Taking A 1970 Mustang From Pony To Stallion

(Tommy)>> You're watching Powernation.

(Tommy)>> American muscle, shinny red paint, and chrome wheels. What's on the docket for today? Well we're starting a new project. ♪ ♪ [ engines revving ] ♪ ♪

(Tommy)>> Hey guys, welcome to Detroit Muscle. I'm out and about behind the wheel of an old school muscle car enjoying a beautiful day. This ride I'm in is gonna be our next build and it's gonna be one heck of a doozy. A couple of years back we built an iconic Mopar, a '69 Dodge Charger. It was in pretty good shape but had long way to go. After a bit of cutting and welding we gave it a pure black paint job, and then dropped in one serious power plant, a Hellcat crate engine. This project started out as a restoration, then transformed into a timeless resto mod and in the end, well you know how it goes. Can't keep them all. So it sold across the auction block. ( )>> I think you might call that speechless.

(Tommy)>> That Charger was tough and I was sad to see it go but we had our eyes set on another ride, a '69 Camaro. This bowtie got the resto mod treatment with upgraded front and rear suspension, overdrive trans, and big brakes. The Engine Power guys hopped up our old small block with some power adding goodies for a final number of 391 horses, and to complete the package the interior needed some attention. So we added performance seats with that unmistakable hounds tooth. I'm pretty proud of these builds. We've taken iconic muscle cars and transformed them into modern machines. Upgraded the suspension. Given them power to compete with today's American muscle. So since we've tackled a Mopar with that Charger, a Chevy with that Camaro, it only seems fit that we complete the Detroit big three trifecta with a Ford Mustang. With our build we're not going down the path of a standard chalk mark style restoration but this car is a perfect canvas for us with our creation. ♪ ♪ Someone's already been tinkering with this thing and has added some aftermarket air conditioning, and been doing some work in the brake department. They've added power disc brakes, but we can do better. ♪ ♪ So as a conclusion. This ole car drives just like you would expect a 1970 car to drive like. Under the hood that 302's pretty peppy but doesn't have all that grunt that I like to have, and as far as handling, steering, braking, it's not the best. It's not the worst, still leaves a lot to be desired. And as for traction, well guess what? [ tires squealing ]

(Tommy)>> I can do a one wheel peel like nobody's business, but it's a lot cooler whenever we can leave two of them. So we've got a long road ahead of us but it's gonna be a sweet ride when we're done. ♪ ♪ You know it's an awesome feeling to have an old school ride sitting in your garage. Yet it can be a bit frustrating whenever they always seem to mark their territory if you will with drips, and dribbles, and even puddles in the floor. Often times those leaks can be repaired with just a little bit of effort. I have a power steering gearbox here that is commonly found on a vast array of different vehicles out there. Now that leak that I was telling you guys about, often times the origin of it is right here on this pitman arm shaft. Now what happens is this seal wears out and it just leaks like a sieve. The box itself may operate just fine but you just have to keep adding fluid. So you may want to check this out. Now to do this repair you'll also have to remove the pitman arm. It usually requires a puller but this one's off and we don't have to fool with it, and to do this repair you're gonna need a few other tools. Like a scrub brush and some cleaner to get the crud out of the way. That thing also has a snap ring that we're gonna have to remove. So a couple of picks and a set of pliers will help us wrestle it out. We're also gonna have to drill a couple of holes for these screws. I know that sounds a little odd but we'll get into that later. A small squirt of some cleaning juice and some quality time with a scrub brush helps expose that snap ring, and allows that washer to come off. Now it's time for us to make a couple of holes. What we're gonna do is drill through the seal and screw in those little screws. Once we get those in we should be able to pry that seal right out. I know this looks like a bad science experiment but those screws allow you to hook on to that seal and pull it out. This little thing was kicking my tail. Now we need to flip this over and take some of that cleaner and rinse out the inside, and there's a washer that should fall out. ♪ ♪ Now we've got one more seal under there. Hope it's not as difficult as that first one. ♪ ♪ Much easier! With everything all cleaned up we're pretty much ready to start reassembly. To solve our problem we went to RockAuto and picked up a steering gear pitman shaft seal kit. It comes with both the seals, a new snap ring, and a couple of washers. Reassembly is super easy. Just make sure that you get your seal placement in the correct order. Our box was leaking, so that's all we're fixing. If yours is in worse shape well RockAuto also has a rebuild kit or a complete rebuild unit. This repair takes less than an hour to do and somewhere around $10 bucks. So I'm just saying those quarts of fluid that you keep buying, well one of them would basically pay for this repair. Up next, with a little help from our buddies at EBC we decide the direction we're gonna go with this iconic piece of Detroit Muscle.

