Coupe

The great news is I now have a decent looking 65 FB in the garage after a 20 year hiatus from classic mustangs. When I had my last car we had to pick over junkyards for parts but now we have the internet!!!

The bad news is my 65 handles like crap,the manual steering bump steers terribly and I cant feel confident driving it at all due to lack of feedback. I just spent 4 solid hours on the interstate and side streets and I have got to make serious changes to this car if I am going to enjoy it. I want to talk about front suspension and brakes (Rear end 3 link will come later)

I want it to handle and stop like a racecar!

The first thing I want to do to this car is make it handle as well as one of these cars possibly can! What should I consider? I have seen cars with strut front suspension, I have seen cars with manual rack, I have seen the mustang II conversions. It all has me a bit confused, I need help. I dont think a new box and a Shelby drop are going to do it for me.

I am willing to make MAJOR changes to the car, I want to end up with a "power tour" type of resto-mod. Handling and stopping come first, power comes last.
I really dont like the idea of the the Mustang II because I dont want to cut out that much metal, it seems so permanent and I dont want to do it to this car, so omit that as an option..

I want to do it all at once, I dont want to spend good money on a rebuilt manual box just to find that it may not be the bet option on a car that has newer style suspension etc.. I dont want to buy twice! I want to start on it right away, I cant drive this car like it is.

If Shelby were building these cars today, with what we have available, what would they use?
What would you use if you wanted a car that could drive to the track, then race around it?

I like the idea of manual steering & manual disk brakes due to the simplicity of it, but I am open to power but with a 289 car I just dont see a real need for power assist (Am I wrong?)

So I ask you all to share what worked for you and what did not! What should I NOT do and whats the best all around technology to replace the 45 year old stuff that I currently have. I really am not interested in "Rebuilding the stock parts" at all.


This could be fun!
Thanks
Alex

rmodel65

first of all id replace all the tie rods and ball joints etc.....and then id adjust the play out of your steering box

i have my stock steering box with new parts for the steering system i upgraded to 13 inch disc brakes up front and 10.5 disc in the rear it should handle decent and stop nice

andrewmp6

Best bolt in for the front is http://totalcontrolproducts.com/fcoc-fd.html http://globalwest.net/1964-66mustang.html or http://www.ronmorrisperformance.com/...ode=Susp_Parts rear you got http://totalcontrolproducts.com/rear_systems.html or http://www.rrs-online.com/3linkproducts.php

67mustang302

40year old worn out parts make anything steer and handle like crap. Modified stock suspension will handle extremely well, beyond the limit of what most drivers can control. If you don't have an issue with manual steering, Flaming River makes quick ratio(16:1) manual steering boxes. The 1" Shelby a arm drop with some good drop springs, good rear leaves and good shocks, plus appropriate sway bars and the car will handle EXTREMELY well. Then replace all the worn steering and suspension components, ball joints, bushings, tie rods etc.

For brakes I always recommend Wilwood.

And just FYI, a "new box and Shelby drop" will probably blow your mind. It will turn it into a different car.

69FB

I am personally going to go with the Griggs Suspension system but I looked at TCP and that would have been my second choice followed by Global West or Total Control Involved.

I do not like the mustang II suspension either.

If you want to spend the money I'd recommend Griggs (more expensive) and Total Control Products. Although the Griggs was not that much more from the TCP setup I was looking at.

Oh and I found out that Griggs might be getting bought out by a big suspension company to help maybe lower the cost of the components. Griggs would concentrate on R&D with the company.

For brakes I like Baer and Wilwood. Baer of course you'll pay for the name. SSBC makes some nice kits as well.

Coupe

Has anyone used the "Gateway" system with the struts? For $2400 (retail) I get rid of a control arm and pick up 11" disk brakes and calipers? I kinda dig the idea of being able to get replacement bits at the auto parts store 10 years from now.



Mix that with a flaming river manual box and what would I get performance wise?


For 3k I could get it upgraded to these brakes, but I really think it would be overkill plus I would need bigger wheels to fit those rotors?






I at least want it to handle as well as a lowered FOX body car.

69FB

With the coilover systems we've mentioned your car should handle better than a stock fox body mustang. If you plan on taking it to the track or for pro-touring reasons I'd say upgrade to the better brakes. You will have to go bigger on the wheels. I would ask what it would take to cover those and what do you really want to make this car do in the future. Oh and I've never used or read anything on the Gateway system.

67mustang302

Coil overs are pretty unnecessary. Stock modified suspension will handle just as well(or arguably BETTER, depending on the coilover design used). The only advantage to them is that they ride smoother. Unless you're going to do some hardcore road racing it's not needed at all. The vintage road racers run stock components with boxed in control arms(which is like a $20 mod if you have a welder already and do it yourself).

The reality is that proper driving plays a more critical role than suspension design. If you go the cheaper route with modified suspension and spend the rest of the money on a performance driving school, you'll have a car that handles FAR better than spending all the money on a high end suspension system and not being able to utilize it. And all the high end tubular stuff isn't needed until you start running r compound tires and know how to drive the hell out of the car(and then you have to ask if you're willing to drive on a track at over 140mph and corner at over 100mph).

Modified stock suspension with good tires and driving school will get you around a track(or the street) a LOT faster than a tubular/coilover setup without the other 2.

Coupe

Well, I was just under the car for an initial inspection, it seems the previous owner kept things maintained. I got it from a nice older guy that was having health issues and wanted out, but he took it to a shop for all service. The bits felt snug but the gearbox may be sketchy. The car looks lowered to me, and that may be the cause of the bump steer? I like the cost of the Gateway over the TCP by a long shot. I think they were used on the Bullit car built for Chad McQueen but I have yet to talk to anyone thats used it.

Norm Peterson

Cars using front struts aren't better handling cars because of the struts. More like in spite of them, using compromises that you'd be unlikely to be making in this build (my '08 GT runs about +7° caster and -1.5° camber is still factory-acceptable).

The Shelby drop with a mild performance alignment, different springs and sta-bars, better shocks, and wider wheels with better rubber would make for a huge difference.

Gateway's 3-link is not a 3-link in the usual sense, and it isn't a torque arm either (even though it looks more like one). I'm not sure which it would behave more like, although I have heard that short versions of what Gateway's looks like can be pretty sensitive with respect to wheelstanding if you've got the power and rear grip to do that sort of thing.

Are you willing to modify sheetmetal in order to fit big enough rubber to do all this?

Just how wild is the upper end of what you're considering? Muttstang wild?
Shown autocrossing


Norm