I'm looking at getting my first serious project car and I'm really into the 60's stangs. I currently have an '06 mustang GT with all the mods listed below (saleen intake is saleen supercharger) all of which i did my self on jack stands in my condo parking lot and now i have a garage.

I was wondering if a 60s mustang is a good car for a first serious project. My mechanical knowledge is young but growing and I love doing it. Any tips of looking for one, i.e. where to look online, what to look for and how good or bad a shape i should be looking at. All help is appreciated, thanks.

 

In my opinion, any 60's Mustang is the perfect first time car. My first car was a 1967 Impala Conver. SS when I was 18. Parts were expensive (I had almost no money), trying to find bone-yard parts was next to impossible. Now, I'm building a 66 Coupe and parts are in ubundance and the updated technology and experience with these things takes out a lot of guess work which can equate to more fun. I highly recommend it!

 

My 65 mustang is my first project car, couldn't have got a better one.

 

You realize that asking that question here is like asking what the best sport is at the entrance to a professional football game With that said It’s like this. No other car has the same aftermarket fallowing as the Mustang. Almost every part that is on these cars can be purchased NEW. That makes parts availably a piece of cake assuming that time is no issue and you can by the parts, as money is available. Also there are many DIY web pages out there on restoring/modifying Mustangs so there are lots of places to learn. Lastly there are about 6 good forums with knowledgeable people in them so if you have questions you can always get them answered by those that have already made the journey you are thinking of making. There are some cars easier to work on than a Mustang, My 62 Galaxie is a prime example of that, more room to work, and some parts a little better designed, however parts are impossible to find and I have yet to find a good Galaxie forum. With the Mustang the availability of parts and help makes the Mustang the best choice, no contest.

Forum list

This forum, https://mustangforums.com/forumid_18/tt.htm
FYI Ford, http://members.boardhost.com/MustangSteve/
StangNet, http://forums.stangnet.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5
VMF, http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/fusionbb.php?
Mustangandmore.com, http://www.gearheadtalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=2
Classic Mustang Forum, http://fomoco.phpbbnow.com/viewforum...57a48edc71b722

Each forum has its own personality and ideas of what should be done to these cars. I spend a little time on all of them, but most of my time is spent on this forum and FYI Ford

 

Thanks for all th info guys, im getting excited about doing this. Anyone know any good websites to buy parts for the stang? And if i were to find a stang with a 6 in it how hard is it to swap in a 8? This car is gonna be for driving and maybe some shows, matching numbers and all that dont really mean anythign to me because i want it to be fun not an investment.

 

I'm looking for the same thing that you are. From what I have gathered from these forums the 6-8 conversion doesn't require much more than a 9" rear end, upgraded brakes, and obviously a new tranny as well. It's what I plan on doing when I finally get enough for a stang...

 

Eric of Longmeadow,
You need to do some more research. The entire front suspension must be replaced; the rear springs as well; and finding a nine inch rear axle housing is difficult and expensive; and the wiring under the hood need replacing. That's for a start.
Jim

 

So i take it, id be better off getting a V8 to begin with?

 

For a starter, yes. Ultimately you will have to replace all the old parts but there is less to do and it can be done in stages so you can drive it almost right away. The key item to look for is minimal rust, especially in the front interior. Type in rust in the search feature and do some reading.
Jim

 

That’s not true, you "should" replace the front steering parts (the suspension other than the springs is the same), but it is not a "must" when I built may car I ran it for several years with the 6-cyl steering parts. I simply installed V8 spindles and made a few performance upgrades to deal with bump steer. Its no different than all of the 6cly cars out there that have gone with V8 spindles for better stopping power. The only clearence issue is the bottom of the oil pan and drag link, but it clears unless you need to remove the oil pan

This is an age old question do I replace the 6 with a V8 or buy a V8 car, and the answer really depends on what you want to do with the car. I did the swap, but I had two things going for me 1. a totaled V8 parts car and 2. the desire to replace all of the drive train, steering and braking with non original type parts anyway. The long and the short of it is if you want a V8 car with an original type front brakes, trans, rear end, and steering than buy a V8 car because the extra cost paied to buy a V8 over a 6 cly will be less than the cost of all the parts you will need to get to make an original type I6 to V8convershion. On the flip side my car has Granada front disc brakes, a T5, R&P steering and the 8" rear from the donor car which in the next year will be replaced with an IRS unit that I am currently building out of a Jaguar (information on the project here www.dazecars.com ) SOOOOOO for me it made sense to buy the 6 cyl car with the good body and save some money so that I could by all the replacement parts I was going to put in to the car any way.