(Daniel)>> With our Mustang back in the shop it's time for us to figure out a plan of attack. Now we don't want to beat the car up because it's a really nice ride, but performance technology has come a long way since 1970.

(Tommy)>> With Mustangs there are numerous companies out there that offer components to take them to the next level, and with our blue oval we want this thing to be a complete package. So it's gonna be getting some loving from top to bottom, inside and out.

(Daniel)>> Under here's exactly what you'd expect to find. A small block Ford with all the old technology like a carburetor, v-belts, and so on. To bring this up to date we're going to the Coyote. With fuel injection and a supercharger it will have more than enough power along with the added benefits and conveniences of late model performance.

(Tommy)>> To compliment that power plant this thing's got to have a stick. This old slush box automatic and T-shifter has to go and you know why. Ripping through the gears and adding that third pedal is where it's at. Now we're also gonna have to address the upholstery in this thing. The seat that I'm in feels kinda like a glorified part bench. Adding some bolsters here in the seats, well that'll go a long way. Whether we decide to take this thing on the track or even stretch it out on the highway.

(Daniel)>> Another department in need of some major attention is the suspension. Now we aren't talking about just putting on bigger sway bars and stiffer bushings. This ole girl's getting some work done. I'm talking about alumi-frame front, quadralink rear, and coil overs on every corner, yeah buddy!

(Tommy)>> Now with the power we're gonna be making up under the hood and that trick suspension obvious we're gonna have to upgrade the brakes. So we're teaming up with EBC to complete the package on our resto-mod. A couple of years back we got the opportunity to visit jolly old England, and what we discovered is that those chaps from across the pond are car loving enthusiasts just like us here in the United States. They do love their exotics though. Lambos, Ferraris, and even an odd one in the bunch, but we were surprised to see so far from home some iconic Detroit Muscle, but it's not just the cars that we have in common with these Englishmen. It's the desire to go fast, and what better company to be in the center of it all than EBC Brakes. Located here in the US and in Northampton, England, EBC Brakes produces a vast array of brake pads and rotors. With over 5,000 products they have a solution for every moving vehicle, and I mean everything. Cars, trucks, s-u-v's, military vehicles, trains, and even brakes for wind turbines. The application for these brake pads are well developed. You've seen us talk about green stuff, yellow stuff, and red stuff brake pads with rotors to match. A lot of r&d goes into the formulas and materials, and how they're used in braking application. That research and development takes place in their center of excellence in Northampton, England. With full chemistry, friction development, and testing facilities EBC engineers are tasked with researching and testing new ingredients and production methods to make rotors and pads more consistent and a higher quality. Every batch of brake pads and rotors made at the EBC factories in England and here in the US goes through rigorous testing to ensure a perfect product leaves their factory. We've got our buddy James on the line. Big man how you doing?

(James)>> Hey Tommy, good to see you over there. How are you doing? Unfortunately I can't be with you today in person but I'm over here 3,000 or 4,000 miles away in Northampton, England, and I'm currently sitting in our center of excellence.

(Tommy)>> Well I know with our car we're setting the bar pretty high and I'm sure you guys have exactly what we need.

(James)>> Yeah well the first thing we're gonna do for you is actually I've just picked this one up from next door. It's our new six piston caliper. This is the back half of it as you can see made in the UK. It's all made here in Northampton, UK, and that's hot off the press and we're gonna send you some of the first ones available.

(Tommy)>> I know that's just part of the goodies that you guys have right?

(James)>> Exactly, the other thing is we've got a, you've seen them before. It's a heavy one this one. It's our fully floating brake rotor. It's got an aluminum sensor, which is machined about 15 yards away from me next door. All laser etched. It's a high carbon cast iron outer and it's fully floating. So any heat it all moves about together. It's a fantastic product. We sell thousands of these around the globe already and it's gonna be brilliant for that car. You're gonna have some amazing stopping power.

