Apologetic noobie with a '68 coupe and odd questions

Apologies for the noobish question, just hoping some old-school gurus on here can spare a few reads to help me out.

I have a C-code coupe, 289 (non-hi-po) with a C-4 transmission, both stock. It was originally Lime Gold inside/outside, it's been repainted forest green and has bullet wheels on it. This summer, I am going to fix it up - paint it and make it look faster.

Retaining any degree of its individuality is not a real concern with me; I think Lime Gold was a fugly color anyway. It is a coupe and not a fastback, so I am considering painting it up like Jerry Semo's '68 Trans-Am mustang.

So, I have already had the 289 rebuilt; it was bored 0.030 over, with new pistons, rods and bearings to original spec. (Sorry, don't know much about the rebuild, or about engines yet.) Apparently, my engine has 351 heads on it. It still has the stock intake and exhaust manifolds, a single (incredibly skinny in comparison to the ricers) exhaust pipe.

The car is simply not fast enough. Burning Integra GS-Rs at the stoplights, then getting dusted by them on the freeway because they have high-flow fart-can exhausts and cold-air intakes is really, really pissing me off. This car should not be losing highway races. Jerry Semo would be ashamed.

I don't want a race car, but I don't want a cruiser either. I'm trying to build something along the lines of a BMW Mustang: softly sprung enough to be comfortable, but with good handling characteristics and less road and wind noise, and Ford performance. I'm trying to make a classy, usable daily driver and I want to be able to dust those goddamn Acuras on the freeway.

The car is fast but it's conservatively geared (3.0:1 or something, I believe). and lacks any freeway manners whatsoever, due to a combination of incredibly poor aerodynamics (it's like driving a barn door at 100 mph) and the C-4. While it has prodigious low-end torque, it is quite unstable over anything besides a perfectly flat road in a straight line. Rear-axle wheel-hop during bumps in turns is really, really scary in this car, often sliding the rear axle over a tangible few inches. There is no differential in the car, and the rear suspension setup is stock, and aging, as are the intake and exhaust. Currently, it has stock intake and an AutoLite 2100 carb on it.

I'm budgeting $1500 for a clear-coat paintjob and some body work, including straightening the body panels and rust removal - don't know the car's history, after all. I have $1500 set aside for parts. Installation labor is not a problem, my family runs a garage. Here is what I am thinking (including the bodywork), please tell me if I should change or rethink anything:

Aftermarket xenon headlights and NOS fog lights, trunk lid spoiler, Maier racing front valance w/bumper, black with silver stripe down the middle and silver C-stripes

Transmission rebuild with better freeway gearing, shift improver kit

Wider, larger diameter wheels (not in budget, pays for itself thru selling current wheels). I have a power steering Mustang; what kind of control issues would be raised by putting wider tires on it? (like wider 17"s or 18"s)

Lower car 1" front, 0.75" back. (maybe flared fenders, to accomodate larger-width wheels)

Panhard rod, under-rider traction bars, new leafs

Pertronix points-less ignition, Optima battery, alternator upgrade

Intake + roller-rocker conversion + cam (thinking Crane Gold rockers with a CompCams cam, don't know which cam or intake yet)

Mild self-performed head porting (maybe just port matching and grinding bigger exhaust - I read somewhere on these forums that 289s have problems removing exhaust gases?)

Used Ford 9 inch differential with hotter gearing

Tri-Y or long-tube headers and dual exhaust

Aluminum or other high-performance radiator and electric fans

Dual-plane intake and 600cfm (or as close as I can get) 4-barrel carb with a carb spacer (this increases air intake speed, or something?)

The goal that I have is to create an engine that revs up fast and develops a lot of power at high rpms, but without sacrificing low-end torque. Since most freeway passes are at already high rpms given the C-4 automatic, I feel like I want more of a top-end, but I'm worried about killing the engine. Can someone advise me?

Also, what else can I do to upgrade the handling on my car? Are those suspension-rebuild kits with control arms worth it? How can I get rid of that corner-bump wheel hop, besides some absurdly expensive Cobra IRS or TCP solution?

