I'm building a Classic Mustang

I am going to start a project this December.
My idea is to buy a 1965-69 Mustang and modernize it with a coyote 5.0.
I've seen a few forums online where it is possible, but I'm thinking about the best way to go about it.
Any ideas? It'll be a weekend warrior but I want it to be comfortable i.e. air conditioning, decent sound, nicer than stock seats etc.

>modernize it with a coyote 5.0
>not a 5.2l Voodoo
>not a 3.5l EcoBoost V6

>putting a v6 with a shitty turbo into a traditional muscle car that demands a true high displacement v8

If you want to truly modernize it you'll use a V6 because EcoBoost is the future, not archaic v8s

>Any ideas?
Yeah, buy a New Edge. Modern amenities without having to hack up a classic, and it's got an earlier version of the exact engine you want anyway.

But I want a Classic Mustang without the drawback of less than 300 hp before the fly.

But all iterations of the modular engine respond well to tuning.

Also why the fuck do you want a classic car but not want to deal with anything that owning an driving a classic car entails? Do you basically want a modern car that looks like an old one? Because that makes you a tremendous boycunt.

S197.

Add bodykit.

God this thing is aging badly, and it's only a decade or so old. Even the previous gen looks fresher.

>Also why the fuck do you want a classic car but not want to deal with anything that owning an driving a classic car entails?
Because all the Mustangs from the second generation onward look like garbage, imo.
What's wrong with improving the classic.
I might but another one after I finish this one and build a 302 Boss.

I've been restoring a 69 mustang coupe for the past couple years. Been using it as a daily driver.
I haven't done any engine swaps or nothin, it's still got its stock 302 and auto trans.

My best advice is to find a car with a decent paintjop and minimal rust damage, otherwise it'll cost you a small fortune to fix those down the line.

>modernruining classics
>turning lower trim classics into performance trim replicas
Could you be any more boomer if you tried?

Also, to add onto that, the 302 is a small block, RIP.

I'm generation Z. The future of America.
If you want all Classics to remain purist, go buy them all.
How much do you think it would cost to buy one in that condition? and what would it cost to fix one with moderate rust but nothing catastrophic.

Find a 5.2 crate engine for sale anywhere. I'll wait.

You could start with a Dynacorn body. Rust-free and you aren't dealing with any hidden issues.

I literally just finished replacing the entire wiring harness and replacing a leaky heater core, took a month and a half of weekends to do. Once this rain clears up and i get a new air filter that's not full of fire-extinguisher residue ill be crusin :D

No, you're generation faggot.

>fire-extinguisher residue
Is that the reason you replaced all the wiring?

All this crying from one man.
I'll check into that.

>implying only one person wants to stop you from "improving" an old car

I was handed my mustang down from my father. The only estimate I ever received on it's value was approx 3-4k a year ago (now prob 5-6k at least).

That being said, my paint is obviously a trash choice and it's got rust in the trunk and fenders. I've had to reweld cracking shock towers, replace the timing cover, redip the radiator/tank, and do every other small job you can think of. It's an uphill battle, one that will last as long as there is a stock part in the car.

But yeah, my stock ignition wire shorted and melted 60% of the harness like pic related. I ended up replacing it with a classic update kit by american autowire.

>implying people haven't been improving classic cars for decades

After seeing most of the restores and how much they cost,
It just makes more sense to me to modernize everything that I don't want to keep for aesthetic reasons.
I'm even looking to welding in a completely new suspension system to make the 5.0 a better fit and give better handling.

Let me tell you though, you wont find many cars easier to work on than classics like these. I literally have no problem pulling my dash, seats, door panels, or 90% of my engine bay. Everything is so simple and straightfoward, its just a matter of putting in the time/money fixing old broken shit.

t. daydreamer

Here's a old pic of the engine bay right after I cleaned/painted it, but before i hosed it down with the extinguisher.

If you have the time and money, sure why not.

Be prepared to weld/manufacture a lot of parts yourself if you don't have money out the ass.

Aftermarket "updated" parts are hella expensive.

An updated radio is $2-300
updated digital instrument cluster is upwards of $7-900
converting from auto trans to manual is all on you as well

I'm sure you could do it cheaper than all that, but you'd be buying used parts or parts that don't "fit" with the car.

if you got time/money/second car, go for it lol. But if you dont have all three of those, RIP

Stick a built 460 or IDI in it lol

I have about 40k I can spend on it over the next 3 years.
The real problem I know I'm going to have is time, and I'm never going to sell it so what I build, I will keep.

get a 05-09 mustang gt, they're cheap now so you can get the drivetrain out

Sounds like a reasonable amount to me. I cant give you exact costs of repairs/parts/jobs obviously, but here are some ballpark numbers

Ground up quality paint job (not that maaco shit) 8-10k

New/used engine +transmission 5-13k???

