As always great video. You give me lots of things to think about for working on my 68 Cougar. I have along ways to go to get it back to driving condition, but you inspire me to get to work on it.
Thank you so much, it is a long journey but if you can work on it even a little bit you will get there. Best of luck with your restoration, Cougars had so much in common with the Mustang so a lot of information is interchangeable.
Hey there, really happy that your sticking with the factory GT wheels. That's the way it is supposed to look. Glad we're on the same wavelength. Once the stripes are on it will look even more awesome than it already does. Absolutely beautiful. Brings back memories. Mine was red with white top and interior with the white stripes and GT wheels. It's long gone. Regrets I've had a few lol.
but then again, too few to mention. (showing our age) Appreciate the feedback and support. Red with white top must have looked stunning. we all cars we wish to get back. I had a 1969 triumph MK3 as my first car and would love it back
Thank you , appreciate it. That is a Mickey Thompson ET Street radial. Super sticky for both drag and street use. Was able to get my other car in the high 10's at the strip with these and corners like on rails BUT very soft so of course do not expect to get 100K miles on them. So you need to replace them more often but well worth it
Gorgeous car. I learn so much from your detailed explanations. Saw your car on Jo Daddy live cast andJust curious what the final tire size you selected. I have a 1966 coupe and thinking of 15" wheels.
Just did the ' 1" Shelby Drop ' on my 1965 Mustang, but I kept the original springs & shocks without cutting the springs at all. Do you think I can get 205/70 R14s to fit under the front fenders without the tires rubbing? I'm using the factory stock 14" x 5" steel 5 lugnut wheels which use the factor stock hubcaps & I didn't lower the rear axle at all.
I cannot be 100% sure the 65 has the same wheel openings as the 67 but as you see in the video, I eventually went with 215/70R 14 on all 4 corners and I have put over 2000 miles on the car with no issues, Considering you have not lowered your 65 as much as I have you should be ok but I have to ask what size tire is on the car right now??
THANK YOU for your prompt response! Current tires are 185/70R14s mounted to the 1965 Mustang factory Original 5 lug nut 5" x14" steel rims that the original 1965 Mustang 14" hubcaps fit onto. They're the Original rims that the car came with off the factory floor in 1965, and 5" rims were the most common + narrowest offered. 1965 Mustangs offered 5 lugnut 5", 5.5" & 6" 14" steel rims which accepted the same 14" hubcaps. These 3 wheels were used on 8 cldr Mustangs. My '65 Mustang is currently in the final stages of restoration, so it's 'drivable' now. I JUST had the front end alignment done & haven't test driven it yet after the alignment (the darn master cylinder started leaking so I need to sort the brakes out again before the 'post alignment test drive'). I HAVE test driven the Mustang a couple VERY short drives, but MAN that ' 1" Shelby Drop ' THREW the front end alignment WAYYYY out of wack!!! ... so the car was 'dancing' ALL over the road!!! Keep in mind the 185/70 R14 tires on the car now I bought USED, & ONLY for "test drive purposes" & so the car can ROLL, the tires just "temporary to complete the restoration". & MAN USED 14" tires are HARD to find!, so #4 185/70 R14s were the CLOSEST to 'original tire size' I could find! I BELIEVE THE ORIGINAL tires from the factory in 1965 were "6.95 x 14", a weird VERY old school tire size, & my research said they were 25.3" in diameter, but the 6.95 x 14 tire tread that contacted the road was WEIRD looking by modern standards, like a perfectly square "raised rectangle" that was NARROWER than the tire in the "contact patch" for the road ... like "fat ice skates". WEIRD looking those 1960s era bias ply tires were! Now, 205/70 R14s are the SAME diameter, 25.3", as the ORIGINAL 6.95 x 14 tires. I'm trying to do the "geometry", factoring in HOW MUCH the 1" Shelby Drop dropped the car (I was FOOLISH & did NOT measure ground clearance before & after the 1" Shelby Drop). Per my 'research' 1/2 - 5/8" 'seems' to be how