I would like to know more about that 'sectioned tower' deal too! I have never seen those pics. The other hack job I spoke of looked exactly like the other... Hacked shock towers and rad support on both. I suppose you could push your towers outward if you: A: Found an A-arm and/or spindle variation that tucked further under the car. I know of one that will... Boss 429 front suspension will tuck tighter to the tower. But how much will it cost??? Maybe there is another car that we know nothing about that will 'tuck'. B: Push the towers out. Calculate the shift, use stock components, and just put more backspace on your front rims. This would be a viable compromise. If you figure that you can gain an inch on each side by shaving the towers, then push everything out an inch and a half... You gain 5" of engine bay. This sounds like a nightmare to me though... I am sure the frame rails have a lot to do with geometry in steering and suspension. I wouldn't know where to start to do a good job. How about using an engine bay off a more common car than a Stang? You would get the same effect from a Fairlane/Montego/Torino... Use the front subframe from a 4 door or wagon. Adding disc brakes into the deal is not really fair. You should do that anyway, and the Maverick, Granada, Fairlane, Torino, Mustang, etc... discs that fit your Mav, will also fit your 'new' front subframe. So will all the fancy new suspension that you have already in your Mav front subframe. Just get the new subframe and transfer the parts. Some of your steering linkage will not swap is all. You will already have a rad support for a BBF radiator. Gonna need that no matter what, and won't get it with the M2 conversion. Your frame rails will still be 26" apart and limit your rad size.
To clarify: I was playing devils advocate there. I am not down on M2 suspension as it sounded. So hold the flames. Just good debate and brainstorming that might give ideas. Dave
I'm calling BS on this pic. Or at least the idea that the towers have merely been sectioned. Look hard at the bottom of the pic, not only are the towers pushed out, but the frame rail is visible at the bottom of the pic. The rail has been moved out too. My theory is that this car has the entire front subframe from a Mustang/Fairlane/Torino/Montego/etc... Now I suppose I got to compare it to the Stang framed Maverick bay, as well as Stang bays in general and try to confirm.
You Don't have to shell out 2k for an m2 front. Mine is is a reworked factory unit and so is Mavman's. I dought it would take any more fab work than moving the shock towers out,and in the long run I believe you'd be happier without the shock towers (lot's more room). just my 2cents
On the pinto's your looking for ones with the big impact bumpers.(73 and up) those are the ones with the spindles that will run the maverick/granada rotors ,and you can buy the brackets to either use the maverick calipers or for gm metric calipers. (I rum the gm calipers on mine)
Well, I bought a complete Mustang II suspension for just over $500 but it's attached to a car.... It's a '75 Mach-1......but it's a new project, not a donor! Wonder if I can stuff a big block in this puppy? LOL
Piece of cake! Also, you should know that the rear end is a direct swap for a Maverick. Most folks don't know or don't care because the Stang 2 never came with a good rear and they were all 4 lugs. It is important to a Stang 2 guy though, because a Maverick 8" swapped in is an easy 5 lug conversion!
Actually, that's my plan for the 'Stang II....my Maverick project has already been converted to 5-lug, so the 8" 5-lugger rear from the 4-door parts Mav is going in the M-II, along with some new 5-lug rotors up front. I don't know about a big block being a "piece of cake" though.....seems if it was, there'd be more than a few big block II's out there....of all the M-II's I've seen online while researching my new project, I've yet to see a big block one, even among the wildly modified drag cars.
Most people don't put a big block into a mustang II or pinto, because of the short wheel base and the car becomes really nose heavy. It's a pain in the ass to set it up to launch right. You'll actually go faster with a lighter (smaller) engine up front. It's more than doable though. You might have to cut out the bath-tub engine compartment to make more room, but it'll fit.
Yeah, I always thought it was funny that everyone uses the Stang 2 front end to put big engines, but I only ever saw 351w/351c in the Stang 2s themselves. I have seen many of those. I have also seen many 351 Pintos too, however I have seen big blocks in Pintos as well. I have even seen a BB Olds in a Pinto. I think folks do the Pinto in BB because of 'shock value'. Dave
just dont need BB anymore SB can make just as much power with less weight although a BBF in mav just makes me grin
