Welcome to ‘Tang Talk, where you may find the answer to that one question you have been wondering about for some time. My goal is to provide information on Mustang upgrades which I have made to modernize my ‘Tang. For those of you trying to restore the ultimate authentic Mustang, these recommendations may not necessarily be for you, since sometimes to incorporate advances in technology, certain compromises with original equipment need to be made.

But first -- In the summer of 1969 I purchased a show room fresh candy apple red Mach 1, which I still own today. This was my first car and for obvious reasons it is very special to me. Up until the late 80s it was my "daily driver" and I was well into my second 100K miles on the car when it was generally restored to a weekend pleasure cruiser. Each year I have continued to make enhancements to make it more fun to drive, while still trying to maintain the orginal "period look." Assuming you are a fellow Mustang fan who likes to exercise your ‘Tang on a regular basis, you may want to consider some of the same "enhancements." Remember these are only suggestions and as the disclaimer saying goes "...your experiences with these upgrades may vary."

For comparison purposes my Mach 1 is a 351W, 4V, with a 4 speed manual transmission. It has front power disc brakes, power steering, headers, and non A/C. Also as previously indicated my ‘Tang is a 1969 model so the information presented below is really only applicable to ‘69s and in most cases ‘70s.



Upgrade to 17" Wheels

I’m sure everyone knows that the standard wheel size for Mach 1s was 14". Only the Boss and Shelby Mustangs had 15" Magnum 500 wheels which were considered at that time the "big wheel." Of course many Mach 1s have now been upgraded to the 15" Magnum wheel, which I also did several years ago. However, I also changed to a low profile tire, along with the new rims. Although this provided improved handling characteristics, from an appearance stand point, the tire didn’t "fill the wheel well" completely. Now that 17" Magnum 500 wheel have become available I elected to install this larger size. The new wheel maintains the "period correct" look and allows you to mount a truely high tech tire. It also "fills the wheel well" even with a low profile tire. Best of all, no additional body or other hardware modifications to your car are required. There is no rubbing anywhere. I should point out that less than a year ago I did replace the rear (leaf) springs with a new set (nothing upgraded, just new parts). This raised the rear of the car slightly to its original height and probably helps prevent contact between the tire and fenders.

Here are the details of the new wheels/tires combination:

• 17" x 8" (Magnum 500) -- Purchased from Mustangs Plus
• Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 tires, front:235/45ZR17, rear 245/45ZR17 -- Purchased from Tire Rack
• Don't forget to purchase chrome valve stems along with the center cap and chrome lug nuts for your wheels.

Exhaust System Upgrade

I first installed headers on my Mach 1 many years ago and ran the standard sized pipe (2") to dual mufflers with twin (rolled) exhaust tips. Recently I upgraded my exhaust system, starting with ceramic Hooker Headers and Flow Master Mufflers connected by a 2 1/4" pipe. Of course, you can go all the way to 2 1/2" if you want. Luckily I was also able to locate some great looking exhaust tips that have the "period correct" look but with a 2 1/2" inlet and twin 3" pipes (each side). These tips have"rolled ends" and have a slight angle cut, somewhat like the originals. Of course you will need to find a shop which will do a custom exhaust system installation, but the parts listed below fit extremely well on my ‘Tang. However, be aware the exhaust tips will require some amount of modification, but they can be made to fit. You will have the most problem on the driver's side where there is very little room between leaf spring and gas tank. Therefore, start on this side, and once you have the tip positioned, match the passenger side.Also be aware some amount of modification is needed to get the new exhaust tips through the rear cover below the bumper (the tips are 6" wide). Now before you say you are not going through all that trouble to install these new exhaust tips, consider the fact that the original (2") tips create essentially a choke point to an otherwise upgraded system. Even if your car doesn’t run better (which it probably will), it will definitely sound better and you will be glad you took the extra step every time you start the engine.

A special note to '70 owners: The original design "rectangle tip" for this year is currently available in a 2 1/2" inlet size. Unfortunately for'69 owners the twin tip design is currently available only in the 2"size.

Here are the details of exhaust system upgrade:

• Hooker ceramic headers HOK-6116-1HKR -- Purchased from Summit
• Flow Master mufflers FLO-942451 -- Purchased from Summit
• Copper collector and exhaust gaskets -- Purchased from Summit
• Chrome Exhaust tips IDRA212 -- Purchased from IMCO Performance

Three Point Seat Belt Upgrade I have to admit that when I first purchased my Mach 1, seat belt usage was purely optional. In hindsight their use was actually more important then than now - I’m sure some of you former street racers know what I mean. However, if you are like me, the habit of wearing a seat belt is now an essential part of driving. The original seat belt/shoulder belt design for ’69 Mustangs has two belts and two buckle clasps. The design was slightly improved in ’70 but you still have to deal with the separate shoulder belt. Also the storage for the shoulder belt is awkward and tends to droop along the top of the side window. The solution is to install an aftermarket three-point shoulder seat belt system. These systems install fairly easy with minimum modifications and do not distract from the car’s appearance. With the new shoulder belt, you have only one buckle to deal with and the belt retracts out of your way when it is released.

Here are the details of the three-point shoulder belt upgrade:

• I suggest contacting your regular supplier of Mustang parts and discuss what options they recommend for your Mustang model. I purchased my parts from K.A.R. Auto Group .
  Ask for Kevin.

Change-Over to Tach Dash Setup

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