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4 Lug Wheels on a 65 V8 Stang

  • Thread starter Thread starter bull999999
  • Start date Start date Jul 14, 2004
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bull999999

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Jun 26, 2004
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Jul 14, 2004
#1
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #1
I was checking out SSBC site at http://www.ssbrakes.com for disc brake upgrade ideas. According to their site, I-6 Stangs came with 4 lug wheels while V-8s came with 5 lug wheels.

My 65 Stang has a V-8 with 4 lug wheels. Does this means that my Stang started out with an I-6 with a V-8 swap, or does it mean that I have a bastard drum brake setup to go with my bastard engine? (see my other post for the bastard engine comment)
 

allcarfan

The Answer Man
Founding Member
Apr 8, 2001
2,458
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North Atlanta
Jul 14, 2004
#2
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #2
More than likely it was a conversion. Run your VIN and build codes and that will tell you. If you email them to me, i can look them up for you when i get home. There should be a door tag on the door jam of your drivers door and the vin should be stamped on your passenger side right above the shock tower.
 

65 fastback

Founding Member
Mar 17, 2002
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Northern VA
Jul 14, 2004
#3
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #3
Sounds like you have an original 6 cylinder that has been converted to 8 cylinders. Give us your Vin#, off of the engine compartment apron on the driver's side. And if you have a door tag, give us the numbers on it. We'll help you figure out more information on your car.

Tim
 
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bull999999

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  • Jul 14, 2004
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You know, that could explain my bastard engine issue... I will post my VIN when I get home tonight.
 

chepsk8

Founding Member
Jan 15, 2001
2,203
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49
Easton, PA
Jul 14, 2004
#5
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #5
4 lugs

In fact, all 6-cyl Mustangs through 1969 had 4-Lug wheels.

they also had smaller brakes too, so you may want to address that issue also !
 
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TT670

Founding Member
Jul 10, 2001
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Jul 14, 2004
#6
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #6
If the 5th digit is a T the cars a 6cyl. I personally wouldnt drive a v-8 car with those winpy 6 cyl underpinnings, IMO they were too weak for the 6. For safetys sake you should see if you cant hunt down some v-8 front end parts before you go buying disc brake stuff for the I-6 front end. Is the rear 4 lug too? I cant believe a 6 cyl rear could have survived very many years behind a v-8.
 

Pakrat

Founding Member
Aug 6, 2000
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Currently: NH Originally: Rhode Island (and all po
Jul 14, 2004
#7
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #7
And BTW just FYI, if your next big purchase is land, I have some beautiful water property in Florida for sale cheap and a bridge in Brooklyn I'm thinking of unloading for the right price.

Sorry man, I couldn't resist. It's just that I have been following along with your threads and it seems that you checked almost nothing out about the car before buying it. This is like 99% a case of I6 to V8 swap and a poorly done one at that. Very easily caught by a quick inspection or VIN check in a matter of minutes. I hope you didn't pay too much for the car, and personally I would start checking out every nut and bolt very carefully, lord knows what else you may find. I tried to find that link at KAR Mustang for you about the new "looking" car someone paid good money for, but I didn't see it anymore.

In short, Caveat Emptor!
Good luck.
 

xj220

Founding Member
Sep 15, 2000
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Jul 14, 2004
#8
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #8
This is a little off topic, but I was wondering if there is a way to tell my 66's original paint from the VIN alone. The buck tag is gone on my car so I have no idea on any other info.
 

dodgestang

Active Member
Dec 15, 2003
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Cecil County, MD
Jul 14, 2004
#9
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #9
Pakrat said:
I tried to find that link at KAR Mustang for you about the new "looking" car someone paid good money for, but I didn't see it anymore.
Click to expand...

You mean this one? http://www.classicmustang.com/Stories/Skip Novakovich.htm
 

dodgestang

Active Member
Dec 15, 2003
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Jul 14, 2004
#10
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #10
xj220 said:
This is a little off topic, but I was wondering if there is a way to tell my 66's original paint from the VIN alone. The buck tag is gone on my car so I have no idea on any other info.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately no.

The best guess could be made though by taking the back seat out and pulling out one of the fiberglass panels....scratch around in the various spots until you get down to bare metal...then look at the color of the first couple of layers...unless your car was dipped or blasted, you will find some of the original color in there.
 
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Snail50

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Mar 24, 2001
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Jul 14, 2004
#11
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #11
Pakrat said:
And BTW just FYI, if your next big purchase is land, I have some beautiful water property in Florida for sale cheap....
Click to expand...

What's the deal with waterfront property in Florida?? I hope I didn't fall for something.....


