68 Mustang on a Crown Vic chassis

This guy with a recently-wrecked CVPI in the yard is thinking real hard right now!

(actually...I know better than to attempt a project of this scope...but I sure do like what you're building!)

With the body landed I took the opportunity to put on the front fenders and have a look at what I had created. I liked the look and proceeded to start welding the body down. I came back the next day and looked again,  that's when I decided to lower the body an additional 1.5 inches,  you know lower is better.  Right? So I cut apart what I had done already and started again. Don't do it! My original measurements were correct and lowering the body more caused a world of pain. The Vic brake support, steering column,  and throttle body all hit stuff the master cylinder even hit the hood! And now I was committed to making the lower position work. That decision cost me a week and half of extra work! I used the Mustang steering column with a bushing in the end to support the shaft where it comes out of the column. I welded the end from the Vic column to the Mustang shaft so I could use the Vic intermediate shaft. I also cut a big ugly hole in my hood to clear the throttle body and changed the angle where the air charge tube enters the throttle body.

the rocker sill welded to the floor of the Vic. This is good! this is the sill as it sits now. This is too low! Dont go here! Lol

This is berklying awesome! Also I'm kind of shocked how close the track width is between the mustang and the CV.

I suspect that the panther platform will become a big money purchase at some point as you get so much for the money. The frame/chassis alone has so much to offer such as a hydro formed frame, aluminum subframe, aluminum lower control arms, wide track width, a length that could be shortened to fit just about anything, a triangulated 4 link, watts link, rack & pinion steering, mcpherson struts(that can easily be converted to coil overs), 31 spline axles(06+ panthers), common/cheap 8.8 axle parts, decently big 4 wheel disc brakes, and a parking brake provision that doesn't suck. 

In reply to OneSickGNX :

That's what I'm trying to promote! You get it!  If I ordered a chassis like the Crown Vic offers it would be $25,000! Easy! Now add fuel injection,  AOD, ABS ,Variable ratio rack and pinion, etc, and the fact that Mustang engine parts fit! You can buy a CV for $2500...

The internet is thick with Early Mustang body swaps onto newer Mustang chassis but they don't fit right and a wrecked Mustang is still worth 4 times what a Crown Vic is.

In reply to Geofordman :

The only downsides to the panther platform that I have are the high curb weight, the 2 extra doors and the 2v motor.

Really it's mostly the lack of aftermarket support for both the 2v and the panther chassis that I think keep them from being more popular. Mod motors do like boost though so really they are mostly just gears, a trac lok and an M122 or GT45 frame away from being a good time.

Or, like I said, just use the chassis and smash your favorite engine and transmission in there. It will cost more for sure that way, but you'll still be thousands less than a custom chassis.

Why didn't you tell us you have a video on YouTubes? Here's Geo Fordman in action.

In reply to OneSickGNX :

Trac lok is standard on P71's after 06 and aftermarket support is actually pretty good for the Panther platform. A Coyote bolts right in with upgraded electronics. 

I love this build.  I think every rusty old not-worth-saving Mustang shell should be receiving this treatment!

ow we get to the fun part! The custom bodywork! As I stated earlier if you're thinking of doing this body swap the easy way would be to buy some fiberglass flares from some supplier of such things and glue them on. Any assortment of Mustang wheels fit and can be had cheaply and easily. This story dates back to the early 80's in my High School shop class, because that's when I first tried to build this widebody idea I had. I even did an artist's rendition back in '87. My first attempt didn't end well. Think about trying to gas weld this thing together! I was a punk kid with no money and no talent! I thought I could do it in fiberglass but never committed to that much grinding and sanding. When the CV chassis swap gained traction in my little brain I  got to figuring that they glue cars together now so I could too! 16g Aluminum is half the weight of 20g steel and way tougher so that's what I used. I used my original plan of a EMT conduit buck and laid down some 22g sheetmetal I had leftover from a trailer project as proof that I wouldn't need to produce any radical compound curves and on I went until I couldn't quit because I was gonna pull it off this time! I used the thin metal as a pattern and had the aluminum sheets cut to order and started English wheeling! Do you know what you can make with an English Wheel? That's right lots of scrap metal!
I had some repair work to bring that sad Mustang back to life before the aluminum body panels went on. All the parts came off of Kijiji ( think craigslist) for cheap. New door skins and everything!

I'm digging the electrical conduit superleggera construction. With steel paneling maybe it's just leggera, but nice technique.

The steel panelling is just for a pattern.  The 16g aluminum is on it's way...

 Sometimes you just gotta bust out the cardboard to see what its gonna look like...

So cool.

The fact that you're basically seeing a high school shop dream finally come true is wonderful.

The picture I drew in 1987...

This is AWESOME 

In reply to Geofordman :

Prodigal Son.

That's berklying swweeet!!! It is begging for some 4 in. Off-road lights in the grill though.

I'm more partial to the high offset rear wheels on it during the build... any reason not to run them plus a matching front set?.

Which wheels? The deep dish ones are 18x12 Work Meisters I scored off of kijiji and they are the ones I race on. (With Toyo triple8's) The Meisters are too wide and stick out 2 inches but oh so cool! I have a set FR500's that are 10 inches wide that I'll run on the street if I can get it registered. The front wheels now are SVT 18X9.5 they fit very well.  I can't justify the expense of Meisters for the front...unless I find some cheap ones. I'm busy blowing my budget on a T56 swap!oh yeah , and paint!