(Tommy)>> Now I know that's two of the parts. What about some brake pads?

(James)>> What we're gonna do is we're gonna give you some blue stuff pads because this car is gonna be used a little bit on track I believe, and it's gonna have some sort of fast road use. We'll also double up and we'll give you a spare set of brake pads. We've got our new compounds, RP-1 and RPX for full track use. So we're gonna give you a couple of sets of those. So we can try them on track. Hopefully I'll get to have a go in the car some time.

(Tommy)>> James you're welcome here anytime and after you showing off we've got a couple of things we want to show you. Now we're gonna have to take a quick break. Y'all don't run off. You're gonna like this!

(James)>> I can't wait Tommy, can't wait.

(Tommy)>> What's behind curtain number one? We reveal our design options for James next on Detroit Muscle.

(Tommy)>> Guys, James, welcome back. We're here in what we consider our center of excellence, the Powernation shop. Now up here on the wall I have several screens and it's got renderings of potentially what this Mustang can look like, and we've been dying to show you these to let you check them out.

(James)>> I'm really excited to see them Tommy. Let's go!

(Tommy)>> Behind door number one is this beauty. ♪ ♪ What do you think?

(James)>> Looking good! The color's amazing, nice subtle decals. I like the back in black. It sounds like an AC/DC album but it looks amazing. Chrome wheels super cool.

(Tommy)>> The treatment that we gave it was pretty subtle. Didn't want to get too crazy going right out of the box, and with this type of car it's kinda hard to mess them up. They're just beautiful as their selves.

(James)>> It makes you wonder why they don't make cars that shape these days. They look so good.

(Tommy)>> Well we've got two more options to check out. Let me show you them. What do you think about that one?

(James)>> That's brilliant Tommy, love it. Like you say it's a little bit more aggressive looking, particularly from the front end there. Light nice subtle decals again. It reminds me of a 1970's muscle car, fantastic.

(Tommy)>> Yeah the stripes coming down the side of it is similar to what a Boss car would have on it, and that's a timeless design. Compliments that car really well.

(James)>> Really nice, love it.

(Tommy)>> Now let me show you door number three. Here's the third one. What do you think?

(James)>> Another great one! Again a completely different personality. Loving the black roof. Love the alloys over here, they look amazing. Again it looks like a different car. All three look like different cars but they all look great.

(Tommy)>> This one gets the full black treatment across the top and the tail panel. It's a little bit more subtle but still an aggressive looking car. I like it.

(James)>> It's a good looking ride.

(Tommy)>> All three are somewhat different but I have to say number two is my favorite.

(James)>> Yeah I have to agree with you Tommy. I like the aggressive look, and if it's gonna pump out some serious b-h-p it needs to be a little bit aggressive.

(Tommy)>> Now I'm really excited of putting this car together. It's gonna be a killer ride whenever we're done, just like that new model we built with you guys just a while back.

(James)>> Exactly, what's gonna happen to this car then Tommy?

(Tommy)>> Well that's kind of your decision I believe.

(James)>> Well to be honest we've got to give it away again haven't we? We've got to do some sort of competition and give it away to someone.

(Tommy)>> Well I know I'd be sure proud to have this thing sitting in my driveway.

(James)>> So would I. To be fair we need to give it to one of your viewers. They would appreciate it just as much as we would I sure.

(Tommy)>> Absolutely! Well I can't wait to get started. I'm gonna go ahead and let you guys go. Talk to you soon.

(James)>> We can't wait to see the finished car Tommy but it's 6 p-m here now and we're off to the pub. See you soon. ♪ ♪

(Tommy)>> Enter to win the EBC Mustang online at Powernation TV dot com.

(Daniel)>> Coming up!

(Pat)>> What you think?

(Tommy)>> It's above my pay grade.

(Pat)>> Mine too!

(Daniel)>> We check out some of the goodies that will transform this old Mustang.

(Tommy)>> After giving James from EBC Brakes the lowdown on this Mustang and picking an aggressive design that had to live up to the muscle we'll be pumping into this pony car Daniel and I decided to take a little peek into the progress on our Coyote being built by our buddies in Engine Power.

Let's see where they're at.

(Pat)>> What's up fellas?

