1966 Ford Mustang Restomod Big Block

1966 Ford Mustang Coupe Description

PLEASE READ!!!!!

I've had this car since the Spring of 1996 and have a lot of sentimental attachment to it, hence why I want to share my story. I never planned on selling this car, but now with 2 son's of my own I don't want to take any chances with them when they are old enough to drive and taking "Dad's car out for a drive". This is a really fast car and a hand full on the street. This is not your Grandfather's car, this is a purpose built car, it is loud, it is fast, and it will hurt you if you do not respect it.. Please do not buy this car for a teenager, the driver needs to be responsible. This car does not have a heater, it has manual brakes, manual steering, and is built to do a couple things, look good, sound good, and go fast. The car has been in my garage since 1996, never in the rain (dangerous as a cocked gun in the rain I imagine), and I completed the restomod in 2008. That being said, the car looks awesome, as you can see in the pictures, but it is not perfect, there are some scratches, etc from sitting in my garage, but is does look really good, considering the paint is 9 years old, lol. I never installed the headliner in the car (I have a new one in the box, just never put it in), it will go with the car, along with the bottom billet grille (I like just the grille in the top and open at the racing apron like in the pictures). Anyway, Ebay would only allow 24 pictures, I have plenty more. If you are serious, send me a note and I can send more. I have a very busy work schedule and home life, so please only request additional pictures if you are serious about buying the car. Please read my story below and the specs listed at the bottom. I'm sure, I've missed some things, but I've tried to put down what I can remember. Anyway, enjoy and happy bidding.

The car was purchased with the sole purpose to build an early model Mustang (1964.5 - 66) with a FE Big Block under the hood, all while looking stock (not cut up). At this point in my life (1996), I had never came across an early Mustang with a true big block (without being cut up, shock towers removed, rack and pinion steering, etc.), they were all 6 bangers, 260's, 289's, 302's, and the occasional 351 Windsor at the car shows, local cruise in's, and magazines. Of course someone could always punch out and stroke a 351 to a 427, but that wasn't the point. The point was to see the big block iron under the hood, hear the iconic FE thump, and confuse the heck out of the Ford guys (who knew that engine couldn't fit in that car). My research was ahead of me, but I knew it could be done, so I bought this car as a roller and began the journey.

The shock towers on a 1964.5-66 are 25 3/8" wide (just wide enough for that 351W), however in 1967, I discovered Ford widened the shock towers to 28 5/8" to accommodate the big FE. Next, I discovered the firewall and frame rails didn't change through 1970, however the inner fenders did. So I set out to find a donor. A Mustang junkyard was about 1.5 hours from my house, one Saturday in the early Spring of 1997 I paid them a visit. After walking almost every inch of that hillside (covered in 1964.5 - 1970 Mustangs), there she was..... A 1968 S-Code (390 Car), just a roller. The front end was in perfect condition, so the owner of the junkyard and I made a deal. I then asked him for a saw. He looked at me like I was crazy, but said sure. I proceeded to cut the car in half, at the A-Pillars, across the rocker panels and floor boards, just AFT of the end of the frame rails. I took off the fenders, hood, and doors, then pulled the car apart. I told the junkyard owner "thank you for your business" and proceeded to tell him, he could keep the rest of the car all I needed was the front. He laughed and said "Thanks" and good luck with that big block early model Mustang.

I then meticulously measured and measured, and measured again before I began cutting my car apart to start the transformation. While tearing down the front end, I went ahead and replaced the entire cowl (183 spot-welds from what I recall) on the 66'. I proceeded to prime, paint, and seam seal the inner cowl, then covered with plastic until one day when I decided to paint the car (I despise looking into a cowl of a restored car and seeing trash in there) I could remove the plastic and reveal a beautiful inner cowl beneath. I went ahead and replaced almost all the sheet-metal under the car so everything would be structurally sound for the torque monster when it was placed. I divorced the 68' inner front clip, measured, measured, and measured, then proceeded to marry the 68' inner clip to the 66' body. Everything fit as it should, just had a height difference on the inner fenders, where the outer fenders mount, but that was easily solved, the unthinkable had been accomplished and now I had the torque boxes from the 68' welded solid from the rocker panels to the frame rails....

