Installed Harrie's Tower Brace Kit...Pictures...

[CobraSix]

Here it is. I finished it today without too much incident:

I had to grind out the holes some because there were a tad too small. I had to bend some of the plates so the rods could be level with the bolts. Other then that, pretty painless. Took about 3-4 hours total, and that ws doing some other stuff along the way.

Sorry for the dirty engine bay...I daily drive, even in the winter.

Tomorrow, my 480# 1" lowering springs, new poly spring perches...and now waiting on my front shock to come in. My old one (only 2 years old) broke because the spring perch had be binding up.

Slade

 

[Anonymous]

SWEET

 

[I66coupe]

How hard do you drive that car?

Looks like a lot of work. I thought my plan for an export brace and MonteCarlo bar was overkill. I guess not. Should hold things real steady now.

 

[CobraSix]

Rande,

A couple of things.

I have a vert, so my car came with extra bracing to begin with. I had to remove that bracing so I would have room for my Aussie head and intake. it wouldn't clear the vert bracing. But I wanted at least more bracing the the vert bracing. Here is picture of my old bracing.

Also, I'm a handling freak, so I want as much as I can get. Here is the plan for the rest of my handling:

Tubular Control arms
Flaming River Rack and Pinion Steering
Subframe connectors
Bigger sway bars.
480# lowering front springs
Grab-a-trak 4 leaf, mid-eye rear springs (lowers rear about 1")
Edelbrock Performer IAS shocks

The last three are done or are in the process of being done. See, I'm trying to get this thing handling like a modern car (or as close as I can get). Like I said, I'm a handling freak. I'll take handling over power anyday...though my aussie head will be nice, once I get it on.

That bracing system isn't really much more work then an export brace and monte carlo bar. All I added was two more pieces, everything else is very similiar to installing the export and carlo.

Slade

 

[I66coupe]

Slade, in the picture of the empty engine bay, are those long, front to back bars stock for a convertible?

 

[CobraSix]

Yeah, they started in the 65 model, most 64.5's don't have them actually. Even some of the 65 verts don't have them for some reason. They are there since the verts are missing a big part of the bracing, a roof.

Slade

 

[xctasy]

How bad is the scuttle shake in a six? An the ride?

I'd say the six would be much kinder on the chassis than a little V8, theres 100 punds less weight over the front, and a lighter diff.

Any brace from the spring towers will impart a vibration into the scuttle. The last of the Aussie Hardtops, the 351 powered XC Falcon Cobras, had a race pack which added brace bars, and it was a lot noiser, but the steering and handling were vastly better according to the drive reports magazine.

I'd rather have what you have there too.

How much extra channelled braceing did Ford use to stop the doors flying open?

Your really fortunate to have concrete and hot mix asphalt roads in America. Our Kiwi roads are a tar macadam derivative, and the average road roughness is 2 to three times the level of the the worst you have to offer.

(In Australia, despite a massive push in the last 10 years, the bump severity is enormous. GM's Aussie proving ground showed roughness levels 10 times the worst at the German or US proving grounds. You can imagine how long a little 64.5 Convertable 289 would last on one of the Aussie highways)

 

[Anonymous]

Nice Job!!!

Doug

 

[Asa]

did you ever get that second set of braces?

cause if you didn't... and if it fits a '67.......
wink wink, nudge nudge, know what i mean? say no more...

 

[Anonymous]

nice to see it is instald , and yes the holes are not the same , US and euro tread are not the same, so some times a little help is nessesery .btw i,m stil looking for the end caps , a shop who is selling them ,did already sell here in holland 3 sets of the tower setup and 4 complete disk setup,s and waiting for a rack and pinion set they would send me to make it fit to the escord rack [ podboy3 ] stil not arrive but the shipping wil take about 10 weeks.
did finely get the efi intake from fingers[ sending date 2/1/ 04 ] and make this 1 fit to a orginal log intake head !!! with turbo and intercooler .
finely got the parts, time to messering things and make things fitting !!

 

[addo]

Good to hear that manifold arrived. Who knows why it took so long? That's nuts. Hope it was what you were expecting.

Adam.

 

[ski4evr]

Cobra Six,

I have a 64 1/2 convertible and it does not have the additional braces. Why did ford add them later in 65?

 

[CobraSix]

Your really fortunate to have concrete and hot mix asphalt roads in America. Our Kiwi roads are a tar macadam derivative, and the average road roughness is 2 to three times the level of the the worst you have to offer.

(In Australia, despite a massive push in the last 10 years, the bump severity is enormous. GM's Aussie proving ground showed roughness levels 10 times the worst at the German or US proving grounds. You can imagine how long a little 64.5 Convertable 289 would last on one of the Aussie highways)

You've never seen the roads in massachusetts. Especially right after winter. I have to really watch the roads because there are potholes that will swallow cars out there. I mean pot holes 6-12 inches deep. Keeps it very interesting. The highways are usually fine, just the side roads.

ski, I guess ford figured out that the verts were flexing too much, even with the added front torque boxes, they are missing too much support.

Slade

 

[x21]

Looking good CobraSix. When will you get a chance to test out that set up? Or are you waiting to install the other handling parts first?

 

[CobraSix]

I can't test it until I get my front shocks. I had this happen:

It happened because my spring perch bound up and it ended up breaking the shock. I also removed my old springs because I had problems removeing my old shock tower brackets. So, when I get to test it, I'll have 480# 1" lower springs (vice my old shot ones) as well. But we'll see, I may have other stuff done before the stang sees the road again. I may have my rear springs done as well. Also, hope to have my aussie head on and done too. We'll see. Though if my shocks come in before my rear springs or my modified intake, I may take it for a spin to test out the new front suspension.

Slade

 

[Anonymous]

Looks great Slade, you should really feel the difference.

A couple of questions for Harrie.
First I should say I read the other post, glad your feeling better and hope all is well with the wife.
1.) Does the Monte Carlo portion of this setup adjust out the extra inch needed to fit a Falcon?
2.) I’ve been to your web site and seen the different kits available, Would you mind sharing the prices in U.S. dollars and approximate shipping costs. Maybe Jack could add your link to the Ford Six Shop.

 

[Anonymous]

A couple of questions for Harrie.
First I should say I read the other post, glad your feeling better and hope all is well with the wife.
1.) Does the Monte Carlo portion of this setup adjust out the extra inch needed to fit a Falcon?
2.) I’ve been to your web site and seen the different kits available, Would you mind sharing the prices in U.S. dollars and approximate shipping costs. Maybe Jack could add your link to the Ford Six Shop.

1:setup is adjustible for about 1 1/2 inh each rod [ 3 cm ] but can be more , you only wil see more tread comming out the rod and that is visseble .
2: there is a converter from us to euro , shipping a complete setup is about 20 € for the normal setup and 40€ for the full setup, ore without the nuts and bolts 20€ !!!

pakkage deals are here 20 € for 5 kilo 40 € for 10 kilo
and normaly arrive in 10 days ,

just did get my pakkage deals from jimbo [ thx] and they did arrive here in 10 days .
the setup for cobra was arrive but was holding back ore forgotten in costum clearance ?
now i now the wife is oke , and i,m of nursing here i will be have more time now for my projects , next thing is comming up is the suspension[ tcp replica ] and the escort rack and pinion bracket [ podboy did send me a rack to make a bracket fit for it ]
and ofcourse the crossflow efi intake

i wil gone attach this setup to a orginal log intake head ! D8 with the M/S computer with a turbo and intercoole [water intercooler ]
not easy but possible , wil be my summer project ,