65 Fairlane pro-touring build

[Vic1947]

Originally Posted by 62c30

Just seeing if anything was going on here, I'm looking for motivation to work on my Fairlane.

There hasn't been much happening with the Fairlane since my last post. Not sure if I mentioned it earlier but there's a '70 GTO occupying one of the spaces in my shop. I agreed to help a friend put a turbo on it and it's been keeping me tied to the whipping post. When it arrived, it had no engine or trans in it and no kit or anything for the turbo, so all that had to be done. Lots of decisions along the way. It's nearing completion, so I've started sneaking a few hours here and there on my project.

Originally Posted by SCOTI

I was hoping for an update as well....

Alrighty then - see below.

Originally Posted by MP&C

Vic, one of the factory defects common to the 65 is the passenger cowl fit to the top of the fender (before you get too far along) We also repaired trunk seal channel, drip rail, sail panels, etc. Have a gander through here, it may give some insight into other trouble spots to check out.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...e-build.86935/

Thanks for the tips! I figure all those areas will need some TLC. The NOS RF fender I bought will need work for sure. It has some shipping damage right around where it meets the cowl.

OK - a few new things to mention. First of all, I bought a direct fit shifter from Forma Cars for the MT82 six speed that's mated to the Coyote engine. Seems to be a really nice piece. It feels very solid and has a nice short throw. From what I've read, one of the main complaints Mustang owners have about that trans is the shift quality. So this should be a huge improvement.

I've also started the TCI front cross member installation. I can tell already I'll need to do some extra patching on the frame rail before the kit pieces can be attached. I've posted a shot of both sides to show how much room this mod creates. Hopefully, it's enough for that big, wide DOHC engine.

Once Andrew gets the GTO back to his garage, I should be able to post more often.