Finally... and this is weird... Has anyone ever seen a video screen installed in a classic Mustang? I'm thinking about trying to install one myself in a dash pad; I think it's just about the right height.

Thanks for reading my rather long post
 
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Adding the 9 inch with the performance level of your 289 will only slow you down due to the parasidic loss nature of the larger rear end.

Stripes on the roof and a c stripe!!! You need to do one or the other dude, not both.

Going to larger numbererical gears in the rear will only do one thing, make you lose out on the highway all the much faster, and speaking of highways...........................you're not supposed to be top speed racing on the highway save that crap for the strip...let the ricers eliminate themselves from the Genepool.

They will always have a higher top speed than you cause they all have overdrive....where you car stops with a 1:1 final drive gear they have a 5th and sometimes 6th gear giving them a much higher top speed in stock form.

Don't waste money on NOS stuff for a car that isn't concousrse...just buy some nice repro fog lights or after market lighting.

To put 17s on your mustang it will cost 1200-1600......you gonna get all that buy selling the rims you have? I hope so, cause 17s are a good upgrade, but don't expect them to make the car feel more stable at speeds...you feel the road alot more with 17s ;)

If your car doesn't feel safe when you get it up to speed you should focus your energies on non-motor performance mods. These would include chassis stiffening, disc brakes, new/rebult suspension, new/rebuilt steering, etc.

one fundamental flaw I see alot if people dropping all their coin into the motor and not doing anything with the rest of the car. If you want a safe, reliable, self assured mustang you need to focus on the package, not just showing your tail lights to people.

FWIW...the reasons the 1/4 is so popular is because that is where its at....top speed racing is just a loser's way of saying my car is faster than yours when he flies by you going ahelling because he is pissed off he lost the acceleration contest.
 
i definately agree with dodge and i think you have the wrong idea of what these cars are meant to be used for. top speed most definately isn't something you should worry about cause you'll never beat them acuras and such on the highway. don't concern yourself with how fast other people's cars are, cause you'll only drop more and more unnecessary money into yours for minimal improvements.

if you wanna give that 289 a little more power, do this:
1) Edlebrock Performer RPM intake
2) Port heads (or get AFR165's, milled down to ~54cc)
3) CompCams 270H or 280H (and >=2500 stall converter, preferably)
4) Edlebrock or Holley 600cfm carb (no bigger, otherwise it's probably overcarbing)
5) rear end upgrade or just new gears

those are some good performance upgrades you can do, but along with that you have to spend an equal amount or more on brakes, suspension, and chassis upgrades. subframes, subframe connectors, disc brake conversion (power or manual, whichever your preference), monte carlo bar, and some nice KYB shocks and such. sticky tires don't hurt either.

the C4 can be a great friend if you treat it right. if you don't like it, go get a toploader or tremec. they might suite your needs a bit more.

as for exhaust, go Tri-Y to X or H pipe, flowmaster 40's or whatever mufflers you like. 2.5" exhaust is what i like. One thing you said that really didn't rub me right was that you want to make it "look faster". seriously man, just make it look good, not necessarily fast as hell. put the C-stripes on and up the middle if they're coming out the turn-signal scoops (whatever they're called).

throughout the project, just realize that it's a CLASSIC muscle car, not a modern day muscle car with all sorts of unneeded accessories and flashy crap on it. don't concern yourself with all the ricers on the road cause they'll just get a kick outta beatin your ass in top speed races unless you've got a big block.
 
Thank you

These are all incredibly helpful, thank you.

I'm not saying that I'm necessarily always out there playing freeway games with people on the freeway at 75 - 100 mph. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to die in a car crash, I want to die old in my sleep or having an orgasm or something. My aim in this car is to just to get it safer and faster on the freeway, more suitable for long trips.

It seems like one of the biggest weaknesses of this car is that it was designed, aerodynamically and mechanically, for an age when going 65 was considered fast. 65 is slow today.

So, plan is, I'm going to send it in to the body guy near the end of the month. I'm thinking, no-c-stripe, just a wide stripe down the middle, like you guys said. Come to think of it, c-stripes + stripe does = busy-looking and tacky. Still planning to go with grey and black, I think. Do you have any suggestions about what to ask him to add? I'm thinking the Maier Racing apron and the rear trunklid spoiler, painted to match. Do y'all think this is actually useful aero, or am I wasting my money on the apron and trunklid?

