1966 Mustang Fastback, 514 cubic inch engine? How too!?

65up2d8 is right. The Mustang II kit should have just about everything you need. I am no expert on that install as I have never done one or carefully inspected the install of someone else.

If you have a '67, then an FE-based motor should fit fine, afterall they put a 390 in the '67. Again, I'm no expert in FEs in '67s, but, assuming it does fit, you can go that route for a big block, poke and stroke it and make 650 hp no problem. There are now plenty of go-fast parts for FE motors and even an aftermarket block is available. M-Detail built one for a 67 Shelby that was so powerful that the owner was afraid of it and sold the car. It now resides with a Ferrari dealer in TX who says its faster than anything on his lot.

A 514 is big, bad, and powerful, but not the best choice, IMHO, for your ride. Keep studying the problem and you may come to the same conclusion. If you are in SoCal, I can point you to a good FE builder.

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Tube the whole chassis, and do a fiberglass body. That's about as cost effective and rational as what you are suggesting.

Regarding Mike's 67...forget the car...CHECK OUT THAT GARAGE!

The tubular chassis would probably need to be a custom one, maybe you can buy a used race car chassis as a starting point to save money.

This site has the full body fiberglass parts:
http://www.usbody.com/67-68 Mustang.htm

Sounds like ChaseVarnado has moved on to building an early '70's Funny Car for the street, but I can't let the thread die without the $.02 that I disagree that a Lima transplant into a '65-'66 requires an M II conversion kit. Not that I've done it personally, but my data point is the Mustang In Black car (by DVS Restorations) that was the subject of a series of stories in Mustang and Fords a couple years ago. DVS put a mod motor in a '66 by trimming the shock towers, and as I recall DVS didn't even go to a coil-over setup. There was enough clearance to keep the stock diamter springs. A mod motor is wider than a Lima.

If the stock springs are too big, then you can go to a coil-over setup. Personally I would go with the new Global West setup. It looks stronger than the Total Control, and the shock units they use have a proper threaded body, so you can alter spring rate and ride height. That would be a good feature for dialing in the coping with a big block's weight. TCP really misses the boat by going with a hyper-expensive coil-over conversion and leaving on the table one of the principal benefits of that setup, the ability to change spring rates, ride height, and weight jacking.

Another alternative to the M II, that has already been mentioned, is the Revelation Racing Supplies MacPherson strut conversion. This kit does away with nearly all the shock tower bulge, yet continues to take advantage of the strength engineered into the OE design, by leaving the upper spring pick up point in the OE position.

Fatman Fabrications has a Fox Body Chapman strut conversion that is likewise and that is quite a bit cheaper than the RRS kits.

None of these -- the GW coil-over or the RRS or Fatman strut -- is cheap, but neither is a Heidts or Rod & Custom M II kit. Plus the Heidts and R & C actually require more fabrication skill. Weld that crossmember wrong by even a quarter inch and you've got a problem. I don't think the M II kit is a bargain at any price. I would not have one -- no offense to those who do. What's the point, anyway, of swapping out a 45 year old design for a 40 year old one (please save the gotchas; dates are appoximate)? Weak and expensive and hard to install.

Mustang II suspension with stiffened springs and tubular arms is a must. Personally, i don't know if that motor will fit in the engine bay with just the towers deleted. You will probably have to alter the firewall because the motor will sit farther back in the bay due to its size, then with all those ponies from that big block you will have to have one stout transmission which will also require a modified trans tunnel. Either that or find a way to mount a radiator in front of the radiator support. Also, those little subframes won't handle all that torque so you will need to tie the frames together and use the X-bracing that TCP carries to tie the subframe connectors together. You'll need a beefed up 9" and some kick ass front brakes by Baer. If you were working with a 69-73 mustang this would be easier, as there is much more room for a bigger motor and trans but an earlier car needs some major mods. Thats not to say that the motor will fit a later mustang but the trans tunnels are much larger.

180 Out said:

I can't let the thread die without the $.02 that I disagree that a Lima transplant into a '65-'66 requires an M II conversion kit. Not that I've done it personally, but my data point is the Mustang In Black car (by DVS Restorations) that was the subject of a series of stories in Mustang and Fords a couple years ago. DVS put a mod motor in a '66 by trimming the shock towers, and as I recall DVS didn't even go to a coil-over setup.

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Actually, the Mustang in Black car was a '68, which, of course, has more room between the shock towers: http://www.dvsrestorations.com/mib.shtml

The owner of MPG Head Service (www.mpgheads.com) put a 460 in a 67 or 68, can't remember which. He used some special motor mounts to move the engine lightly forward and down to help lower the center of gravity and improve the fit at the fire wall. You maight try to contact him. The swap was written up in Mustang and Fords, I think. Maybe he'll have a copy of it he can send to you.

I just looked at his site again. MPG has a header and motor mount kit that fits a 385 series motor in a '67. You'll have to check to see if his headers fit the Super Cobrajet heads on the 514, though. Go to his catalogue and find the "MPG Motor Mount / Header Kit".

ChaseVarnado said:

Sorry sorry I meant 1967!

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65up2d8 said:

Actually, the Mustang in Black car was a '68, which, of course, has more room between the shock towers

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67 and 68 have the same amount of room between the towers do they not?

67coupe351w said:

67 and 68 have the same amount of room between the towers do they not?

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Yes, they do, but if you go back and reread my post, I was referring to 180 Out's post in which he said a Lima engine should fit in a '65-'66 because the Mustang in Black was a '65-'66 with a mod motor. The Mustang in Black was actually a '68. I don't think a Lima engine or a mod motor would fit in a '65-'66 without some major trimming of the shock towers.

I would rethink the project and go for a 351W stroked to 460. No mods to the towers, only few bolt on front suspension mods, muchlighter engine weight, ect.
World Products "Man-O-War" 460 stroked windsor, see the below link:

http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=461970&prmenbr=361

4MuscleMachines said:

I would rethink the project and go for a 351W stroked to 460. No mods to the towers, only few bolt on front suspension mods, muchlighter engine weight, ect.
World Products "Man-O-War" 460 stroked windsor, see the below link:

http://www.jegs.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ProductDisplay?prrfnbr=461970&prmenbr=361

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You seem pretty set on building a car around the Ford Racing 514, but I have to agree with 4MuscleMachines on this one. Even if you are set on building a tube chassis car and have the money to do so, you'd STILL be better off to use the engine he's suggesting, even if money is no object. It would make the same if not more power than the 514, and it would be more bulletproof IMO, if there's any such thing as a bulletproof 650 hp engine. The weight kills you on the 514 for no real benefit ; now, if you wanted to build a more serious stroker 460 than what Ford Racing offers, there MIGHT be a point to all of this, although I'm not sure what the point would be for the street. Regardless, the horsepower you're looking for can be had out of a World Product's block 351W stroker, and the parts availability and weight savings make it the more logical choice.

ChaseVarnado said:

Im set on the 514 guys.. Any help where I can get tubes for making my tube chassis? Thanks!

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Do you intend to make your own tube chassis? What experience do you have? This is waaaayyy beyond the realm of beginner projects. I'd suggest contacting Art Morrison Enterprises, Chris Alston Chassisworks, or a like company to have them build you a tube chassis unless you have experience in this area. Otherwise, build it like a coffin because I suspect you'll be building a deathtrap!!

Try those fabbers indicated by 65up2d8. Its very easy to actually end up with more weight than a stock chassis if you have little to no experience.