Gen1 Smokin' Stang Build Thread Profile - Gen 1 Mustangs

[Smokinstang65]

This is the Build Thread for Smokin' Stang. Reply below.

 

[Frank.JD.Perez]

reminds me of the one we used to have. miss that car

65 2+2 fastback with the rally pack and a 289

 

[Smokinstang65]

reminds me of the one we used to have. miss that car

65 2+2 fastback with the rally pack and a 289

They are a hoot. I truly do miss driving it. Learned more behind the wheel of it than any other car. Detroit locker and 3.89 gears so I could accelerate through turns. Manual steering, manual brakes, manual trans. Surprised I survived high-school driving it lol

 

[Smokinstang65]

So ... I'm about to do something incredibly dumb but I think its going to be a hoot.

As it says in the bio here, I bought this 65 Fastback with my dad way back in like 98. Drove the wheels off it in highschool and whenever I came home during college. I worked most of my summers out in New Mexico on a ranch and had no need for it out there so by 2006'ish, she wasn't running anymore. Well all know what happened in 2008 and like many others, I was out of work. I made do for two years doing temp labor and then joined the military. I spent the next 8 years bouncing around between Charleston, SC, upstate NY, Groton, CT, Hawaii and finally Virginia Beach, VA where I currently am. Didn't have the time to work on it or drag it along all over the country so it sat in my parents back yard in So Cal. Long story short, the car has sat for probably 15 years and now I'm out, have a house with a garage and not moving any time soon.

I looked into shipping companies and well ... 2000-2200 for a non-op car and while it does get the car cross country (So Cal to VA), it costs me 2k and I still get a non-op car. If you're smart, you might know where I'm going here. If you're retarded like me, you DEFINITELY know where I'm going with this. Its time to drive the beast 2700 miles cross country after it hasn't run in 15 years. I've got my brother and a buddy on board for doing some of the repairs before I get in town.

Tires & Rims - I think I have a spare set of rims that fit, so I'll just get rubber put on those and chunk the old rusted Cragar SS's.

Engine - She ran when she was parked. She was wore out from me hotdogging her but she wasnt burning oil. I'm thinking as long as I can get some marvel mystery oil down the cylinders and let it sit, she should turn over. If she turns over then I can have my family do a pressure test on all 8 cylinders. If they check sat, I think I should be in business for a drive cross country. Not going to be trying to race so I'd reckon she should hold up. It has 351W heads and I had them rebuilt back in 99 and had hardened valve seats installed.
Change oil
New belts

Transmission - T-5 5 speed, installed circa 2003, less than 10,000 miles on it.
Change fluids

Rear End - 9" w/ detroit locker. Installed circa 99-2000. Less than 20,000 miles on it
Change fluids.

Fuel System
New fuel tank (eyeballing those 22gal upgrades)
New Fuel Pump (edelbrock/holley)
New rubber lines
Extra inline filters
Will fly back with an edelbrock performer 600cfm on loan from a friend

Brakes - Replacing everything except the hard lines and upgrading to a two pot reservoir
New Rotors
New Calipers
New Pads
New Drums
New Shoes
New Wheel Cylinders
New wheel bearings front and rear

Charging System -
New Alternator (possibly upgrade to a PA performance 95A 3G if I'm going to run an electric fan)
New Starter Solenoid
New Battery


Ignition - After I had my points go out in high school, caught the air filter on fire and blew both of my mufflers out, I upgraded to a pertronix drop in kit. Figuring that should still be good but the rest of the components need to be replaced.
New Cap
New Rotor
New Plugs
New Plug Wires
New Coil

Suspension - Back in 2001 I went through and installed new springs front and rear, swaybars with poly bushings, GT350 A-Arm relocation, new A-arms, underride traction bars and KYB Gas-A-just Shocks. I'm thinking all the components should be good with the exception of the shocks. Figure replace the shocks.
New Shocks - Koni's

Cooling -
Aluminum radiator w/fan - would prefer a cross flow design if hoses are sold that work on a 289
New Hoses
FlowKooler Water Pump
New Thermostat

Heating - I'll die like a man in an accident with no airbags but I'll be damned if I'll die cold and making this run sometime between Christmas and New Years ... its gonna be cold.
New heater core
New hoses

