach is always worth putting  time and money into. 

 

And stick with the forum, people on this know everything, and most of it is straight talk, no fluf. 

 

Is Prof Malechek still there?  He was a materials science guy. I hated that stupid course.

 

Danno

[Drews93fox 8]

Drews, this is a great project you have gotten into. Also a real blessing that it is a real Mach, would have been depressing to find out something else.  I graduated from the U of I a few years back as an electrical engineer, bought my 69 vert a few years later.  Finish school, then you will start getting the money needed for go this right.   A nice Mach is always worth putting  time and money into. 

 

And stick with the forum, people on this know everything, and most of it is straight talk, no fluf. 

 

Is Prof Malechek still there?  He was a materials science guy. I hated that stupid course.

 

Danno

Awesome thanks!! I just need to keep my head on straight for my senior year.

 

I think this is going to be a great project. It will be the first car that I will restore so I am sure that I will have issues here and there and will need advice. Scanning through this forum, I can tell that people have good intentions. My wife is also excited for this build because she will be able to drive this car being a auto.

 

I have never had Malechek, I had Rethwitch for Materials Science- good professor just a rambler. I did have Anderson for Circuits.... Now that class is horrible haha

[RPM 1,190]

I'm amazed at the number of engineers who are Mustang gearheads. I've heard it's not a good thing, but I'm also a bit envious of you guys. A local Assistant District Attorney's brother is a Mustang engineer gearhead, Steve Saleen.

[Drews93fox 8]

I'm amazed at the number of engineers who are Mustang gearheads. I've heard it's not a good thing, but I'm also a bit envious of you guys. A local Assistant District Attorney's brother is a Mustang engineer gearhead, Steve Saleen.

So, I am technically going back to school. I used to be in a Electrical apprenticeship program, I was laid off when I was 20 years old, and didn't know what else to do but go back to school. I ended up chasing my now wife up to the University of Iowa. Being in Mechanical engineering I assumed that most of my classmates would be gear heads.... Its definitely not the case anymore. Most of the mechanical students that I go to school with now are really book smart, but when you try to get into a technical conversation they get lost. If they cant read it out of a book and study it, they just don't get it, kinda sad. 

[RPM 1,190]

I guess the fact that we have engineers here that ARE gearheads is my point.

[Cruzzar 22]

As I recall the drum brake spindle is very easy to adapt disc brakes to.  I would definitely not get rid of them.  I put a set of Baer brakes on my 70 that originally came with the drum brakes.  They are just as strong as the Mach 1 disc brake spindles.