much the 1" Shelby drop lowers the front suspension, but I did NOT modify ANYTHING else when I did the 1" Sheby Drop. I used my EXISTING front springs & shocks, which are 'normal' springs and shocks, same as factory original, & I did NOT 'cut' the top of both springs 1/4 turn as advised in many directions for the 1" Shelby drop. I had little difficulty compressing both front springs after the 1" Shelby drop, so I DID NOT trim off ANY of the 2 springs. I ONLY drilled the 2 upper control arm bolt holes 1" lower & 1/8" back, using the TEMPLATE sold to do the 1" Shelby drop for 1964-66 Mustangs. An interesting and advantagious COINCIDENCE, I HAPPEN to have a 1999 Toyota Camry which HAS 195/70 R14 tires, & I measured & SEEMS its rims' 5 lugnut holes have IDENTICAL SPACING as my '65 Mustang's rims, so I MAY be able to bolt on 2 of my Camry's wheels in rhe front of my Mustang. I HAVEN'T compared my Camry to Mustang's rim's 'backspacing', but I MAY LUCK OUT & it's the SAME, so AT LEAST I MAY KNOW IF 195/70 R14s will FIT on my Mustang w/o having to swap the tires from the rims to rims. Seems with the 195/70 R14s on, I MAY just be able to 'guage' IF 205/70 R14 tires will fit or not. From my research, 205/70 R14 tires fit "unmodifided" front suspensions' on 1965 Mustangs no problem. This ' 1" Shelby Drop' MIGHT throw a crowbar into that though. I CAN'T go ANY bigger than 205/70 R14s, the MAX size for 5" rims. Seems 195/70 R14 would be just fine since my Mustang is 90% stock & a convertible, with only ~225 HP on it's stock C code with only an alloy intake manifold, 4V carb & dual exhaust as upgrades. It'll be mostly a freeway cruiser in nice weather, with occasional 'windy mountain road drives', but I won't be 'pushing the car's limits'. I REALLY want to mount BF Goodrich Radial TAs with the big white lettering though, but their SMALLEST size is 205/70 R14. If I go the 195/70 R14 route, I'm likely forced with a "modern looking tire", likely non USA brand. If 195/70 R14 is the LARGEST/Widest tire I can mount, I'm thinking of mounting 4 'Hankook Kinergy' tires ... my favorite for my 'modern cars'. Do you know of some "Classic-esque" tires in the 195/70 R14 size? .
@@ministryoftruth8588 Wow , that is a lot of detail. I have to agree with your assumptions as I looked at the differences between the 195/70 and the 205/70 and the 205 is 14 mm bigger, 10 mm wider and will impact your speedometer by 2.2 % slower. you say your restoration is 90% complete, has it been painted? If not maybe look at the option of rolling your fenders. this will add about 3/8 clearance for the tires
It's already been painted. Dark green with palomino pony interior & palomino convertible top. All proper 1965 Mustang colors, however it looked exactly to the T like the '65 Mustang convertible in James Bond "Thunderball" when I bought it: sky blue, blue interior & white top. It was a beach car, infested with surface rust, but no 'cancer', so I stripped every nut & bolt off the car, & sandblasted every nook & cranny, & repainted it green. Actually prison inmates did all the bodywork & paint (like Sylvester Stallone in the movie "Lockup"). I managed most of the 'mechancals' on my own, as I did NOT want those 'gorillas' (the inmates) working on the mechanicals. I wanted to go over every nut & bolt after they did the body & paint (I don't trust criminals). Dirt cheap labor though. I'm not rolling the fenders, so whatever fits fits. I'll test drive it with the 185/70 R14s 1st to make sure the alignment's good, then a 2nd test drive with 195/70 R14s off the Camry. I'll be happy enough if the 195/70 R14s fit. They seem the 'correct size' for my plans with the car. I didn't mention it has electronic ignition now (oc), an old BW T10 4 sp. trans & the stock 8" Ford rear end w/3:00 gears. Runs on just 1 belt, manual steering & no AC, as simple as it gets. My only gripe with the car is shifting the old T10'. I need to "find" the gears, much like hitting the right notes on a trombone. It's way harder to shift than a modern manual trans that 'guides' the shifts. It also sometimes pops out of 3rd gear when decelerating, a common problem with old T10s (Super T10s not as much). I can definately see why most old Mustangs have a C4 auto trans instead.