Trouble I've run into is most of the parts warehouses I used way back when don't seem to exist. Mustangs Plus apparently folded and they always had a fantastic selection of radiators and people that knew what they were talking about with them. California Mustangs I guess got bought out by Classic Industries and their website provides garbage for product fitment and description. Highway Classics was bought out by Cal Mustangs before Cal Mustangs got bought out. I'm cruising the forums to see where folks are buying these days but suggestions are always welcome. I'm trying to stay on the cheap end of things but with items like a radiator, if I'm going to buy a replacement radiator, there's no point in spending $350 on a new 4 core brass repro if I'm going to end up turning around and putting an aluminum one in it when I restomod it and I don't want to risk getting sidelined in BFE Arizona because my old 4 core blew out because I used to fill it with tap water (judge away, I was young and dumb). Same thought with the water pump and fuel pump. I used to drool over the fuel cells Mustangs Plus sold looking to track it from time to time but I'm not sure it makes sense to go full fuel cell vs 22gal upgrade just for a few weekends a year.

Thoughts, opinions, comments? I forget something that might be crucial for a cross country trip? Am I being so dumb I should wear a helmet?

 

[TMSBOSS]

That looks like well over $2k in parts before you start. I would ship and work on the car as needed. Just my $.02.
If you make the trip, a heater core may also be needed.
Third option. Sell that jem to me. Just a thought. LOL

 

[Smokinstang65]

Hah, I screwed that part up, meant to say New heater core, not radiator core.

Yeah, it'll end up being over 2k I'd reckon. Lord knows driving it I'll have gas, hotels and any breakdown expense but I'm leaning towards dropping something over 2k to get an operational car home vice $2200 and still being at square one. The retardation comes into effect by my belief/hope that if I did all this maintenance I'd make it cross country just paying gas, food and hotel and not an impromptu few thousand if something major quit.

Hah, I couldn't sell it. Too much attachment to it from working on it with my old man.

 

[TMSBOSS]

The offer to buy was mostly an attempt at humor, mostly.

Any way you can do a "Recon" before the trip and see what it really needs now?

Fuel system & cooling system 100% swap out, brakes soft lines and check the rest, ignition full electric tune up, charging battery and maybe alternator(an alternator or regulator can be found in a few hours in a big city or overnight if shipped). I would save the coin on the suspension until later. All the fluids, no question.

Could be a fun trip. Enjoy!!

 

[302BOB]

Best of luck on your upcoming adventure!!!! I'm sure it won't be anything you forget anytime soon. BTW, Do you know how many miles that '65 has on it now?....Hope you won't need it, but a high end credit card could come in handy...........................................Happy Trails!!!

 

[Smokinstang65]

The offer to buy was mostly an attempt at humor, mostly.

Any way you can do a "Recon" before the trip and see what it really needs now?

Fuel system & cooling system 100% swap out, brakes soft lines and check the rest, ignition full electric tune up, charging battery and maybe alternator(an alternator or regulator can be found in a few hours in a big city or overnight if shipped). I would save the coin on the suspension until later. All the fluids, no question.

Could be a fun trip. Enjoy!!

LOL no worries.

Looking to have my brother and his friend do the brakes, wheel bearings and get the new tires and rims on it first. At least then I know it rolls and it stops (and then if I do just end up having it shipped they aren't trying to drag a car with seized brakes up the trailer). Was hoping to have them pull the plugs and get the cylinders wetted down and do the cylinder pressure test for me. I'm figuring if they can get the brakes done and the cylinders all hold good pressure then I should have a green (ok maybe yellow) light on having them do some of the rest of the swaps.

Good call on the suspension. If the current shocks aren't bad no point in replacing them and if they do need it, just something to get me across the country will suffice.

I'm sure hoping it'll be fun. Thanks for the comments and suggestions.

 

[Smokinstang65]

Best of luck on your upcoming adventure!!!! I'm sure it won't be anything you forget anytime soon. BTW, Do you know how many miles that '65 has on it now?....Hope you won't need it, but a high end credit card could come in handy...........................................Happy Trails!!!

Many thanks. No clue on the original miles in the 65. I know the motor was replaced at some point because its a 66 block. Was an original 4 speed and I still have the T-10.

Lord help me if I have to bust out the AMEX Platinum!

 

[Smokinstang65]

Progress ... and my mom may be slightly pissed that her plants got ran over. She's more happy the car finally moved after a decade than she is mad though so I call that a win. My brother and our friend were able to get my 67 Imperial moved forward and the 65 pulled up onto the concrete so they can get cracking on the tires and brakes. That's the furthest she's moved in at least10 years.