Ford reintroduces the 1965 Mustang

[CAP1]

My Mom's maiden name was Ford.

 betty? 

[icepac]

Front sway bars have floating ends, on Fords, so they will almost always bolt up, if the wheel track is about the same between the cars.  Try the control arms, idler arm, or front spindles.  There is no way those would work.

I worked at Ford for a number of years, in the parts department.  I have a pretty good handle on what will swap with what.

The granada was built with a stretched Maverick platform.

I had both on a lift and most every suspension part measurement was identical.

Both the granada and the fairlane had 5 lugs as well.

[CAP1]

later granadas were fox chassis. early granadas were still different than a 66 fairlane, which was different than a maverick.

[Skuzzy]

The Maverick/Comet is a different generation (1970 - 1977) than a 1968 Fairlane.  The 1970 model Fairlane (last year model for it, not many were made) was built on the same platform as the first generation Maverick/Comet/Granada would be.

The Granada came out in 1975 and used the same 1970 platform as the Maverick/Comet/Fairlane with some alterations to the attached mechanical bits (different rear end: first year for the aluminum housing, upper control arms...).  In 1977 Ford switched to the Fox chassis, which is very different.

Drum Brakes (see note)(depends on the car as six cylinder cars had different brakes than a V-8 version would have, master cylinders were also different simply due to the f/r ratios althought mechanically they would swap) and steering box would have been the same (actually there were different internal steering ratios,...but mechanically they would swap out) for all of them.

NOTE:  Granada's never came with front drum brakes.  You would have had to migrate the entire from spindle assembly, tie rod ends, drag link, idler/pitman arm from the Granada to the 68 Fairlane.  You would also need to replace the master cylinder as well.  You could use the Granada one, but it was a power brake unit, so you would need to deal with the vacuum line (no biggy).  The real problem is the ESS you took parts from had rear disc brakes as well which means the proportionging valve setup is wrong for a car with from disc and rear drums, so you would need an external proportioning valve if you wanted the brakes to work well together.  With the Granada master cylinder you would have been locking up the rear drums in the Fairlane.  You would also have to fabricate brakes lines as the fitting sizes between the calipers and drum wheel cylinders are different.  The master cylinder fitting is also a different size.

Not saying it was not possible, but it cannot been as easy as you made it sound either.

[CAP1]

The Maverick/Comet is a different generation (1970 - 1977) than a 1968 Fairlane.  The 1970 model Fairlane (last year model for it, not many were made) was built on the same platform as the first generation Maverick/Comet/Granada would be.

The Granada came out in 1975 and used the same 1970 platform as the Maverick/Comet/Fairlane with some alterations to the attached mechanical bits (different rear end: first year for the aluminum housing, upper control arms...).  In 1977 Ford switched to the Fox chassis, which is very different.

Drum Brakes (see note)(depends on the car as six cylinder cars had different brakes than a V-8 version would have, master cylinders were also different simply due to the f/r ratios althought mechanically they would swap) and steering box would have been the same (actually there were different internal steering ratios,...but mechanically they would swap out) for all of them.

NOTE:  Granada's never came with front drum brakes.  You would have had to migrate the entire from spindle assembly, tie rod ends, drag link, idler/pitman arm from the Granada to the 68 Fairlane.  You would also need to replace the master cylinder as well.  You could use the Granada one, but it was a power brake unit, so you would need to deal with the vacuum line (no biggy).  The real problem is the ESS you took parts from had rear disc brakes as well which means the proportionging valve setup is wrong for a car with from disc and rear drums, so you would need an external proportioning valve if you wanted the brakes to work well together.  With the Granada master cylinder you would have been locking up the rear drums in the Fairlane.  You would also have to fabricate brakes lines as the fitting sizes between the calipers and drum wheel cylinders are different.  The master cylinder fitting is also a different size.

Not saying it was not possible, but it cannot been as easy as you made it sound either.

 i believe he was trying to say it was a direct swap.

 hell.....even putting the 5.0 liter, 5 speed from my 89gt(fox chassis) into my 78 fairmont futura(fox chassis) wasn't that easy. it was, however VERY fun.

[rpm]

oh yeah  forgot that part   My Fairlane was like that. I hate unibodies. I can see paying 10 but i dont know about 15. It does look like all steel though...............

It's the same price as a 67 Camaro body. $15K is the going rate.

[icepac]

mooolti post?

[icepac]

The Maverick/Comet is a different generation (1970 - 1977) than a 1968 Fairlane.  The 1970 model Fairlane (last year model for it, not many were made) was built on the same platform as the first generation Maverick/Comet/Granada would be.

The Granada came out in 1975 and used the same 1970 platform as the Maverick/Comet/Fairlane with some alterations to the attached mechanical bits (different rear end: first year for the aluminum housing, upper control arms...).  In 1977 Ford switched to the Fox chassis, which is very different.

Drum Brakes (see note)(depends on the car as six cylinder cars had different brakes than a V-8 version would have, master cylinders were also different simply due to the f/r ratios althought mechanically they would swap) and steering box would have been the same (actually there were different internal steering ratios,...but mechanically they would swap out) for all of them.

