Dashpad How-ToI have a '65 convertible with a 289 and factory A/C that's in need of a new dashpad. I've searched for how-to articles and have come up empty. Is it a do-it-yourself job best left to the pros? All the Mustang catalog houses offer the pads, but the one I talked to had no idea of how to do the actual job. Any help would be appreciated.
I'm a new subscriber due to a recent Mustang purchase. I restored a '65 and '68 many years ago, and now at age 69, I'm back in it.Gene MealerVia the Internet
Welcome back to the hobby!The '65 dashpads are a straight-forward replacement item, and you should be able to easily handle the job yourself. The pad is basically held in place by the lower windshield moldings, the lower chrome moldings on each side of the dashpad, and two nuts above the radio area. The windshield moldings are retained with Phillips screws, and the chrome trim molding has snap-in retainer clips similar to those used on door panels. The two retaining nuts are removed from behind the dash with a 31/48-inch socket or wrench. Once all the fasteners are removed, the pad can be pried off and away from the dashboard. Effort may be required to remove a stubborn pad because some were partially glued from the factory, and years of sunlight can cause an old pad to shrink and stick in place.
The new pad may require minor trimming of the edges to be certain it's completely covered by the trim moldings. The holes for the windshield-molding screws are not in the new pad but are easily created with an awl once the moldings are in place. Locating the original screw holes in the car body is perhaps the most difficult part of the job and will require some patience. But what the heck-at our age, everything takes patience!
The 1965 Factory Shop Manual has a good illustration of the dashpad; I suggest you obtain a copy for this and future projects.
Which Fender?I'm trying to determine whether to purchase the Ford tooling fenders or the repro fenders for my '65 Mustang. Are the Ford tooling and reproduction fenders the same gauge as the original? I was planning on purchasing the Ford tooling fenders because I assumed they were a heavier gauge and a better fit. However, my local Mustang supplier has had good experience with the reproduction fenders and no experience with the Ford tooling fenders. Any insight would be appreciated.Pat ColemanVia the Internet
I find that reproduction body parts such as doors and fenders differ from the original parts, mainly in sharpness and detail of the body lines and edges. Some minor hammer and dolly work is usually necessary to flatten the area where the panel skin is folded onto its reinforcement. Panel edges may not be crisp enough to properly fit certain areas such as the headlight door to fender joint, requiring minor bodywork on the fender edge and body line to match precisely. Most of this work is minor and is considered part of the normal panel preparation by most professional autobody technicians, along with repairing typical dings and scratches.
The original tooling parts are obviously more expensive than their reproduced counterparts. However, the edges are better formed and detailed. They can be installed with less preparation time for proper fitment. I suggest you approach your individual autobody parts person to obtain their opinion and cost estimate before you choose either fender style. I find body shops that do some restoration work don't mind the extra effort necessary to fit the reproduction parts; body shops geared more towards collision work prefer the original tooling parts.
Five-Lug III have a '75 Mustang II hardtop with a 302. I want to switch to five-lug wheels and larger brakes. For the rear I want to use either an 8-inch from a '65-'66 Mustang or from a '67. I was told that the '67 is too long and might have to go with the earlier rearend. Is that true?
As for the fronts, I plan to order rotors from a company that offers them for street-rod conversions but use a Ford pattern. Is there someone out there who carries a spindle that can handle a larger brake caliper? I'm currently using '86 GT wheels front and back and want to switch to a vintage wheel. The car has about 56,000 miles on it and is in pretty good shape. I just want to change it up a bit.Tracey LehfeldGarden Grove, CA
Your information is correct. A '65-'66 Mustang rear axle is the same width as the axle in your Mustang II. The distance between the spring perches is also the same, therefore a '65-'66 axle will bolt directly into your hardtop. The '67-'70 Mustang axles also share the same spring-perch dimensions but will limit tire clearance inside the wheelwells. This holds true for both 8- and 9-inch rear-axle assemblies.
If your car is a factory-equipped V-8 unit, it should already have an 8-inch axle as standard equipment. If that's the case, then you can simply install '65-'66 five-lug axles and brake assemblies into your existing axle. Early axles along with the aftermarket front rotors will give you the five-lug bolt pattern on all four wheels. Larger front-caliper conversion kits come in many styles due to the popularity of Mustang II front-suspension use in street rods. I'd approach the same parts vendor for both the front rotors and brake assemblies.
Mustang IIs are becoming more popular every day. It's good to hear from a true fan. Good luck with your project.
Mounting SeatbeltsI'm currently restoring a standard-interior '65 coupe, which I got back from the body shop a couple of months ago. I tore the car down to begin the restoration about five years ago and don't remember pulling out rear seatbelts nor can I find them anywhere in my house. Where exactly do the rear belts mount? I've looked at my dad's '67 most of the time for help since the cars are similar, but I don't think this is one of those situations. Any help you can provide would be great.Andrew LoverudeVia the Internet
Your '65 coupe should have the rear seatbelt mounts in the same basic location as your dad's '67 Mustang. Almost all early cars came with seatbelt anchor plates installed at the factory, even though not all cars had factory-installed belts. Clean and scrape the area near the back seat and rocker panel area to be certain the holes haven't been filled with sealer. Use the '67 to get an idea of what areas to scrape. Occasionally, the anchors were not installed or perhaps a floorpan replacement or repair eliminated the bolt holes. New mounts can be utilized by simply drilling the rear-seat-to-floorpan area and installing anchor bolts with large, flat washers. The bolts and washers are available from any local auto parts store or a Mustang parts vendor.
Send your questions to: Beyond the Basics, c/o Bob Aliberto, P.O. Box 205, Salt Point, NY 12578. E-mail us at mustang.monthly@primedia.com.