Tag Archives: Mustang

If you thought the Mustang Stationwagon was Bad?

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Why did he just buy a Ranchero???

 

1966 Ford Mustang Mustero

1966 Ford Mustero

By  Zach Bowman RSS feed

Posted Dec 21st 2011 10:00AM

The Ford Mustang has some strange skeletons knocking bones in its closet, including the Mustero. Believe it or not, the Mustang/Ranchero hybrid you see above was actually a Ford-licensed product. The company authorized Beverly Hills Mustang LTD to produce the machines for just two years.At the time, the conversion came carrying a price tag of $6,500. That made the Mustero as expensive as the Shelby Cobra. Needless to say, buyers weren’t exactly lining up with cash in hand for a pint-sized pickup sports car, and only 50 were ever produced, including this well-restored example.

According to the owner, this ’66 Mustero received a complete restoration in the ’80s and has been carefully stored indoors since then. A 289-cubic-inch V8 lurks under the hood, mated to a three-speed manual gearbox. Manual steering and brakes are part of the party as well, so be prepared for a work out when it comes time to wheel this machine through town.

 Thanks for reading.
Tim

The rebuilding of a Ford 3 speed manual Transmission

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As I mentioned in an earlier post, I’m going to rebuild the old 3 speed transmission that I took out of my ’70 Mustang coup and I’ll do it in stages (average guy, average time to spend on a project…especially one that isn’t going to benefit my cars).  The rebuild kit is on it’s way.

This the first time I’ve attempted this, so who knows how it’s going to go.

First I’m going to give myself a transmission anatomy lesson, which I’ll share here.

In the mean time here are couple of videos.

[vodpod id=Video.15939015&w=425&h=350&fv=file%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fvid299.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fmm296%252Ftimsweet2200%252FVIDEO0086.mp4]

[vodpod id=Video.15939022&w=425&h=350&fv=file%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fvid299.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fmm296%252Ftimsweet2200%252FVIDEO0085.mp4]

[vodpod id=Video.15751050&w=425&h=350&fv=file%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fvid299.photobucket.com%252Falbums%252Fmm296%252Ftimsweet2200%252FMVI_9345.mp4]

Exciting..HuH?

Thanks for reading

Tim

Driving Difference

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Since I’ve gotten the 4 speed ( T-10 from 1967 Shelby) in the Mustang, I’ve been driving it a lot more.  I’m surprised at how much of an improvement it has made in the drive ability.  Of course there is more power going to the ground which is remarkable and the RPMs are put to much better used.  The original three speed top out pretty quickly and nothing left but engine noise.

Of course with more power hitting the ground, my current tires (wide and hard) tend to grip a lot less and spinning them through 2nd gear is common.  That will required some new, softer tread before long.

After driving the Mustang a few days in a row, I took the Vette to work.  Now you would expect there to be a difference, especially with the 120 hp disparagement in power  the Vette (about 420) and the Stang (about 300 – maybe a bit less) , but what I notice is how both cars arrive at top speed.

Both car’s like to launch, but the Vette does so with much less rear hunching then the Mustang.  The Vette feels lighter as it gets up to power – less down force on the road.  The Mustang is much different.  You can feel it, feeling the road.  I can actually feel the power longer and deeper in the Mustang as it move on up through the RMPs and the gears.

I think I’m ready to at a tach to the Mustang, I need to see the RPMs it’s turning out and then I’m going to have it dyno’ed.  It will be a good baseline before I get the  351 CJ head and intake installed.

Thanks for reading

Tim

 

Steeda unveils full line of Ford Mustang Boss 302 parts

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Of course your new Boss 302 needs upgrades…duh!!!

From over on http://www.stangnet.com

Whether you’ve seen a Ford Mustang Boss 302 in shambles, one tearing up the track, or perhaps another upon the showroom floor–it doesn’t matter.  Bottom line is, we’ re pretty sure anyone with a blue-blooded pulse wants one.  So, if you are one of the lucky ones to get your paws upon the steering wheel consistently, then you might want to listen up.  Steeda Autosports now has a complete line of aftermarket parts to amp up the already awesome 2012 Boss 302 in order to tweak the suspension, intake, and some additional custom tuning to make every droplet of atomized fuel count.