Before I send it in, or immediately after I get it back, now I'm also thinking I'll get the shop to add

Subframe connectors
Strut bar
Mid-eye leafs for 1" drop
Shocks
Polyurethane bushings (?)

I can see where dodgestang is right about engine-only modding. It seems like there's actually a pretty huge amount of cheap engine stuff for Mustangs, but a lot of the suspension stuff seems inordinately expensive and rarer.

Seems like a tranny swap is the only way to get freeway driving in this car. I understand that the AOD has a very high parasitic powerloss, so I am reluctant to install one of those. I don't know what a C-6 is. Should I consider a built AOD or T-5 swap?

Also, what shocks are good for flatter cornering and better dampening over rough roads? Is there a Bilstein-like solution for this car?
 
I agree these are classic cars not anywhere compareable to modern day muscle or even the ricers. I wouldn't do both the C stripe and racing strips pick one or the other you may consider removing the badgeing/trim on the car as it gives it a cleaner look. As far as performance I would start with suspention traction bars, subframes, montecarlo bar, disk breaks, ect ect. For a trans if you really want to run faster you may consider either swapping the C4 out for a 5speed or even to an AOD. Seeings as your engine as allready been rebuilt, afterall what good is power if you can't get it to the ground, or bring it back down safely? once you got a good suspention setup start with headers and intake/carb, then go heads and cam. Thats my .02 on the subject take it for what its worth
 
...looks like im late. anyways the grey and black looks good, I don't personally like the front apron, allthough the rear trunklid looks allright allthough I don't know if either will help areodynamics in theory they should but results will probley be minimal. Your list looks goodfor stuff your adding. I havn't used but have heard nothing but good about the KYB shocks. A C6 wont benifit the car either due to paristic lost and the excess weight a built C4 or AOD would be my choices for an auto or go to a Tremac.
 
berzerkeley68 said:
... My aim in this car is to just to get it safer and faster on the freeway, more suitable for long trips...

...I'm thinking the Maier Racing apron and the rear trunklid spoiler, painted to match. Do y'all think this is actually useful aero, or am I wasting my money on the apron and trunklid?...

...Before I send it in, or immediately after I get it back, now I'm also thinking I'll get the shop to add

Subframe connectors
Strut bar
Mid-eye leafs for 1" drop
Shocks
Polyurethane bushings (?)...

...Seems like a tranny swap is the only way to get freeway driving in this car. I understand that the AOD has a very high parasitic powerloss, so I am reluctant to install one of those. I don't know what a C-6 is. Should I consider a built AOD or T-5 swap?...

...Also, what shocks are good for flatter cornering and better dampening over rough roads? Is there a Bilstein-like solution for this car?

I think you're on the right track. The subframe connectors, shocks, springs, suspension bushings, etc. will help the car feel tighter. Some people like the AOD swap, but I feel that the T-5 swap does more to "modernize" the car than nearly anything else. The short, tight gearshift throws feel odd at first, but it feels "just right" after only a short time.

The C-6 is a beast of a transmission and is the big brother of the C-4. It weighs a bunch more and takes more horsepower to turn the pump. Like the 9-inch rear axle, it's a bit of overkill for what you're running right now.

Shelby used Koni shocks in his cars; it's tough to go wrong with 'em. The KYBs do a decent job, too - though they're not adjustable like the Konis. For the price, the KYBs are great.

Lots of Mustangers like the mild "restomod" approach, adding things that have enhanced performance, safety and comfort in newer cars. A pair of the Recaro-clone bucket seats from a salvage yard Mustang GT of 1980s vintage can be bolted into your car - a very nice comfort upgrade. You can even add 3-point seatbelts for added safety - the '68 should have a mounting point for the shoulder belt. Lots of stuff like that can be done on the cheap.

As for the Maier Racing decklid with spoiler, try searching for previous comments - both here and at vintage-mustang.com. I recall seeing some comments to the effect that the quality of the decklid was poor. Can't remember for sure, so check it out.

Good luck with your project and keep us informed!