But anyway, I'd say the guy definitely has a car which started out as a I6. I doubt that anyone would switch from 5 lugs to 4.

And yes, you can tell the car's original exterior & interior color from the data plate. edit...sorry, I see you were asking if it could be determined from VIN alone.
 
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bull999999

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Jun 26, 2004
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Jul 14, 2004
#12
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #12
Pakrat said:
Sorry man, I couldn't resist. It's just that I have been following along with your threads and it seems that you checked almost nothing out about the car before buying it. This is like 99% a case of I6 to V8 swap and a poorly done one at that. Very easily caught by a quick inspection or VIN check in a matter of minutes. I hope you didn't pay too much for the car, and personally I would start checking out every nut and bolt very carefully
Click to expand...

In my "Mystery Engine" thread, I got the Mustang pretty cheap because the engine was running rough. Getting it running right was a bonus but I mainly bought it because it has a stright body with minimal rust (also came with headers and dual exhaust, another bonus). I would've still bought it had it had a I-6 in a bad shape as I would've done the swap myself.

But I do admit that I should've done a better research myself about the VIN number. I'm just glad that I didn't spend $18,000 on a pile of junk.
 

Pakrat

Founding Member
Aug 6, 2000
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Currently: NH Originally: Rhode Island (and all po
Jul 14, 2004
#13
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #13
dodgestang said:
You mean this one? http://www.classicmustang.com/Stories/Skip Novakovich.htm
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the one. Guess it helps when you look at the right website eh?

Snail, nothings wrong with waterfront, but I never said "front". This is how they used to get rid of useless swamp land for premium bucks.
 

allcarfan

The Answer Man
Founding Member
Apr 8, 2001
2,458
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56
North Atlanta
Jul 14, 2004
#14
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #14
I dont udnerstand something....

everyone is concerned with the 4lugs not being strong enough for a v8 car....the 79-93 cars were all 4 lug and put out more power than many early model v8s.
 
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Snail50

Founding Member
Mar 24, 2001
787
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Miami
Jul 14, 2004
#15
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #15
Pakrat said:
Yeah, that's the one. Guess it helps when you look at the right website eh?

Snail, nothings wrong with waterfront, but I never said "front". This is how they used to get rid of useless swamp land for premium bucks.
Click to expand...


Ahh, I see. What's funny is that they still do that down here....put up a new development in the middle of a swamp, give it a fancy name, and charge big $ for it, especially if it has a lake (read: man-made pond) in the middle of it.
 
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Snail50

Founding Member
Mar 24, 2001
787
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Jul 14, 2004
#16
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #16
allcarfan said:
I dont udnerstand something....

everyone is concerned with the 4lugs not being strong enough for a v8 car....the 79-93 cars were all 4 lug and put out more power than many early model v8s.
Click to expand...

were the ye olde 4 lug setups in the 60's cyls as sturdy as the 4 lugs in the Fox-bodies?
 
6

63_Fairlane

Founding Member
Jan 22, 2001
215
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Greenville, SC
Jul 14, 2004
#17
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #17
It's not the lugs themselves that are the concern, it's the wimpy spindle, brakes, and steering gear that are downright scary.

Actually, the early V8 spindles are also questionable, and they are much stronger than the I6 pieces.
 
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bull999999

New Member
Jun 26, 2004
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Jul 14, 2004
#18
  • Jul 14, 2004
  • #18
The VIN is 5R07T235454. I guess that shows that the car originally came with an I-6 and that would explain the 4 lug nut deal.

The front end looks decent enough that I'll go ahead with the disc brake upgrade. I'll let you know how it turns out unless I go off of a cliff to my firey death, in which case, I give you guys permission to use the pictures of my charred body to warn others against using I-6 setup with a V-8.
 
S

Snail50

Founding Member
Mar 24, 2001
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Jul 15, 2004
#19
  • Jul 15, 2004
  • #19
bull999999 said:
I'll let you know how it turns out unless I go off of a cliff to my firey death, in which case, I give you guys permission to use the pictures of my charred body to warn others against using I-6 setup with a V-8.
Click to expand...

Glad you solved the mystery.
 

WORTH

20+ Year Stangneter
Nov 18, 2002
2,166
44
98
Cape Cod, Ma.
Jul 15, 2004
#20
  • Jul 15, 2004
  • #20
I've never seen a front end failure in a 4 lug setup, and I've personally drove some of them pretty hard back in the day, including powerlining. We had a 65 falcon 200 6cly for a woods-car that we beat the living piss outta for about 6 months before we blew it up and never had a suspension failure.

the only drawback I can see from the 6 setup is the poor brakes.
 
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