When Mustangs were rolling off assembly lines decades ago, there was no such thing as a factory installed coolant recovery system short of the expansion tanks in full-size Fords. For Mustangs, coolant forced out by engine heat dribbled onto the pavement and you added more as necessary.
If you're like most of us, you want improvements that contribute to your driving pleasure but you also want to maintain an original underhood appearance. How do you save coolant yet keep the original looks? You have two options. Install a catch system no one can see or opt for something in plain sight that looks tasteful or factory installed.
At Summit Racing Equipment, we discovered that Canton Racing Products and Be Cool have quite an array of aluminum coolant recovery tanks for classic Mustangs, including some you may not have thought about. They can be installed in plain sight or hidden where all anyone sees is an overflow hose. It looks stock and no one knows it's there but you. You can also use a windshield washer reservoir, available from Mustangs Plus, or a late-model coolant recovery tank offered by Latemodel Restoration Supply.
Sometimes the best stealth mod is the one hidden in plain sight. When you can make it look factory installed, you're ahead of the game with a functional modification that will serve you well. You can also place it completely out of sight in a fender well where you have easy access.
Canton expansion tanks do not include filler caps. While we'd like to see cool billet caps for these tanks, the Canton expansion tanks call for the use of a stock Ford plastic cap, available from Summit Racing Equipment.
The Stant #431-10236 plastic...
The Stant #431-10236 plastic filler cap for late-model Mustang recovery tanks is designed to fit the Canton aluminum tank.
Here's another option-- the...
Here's another option-- the Stant #431-10250 reservoir cap.
1 The Mr. Gasket coolant...
1 The Mr. Gasket coolant recovery tank (#9130G) is easy to install in plain sight yet is quite invisible. Priced at $65.95, it's an attractive quick fix for the drip-drip-drip of coolant recovery. Our only concern about this system is tube size, which is smaller than radiator overflow tubes. The manufacturers need to enlarge tube size to 5/16- or 3/8-inch for hose size compatibility and flow volume.
2 The nice thing about the...
2 The nice thing about the Mr. Gasket coolant recovery tube is its ease of installation just about anywhere. Here, it is attached to the radiator and doesn't take up much space.
3 You can powdercoat the...
3 You can powdercoat the Mr. Gasket coolant recovery tube in satin black and it virtually disappears, which makes this a good affordable option. In satin black, it vanishes into your radiator and fan shroud.
4 The '67-'68 Mustang blow-molded...
4 The '67-'68 Mustang blow-molded windshield washer reservoir makes a great coolant recovery tank because it looks like it's supposed to be there. You can place it alongside an existing windshield washer reservoir or hide it out of sight in a forward wheelwell.
5 This aftermarket coolant...
5 This aftermarket coolant recovery reservoir is available from just about any auto parts store. You can install it in plain sight or inside a wheel well as long as you have access for both inspection and servicing.
6 This is the Canton #80-230...
6 This is the Canton #80-230 aluminum expansion tank for '87-'93 Mustangs, priced at $112.95. However, you can apply this recovery tank to a classic Mustang. You will need some fabrication skills to achieve fit, which means you will need to fabricate your own brackets. We like the sight tube, which enables you to keep an eye on coolant level.
7a Here are a couple of suggestions...
7a Here are a couple of suggestions for mounting the Canton #80-230 tank on a '65-'66 Mustang. Locations become more limited for '67-'78. In either case, it can be attached to the radiator...
7b ...although you will need...
7b...although you will need to have brackets fabricated and welded to the Canton tank, which can be performed by any radiator shop. However, you can also take a strip of aluminum stock and bolt this tank to your radiator depending upon the radiator and shroud.
8 On a lark, we decided to...
8 On a lark, we decided to look at the Canton #80-231 '94-'04 Mustang expansion tank ($158.95) to see if it could be applied to a classic Mustang. As with #80-230, this tank works quite well depending on how far you want to go. It fits the '67-'70 Mustang fan shroud and can be attached to the 24-inch radiator if you have fabrication skills or access to a radiator shop. We like Canton's close attention to product quality and a cool sight tube to check coolant level at a glance.
9 We decided to try a couple...
9 We decided to try a couple of Be Cool tanks to see how they could be applied to a classic Mustang. This is the vertical Be Cool #70050 catch can, which is designed for a radiator pressure cap. Price is $299.95.
10 Here's what you can do...
10 Here's what you can do with the #70050 catch can. All you have to do is drill a couple of 1/4-inch holes and hang this reservoir as shown behind the left headlight inside the fender.
11 Here's another approach...
11 Here's another approach to the Be Cool #70050 catch can, although it's quite visible. Powdercoat or paint this piece satin black and it becomes less obvious.
12 Of all our options, we...
12 Of all our options, we like this one best for a stealthy modification--the Be Cool #70053 catch can with a horizontal theme. It's compact and fits neatly just about anywhere. Price is $299.95.
13 Were missing the splashguard...
13 Were missing the splashguard on this Mustang undergoing a restoration, however our objective is clear. The Be Cool #70053 tank is accessible yet hidden out of sight. Powdercoat, paint, or coat this catch can with urethane undercoat and you have a super stealthy coolant recovery system no one can see.
14 Be Cool offers a nice...
14 Be Cool offers a nice line-up of radiator caps for its catch cans. You can also use an off-the-shelf Stant cap to achieve the same result.