@@ministryoftruth8588 The car sounds fantastic, was a great find. Sorry I could not help much, but as you mention the 65 had narrower rims and body so hard to make comparisons between the two cars. I do agree on electronic ignition as it makes set up and reliability a lot nicer. Best of luck on the tires, hopefully they fit well.
Great question, It ended up being simply cost. The kit was 40 bucks and replacement springs are over 360. Also being in Canada shipping is always a huge cost and a pair of leaf springs would cost over 139.00 to ship so approx. 500 US or 700 Canadian. Springs were still good so I figured was the easiest option
Thank you for the question Brian. I will measure them for you today BUT I have done both the Shelby Drop as well as shortened the front springs PLUS I am running air suspension on rear so my car is lowered and therefore my measurements will not reflect a normal car. now personally I had the 225/70r 14 on the car as a test and found them to have a very wide side wall.
@68 Mustang Restoration I am installing a block drop on my rear, and I installed shelvy dropped too. I cut about a quarter coil off, so I'm not sure how much it dropped it. I have some junk 205/70r14 on it right now and are about .75 of an inch inside the lip. I didn't know if you had any issues when turning, since your wheels look about the same inside as mine.
@@brianbartholow2159 ah, so my tires are 215/70r 14 and fender to ground on all four corners is 24.5 inches as I want the car sitting flat. As far as how high tire goes up in fender front is 3/4 of inch and the rears are the same. She is not super Low down but tires are up into wheel wells
@@brianbartholow2159 so you are the same as me in the front but your back is higher. I too have the 1 inch drop kit on the back as well as air shocks so I can balance it out based on load in the car. Maybe my leaf springs are weaker than your. I never replaced or re-sprung them so that might be why I am lower in the back. You have one last option and that is to shorten your shackles on the rear leafs. Of course only if you want to lower it more. For me it was just a personal preference to level the car out as a raised rear end also looks good
Finally you cleaned the tires 😂. I like the Thrust wheels but think original look best on your car. And I am a stock person to begin with. Congratulations on tires!
I ended up with 215/70r/14. This is in the middle between 205 and 225. Watch my latest video and you will see what the 215 looks like. The main reason was I wanted to keep slotted steel rims
@@ryantaccone6285 yes. the 225/70R/14's were the largest. But as I said I was limited by the 14 inch rims I wanted to keep. Although I could go larger the sidewalls were simply way too tall. so I would not recommend bigger than 225 IF you are keeping your 14's If you want larger tires under the car I recommend going to 15's so the side wall ratio is not so big. NOw if you want to squeeze the largest tires possible I suggest mustang forums as my car is lowered front and rear and therefore I cannot put much larger or I will get rubbing
wish I could give you a definitive answer. What I did is compare the 215 70r 14 that DOES fit on this car to a 235 60 15. if you look at the diameter yours are about 1/4 inch bigger, but the difference is that your tires are 3/4 of an inch wider.. I do not think 3/4 inch wider will hurt but again I never installed your size. hopefully you can find someone who can provide a tire to test. good luck
@@68mustangrestoration34 I just found out that 235/60 will fit on back and I have to go 215/60 on the front. I already have 235/60 15 on all four but the fronts rubbing.
@@tmacdagreattv sorry to hear and I appreciate the information and will suggest 215 60 15 max for front and 235 60 15 back. But I do have a couple of questions, have you dropped the ride height? also do you know the offset on your rims? Mine are factory original and have zero offset in the rear and + 6mm ( +1/4 inch) offset on the front. too much offset can push your tire closer to the fender. Once again thank you for your feedback and help
I totally agree, looking good sir.
As always great video. You give me lots of things to think about for working on my 68 Cougar. I have along ways to go to get it back to driving condition, but you inspire me to get to work on it.
Thank you so much, it is a long journey but if you can work on it even a little bit you will get there. Best of luck with your restoration, Cougars had so much in common with the Mustang so a lot of information is interchangeable.
I would just like to say you videos are very informative and extremely helpful in 67 restoration that I am doing.
