Shifty101Easy

Okay i dont know if its just how they are, or if theres stuff u can add to make it stiffer, but my friends 1966 coupe 289 V8 seems to be almost teetering when driving, like going around corners and what not. Its pretty much a piece-o-shyte right now but hes restoring it slowly (has the money but is very lazy).

anyways, what are some things to make the handling more in the direction of say... a BMW. HAHAHA, i know it will never be that good just because, but how can you get a stiffer ride that hugs corners better etc. etc. etc.

we checked the springs, A-arms, all that, nothing is like broken or loose or anything so its not because of that, pretty much every project car i have driven in has that feel to it that its going to almost tip over if you go around a corner at more than 10 MPH. So is there kits and stuff out there today, or just specific thing that can give a better, stiffer, improved handling ride??

P.S. Why are stock mustangs so bad at handling? That seems to be all i hear...

jrrhd73must

Mine used to feel like a boat.

I put polyeuthane throughout, and a sway bar on the rear. It made a huge difference. Especially, the sway bar bushings.

69mach1377

40 year old rubber plain ole sucks, as does 1 year old rubber...R&R with polyurethane wherever possible.
Front and rear sway bars are a must as well as either an export brace or a monte carlo bar, both are overkill for a daily driver.

68COOP

Sorry, I don't know exactly which piece it is, but I think it's the tie-rod ends need rubber. Poly bushings have been known to snap the part. Can someone confirm the part in question. TRW/Moog make some kits for these cars, and I think the Zone has bushing kits for 99 bucks too. Something to check on, unless someone has a better answer. LUCK!

69mach1377

Snap apart implies tension forces...bushings general have only compression forces on them. Tie rod ends have no bushings and are part of the steering system, not suspension. So I'm not clear what you are refering to...

dodgestang

He is thinking about strut rods....just upgrade to a nice adjusable heim joint mount strut from www.streetortrack.com

68COOP

Yeah, that's it! Thanks dodgestang. Just want to make someone aware of it, just in case they didn't know.

Shifty101Easy

okay so your suggest a new traction bar...new bushings... and struts?

should he be doing all this kind of work, and engine work and stuff BEFORE he gets it painted? Thanks

73Cleveland

Hey there,

Just my .02c worth but I would save any painting until you are done with mechanical and suspension work.

My only exception would be to detail my engine compartment then drop in my fully painted engine.

Why risk scratching or denting a freshly painted car when a professional paint job costs thousands? I know as all of you do how careful we want and try to be but why take the chance?

Scott H.

Sure glad you didn't hear about the engines!!!! You'd probably never ride with your friend again.

The Mustang has spring over A arm design that requires more parts that affects the geometry and loads adversly under stressful conditions...oh say like, turning into your driveway. Fortunately these cars were heavily campaigned in road racing, and have been (and still are) very succesful at it. So I guess it can't be as bad as what you have heard.
The other advantage we have is that there are literally millions of these things out there. The aftermarket is rife with parts and complete systems that will leave a stock BMW only wishing it could be as good.

Some things you want to search out are "Shelby Mustangs", "Total Control Products", "Maier Racing", "Historic Mustangs", "Ford Racing History", "Unique Performance", "Reen-Machine", etc... The list is almost endless.

Get through that and your eyes will be open to the new "Wonderful World of Vintage Mustangs". This is just a begining. Even today there are newly designed products coming out to make our cars better.

Bang for the buck and as a learning tool, the Mustang is hard to beat.