Slight rust repair $500-1k
Moderate rust repair 1k-1.5k
Heavy rust repair 1.5k+

Replacing all chrome trim with shiny new stuff 800 maybe, depending on year

Cost of actual car, 2k+ depending on model/condition

Rims: 1-2k
plus you may need to buy new tires if cars been sitting

It's hard to give numbers, these are just from shops outside the LA area where i'm. Different shops, different cars, different rates.

Also, i think the 65 and 66 model have much smaller engine bays, and may not fit bigblocks. Id look into that if i were you.

Also, a fastback will be exceptionally more expensive than a coupe, id guess their 50% more expensive than a coupe at every level at a minimum.

TLDR: Its gunna cost a lot before you even begin resto-modding it. However much you think you're gonna spend, it'll be more.

Also I should add, the 2k+ figure for cost of actual car begins at a total piece of shit rust bucket.

Realistically you should expect more like 8k+ unless you know the seller personally.
Buying a car with a good paintjob will save you money, but you risk damaging it with various jobs. I damaged my paint when I removed the hood (holy fuck that thing weighs a metric fuckton), removed the doors, the fender, and ive also chipped the paint on the engine dropping screwdrivers/sockets and stuff.

Luckily my paints already shit so im not too upset, but if I had dropped 8k on a paintjob, id be hella pissed.

How the hell does a paint job cost $8k?

If you want a nice job, one where they remove all the trim, blast your car to metal, and give you a orange-peal-less finish that'll last the life of the vehicle.

That's what I was quoted from 2 shops near pomona, CA. Both shops came highly recommended from other restorers. The cheapest I found for the same quality was some mexican mechanic who painted in his free time out of his garage. He was super sketch and had a 8 month+turnaround though. Even he expected 5k minimum.

Nice paint aint cheap nigga

That edition of Mustang was a nicely executed "retro-modern" design. It was very much heralded and acclaimed when it came out for bring Mustang design back to its heritage without being an obvious remake of a classic design. (Hence being a good retro-modern).

These are 05 and 06's...ahead of their time.

Absolutely dogshit ugly and an obvious nostalgic moneygrab. New Edge looks like it's from the future in comparison.

Personally, I think the best looking Mustang GT is the '69. That's a beautiful piece of machinery. That's why I loved the retro looks of the S-197 series, especially the '05-'09's. I'm just worried that the window for finding one that is in mint condition and low miles, is starting to close without having to pay as much as you would for a brand new one.

In my mind the more you like the original, the less you should like the cheap gaudy cashgrab copy.

Beauty in the eye of the beholder. I loved the early S-197, because of the retro look. I think the 60's generation muscle cars are the best looking, and when that generation of Mustang came out in '05, I loved it.

$8k includes quite a lot of body work, as

mentioned.

I know a guy that does paint, he won't touch a job for less than $3k, and he paints out of his garage, and that price has probably gone up. Same guy works his day job fabbing metal replacement panels for 50+ year old multimillion dollar Ferraris, Lamobs, Maseratis, that sort of thing. Paints them too. Had one of the cars he sprayed featured in some Ferrari show in Florida a month or two back, he got to go down with the car for the show.

From what I understand, orange peel is mostly buffed out though. Most paints apparently spray like peanut butter, so if you want show quality perfect dead flat, you just spend a lot of time buffing it. That requires an extra couple of coats with the clear coat though, so you have some room to buff it out.

Wouldn't doing most of the work aside from the actual painting of the car save money? Stripping it and getting it ready for paint is something you could do yourself. Hell, you could even primer it yourself with a air compressor.

Tearing down a classic is one thing putting it back together with all original parts is the hard bit.
My advice is to get two cars, one from the west that is rust free (will save you a headache) and then a donor car. I am not much of a ford guy but there is nothing wrong with the stock engine. Buy a few books on how to get the most out of it and people will appreciate your car more and your cars value will raise.

69 mustang looks the best desu desu

Yeah, you totally could do most of the painting labor yourself.

You just need the space, equipment, and time to do it. Managing all that on weekends out of a garage filled with junk could take months.

I'm doing all of the labor myself.
I live in Bumfuck, Arkansas. I'm not trusting anyone around here to come close to my car.
I went to 4 different mechanics for my BMW and no one had a fucking clue.
I have space, equipment is factored into budget, and I'm giving myself 3 years to complete the project before I am even willing to let someone else touch it.

