bob

Hey guys, a buddy of mine has a 65 M3 I6 trunk that I'm getting from him, I haven't seen the car yet, but it sounds like a shell with most of the replacement body work done, my questions are this;

1. If it is manual steering car, how hard is it to convert to power steering or were the cars simply power assist?

2. I've got a 302 and a C4 that I can throw in the car, however since it is a 3 spd manual car, what changes do I have to make (can you swap pedal clusters for an auto setup)

3. I'm gonna do a suspension rebuild for the V8 and switch the brakes out to Disc, and power disc if I can, I am also assuming this car is a non-power drum brake car (as I've read the I6 cars were universally drum brake), Will I need to source a different brake pedal if it is non-power, What other pitfalls will I run into?

4. I've got a 9" housing from a later model stang (67 or 68 so I'm told) will this fit the earlier chassis?

5. AC, I also assume its a non AC car and I'm interested in installing AC on the car, any problems here?

When its all said and done, I'm not looking for a perfectly restored car, just something in comfortable riding good shape with compentent suspension and brakes and a little pep.

The engine is already nailed down, its a 306 9.5:1 motor with GT40p heads (stock castings with necked down swirl polished valves and converted to adjustable valvetrain) running a Comp Cams Extreme energy XE274H cam, Edelbrock AirGap RPM, 670 cfm Holley with vaccum secondaries and a set of 1-5/8" Tri-Y's dumping into a 2-1/2" exhaust with X-pipe and flowmaster mufflers. I'll select a torque converter and rear gear after I get the engine dyno'd (leaning toward a 3.33 rear which would put the car at 2500 rpm on the highway)

mtchstng

suggestion, p/s on a '65 or '66 is really over assisted. unless you really have to have it I wouldnt go through the trouble, it wasnt a very good system IMO. they really dont need it. my wife drives mine and its a GT
which is a little quicker/harder steering box than a regular one with no problems.

you can just swap the small brake pedal for the larger auto pedal/arm and remove the clutch pedal/arm. same pedal bracket. '67 up is different pedal for power.

same brake pedal drum/disc. you will need a V8 spindle or Granada for the Disc brake swap. if you can get V8 suspension that would be best even if its drum brake and then get the disc kit.

the '67 up 9" rear will physically bolt up to the spring perches but will be wider than a '65 so your tires will be out further in the wheel wells but it will bolt in.

No problems with adding a/c, just get a 4 core radiator or alum one so it
doesnt over heat on you.

sounds like a good engine choice.

mitch

bob

I've been doing a bit of research and I see that the factory offered 20:1 and 16:1 ratios which explains the easy to turn manual system.

Thats the bit I was looking for! I didn't know if the pedal bracket was the same or different, I also see pre 67, the power booster used a lever in between the pedal and the booster.

I really want to go with the original V8 stuff to avoid geometery woes (which the granada spindles seem to induce??) All of the various parts are there save the spindles, which seems a little odd, I would've thought somebody would have made repo spindles by now? Although I have found repro granada spindles

Hmmm...probably see if I can clean it up and sell the rear end then, I'm going with with 225/50R16s and 16 x 8 or 16 x 7 wheels and dont want any fitment issues.

Sweet, Ultimately I'm gonna give the car to the parental units so I plan to over build in this area (high pressure water pump, big radiator, hi-flow pullies, etc)

Lol, the engine started out as a build for my sister-in-law, then she gets a V6 stang, next my brother gets hold of a 59 Anglia (cant remeber the model but its best described as a mini 55 Chevy) figures he wants to do a V8 swap, then we stumble onto this 65 Coupe and he mentions how he really wants to put a Turbo 2.3 in the Anglia so I get the V8 back which was a dirt cheap build, I got the block from a buddy of mine who was getting out of the game. Its a 5.0 unit with a stock crank, eagle rods and IIRC stock bore pistons (had to go with bigger pistons but wasn't a big deal) engine was already machined and just needed a freshening because it sat around for a while. The heads I got brand new bare for 230 bucks and thats where most of the money went for the build. Can't wait to get the headers, and a few other items to finish it out. Then go to the dyno and see what it belts out. After tuning I'll be pleased if it produces power in the 320 to 350 range (not looking for a mini monster just good reliable HP) which I figure will move the car smartly due to the low weight.

Thanks for the info Mitch.

mtchstng

let me know how it goes.

all 65-66 V8 spindles are the same. disc ones have a seperate bracket for the caliper. if you have the bracket (they make repro) you can use drum spindle. Dont believe all of the e-bay hype about disc spindles. they are the same. that is if you want orig. style 4 piston caliper.

mitch

66ford

Don't mean to hijack this thread, I'm picking up a 66' coupe this weekend, with a 6 cyl. Do they have different spindles (v8 & I6) I'm keeping the 6, Is it necess. to upgrade to discs? Thanks.
Charlie

bob

I'v e found that the I6 an d V8 spindles are different, SSBC makes an I6 spindle disc brake conversion.

66ford

very good, thanks for the info. I have alot to learn on these things.
Charlie

bob

I've been checking various sites for the I6 to V8 conversion, and I've learned a great deal just by googling the various braking, suspension and powertrain pieces. The early cars almost seem minimalist by intent with items like power steering and power brakes added as a complete afterthought (ie; power brakes using a lever to connect the brake pedal to the booster to change the amount of leverage used with the assist, unlike later cars which actually have different pedals depending on power or non-power applications).