NOTE:  Granada's never came with front drum brakes.  You would have had to migrate the entire from spindle assembly, tie rod ends, drag link, idler/pitman arm from the Granada to the 68 Fairlane.  You would also need to replace the master cylinder as well.  You could use the Granada one, but it was a power brake unit, so you would need to deal with the vacuum line (no biggy).  The real problem is the ESS you took parts from had rear disc brakes as well which means the proportionging valve setup is wrong for a car with from disc and rear drums, so you would need an external proportioning valve if you wanted the brakes to work well together.  With the Granada master cylinder you would have been locking up the rear drums in the Fairlane.  You would also have to fabricate brakes lines as the fitting sizes between the calipers and drum wheel cylinders are different.  The master cylinder fitting is also a different size.

Not saying it was not possible, but it cannot been as easy as you made it sound either.

What you see as impossible or improbable is only a small amount of extra labor and research to me and I've been doing it non-stop since 1978.

The fox body granada showed up in 1980.

The donor granada I used was a 4 door and it was not a fox body.

I sourced most of the brake lines from the ess granada and I don't remember it having rear disc brakes though being a 4 door might have had something to do with that.

I did not change anything on the rear end other than the rear cylinders which were bought new and I believe they had the same bore on both cars.

I pulled parts from several cars at the junkyard as I still do today when I swap engines into cars they were designed for.

The parts swapped were bolt-in except for slight differences in brake line routing but I still used the granada brake parts, power steering box (3 turns lock to lock replacing the fairlanes 6 turns), and sway bars......and they all bolted up.

There was no need to swap the entire suspension for the sake of swapping it so only what was improved by later production date got swapped in.

Most of the stuff I used was from the ess granada but not all of it.

Everything I sourced from the ess version granada bolted in.......why?......because I did my research before opening my wallet.

I finished fixing that cobra's built 347 but I still think it's a low quality kit...........count the lugs.

Before you finalize your cobra's configuration, definately take shifter location and angle into serious consideration as most I have driven are horrible.

This one had a tremec.

[CAP1]

HOLY MULTI-POST BATMAN. 

[Skuzzy]

There is no way you could have migrated the disc rotors from the Granada without the spindles, which are not "brake parts" but part of the suspension.  Once you did that you also had to migrate the drag link, idler arm, pitman arm, and tie rod ends as the tie rod ends for the Granada used a larger bolt end than the Fairlane did, and the drag link from the Fairlane could not have accepted the tie rod end from the Granada.

The Fox chassis for the Granada was first used in 1977 for the 1978 model year, not 1980.  The 75-77 Granadas used the old Maverick/Comet platform from 1970 and onward.  Most people assume the Fox chassis was first used in 1980 as that was the year the Granada was redesigned.  It is a common misconception.  The original Granada was designed to use the new Fox chassis, but the chassis was delayed due to various issues.


The heartburn I am having is you say you did not swap out any suspension pieces but did the brakes.  There is no way you could use the Fairlane spindle (last time I checked the spindle was a suspension component) with the Granada disc brake rotors.  Once you swap the spindle, you had to do the rest of the steering bits, unless you had some exotic machine work done to existing bits.

I am not saying you did not do it, I am just saying there had to be more to simply moving the disc brakes from the Granada to a drum brake equipped Fairlane.


As far as my shift handle on my Cobra goes, it is going to be placed where it fits me best, so I can rest my elbow on a pad on the tunnel keeping my forearm perpendiclur to the tunnel without extending my shoulder for shifts.  To do that I will use the forward shifter location in the T56 Magnum.

[CAP1]

while i like the fact that they are making bodies available for these cars, i think with my current situation(timewise) i'd much rather go with something like this for that kind of money.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ford-Mustang-?cmd=ViewItem&_trkparms=algo%3DPI.WATCH%26otn%3D8%26po%3DLCA%26ps%3D63%26clkid%3D3961833335188284987&_trksid=p5197.m1374&item=190594271374

[Skuzzy]

The price really does not seem that bad to me.  When you consider it costs around $45,000.00 to get a Cobra kit car rolling, I think $15,000 for a new steel body is pretty sweet.

[CAP1]

The price really does not seem that bad to me.  When you consider it costs around $45,000.00 to get a Cobra kit car rolling, I think $15,000 for a new steel body is pretty sweet.

 i fully agree with ya. my problem is that i'm working 6 days a week, anywhere from 8 hours(yeaaaaaa right!!) till whenever i run outta work. i wouldn't have the time to put her together........although thinking about it, i could've used the money i'm spending on my gt, and bought a decent cobra kit, and had a SWEET ride. but then there's that time thing again. the time lords are conspiring against me. 

[Shuffler]

The price really does not seem that bad to me.  When you consider it costs around $45,000.00 to get a Cobra kit car rolling, I think $15,000 for a new steel body is pretty sweet.

From the cobra guys I have talked to they usually say around $60k. In any case it's time & money.

[Skuzzy]

From the cobra guys I have talked to they usually say around $60k. In any case it's time & money.

Oh, you can spend as much as you want.  How fast do you want to go?  The average Cobra rolls for around $45K to $50K.  I know one guy who rolled his for under $30K.  I know another one who has $110K in his.  It runs the gamut.

I'll spend less as I will not have the $8,000 to $12,000 in paint most have due to me being my own painter.  I have most of a machine shop as well, so parts fabrication will come cheaper too.  My single largest expense, outside of the kit itself, will be the engine.  I figure to have about $15K in the engine when it is all done.