I seriously can't decide if I hate this or not. To be honest I'm not 100% sure what I'm looking at.

It's built on the Crown Vic Coupe so hate is probably the right answer.

If I were you, id try to borrow as many tools as you can. Make friends with a mechanic or someone with an engine hoist, car lift, bead blaster, etc. Otherwise you'll be spending a lot of money on tools you may only use once or twice.

I would invest a few hundred into a nice welder, then practice a shitton with it. Welding is an art, but has SO many applications, ie. rollcages, frame/body modification/restoration, rust repair, etc.

When I fixed my cracking shock towers, I borrowed a friends mig welder, spent 5 or 6 hours practicing, then proceed to weld the most hideous welds you've ever seen in your fucking life. The welds have held thus far, but I regret not buying a welder and practicing more in my own time. Now I need one for rust repair in the trunk and Im shit outta luck.

>goyote swap
you'll have to cut away the front suspension and install a pinto style setup

i suggest you buy a junky shell and start there. you'll save money and won't have to throw away as much already working stuff.

damn that sucks. how did the short happen?

Yeah, I hate to admit it, but swapping in a modern engine with a circular firing order and fast timing, you lose a lot of what makes a muscle car so desirable.

Im still not 100% sure if it was or wasnt my fault lol
>Be me
>Few weeks before Christmas, visiting local pawn shop to look at cameras/tools
>Looking at bowie knife through glass, dont want to ask about it cause ill look like a sperg
>Walk out trying to not look like a shoplifter
>Go to start car
>Key does nothing
>Mentally put the barrel of a gun in my mouth
>Begin troubleshooting problem, cant find shit
>Guy working pawn shop notices my problem and walks out to offer assistance
>Tell him whats up and he recommends I bypass the starter solenoid
>That'll work huh?
>Probably
>WhatsTheWorseThatCouldHappen
>Use a couple plastic handled scredrivers to bypass it
>Nothing
>Pawnshop guy gets idea
>Ill use jumper cables instead
>Proceeds to hook them up while Im in cab turning key
>somethinsfucky
>notice smoke
>entire engine bay and dash now smoking
>i jump out and tell dude to grab extinguisher inside
>Battery needs 1/2in open end
>Proceed to attempt to use 1/2in socket for 45 seconds inhaling electrical smoke all the while
>Dude returns and I spray down smoking area in engine
>Finally find wrench and disconnect battery
>smoke stops and coughing stops 15 min later
>Dude apologizes and I get towed home
>Next day review damage, assess harness as KIA
>Meh, its just wires, how expensive could they be?
>$700 and 1.5 months of weekend labor later...
We arrive to today

I realized soon after the incident that the ignition switch had gotten stuck on "start" which caused the short to continue even after I jumped out of the cab. I hadn't realized because the switch was out of the dash, and I had no reference point for what was on or off

TLDR; Mix of bad luck and lack of awareness

>Modern amenities
>15 year old car

literally lmao

There's nothing wrong with a resto-modded classic IMO

I just hate the ones that have interiors that look ripped straight out of a boiracer's subaru, with shittons of carbon fiber, leds, and red cover toggle switches.

The perfect restro-mod vehicle looks and sounds pretty original, but functions like something modern.

those replacement harnesses are fucking expensive.

it sounds the pawn shop guy didn't jump the starter right and smoked your start signal wire, which would be the forward small wire on the solenoid.

t. Low HP Cuck

>65-69 mustang
>comfortable
>Coyote 5.0
You better be rich OP
but I'm a classic Chevy guy don't know much about Ford.
Honestly I would go with a 351 if I were you

Perhaps so, problem is that after it was all said and done, the wires were all so melted together than there was no telling where the original short came from.

What kind of car was this?

here
69 coupe

Literally nothing wrong with the 9inch and a 3 link.

I have a friend who's Dad owns a small dirt track racing team so thankfully I might be able to get help there.
As for the welder, that is a great idea. After I buy the shell ( I found a good condition 302, running and minimal rust for 14k), I'll look into buying one.

see

What the fuck
I don't know how to feel

>69 fastback meh condition
$17k
>coyote plus control pack
$9k
>retrofit ac
$2.4k
>tools and misc
$4k
Still cheaper than a new mustang gt if you farmed out most of the labor. Some people actually enjoy creating their car with their own hands so to each their own

OP here
>$17k
I've seen them for much cheaper. You can get a relatively low rust one for around 10k.
I think I can much better with doing all the labor myself and looking for ideal parts.