I need help with project direction

[milner351]

Hello fellow stangers.

It's been a while since I posted. I hope you are all well, Merry Christmas to all and to all a happy New Year too.

As the new year approaches I'm hit with the reality of all my unfinished projects. The one that hurts the most is my '69 fastback. I purchased the car out of Kentucky as a retired drag car... no engine / trans, very limited wiring, stripped interior with aluminum dash full of gauges and one racing seat, cage, no door panels. The body is rust free but not super straight, the floors, torque boxes, inner fenders etc are excellent, and all the glass is good, nice weld wheels with racing tires.

My original plan was to keep this a drag car, and I proceeded to accumulate parts for a stroked 351w build, I have everything including a custom flat tappet cam from cam research in colorado, a reverse manual valve body trans braked C4, and a ~4000 stall converter, coated headers, 3" race mufflers, msd distributor, victor intake, etc, etc.

The machine work and balancing is done, the block is all painted with por15 on the outside and glyptal on the inside, the rings are gap filed, all that's left to deal with is the windage tray / main stud girdle / oil pan / oil pick up isssues.

The question is this.... do I really want to put a nice rust free 69 fastback in to race only duty?

OR

Should I put an AOD into the car, loose the spool and 4.56 for a tracklock diff and something like 3.73, and build a milder 351w or 351c, and proceed to put the car back on the street.... then put the race stuff into a more "disposable" body, like a fairmont, ranger, or the like?

With the hotrod power tour coming to my neck of the woods this summer, i'm really longing for something to drive along with... maybe just put a mild engine set up into the car for the cruise, then put the race stuff in?

too many possibilities, not enough money or time!

 

[chepsk8]

It has been a long time since I have seen a really, really nicely executed Pro-Street Stang. Hard to balance it right. Since the car is already in a starting point, why not? Tub it, but not huge steam-rollers, a Mustang II front end so you can show off the motor, and have fun with the interior. You can alsways add to the wiring to bring it up to legal functioning. Since it's a drag car, why not go further, and do a tribute to a famouse 69 Stang drag car, such as Barrie Poole, or another famous Super Stock of that era?

Otherwise, go nuts and build a killer Pro-Touring beast or a full-on Trans-Am replica.

 

[milner351]

Well,
I lived through the pro street era, I don't think I'll go that direction, if it's going back on the street, I do want it streetable, with an overdrive, nice stereo, etc.

I like the idea of a nostalgia drag car remake, any suggestions on a car to model it after? Was there a blue max that was a '69 body?

I really like the restomod type of thing too, no way this car will every be original, Lord only knows where the original engine and trans are.

Is there an online VIN tracer for old mustangs? I used to have a decoder on a 3.5" disc, but I've managed to loose it. I'd like to know what the original engine / trans / axle / color was for this old girl.

any more ideas?

 

[milner351]

Here's the car as it sits now.... at least one shot to give you an idea of where I'm starting from....

 

[chepsk8]

Then definitely go in the retro-Super Stock direction. It's already started. Now, go find period pictures!

Examples I remember are the Canadian Barrie Poole cars, the gold "Going Thing" car, and probably a few others.

 

[milner351]

how do you get full size pictures attached to a post? mine are either too big to upload, or so small their a waste of time???

 

[1320stang]

You need to use a photo hosting site. Like Photo Bucket or Supermotors, they're both free and you can put as many phots as you want on there, they back up their stuff once a week. Then you can post big honking photos if you like.

 

[milner351]

Well,

If I do a retro / copy of a classic pro stocker..... it's not going to be street legal which makes for limited driving.

Somebody shoot me! I guess for now, I'll put it on the strip as that requires the least amount of work, and then over time, I can work on making it more streetable....

 

[milner351]

LOONG time - new direction - SHES A 428 CAR!!

From the VIN:
Year = 9 = 1969
Plant = F = Dearborn, MI
Body = 02 = sportsroof
engine = R = 428 4V CJ Ram Air

From the door tag:
Body = 63C = Sportsroof, Mach1, Deluxe Interior
color = S5 = Champagne gold metallic w/flat black hood
trim = 3WA = white vinyl / white knitted vinyl, mach1 luxury
date = 06E = built may 6,1969
DSO = 33 = Detroit District
Axle = 6 = 3.00:1, conventional
Trans = U = C6 "cruiseomatic"

So - now what do I do?
Can I pull a 428 from a 67 tbird or 68 ltd or similar and have the "right" engine?
I'm totally new to big blocks..... I don't know what the date codes are or how often they changed them.
I know I'll never get THE ENGINE that was in this car - but - does it matter for a "driver restoration" if I have at least the right YEAR engine?

I think it makes the most sense to get the 428 / c6 from a donor car, tbird, ltd, whatever.

Then, get a 69 grande to pull the wiring, interior, etc from.

does this make sense to anyone else?


I suppose it's time to sell my 351w stroker engine, which has never run, with all the dss parts - and my c4 with the trans brake, which again - is brand new never run.......
cause now I need to buy big block stuff, and save up for a paint job....

 

[chepsk8]

The Cobra-Jet uses the 428 block from your bird, but uses the 1967 390GT heads, cam, the PI intake, and unique exhaust wich are HUGE $$$$ today. Get the 428 Block, put in a good aftermarket can, good aluminum heads, a dual-plane intake, and you'll have easy 450+ HP, and gobs of torque.

 

[milner351]

chepsk8 - are you saying that the date codes on the block are not that important?

I think the '67 tbird on ebay is not a bad deal, it would give me a good starting point on the engine and trans, even though they are a bit "early" date code wise for a 69 car.

I believe the mustangs had VIN stamps identifying THE proper engine in each car - at least my boss302 did - so that engine is long gone - I can neve pretend the drive train is original - but at least I can make it "correct"

I see dsc out in california is selling D80E heads with stainless valves, new guides and port / polish work for $1200 a set - that seems pretty reasonable - or - as you suggested - the edlebrock or blue thunder aluminums with an edlebrock intake and a good 750ish carb - and 500 hp 500ftlb should not be too difficult to obtain.

I also see that a company is repopping the CJ exhaust manifolds and they're selling for around $500 a set - tempting knowing how nightmarish it must be to deal with headers in this engine compartment with an FE!

hmmm--- i suppose I could buy the tbird - pull the 428 / c6 out of it - drop in a 390 / c6 and sell the car - but, what do 67 tbirds go for in running condition? maybe I'm better off just buying an engine somewhere....

Now I have to find buyers for my smallblock stuff to afford this restoration.....