The 69 Mustang build

[Ackbar00]

New here to the 6G forums and wanted to show off my 1969 Mustang Coupe. I have had this car about 5 years and was a complete basket case when I first got it. I have done some build threads on SVT Performance.


Here are the other threads I had on the progress of the car over the years.
https://www.svtperformance.com/threads/finally-back-in-a-mustang-a-69.1109017/
https://www.svtperformance.com/threads/the-69-mustang-2018-edition.1160707/
https://www.svtperformance.com/threads/the-69-mustang-it-better-run-this-year.1173431/
https://www.svtperformance.com/threads/the-69-mustang-saga-2020.1182870/#post-16443164

But for this post, I am going to do a bit of an "abbreviated" post of where the car started after I got it, and what I have transformed it into. So here we go.

Been wanting to get back into a Mustang every since the turbo car and the Mach 1 went away. Well, I bought a 1969! 302 auto Coupe. Has it shares of issues for sure, but under the car was very solid. Pretty much looks like an 8 year old painted it and worked on just about anything, but a lot of these issues, I can fix pretty cheap and easily and make it into my own. Kind of crazy all the thumbs up and people asking to take pics of the car. Its really not that nice, Id call it fair.

So here it is the day I picked it up:


Yes, those are John Deer tractor headlights in the middle. And they were the ONLY lights that worked....




Yeah.....




Car only died twice driving it three hours home from Cleveland. No gauges worked, had a spark plug wire wrapped around the steering shaft, leaked one of every fluid, the seat inners were busted, dry rotted tires. It was a mess. I got real starry eyed getting it, I had always wanted a 69 Mustang and it was the only one that was running and driving that I could afford. The shear magnitude of the work that was ahead of me was unknow at this point.


Over the next few weeks, I managed to start tearing the car apart and getting things back to a sense of normal. The carpet was in good shape, so I kept that. I ripped out all of the crushed blue velvet out and painted everything black that already wasn't.

no wonder the hood wouldn't close properly...


This is what was holding the front end together.


I guess they couldn't figure out how to install it properly, so they just drilled some holes????


Put in some cheap Autozone 3 gauges and some LEDS in the Cluster so it wasn't a black hole driving at night





The main reason i kept the car. Look how clean them floor boards are!


Gaudy horse gone


Door panels and beltlines replaced



Ended up putting some 2004 Tan seats in because I got the front and rears for less than 100$



Even made the rears fold down



Had to replace some fuses and trace out a lot of the factory wiring. Much of it was missing. Also had to put in the correct stock lights and eventually got the all the correct trim pieces





New Taillights and LED everything. It later got upgraded to a Sequential setup.

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[Ackbar00]

So around the end of the first year of ownership, I was still fighting issues of the car dying. Found my fuel filter filled with rust. CJ Pony parts had a sale and I replaced the entire fuel system for $200





Next up, I couldn't find any armrest for a price I liked, so I got these off of a Santa Fe. Still have it the same way today:



Next up was the suspension. Man, it drove something awful. made sense, considering everything was wiped. New shocks, lowering springs, struts, A Arms, ball joints, Sub frame connectors. You name it.





This one was fun. The front bumper was held in by these 2 bars and 2 bolts. They were bent as well. And for some reason, they tack welded them to the car! Cut off wheel and some new parts later, the bumper was finally secured.





The side mirrors. They had some broke ass EBays on them, and they drilled the crap out of the door. I didn't want to spend the money at the time, but the Mach 1 mirrors really do look good on it.



Finally had the front end lights all working again:



Next up was the wheels. Scored a set of 2004 Mach 1 wheels. After extensive cleaning and some new tires, i ran it like this for several years.

 

[Ackbar00]

By 2018, the stock motor and FMX were tired. Like, not even doing a burnout tired. So now was the time to attack the driveline.
Here is the setup:
Stock 1990 Mustang 302
Edelbrock Heads and intake
FMS "B" Cam
MSD Dizzy and 6AL Ignition
Holley 650
Carter M60454 Mechanical Fuel Pump
ARP everything
New gasket everything
Flowtech headers
T5 setup


I had purchased my 90 dropout with an AOD and was going to use it, but really didn't want to use it. I had considered switching to a 4R70W, but ended up converting the car to a manual.

Last look at the stock setup:




Got it all pulled and repainted the engine bay. Moved the battery to the trunk and rewired a lot of things. Converted to a 3G alternator.










Got the 3rd pedal added and some new covers
https://www.srpracing.com/







1990 motor going together


And ready to drop in



Getting the Fox Body pump to work with the 69's Power steering sucked btw, lol



And mostly together



In its current form as of today



And a new Magnaflow X Pipe exhaust to top it off



Had to change the emblems

 

[Ackbar00]

So now into 2019.....

First thing I did, was score a great deal on some black leather seats. Rears are from an 04, but the front are from an 05 Mustang. They were a bit more tricky to fit the 69 rails, but with spacers and a drill anything is possible.

WAAAAAAY nicer than the 2004 Tan seats I had in it.






Next up was back to the front of the car. The headlights, I already I knew i wanted to do an LED upgrade. I had seen seen it done at car shows and loved it. Plus, something was wrong with my headlight harness I made a few years ago and needed to update it.
These are the headlights I went with. Was debating on getting ones with halo rings (afraid they be to rice). But saw some others so figured, WTH. Plus, at $100 shipped...
LOVE THEM!












Early 2020
The gauge cluster...... Since I have owned the car, not a single gauge has worked. I had some basic eBay gauges in it at this point, but they look kind of jank. I had plans to put something in it as I was not interested in restoring the old gauges. Everything I looked at was from 800-1000$. Kind of a hard pill for me to swallow.
Was cruising around Ebay and saw the Intellitronix brand was on sale for $400 with a GPS receiver. Now, this is not my first choice, but its made in Ohio and its only $400 to have a full set of working gauges. I couldn't pass it up.







Time for wheels again.

I was getting a little bored with the Mach 1 wheels and was looking for something drastic. Something no one else had done. Well, the SVE series 3 in bronze was it. I originally was going to get them in black, but took the risk and got the bronze. Oh my, so glad I did!




















Car has come a long way by this point from when I first got it. Last few things I have done to the car was to put a new Quick Performance custom 9" in it built around the rims and to lower it more in the rear. New Mid Eye Leaf Springs and added some Caltracs.







Converted the car to 4 wheel disc brakes






Also, the Magnaflow had a bit of drone in it, so put some resonators on it.





Took the car to the track a few times this year. With the new 9" rear end and 4.00 gear. Ran a best of a 13.07@105.





What's next?

I got a Viking coilover kit to bring the front down to match the rear.

Replace the master cylinder with one from a Windstar for the 4 wheel disc.

And finally get a new Driveshaft. It has a bit of a vibration and the local shop cant seem to weld or figure it out. So just going to order a new custom one.



That's it for now. Thanks for checking it out.

 

[fmc_smt]

When's the coyote conversion happening?

 

[80FoxCoupe]

No coyote?

 

[Ackbar00]

MAJOR work to make that happen. Pretty much have to cut out the shock towers and convert it to a Mustang 2 suspension. Would cost as much as a Coyote conversion. Car is not that nice, lol.

I was looking for a 351 but the 1990 302 was only 200$ and that came with an AOD that I sold for $100. Kind of made the decision for me.

 

[Boston23]

Well documented and impressive work.

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