Very nice of you to say, thank you.
We are doing the same,,, thanks,,, greets Pete and Merel .. Holland Europe . (on our 67 red convert )
Great video!
Great video thanks.
Hey there, really happy that your sticking with the factory GT wheels. That's the way it is supposed to look. Glad we're on the same wavelength. Once the stripes are on it will look even more awesome than it already does. Absolutely beautiful. Brings back memories. Mine was red with white top and interior with the white stripes and GT wheels. It's long gone. Regrets I've had a few lol.
but then again, too few to mention. (showing our age) Appreciate the feedback and support. Red with white top must have looked stunning. we all cars we wish to get back. I had a 1969 triumph MK3 as my first car and would love it back
Good info Wally.
thank you. almost there.
Nice video, I think you made the correct choice I do have a soft spot for the original Torque thrusts
Thank you, I do also love the Torque thrusts as you can tell since I own them but on this car I was looking for the classic look.
What were the tire sizes of those ones??
@@ryantaccone6285 275/60/15 in the rear I did narrow the axles and tubes and 215/60/15 in the front.
The nice thing about wheels is that they are easily changed. I'd be torn because I like both wheels that you showed!
It was close, but original vision was for the GT rims so going with them.
Another great video. Always good information and content. Thanks
Love the channel / was super interested in the kind of tire that was used in the torque thrust
Thank you , appreciate it. That is a Mickey Thompson ET Street radial. Super sticky for both drag and street use. Was able to get my other car in the high 10's at the strip with these and corners like on rails BUT very soft so of course do not expect to get 100K miles on them. So you need to replace them more often but well worth it
@@68mustangrestoration34 thanks so much / I think they look great/ keep up the great work😀👍
Gorgeous car. I learn so much from your detailed explanations. Saw your car on Jo Daddy live cast andJust curious what the final tire size you selected. I have a 1966 coupe and thinking of 15" wheels.
Just did the ' 1" Shelby Drop ' on my 1965 Mustang, but I kept the original springs & shocks without cutting the springs at all. Do you think I can get 205/70 R14s to fit under the front fenders without the tires rubbing? I'm using the factory stock 14" x 5" steel 5 lugnut wheels which use the factor stock hubcaps & I didn't lower the rear axle at all.
I cannot be 100% sure the 65 has the same wheel openings as the 67 but as you see in the video, I eventually went with 215/70R 14 on all 4 corners and I have put over 2000 miles on the car with no issues, Considering you have not lowered your 65 as much as I have you should be ok but I have to ask what size tire is on the car right now??
THANK YOU for your prompt response!
Current tires are 185/70R14s mounted to the 1965 Mustang factory Original 5 lug nut 5" x14" steel rims that the original 1965 Mustang 14" hubcaps fit onto. They're the Original rims that the car came with off the factory floor in 1965, and 5" rims were the most common + narrowest offered. 1965 Mustangs offered 5 lugnut 5", 5.5" & 6" 14" steel rims which accepted the same 14" hubcaps. These 3 wheels were used on 8 cldr Mustangs. My '65 Mustang is currently in the final stages of restoration, so it's 'drivable' now. I JUST had the front end alignment done & haven't test driven it yet after the alignment (the darn master cylinder started leaking so I need to sort the brakes out again before the 'post alignment test drive'). I HAVE test driven the Mustang a couple VERY short drives, but MAN that ' 1" Shelby Drop ' THREW the front end alignment WAYYYY out of wack!!! ... so the car was 'dancing' ALL over the road!!! Keep in mind the 185/70 R14 tires on the car now I bought USED, & ONLY for "test drive purposes" & so the car can ROLL, the tires just "temporary to complete the restoration".
& MAN USED 14" tires are HARD to find!, so #4 185/70 R14s were the CLOSEST to 'original tire size' I could find! I BELIEVE THE ORIGINAL tires from the factory in 1965 were "6.95 x 14", a weird VERY old school tire size, & my research said they were 25.3" in diameter, but the 6.95 x 14 tire tread that contacted the road was WEIRD looking by modern standards, like a perfectly square "raised rectangle" that was NARROWER than the tire in the "contact patch" for the road ...
like "fat ice skates". WEIRD looking those 1960s era bias ply tires were!