Next was the search for the engine. Being a gear head and having a best friend that owned the local Ford dealership, the word went out quickly that I was building a big block early model Mustang. One of the insurance adjusters that did business with the dealership's body shop found out I was in need of a FE. He contacted me and said, he thought he had what I was looking for.... He had just purchased a 1957 2 door pro street Ford from the autofair in Charlotte, 2 months prior that had a 428 in it. He explained he had built another engine for the car, before he had purchased it, because FE are expensive to build, lol. Anyway, he invited me to his house to drive the car. When I arrived, if it ran and didn't smoke, I was game, lol. When I arrived he fired it up, the ground thumped, oil pressure was high, and I said I'll take it. He insisted he would not sell me the engine, without driving it, I said OK. We drove down this winding back road talking about cars, etc, then he opened her up, WOW, I was pinned. Needless to so, I was itching to get back to the shop and pluck this beast. When we got back to the shop, he said "I think I'm making a mistake", I just continued wrenching and hooking the cherry picker. He kept repeating that, until the engine was about eye level, then he said "I know I'm making a mistake". I saw what he was talking about, the freeze plugs were brand new, that engine had just been put together before he bought the car! I proceeded to place the engine in the back of my truck, handed him the cash and headed back home.

It took 2 days to set that beast down in my little Mustang. I'll never forget when I fired her up for the first time. A 2600 lb car, with a monster under the hood. Since then, I completed the restoration in 2008 and cruise the Mustang around to local car shows and cruise in's, always getting the same reaction from the Ford guys "how did you get that engine in that car", scratching their heads. Typically, I just grin a little and say "it wasn't easy, but it is fun".

Make: Ford

Model: Mustang

Year: 1966

Odometer: 157 mi

Engine:

• · 428 FE Big Block
• · Heads: Port/Polished Cast Iron
• · Oil Pump: Melling High Volume
• · Aluminum Intake Manifold: Edelbrock Performer RPM
• · Headers: Hooker Super Comp Long Tube
• · Carburetor: Holley 770 Street Avenger with Vacuum Secondary
• · NOS (Nitrous Oxide Systems) 150 hp Nitrous System

Fuel:

• · ½" Braided Stainless Steel from fuel tank to Carburetor (Primary Fuel Supply)
• · Edelbrock ½" Aluminum In-line Fuel Filter (Primary Fuel Supply)
• · Holley Red Electric Fuel Pump (Primary Fuel Supply)
• · Auxiliary 3/8” from fuel tank to NOS fuel Solenoid (Secondary Fuel Supply for Nitrous)
• · Mr. Gasket Electric Fuel Pump (Secondary Fuel Supply for Nitrous)

Ignition:

• · MSD Pro Billet Distributor (Mechanical Advance)
• · MSD 6-AL Ignition with Rev limiter (6000 RPM Module Installed)
• · MSD 8.5 mm Spark Plug Wires
• · MSD Blaster Coil

Exhaust:

• · 3" Hooker Super Comp Long Tube Headers
• · 3" Stainless Steel X-Pipe (Pypes)
• · 3" Cherry Bomb Mufflers (Dual)
• · 3" Turndowns (Front of Axle)
• 
  

• Ford Big Block Bell Housing
• ·11.5" Mcleod Organic Disk (23 Spline)
• Centerforce Pressure Plate
• ·Ram Throw-out Bearing
• ·Ford Z-Bar Clutch Linkage (Not Cable)

Transmission:

• · Tremec TKO 600 5-Speed
• · Part# TCET5008
• · Torque Capacity: 600 lb-ft
• · Spline Count Input/Output: 23/31
• · Gear Ratio:

o 1st: 2.87

o 2nd: 1.89

o 3rd: 1.28

o 4th: 1.00

o 5th: 0.64

o Reverse: 2.56

• · TREMEC's TKO series of 5-speed transmissions was first made famous by the 5-liter Mustang movement and has since been fitted into nearly every rear-wheel drive performance application imaginable.
• · Far and away the most versatile 5-speed on the market, the TKO offers an impressive array of flexibility features - including multiple shifter locations, mounting configurations, gearing options, and speedometer pickups (electric and mechanical).
• · Serving up 600 lb-ft of torque capacity, along with confidence-inspiring shifts and fuel-saving overdrive, the TKO offers an ideal blend of brute strength and street manners - which may be why it's the manual transmission behind more boulevard-bruising street machines and sportsman race victories than all of its competitors combined.