So just what all’s in store?  Keep reading to get the rest of the story via Steeda & be sure to check out their site loaded with offerings!

Steeda News Release

Steeda Offers a Full Line of Boss 302 Performance Products

The new Ford Mustang Boss 302 is viewed by many as the best overall Mustang Ford has ever produced. As good as it is in original form Steeda has found ways to improve it and take it to the next level.

Starting with the suspension, the Steeda Boss springs are designed to slightly lower the vehicle in the front and lower the rear approximately 3/4”. With the front height remaining largely unchanged, the front roll center geometry remains optimal. However, by substantially increasing spring rates, body roll is reduced as is nose diving during heavy braking. Thanks to our years of experience with Mustangs, we are able to do this and still maintain near stock ride quality characteristics.

2012 Boss 302 Laguna Seca

We have also designed several levels of suspension packages that include our awesome Boss springs, adjustable front and rear swaybars , adjustable upper strut mounts and more to achieve the maximum handling potential of the Boss 302 Mustang.With the new Boss 302 Mustang comes the new Boss 302 engine. We took our years of experience building performance proven cold air induction kits and designed a kit tailor made for this heavy breathing new engine. Starting with a high flow filter we added our “race tested” velocity stack” entry, this is located within a stainless steel heat shield with a rubber gasket to seal it against the hood. We also retain the factory cold air feed duct from the front bumper. We then added a 101mm MAF housing which is coupled to a new high flow inlet tube with our Cool-Tube technology. All of this adds up to 30 plus horsepower when combined with the required custom tune that compensates for the increased airflow.

So, if you are looking to get the most out of your Boss 302 Mustang, look no further than Steeda Autosports!

Source: Steeda

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The Mustang II – Say What?

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Ok…I sorry (not really) but I have to consider what my readers like.  And to date one of the most read articles on my blog is the piece I did on the Mustang II  King Cobra  http://wp.me/pKHNM-uY . (Go ahead you know are going to go read it!!)

So I’m going to do a series on the Mustang II (after all I’m project managing the restoration of a 1975 VW, I could spend sometime on that era Mustang).  We’ll touch on the 4 and 6 cylinders and  yes there was a 302.

So we’ll start with a history lesson.

1973 was the last year for the more powerful and larger bodies Mustangs.  Ford may have thought they were going back to the original size Mustang and the 1974 version was in fact close to that size.  The 1966 Mustang had a wheelbase of about 108 inches  ( 181.6 inches in total) and the 1974 was 96.2 (175.0 inches over all).  Compare to the 1973 which (depend on which version) was 187.5-190.0 inches over all.

The generation ran from 1974 to 1978 and sported some collectible cars, the King Cobra and Mach I…yes Mach I’s in a  Mustang II.

Here is a quick look.

 

1974 Cobra II – You Love it…I know you do.

1974 Mach I ok…sure..Pinto like.

1978 Mustang Cobra II – Excellent Looking

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Engine Line Up – 1973 Ford – Mustangs

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The engines for the 1973 Mustangs pretty well with the rest of the matched up the other models engines, but with some minor “tweaks”.

You couldn’t get a Mustang with a 4 cylinder (yet) but you could get with the standard 6.  This was the 250 version, (250 cubic inches of displacement) the bore and stroke was 3.68 x 3.91 also used in the Torino.  Topping it with a single barrel Motocraft carb and coupled with a compression ratio of 8.0:1 gave it a ground pounding horse power rating of 88 (Oh don’t worry, it gets worse in 1974).

302 remained the same for the Mustang and was the standard for the Mach 1.  The 351’s (Cleveland and Windsor were available and they really remained the same as those for the other models.

Now you might be saying, ‘Well Tim, seems like you typed yourself in to a corner here.  Those engines are the same.”  But here is what made the differences  – options!!!

With special intakes, valve springs, dampers, large 4300 D carbs, 2.5 inch diameter dual exhaust outlets and modified cam, you now talking increased breathing and exhaling capacity. Which we all know means…say it with me…..”MORE HORSE POWER!!!!!”   But how much? I’m glad you asked.

