$2500 upgrade budget what would you do?

Hello all, I recently joined the site but have been watching it since I bought my six. With all the ideas you folks have here I wanted to see what your thoughts would be on this. I have $2500 spendable from my tax return. This car is not a daily driver so I am going strickly for performance. The future does call for a complete bottom end rebuild but, for now I want some summer fun. My thoughts so far are DUI dizzy, two barrel carb w/ adapter and hedders. I just want to see if you folks can get me more bang for my buck. Thanks in advace and I'll be around to answer any questions.

Safety
Disc Brake Upgrade
http://www.discbrakeswap.com/Mustang%20 ... SWAP2.html

SWAP.2.1.4/M: 67-73 with manual brakes (6 or 8 cylinder, manual or power steering)
$525 + S&H

3 point seatbelts, yours is a '68 so it already has the threaded hole up behind the headliner for the top mount installation, mine cost $250

Performance
I don't know if I'd upgrade to a 2bbl if you aren't going to mount it direct.
Probably a 1100 Vaporizer roughly $450 with shipping
DUI $350 plus ignition wires $85
Product ID: FSP-200-DLH Long Tube Dual Outlet Header $245 and upgrade it with Sterling 2000 ceramic coating for another $100. And finally a header stud kit $50 and header gasket another $10.

That puts us around $2070 (plus shipping on that disc brake swap and the parts from classicinlines.com)

Then I'd use the remainder for any unforseen issues, like if you need to pay anybody to install parts, or the exhaust work to connect your new header to the rest of the exhaust system, or even the muffler upgrade.

If after these upgrades you still have some $$ left over I'd do the following
rear seat firewall (roughly $60)
or TankArmor (which would be my preference if I were spending your money $200 tankarmor.com)
And a set of subframe connectors (about $150)

-ron

love the car? wanna keep it for a decent amount of time? Yes?

Buy the CI head and have the full potential of any upgrade there on out.

Thank you both for the early replies. Coupeboy I was surprised by your safty first aproach and i looked into the brake mod which I'd love to do but it says my current wheels will not work so that would kill the whole budget. My drums are good and plan a brake job off the budget (wife doesn't need to know everything). As for three point belt good call but I love the lap belt havent had that kind of fredom since I had my bike. I got a real good engine guy that could rebuild the head for direct mount but was hoping to wait till I could go all the way with a multi carb set-up. As for the alum CI head I really love that also but I'm afriad to put it on a tierd bottom end. I do love this car and will keep it a long time. I have chosen to keep this a six and someday (sooner not later) it will out perform the 94gt 302 I had back when I was in the navy.

The bottom end on these sixes are pretty strong, Go for the aluminum head and all the good stuff with it (big valves and so on). Headers, duel exhaust, holly 500 cfm 2V or autolite 4100 4V and definitely the DUI. If the bottom starts to wear and burn oil or you loose compression you can always rebuild then. Then I would put in a hotter cam. Just my opinion.

A couple of photos to tease 8)
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc27 ... CN1736.jpg
http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc27 ... CN1737.jpg

see, i didn't recommend anything that requires engine work for a reason, you said you wanted to drive it (this year). Otherwise I'd have recommended 2x2bbl or the triples onto a reacement head, a newer style one with larger intake (flat) and factory hardened valves.

FWIW, the factory 3pt belts the shoulder strap and lap belt can be used independent of each other.

-ron

AxeSeth6":155pt0ty said:

Hello all, I recently joined the site but have been watching it since I bought my six. With all the ideas you folks have here I wanted to see what your thoughts would be on this. I have $2500 spendable from my tax return. This car is not a daily driver so I am going strickly for performance. The future does call for a complete bottom end rebuild but, for now I want some summer fun. My thoughts so far are DUI dizzy, two barrel carb w/ adapter and hedders. I just want to see if you folks can get me more bang for my buck. Thanks in advace and I'll be around to answer any questions.

Click to expand...

My list is similar to coupleboy:

-Ignition - either DSII or DUI
-Carb - new autolite 1100 or go with a 2bbl such as a Autolite 2100 or HW5200.
-If you are happy with your brake setup, and you want improved handling, I would invest in new steering setup and front suspension.
-Headers

You are on the right track for the engine mods. A 2 barrel carb, ignition system, and header are far and above the best things you can do for the engine.

However, I think that THE best place to get performance you can truley feel right away in these cars would be to install a T-5 transmission and a lower rear gear ratio, like a 3.73, etc. The low gear will give you immediate seat of the pants acceleration, while the overdrive trans still allows you to use it on the highway.

You might also want to check out this article:
http://www.classicinlines.com/HA1.asp

It shows the horsepower increase from various upgrades.

I still think that the most bang for the buck would be to start with a T-5 and rear gears though.

