1968 coupe purchase advice

04mustang70 · Apr 20, 2009

I have a 16 year old nephew with mustang on his brain. We found a 1968 coupe that looks good for him. The only concern I have is it is originally a 6 cylinder car that the guy put a 289 in. He did nothing else to the car besides put the engine in. What should be my worries when looking at this car. It has 4 lug wheels and the original 3 speed manual trans. It supposedly in good running condition. What would need to be done to make this a safe reliable 289 car? Will the rearend hold up? Brakes? Suspension? Looks like it has the small radiator too. Can I make the changes to upgrade it for the 289 over time? Anything that should be addressed immediatly? Thanks for you advice

2nd Mustang · Apr 20, 2009

A sixteen year old driver (I assume not much driving experience) and a forty year old car is not a really good combination, IMO, especially one that you have no personal experience of it's history.

Rapid · Apr 20, 2009

I don't have personal experience but there is a "sticky thread" at the top that is about the swap.

I would worry about the springs being stiff enough, the brakes being OK, and the shocks.

04mustang70 · Apr 20, 2009

You know that is a good point. He has his parents on his side and there asking my advice on cars there looking at. I would hate to burst my nephew's bubble but these cars can be a handful. Thanks for the comment

zookeeper · Apr 20, 2009

I think an old car is the perfect way for a young guy to learn about cars. I bought my fastback from a 93 year old lady, who bought it new in '68. Is your nephew as mechanically inclined as a 93 year old woman? Can your nephew drive as well as a 93 year old woman? If the amswer is yes, I say go for it. As long as your nephew and his parents are prepared to replace a few parts and do it on the learn as you go plan, I think it's a perfect first car. They are simple, forgiving and easy to drive. Parts are both plentiful and cheap, plus it's stone simple to work on. The bad side is, the brakes are not up to 2009 standards, it is 40+ years old, so until a few parts are cycled out, it may need a wrench put to it from time to time. But other than that, is there really any reason NOT to start with it?

J-boogie · Apr 21, 2009

+1 zookeeper
I got my 68 when I was 16 and it was very similar. Stone stock except for a 78 302. It was a daily driver through high school and college. The drum brakes will be sketchy at best, but the granada disc swap is relatively cheap. There may be some minor issues to deal with like the starter or ignition switch, but they can be easily fixed and will not pose any real danger-just bad timing. When that girl in history class agrees to get something to eat after school, you can bet the starter will decide to give up.
If the kid is willing to learn as he goes and do some repair work himself, I say get it.

golf4283 · Apr 21, 2009

Not to go off topic here but I thought that starting in '68 all cars had the 5 lug suspension. I guess I'm mistaken here.

rhyno9 · Apr 21, 2009

golf4283 said:
Not to go off topic here but I thought that starting in '68 all cars had the 5 lug suspension. I guess I'm mistaken here.

68 6 bangers had 4 lug front and rear. They used the same drum spindles for both 6 and 8 cylinders. The rearend was a completely different setup. The 6ers used the integral carrier type and the 8 cylinders used either the common 8 inch or 9 inch rear.

To get the car to v8 specs you would need to swap the entire rear assembly and the front hubs and drums as well as the springs. The rest of the steering components are identical across the 6 and 8 cylinder.

My question for the original poster is Does your nephew live in WI also? My rear wheel drive BMW with traction control blows azzz in the northern Illinois winters. I could only imagine driving the mustang would be 10 times worse.

The other thing is to check the cowl for leaks with all the snow and rain we get it could make quick work of the interior. For a fair weather cruiser a leaky cowl isn't that big of a deal but daily driving wouldn't be fun.

04mustang70 · Apr 21, 2009

Yes he lives in Wisconsin but he already has a beater for bad weather Thanks for all of you useful advice

dmoody · Apr 22, 2009

04mustang70 said:
What would need to be done to make this a safe reliable 289 car? Will the rearend hold up? Brakes? Suspension?

Personally the biggest problem with driving old cars regularly are the brakes. I don't care how big of a disc you stick on the front most new cars now have ABS and many have ESC. If you tail a car or if somebody pulls out in front of you then you simply can't stop very fast. I drive old cars regularly and love doing it but you just have to drive a little bit differently than everybody else. If this car has drum brakes then you definitely need discs on the front.

d

runawayabc123 · Apr 22, 2009

Also being from WI, what kind of rust is on the car? Is body work in the future?

Buying a car with body work already done is far cheaper in the long run due to paint costs and labor. (Unless you can do this yourself.)

Also, being a V8 in an I6 car, that car will have way more engine for everything else (brakes, etc... most importantly brakes). Can you drive it as is? YES! Do you need to be careful? Yep.

This is where the old question of safetly comes up. Only the kid+parents can answer this... is a 60s car what they want to be in? (Maybe this is already talked about and resolved? I'll mention high speed rear end collisions and car fires for example. These cars are on par for the 60s, but not on par with todays cars.)

Anyway, if he wants to be a gear head, this is a great way to start!

cavboy78 · Apr 22, 2009

i agree with zookeeper. i bought a 65 mustang when i was 14 and drove it for about 6 years. i learned a great deal working on that car as it was cheap and simple to fix. The brakes don't work as well as new cars, so i just adjusted my driving habits and allowed plenty of room between myself and the other cars. it's a nice change from the jack*sses who will ride your bumper for miles on end. i just wished i had kept the car...

1968 coupe purchase advice

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