What's the diffrence bet a 1st Gen with an EFI 5.0 and a 289 with Projection+Ignitor?
- Thread starter BillyT903
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Thanks for the reply.
But I guess I just mean more along the lines of Final Results. (whatever that means)
Performance, Gas Mileage, Drivability, etc...
I think my ideal 1st gen Mustang purchase would be a restomod that already has an EFI 5.0 and AOD or T5 trans (and PS/PB/Discs if I'm lucky). But the more I think of it, it seems like the trans matters much more than the motor, as the old 289 seems to be quite updatable whereas the trans is not and has to be completely replaced to have any sort of modernness to it. No?
I think what I am trying to do here is build a priority list for a potential 64-66 Mustang purchase for my daily driver. And I suspect as it is right now my list might be way off...
1. The car MUST be Jet Black, Dark Gray, Forrest Green, or Slate Blue with decent paint.
2. The car MUST NOT have any Rust, Dents, Bondo, Major Scratches, or Graphics.
3. The car MUST NOT have an interior that is Bright Red, Baby Blue, or Teal Green.
4. The car MUST have Front Disc Brakes. Power upgrade is simple. Disc upgrade isn't.
5. The car MUST have Power Steering. Rack/Pin upgrade is simple. Power upgrade isn't.
6. In addition to all of that, is it realistic to hope to find one with an EFI 5.0 and T5 or AOD trans?
I think it would really depend on what you do to them. It would be cheaper to go with 5.0. Good used ones are easy to find. The last time I looked at the aftermarket stuff it was a couple of grand. You also will find lots of after market support for the stock stuff. Nice to find parts at any auto zone, etc.
The aftermarket set up can look like a reagular old car if you keep air cleaner on. If anything goes wrong you most likely will be ordering the parts. IMHO it boils down to if you want it to look stock, or high teck when you pop the hood. Both systems will give you smoother warm ups, no vapor lock and usually milage over a carb. They will both cost more than a carb.
The aftermarket set up can look like a reagular old car if you keep air cleaner on. If anything goes wrong you most likely will be ordering the parts. IMHO it boils down to if you want it to look stock, or high teck when you pop the hood. Both systems will give you smoother warm ups, no vapor lock and usually milage over a carb. They will both cost more than a carb.
I should have read closer. You can find the car set up the way on your list. The more picky, the longer the search may be. look for duel master cylinder since you don't mind modified cars. New interiors are pretty cheap if you want to change that color. Head liners are a pain in the neck but doable. Rust is the most expensive repair, so keep your eyes peeled for it. Let us know what you find.
Ok, well then can you help figure out what my priorities should be?
My brother says that despite what I was thinking PAINT should actually be #1 and I should drop any ideas I've had of buying a red car and painting it black. But besides that I guess the most important things are safety and drivability.
How's this?
1. Paint must be the color I want and in good shape
2. Must have front discs and power steering (Safety)
3. Must have an AOD or T-5 trans (Drivability)
4. A 289 is doable but an EFI 5.0 is strongly preferred
Anything else seem like a must have right from the gate for a daily driver?
Thanks!
I assume that you have no skills to work on a car. Then the most complete ready set up car the way you want it is the way to go. A quality paint job on a solid car can be the most expensive thing. I don't think it would be out line to say a car needing minor body work can set you back at least 5 grand. The other items can be added to a car. IMHO brakes are next important. Reliabilty and fun next. The more perfect the car is, the more it will cost you up front. Still a car already built can be much cheaper in the long run. If you pay others to do all the work it will end up costing more than a brand new GT.
Well I'm no professional mechanic but I've done cam swaps, carb/manifold swaps, header swaps, exhaust work, rear end, brakes, shocks, springs, cooling system, body work, paint jobs, etc... but never really enjoyed any of it, and I'm not really dying to scrape the skin off my grease caked knuckles ever again either. I also really am not allowed to anyway. I got yelled at a few months ago by my landlord for just changing the fender on my 99 Contour in the parking garage of my apt building here in San Francisco. Tearing off the carb and installing a Holley Projection? Eh maybe. Replacing a C4 with a T-5? Not happening.
So then paint is #1, with front disc brakes at #2 and I could pay a shop to add a power brake booster or maybe do it myself. I also feel that the power steering issue comes right after brakes. Some folks may disagree, but all I can say is that the manual steering in my old 1972 Ford Maverick was downright frightening in certain situations.
So then I guess my priority list stands as it is...
#1 Paint
#2 Discs
#3 Power steering
#4 AOD/T-5
Nice to haves:
- EFI 5.0
- Power brakes
- Rack & Pinion
- New suspension
- Modern seats
- Modern seatbelts
- Air conditioning
Having a place you can work on it is a big help. Most of the items you talked about can be installed latter. Thats why I thought in your case, a solid body and nice paint #1. You may have a buddies house you can do some of the other changes at. I can't blame the landlord to much. They don't want a lot full of car parts, oil spills and non functioning cars. Most apartments I lived in, the land lords would get all pissed if they even saw you check the oil. I think steering is high priority also. Post us a pic when you find one. I see you are in California. It should be a little easier to find rust free cars down there.
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