-Jim

1. DUI for sure best upgrade i have done

2. Brakes u gotta stop and it a plus when u know u can brake safely either a
disk brake swap or a dual master cylinder with booster for drums

3. 2BBl or 4BBl carb and headers

4. lap belt would be great they have sum at jegs or summit 3point style for $54.00 each

5. CI Aluminum head


try finding everything second hand in good condition of course safe you sum money

If you keep the stock drums go with premium shoes and get the drums drilled: http://www.chtopping.com/CustomRod4/

If you go the engine mod route or multi carb set, the cam should be changed.
Do you have a muanual trans?
The T-5 is a great upgrade.
Doug

The car is a manual three speed. So far the list looks like this.
1. DUI full kit 470
2. Long tube ceramic coat headers 345
3. Studs a gasket 60
4. Muffler system 400?
Total so far 1275
Looking into the vented brake thing. Any idea on cost?
And CoupeBoy a seperated three point sounds good, best of both worlds. I have a sponser for the belt though Aunt looking for something big to buy for my big 40 party, she loves safety and the mustang too. Now with a little over 1000 left we need intake and what elts? I might be able to find a head to upgrade so i can put it on when done. I do want to do the T-5 upgrade but dont think I have enough time or money to do it now.

I'd definately recommend a replacement head if you want to go multi-carb, less down time, more drive time. Another reason I never mentioned removing the head to modify it for direct mount because while you are in that far, you might as well upgrade the cam/lifters to something that can take advantage of the extra air movement. Then while you are at it, you might as well find a nice aluminum radiator (roughly $200 on ebay these days) but you will have to ensure it is designed for a i6, OR plan on spending the extra $ at a welding shop to have the inlet and outlets moved to where you need them.

Oh, one more thing, you should be able to find a machine shop that will turn down the snouts on the discbrakeswap.com rotors to fit inside your stock rims, and have the rotors redrilled for 4 lug. I thought at one time I read that discbrakeswap was offering the redrilling as a service..

My parts '68 mustang has factory 3pt seat belts, it's blue also) but my white '68 had lapbelts only and I upgraded to 3pt years ago.

As for drum drilling, I've never attempted it, but at somepoint I'd like to using the instructions over at tffn.net (The Ford Falcon News) Mr. David Thorne Smith has provided a written and pictorial guide per performing the mod yourself.
Drilling Drums

-ron

I had my drums drilled at CH topping a few years ago. Cost $75 at that time. Their semi-local so there was no shipping. Definite improvement.

As others have mentioned I would highly recommend improving the brakes. No matter how much horsepower you have or add, you have to stop!!

The Scarebird disc should work with your rims, but if you even slightly considering different rims, I would suggest going to a 5 lug.

Get the Ford Six Performance book, do your homework prior to any work. Have a long term goal. It's better to plan for the future than have to start over or redo.

One thing I would also consider is upgrading the alternator to a 3 wire GM 10si. Here's alink to a explanation. http://www.madelectrical.com/electricaltech/onewire-threewire.shtml. A great improvement over the stock alt. Brighter headlights and it seems to run better too.

Lastly, don't budget all the $2500 unless you have some extra $$ to add. Leave your self some money for all those unforeseen expenses. New bolts, paint, hoses, belts, etc... Those little things add up really quick.

Not sure about the prices but I'd go with the header, dual exhaust system, DUI, wires, vaporizer carb and 1.6 ratio rocker arms.

Maybe top it off with the finned valve cover?

Later,

Isnt it fun trying to find something to do to your car? My thoughts for you would be Ignition for sure,Exhaust,rear gears,carb.and start building a head (get a later model head to start on) with the remaining money you have and do the cam and lifters when you complete the head.That way the car wont ever be down long you will be able to drive it when u want and when you have the head and cam done you could have it back together over a weekend. Or get the CI head and go from there.If you want performance in the future I think thats the way to go! Have fun with it though.

I am currently putting my brothers 350 chevy engine back together he spent about $2600 to go from 250hp to 350hp, so I am going through a major bout of spring fever. I see how easy is is for him to get power. Some new 2.02 heads and he was pretty much done. We had the whole lower unit redone CR about 9.1-1. We bought our cars at the same time but he had a few $$ to start his rebiuld before me (his 68 camaro mine 68 mustang, father joined in a few months later with a 67 383 corenet) so you folks can see what I'm up against. I started to work some over time so I can up my budget hopefully. My plan is to not let the inline 6 crowd down. Also someone mentioned the falcon 6 book. That was the first thing I bought after the mustang. I have read it front to back and cant wait to put there thoughts to good use also.

Also a lot of you suggested the different brake upgrades, I am currently trying to talk both of them into at least drilling their drums, as niether seem interested in going to disks.

Well poo, if you want to go that much faster, you need to turbo charge your six. I bet with some creative purchasing you could be pushing 300ponies fairly easily... are you ready to perform the rearend swap at the same time because you would definately need it.

Check with Will (Does10's) at one time he was going to be making turbo headers for sale through ClassicInlines.com, then pick yourself up a T3/T4 hybrid, a MSD with boost referenced timing, direct mount a 2bbl to a flat top log and start burning down some tires. You may not need to go to 350 ponies as your motor will weigh less then theirs and I'm sure your '68 Mustang weighs way less that that Coronet..

-ron