The bleeding edge of the restomod movement is the Mustang II front suspension. That is, unless you own a Mustang II. If that's the case, you can sit back and shake your head at the rest of us who are just now "getting it." The II suspension offers a better ride and handling when welded into a vintage Ford chassis. We've driven a '66 Mustang as well as a '64 Fairlane and Comet, all wearing the newest craze in the suspension market, and we have to say they do indeed handle better and respond quicker than stock.
Heidt's Rod Shop of Wauconda, Illinois, has been a longtime supplier of II suspensions to the street rod market. As the Ford restomod movement grew, the boundary of acceptable changes did too. Thus, the Mustang II front end began to be seen more and more. Now, we are amazed by the whacked shock towers, but on the whole we're not offended by them. Times, they are a-changing.
When Merv and Pat Rego of Classic Creations of Central Florida (CCCF) decided to do something wild-such as a Sedan Delivery '66 Mustang packing a 460 V-8-they needed lots of engine-bay room. So a call was placed to Heidt's and we snapped shots of the progress.
What's It Cost?
Heidt's Mustang II front end with manual rack and brakes $1,929Labor (welding, suspension removal, install of Mustang II suspension) $1,200
Merv's '66 was a bit rusty,...
Merv's '66 was a bit rusty, so he elected to have new stuff installed by Danny, CCCF's metal-fab wizard. It's best to start "clean and fresh" where your front-end components are concerned-though the route that Merv took is not always necessary. CCCF took the nose completely off the Mustang and started with all-new Ford metal. This is no job for an amateur! Note that the fenders are on the car now to ensure that the front section is correct before welding in the Heidt's front end.
The Heidt's front suspension...
The Heidt's front suspension comes complete with detailed instructions for installation. Note that this is not a bolt-in job. It will require some skill with a welder as well as floor space for the car to sit. Make sure the front end is stable and level with jackstands.
Measure twice, cut once. The...
Measure twice, cut once. The instructions are very detailed on measurements. Even so, the II front suspension does give you some wiggle room for alignment. We still say that you should measure, measure, measure, then make your cuts. This measurement is for the centerline of the framerail spring pocket.
Danny measures the provided...
Danny measures the provided framerail pocket for the centerline, then he marks it. Setting the rail section on the upper rail makes it easier to work with. Danny uses a Sharpie(r) to mark the pocket area on the lower framerail.
Note that there is now a semicircle...
Note that there is now a semicircle in the lower framerail that shows how deep the rail needs to be cut for the spring pocket.
Using a Sawzall(r) to open...
Using a Sawzall(r) to open up the rail for the pocket, we found some-OK, a lot-of debris in the rail. This is not unusual for a car that has sat outside, particularly in a rural area where field mice can access the framerails. Danny did clean out the mess.
Using a side grinder, Danny...
Using a side grinder, Danny carves out the framerail to the marker line for the Heidt's rail pieces to fit correctly. Make sure you always wear eye protection-at the very least-when doing this kind of work.
We recommend test fitting...
We recommend test fitting everything at all stages of the job. Here, Danny test fits the outer Mustang II framerail for a good fit.
Once the area of the original...
Once the area of the original framerail is whittled out, Danny clamps the new piece in place and checks the fit again. Note how beefy the Heidt's frame section is.
Clamps are applied to the...
Clamps are applied to the top, bottom, and sides of the framerail in order to assure that all pieces are snug and to promote strong welds.
After the frame sections are...
After the frame sections are welded in place, set the crossmember. Once again, take copious measurements.
After the crossmember is welded...
After the crossmember is welded in place, weld the upper spring perch to the crossmember and the framerails. Don't forget to put the control-arm bolts into the perch prior to final welding.
Bolt the upper control arm...
Bolt the upper control arm in place and measure the lower control arm. Weld in the control-arm lower retaining bracket (arrow), followed by the lower control-arm installation.
After all the associated hardware...
After all the associated hardware is on, install the spring and spindle. Depending on your application, you may have to compress the spring to get the spindle to mate up. Now you can get the car ready for paint. We installed the shocks here just to give you a look at the final product sans brakes.
All that was left for us to...
All that was left for us to install was the front steering rack-and-pinion setup, also provided by Heidt's. This, along with the brake rotors, was bolted in so that we could roll the '66 to the paint booth.