(Tommy)>> Coming down here to hang out for a minute.

(Pat)>> I like it.

(Daniel)>> Checking on progress.

(Pat)>> What do you think?

(Tommy)>> It's above my pay grade.

(Pat)>> Mine too! This is a fun one. So far so good. All the parts are going together nice. So we've got a lot of nice parts for it and you're gonna have a nice bullet.

(Tommy)>> Looks like it's missing this oven looking thing.

(Pat)>> Well if it was a rattlesnake it'd bite Daniel right now, and it's red just by happen stance and luck. Three liter Whipple, five liter engine, so it's gonna make some power.

(Tommy)>> I'm sure of that.

(Pat)>> We're gonna pulley it down to make the least amount of boost we can but you can only go so much right. So we're gonna keep it. I know you have a power goal.

(Tommy)>> Yeah we want to keep it user friendly in a way, and I'm gonna have to ride beside him and I don't trust his driving. So we've got to keep it a little lower than normal.

(Pat)>> Okay we're either gonna have to put a brick under the pedal. Actually we can make it make whatever we want. The nice part about having a good amount of control over the e-f-i system we can keep it calmed down. A lot of nice parts in this. Like I say it's got lockouts on the cam. So if want to degree the cams wherever we want, no hydraulic varying of that. We can actually just treat it like a real race engine and put everything where we want.

(Tommy)>> And just here before long this thing's gonna be all buttoned up and in there on the dyno right?

(Pat)>> Yes, obviously you can see where we are on it. Supercharger goes on, we have a couple of other do-dads that have to go on it, but it gets put on the pump and we're gonna have some fun with it.

(Tommy)>> Well I'm gonna get out of here. Daniel, I've got to get him back to work. So you can get back to work.

(Pat)>> We're close! Thanks for stopping down and next time you see it it's gonna be in there making some noise.

(Daniel)>> That's good! ♪ ♪

(Tommy)>> That gnarly Coyote that Engine Power's building for us is definitely gonna move this thing up the food chain. Earlier we mentioned to you guys about some trick parts that's gonna be going under our old ride, and by the looks of these goodies stretched out in the floor well it's easy to see that our EBC Mustang is gonna be one heck of a ride.

(Daniel)>> To build a solid foundation we're gonna be using Detroit Speed suspension that we ordered from Summit Racing. Now this setup will drastically improve the ride and handling of our old school muscle. This kit includes a high strength cast aluminum cradle, tubular upper and lower control arms, rack and pinion steering, quadra link rear suspension, and coil overs all the way around, making this thing drive like a dream.

(Tommy)>> Now let's talk about the transmission. From the beginning this thing had to have a stick in it. American Powertrain had the answer for us with the all new TKX from Tremec. This trans has everything you could ask for in a five speed. A strong design that is rated to handle 600 pound feet of torque. A stream line and rounded case to fit in tight spaces so that you don't have to modify your trans tunnel for the install. Multiple gear ratios and three shifter locations are just naming a few of the benefits. I can't wait to be behind the wheel running through the gears.

(Daniel)>> Yeah buddy me too. Now this build is gonna take a good bit of time to complete. So that means it's gonna have to be in the shop for a while, and using a high quality car cover like this form fit indoor custom car cover from CoverCraft has several benefits. It's made from a highly breathable material that will not trap heat or vapor under the cover, ♪ ♪ and inside is a fleece finish that will swaddle your pride and joy. ♪ ♪

(Tommy)>> This thing fits pretty nice.

(Daniel)>> It sure does.

(Tommy)>> Now if you guys would like to know more about our EBC Mustang or any of our other builds go to Powernation TV dot com and check out our project pages.

(Daniel)>> That's right, you can see current build status, before and after pics, links to parts we've used, and all the episodes right there on one page.

(Tommy)>> You ready to dive into this thing?

(Daniel)>> Yeah man I'm ready to drive it.

(Tommy)>> You gonna have to ride in the passengers seat.

(Daniel)>> I ain't riding, I'm driving.

(Tommy)>> You don't want to miss out on the chance to win this piece of American muscle when we're done with it. With a tough new design, top of the line suspension, and supercharged Coyote with powertrain to match you'd be proud to have this in your driveway. Remember Powernation TV dot com.