The 351 with these types of option produced between 246 and 266 horse power.  The 302 doesn’t show being configured with anything other than the stock options.

1973 351 Cleveland 2 barrel Intake

'73 351 Windsor 4 barrel intake.

Why didn’t they put the 400’s in the Mustang????

Thanks for reading.

Tim

Engine Line Up: 1973 Ford – The 400s Part III

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Next up are the Ford 400’s that were available for 1973.

There were 3 options when it can to Ford’s biggest power plants in 1973, the 400 Cleveland the Thunderbird 429 and the Thunderbird 460. If you are thinking…YES!!! More Horse Power!!!! …you are going to be a bit disappointed, compared to today’s standard and the 1960’s standards.

The Cleveland had a cast iron block, over head valves and displaced 400 cubic inches. Its bore and stroke (4.00 x 4.00) and compression ratio (8.0: 1) were choked to death by the two barrel Motocraft carb. It produced only 163 hps

Wimpy - 400 2 barrel intake...needs a 4 barrel intake

Ford ' 73 400 in a wagon

 

 

The two Thunderbird engines (both cast iron with overhead valve) got the privilege of being topped with 4 barrel Motocraft carbs. The 429 displaced 429 cubic inches and the 460 knocked out..yup you guessed it 460 cubic inches.

They had a bore and store of 4.36 x 3.59 and 4.36 x 3.85 respectively and both had the same compression ratio of 8.0:1. The top hp for the 429 was just barely over 200 at 201 and the 460 out did that by 18 giving it a 219 hp.

Fords 460

 

429

 

Here is the twist with these and the rest of the Ford engines.  The horse power stated was changed depending what model the engine was used in.  Most of those in this series were the lowest stated.  For example the 302 was rated at 135 hp in the Maverick, but 138 in the Torino. (Yes, a whopping 3 more hp!!!)

The average difference was between 1 and 5 hps, so we aren’t talking about a bunch of hidden power as they were configured.  But we all know that you pop off  the that 2 barrel carb off any of these engines and plop on wide mouth Holley, and you were going to get much better numbers!!

Thanks for reading.  ’73 Mustang engines coming up.

Tim

Photos: New Ford Mustang 5.0L Falls Three Stories From Parking Garage

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parking garage 2

There has been a lot of parking garage incidents lately but I think this one takes the cake. This isn’t some guy losing control on the nearby road and landing IN the parking garage. Not this time. This time the driver apparently went through the concrete wall of the third story of the parking garage in Lugano, Switzerland, and fell all the way down upon some parked mopeds and a tree. The 24-year old driver was only injured slightly after flying off of the third floor. You can say that this brand new 5.0 suffered a tragic death, though.

If you look up into the parking garage, you see exactly where he fell from as there is a guy looking down and a nice chunk of wall missing. It gives you a good perspective of how far this car actually fell!

1970 Mustang Coupe for Sale – Project car.

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1970 Coupe – automatic – desirable 289 engine  – (all there).  $2,600.00

Kim’s husband passed and she’d really like this car go to someone who will restore it and not part it out.  Car will need some work.  If you purchase this car I’ll help project manage the restoration. Might even have some spare part for ya.  Car is here in Tucson.

“1970 mustang coupe for sale. It was my husbands, but he passed away and I don’t have the money to fix it up the way he wanted it to be. I don’t want to sell it for a parts car, I would like to sell it to someone who will restore it and take care of it. It did run at one point, but it has been sitting under a cover for the last 7 years or so so it won’t start. He was in the process of replacing the vinyl roof, so that is why the top is rusty. It probably needs to be replaced. The engine is a 289. All the parts he had bought comes with the car. Extra doors, windows, hood, tail lights…and a few other things. This car is a definite project car!! Any questions, please feel free to email.”

 

There's your 289

Going to need a little work.

Automatic

Thanks”

Here is Kim’s link.

http://apps.facebook.com/marketplace/browse/-/-/usa:az:tucson/?cm_mmc=FB_Friend_Email-_-111206ade03f0aa8c5ed0e10f68f1ddb1ccebf-_-Summary_Local_City-_-100000356349979

Thanks for reading.

 

Tim