Rear Axle:

• · Professional built by Dutchman Axles (Portland, OR)
• · 1969 Ford Torino Axle Housing (Big Banjo, 3.5" axle tubes)
• · Dutchman 31 Spline hardened axles
• · Ford 9" Center with Trac-Loc Differential
• · Yukon 3.00:1 Ring Gear and Pinion
• · New Style Big Bearing Ford Wheel Ends

Brakes:

• · Front

o Ford 11" Disk

o Ford Calipers

o New Brake Lines

• · Rear

o Ford 11" Disk with integrated Park Brake

o Ford Racing Calipers

o Braided Stainless Steel Brake Lines

Suspension:

• · Front

o Ford Racing 1" Drop Coil Springs

o Koni Shocks

o Moog and Energy Suspension Polyurethane Bushings

• · Rear

o Ford 1" Drop Leaf Springs

o Koni Shocks

o Custom Ladder Bar Traction Bars

o Energy Suspension Polyurethane Bushings

Wheels:

• · Front

o American Racing Torque Thrust II

o Polished Aluminum

o 17x8

• · Rear

o American Racing Torque Thrust II

o Polished Aluminum

o 17x8

Tires:

• · Front

o Goodyear Eagle GS-D (Z-Rated)

o 215/45ZR17

• · Rear

o Goodyear Eagle HP (Z-Rated)

o 245/45ZR17

Electrical:

• · Complete Painless Performance Products Custom Wiring Harness (14 Circuit)
• · Nitrous Activation Cigarette Lighter Switch
• · NOS Fuel and Nitrous Solenoids activated with WOT (Wide Open Throttle) Micro Switch
• · 140 Amp Powermaster Alternator with Internal Regulator
• · Radio Pre-wire in dash

Gauges:

• · Autometer Cobalt 2

o Fuel

o Ammeter

o Oil Pressure

o Water Temperature

o Speedometer

o Tachometer

Chassis:

• · 1968 S-Code (Big Block) Mustang Inner Front Clip (including all Suspension Components)
• · 1969 Boss 302 Mustang Front Cross-member
• · Custom Fabricated Transmission Tunnel for Tremec TKO 600 Transmission
• · 1968 S-Code (Big Block) Torque Boxes (Fully Welded from Frame Rails to Rocker Panel)
• · Competition Engineering Frame Connectors
• · Double Hump Ford Racing Transmission Cross-member
• · LH and RH Seat Risers located 1" further AFT to accommodate taller drivers

Body:

• · Shelby Front Racing Apron
• · 1967 Shelby GT-500 Fiberglass Hood with Stainless Hood Pins
• · H4 Headlight Upgrade with integrated turn signals
• · Stainless Steel Billet Grill
• · GT Rear Valance integrated into the body
• · Shelby Full Racing Stripes (Painted)
• · Dupont Chromabase Pepper Grey Metallic Paint (Body Exterior and Interior)
• · Dupont Chromabase Sonic Blue Pearl Paint (Racing Stripes)
• · Dupont Chromabase Clear Coat

Interior:

• · Fully Sound Dampened with FAT MAT (Trunk, Floors, and Firewall)
• · Period Correct Black Carpet
• · Professionally Installed Full Pony Interior
• · Carbon Fiber Door Panels
• · Brushed Aluminum Dash Overlay
• · Custom Instrument Cluster with Autometer Gauges
• · Hurst Floor Shifter (Period Correct Stick with 5-Speed Knob)
• · Grant Wooden Steering Wheel