Too much sacrilege?

I have had this idea of taking a dirty old mustang (65-66) that is sitting in front of my neighbors house and installing a Duratec/Mazda Trans combo and then adding a bit of boost. It looks kind of like this one: (this may be a 67)

The basic idea is like some many others where you spend ALL your money on go fast parts and don't put anything into the rest of the car. The exterior would basically look the same with some nice understated light weight wheels and nothing else. The suspension would be completely redone and the rear would probably get a three link of something similar. I realize that this is the same crowd that is cheering the ferrari subaru swap (me too) and this will be taken well here.

Sweet, go for it!

Just don't paint over any green Mustang patina

Javelin wrote: Sweet, go for it! Just don't paint over any green Mustang patina

I see what you did there

I doubt anyone here will have any objections. There was a Challenge car a few years back that was called the Suprang. IIRC It was a '65 Mustang coupe body with the 7MGTE turbo I-6, drivetrain, and suspension from a 3rd. gen. Supra.

I've had similar thoughts with many chassis/engine combos over the year. Open the hood, super sweet engine bay, rest of the car is meh.

The sacrilege would be NOT doing what you want.

I've thought more than once that my SN95 Mustang would be a lot nicer to work on if only it had an F2T under the hood. I completely support this idea.

Go for it. Its better than have another old car scrapped.

I wouldn't do it. Sacrilege in my opinion, but I don't own it, so have at it.

BTW, you're doing it backwards... Big American V8 is supposed to go in small Japanese car

I like it. It's not like there aren't a bajillion old Mustangs out there. No sacrilege at all.

I suppose. But you'll still have all the rest of the inherent weaknesses of an old Mustang.

Would it be worth the effort considering what you'd get in the end?

With FT on this one. Old Mustangs are for pretty. They drive like oxcarts, even with several thousand spent trying to 'fix' them. You efforts and dollars can be better spent to more effective results elsewhere, and you won't wind up with a car no one will want to buy when you're done.

You'd have to do it for you. A project just because you want to do it with the understanding that no one will want it when you're done and it will die abandoned alone in a back yard somewhere. Maybe yours.

I like the plan, just not the starting point...Id much rather build a small pickup with that drivetrain and IRS...but to each his own!

ddavidv wrote: With FT on this one. Old Mustangs are for pretty. They drive like oxcarts, even with several thousand spent trying to 'fix' them. You efforts and dollars can be better spent to more effective results elsewhere, and you won't wind up with a car no one will want to buy when you're done.

Yeah this is the problem, I don't think they can be made to handle. If they could I'd be all for it...but I don't think they can.

I think its a great idea!, What mazda will you be using?

I've had a couple of these, including a beautiful 65 fastback that I did all the right stuff to underneath. But it just wasn't any fun to drive. I sold it, bought a WRX and never looked back

GameboyRMH wrote:

ddavidv wrote: With FT on this one. Old Mustangs are for pretty. They drive like oxcarts, even with several thousand spent trying to 'fix' them. You efforts and dollars can be better spent to more effective results elsewhere, and you won't wind up with a car no one will want to buy when you're done.

Yeah this is the problem, I don't think they can be made to handle. If they could I'd be all for it...but I don't think they can.

Yeah, Mustangs can't handle. In fact, that's why they've never gone road racing or autocrossing. Everyone knows that there are no bolt on parts that help them out to be competetive or even any fun.

Hang, you’re asking if it’s sacrilege to put a Duratech (Which can be had with a Ford logo cam cover) in a Mustang on the same board where we’re all fawning over a Subaru swapped into a Ferrari like school girls at a Justin what’s his name concert!?!?!?

I say go for it, and rather than take Ddavids dim view of the handling, while you’ve got the welder out add a proper 3 or 4 link rear end and a decent SLA front suspension with R&P, call it a Locost with an existing steel body.

The one pictured is definitely a 67-68 car, the 64-66 cars are a little more subdued.

I'm a big mustang buff, and I say DO IT! I've always wanted to build a 300ci straight six with ITBs and a pair of turbos. Drop that in a 69 Mustang shell set up for road course racing, and have a ton of fun.

Then again, i'm the guy that wants to build a stage rally car out of a 4-door Maverick.

Maroon92 wrote: Then again, i'm the guy that wants to build a stage rally car out of a 4-door Maverick.

Is that an unusual thought?

I've considered putting a Zetec into just about every rear wheel drive FoMoCo product I can think of. Why a zetec? I have one on the stand at the moment and a rwd trans ready to go. If I didn't already have it, my plans would be a Duratec.

Turbos for both, since I'm mostly day dreaming.

Short answer: What are you waiting for? I want to see the "'66 Mustang Duratec Build Thread".

Maroon92 wrote: Then again, i'm the guy that wants to build a stage rally car out of a 4-door Maverick.

Sounds good to me. I wanted to do the full AMG treatment to a 4 door Maverick, but utilizing a built 460 set back a little bit for better weight balance.

A rallye car sounds like a perfect use for one.

BTW, I always wanted to build a fastback '65-66 Mustang with a turbo 3 rotor Mazda engine, just to piss off the folks I didn't piss off by putting the Ford 302 in my RX7...

RossD wrote: I've considered putting a Zetec into just about every rear wheel drive FoMoCo product I can think of. Why a zetec? I have one on the stand at the moment and a rwd trans ready to go. If I didn't already have it, my plans would be a Duratec.

This is the only justification you need for wanting to put a Zetec in something else, you can make it look like a BDA My dream is a MkI Capri with this set up