Hey all. My dad is getting a 69' fairlane 500 fastback (non GT ) for $2500 canadian and it has an excellent running 351c 4v (don't know the year but it don't ping so my guess its a 73 motor) with a toploader and 9 inch (needs to be replace cause whoever put it in screwed it up) rearend. Anyway i am getting the motor for my truck. And he wants to slip in either a hopped up high comp 289, or a 71 429 (we have both just depends on which will be cheaper to rebuild) and he wants to get rid of those strut towers.

Anyway who makes those kits to convert it from the strut tower to the mustang 2 (or similar) systems? I believe its the same front end as the mustang but i dunno. Thanks for any help.

 

I think you mean Shock Towers Cody

 

I dont think fairlanes have the aftermarket support for a bolt on out of the box swap.

but i could be wrong.

you might want to search for TCP (total control products)

or Global west.

I know that www.mustangsplus.com sells TCP and www.mustangsunlimited.com sells Global west.

But with a 69 fairlane you should have plenty of room to stuff a 429 into.

IMO I do not see the benefits of doing a R&P swap due to the cost (the kit alone is around $2,000).

from what I have heard from people who have done the swap is that the gains from swapping over are nominal.
freshly rebuilt suspension and steering with a new flaming river steering box will feel just as good, for a fraction of the price.

But there is the cool factor I guess.

 

Rod and Custom Motorsports makes the best coilover conversions, gets rid of the shock towers and cleans up the engine bay while giving rack and pinion steering.

http://www.rcmotorsports.net/

 

Tearing out the front suspension of a nice car to put in Pinto stuff? You suck. Keep the shock towers!

 

Sorry bout that mil1ion. Anyway about the schock towers. Right now there is barely enough room for the clevo in, and i would dare any of you to try and change the plugs (middle 2 on each side anyway) without pulling the motor. There is probably 2 inches on each side for valve cover clearence to pull the motor. My dad hates the shock towers anyway. And trying to fit a 429 in there right now would not be physically possible.

Thanks V10KLZZ71S for that sight, thats just what i was looking for.

Also would a 8.8" out of a n early 90s grand marquis/crown vic be narrow enough to fit underneath this car? Or even a T-bird turbo coupe/stang/couger work better?(the rearend in it needs to be replaced due to the major screw up job a previous owner did)

 

Mustange70,
The 429-460 engines will fit in any Fairlane/Torino 1966 and newer without any modifications.

 

There must be more room in there than i thought cause the 351C thats in there right now is a very very tight squeeze so i thought that the BB wouldn't fit. Thanks.

 

Prettysure they came from the factory with either 428s or 429s, depending on the year.

Bountyhunter

 

It looks tight, but it does fit.

I've done plugs on a Cleveland-powered 1970 Mustang...tight, but doable. These cars will swallow a 460 with shock towers intact.

 

Try here http://www.fordmuscle.com/ they have a forum strictly for Fairlanes.

 

I looked at a 69 Fairlane that had a 429-460 in it. It went in ok but it was really tight. Ran like a scalded ape though. The 70 Fairlane/torino came factory (optional) with 429s but I think the shock towers are completely diferent on that model.

 

On the T-bolts and some big block mustangs they had a plate or something it seems like, that flattened out the hump in the shock tower. I had a cousin with a 67 mustang 390 and a couple of the plugs were real tough to get at. I think he cut a couple holes in the inner fender with a hole saw and got at the plugs through there.

 

The T-bolts were a '64 Fairlane, a much narrower chassis. The Mustang was changed to allow the Boss 429, a MUCH wider engine. That 429-460 will fit in a '69. No surgery.

 

Now only if i could get my dad to believe this. (he's one of those gotta see it to believe it types)