Now, 205/70 R14s are the SAME diameter, 25.3", as the ORIGINAL 6.95 x 14 tires.
I'm trying to do the "geometry",
factoring in HOW MUCH the 1" Shelby Drop dropped the car (I was FOOLISH & did NOT measure ground clearance before & after the 1" Shelby Drop). Per my 'research' 1/2 - 5/8" 'seems' to be how much the 1" Shelby drop lowers the front suspension, but I did NOT modify ANYTHING else when I did the 1" Sheby Drop.
I used my EXISTING front springs & shocks, which are 'normal' springs and shocks, same as factory original, & I did NOT 'cut' the top of both springs 1/4 turn as advised in many directions for the 1" Shelby drop. I had little difficulty compressing both front springs after the 1" Shelby drop, so I DID NOT trim off ANY of the 2 springs. I ONLY drilled the 2 upper control arm bolt holes 1" lower & 1/8" back, using the TEMPLATE sold to do the 1" Shelby drop for 1964-66 Mustangs.
An interesting and advantagious COINCIDENCE,
I HAPPEN to have a 1999 Toyota Camry which HAS 195/70 R14 tires, & I measured & SEEMS its rims' 5 lugnut holes have IDENTICAL SPACING as my '65 Mustang's rims, so I MAY be able to bolt on 2 of my Camry's wheels in rhe front of my Mustang. I HAVEN'T compared my Camry to Mustang's rim's 'backspacing', but I MAY LUCK OUT & it's the SAME, so AT LEAST I MAY KNOW IF 195/70 R14s will FIT on my Mustang w/o having to swap the tires from the rims to rims.
Seems with the 195/70 R14s on, I MAY just be able to 'guage' IF 205/70 R14 tires will fit or not. From my research, 205/70 R14 tires fit "unmodifided" front suspensions' on 1965 Mustangs no problem.
This ' 1" Shelby Drop' MIGHT throw a crowbar into that though.
I CAN'T go ANY bigger than 205/70 R14s, the MAX size for 5" rims.
Seems 195/70 R14 would be just fine since my Mustang is 90% stock & a convertible, with only ~225 HP on it's stock C code with only an alloy intake manifold, 4V carb & dual exhaust as upgrades. It'll be mostly a freeway cruiser in nice weather, with occasional 'windy mountain road drives', but I won't be 'pushing the car's limits'.
I REALLY want to mount BF Goodrich Radial TAs with the big white lettering though, but their SMALLEST size is
205/70 R14. If I go the 195/70 R14 route, I'm likely forced with a "modern looking tire", likely non USA brand. If 195/70 R14 is the LARGEST/Widest tire I can mount, I'm thinking of mounting 4 'Hankook Kinergy' tires ... my favorite for my 'modern cars'.
Do you know of some "Classic-esque" tires in the 195/70 R14 size?
.
@@ministryoftruth8588 Wow , that is a lot of detail. I have to agree with your assumptions as I looked at the differences between the 195/70 and the 205/70 and the 205 is 14 mm bigger, 10 mm wider and will impact your speedometer by 2.2 % slower. you say your restoration is 90% complete, has it been painted? If not maybe look at the option of rolling your fenders. this will add about 3/8 clearance for the tires
It's already been painted. Dark green with palomino pony interior & palomino convertible top. All proper 1965 Mustang colors, however it looked exactly to the T like the '65 Mustang convertible in James Bond "Thunderball" when I bought it: sky blue, blue interior & white top. It was a beach car, infested with surface rust, but no 'cancer', so I stripped every nut & bolt off the car, & sandblasted every nook & cranny, & repainted it green.
Actually prison inmates did all the bodywork & paint (like Sylvester Stallone in the movie "Lockup"). I managed most of the 'mechancals' on my own, as I did NOT want those 'gorillas' (the inmates) working on the mechanicals. I wanted to go over every nut & bolt after they did the body & paint (I don't trust criminals). Dirt cheap labor though.
I'm not rolling the fenders, so whatever fits fits. I'll test drive it with the 185/70 R14s 1st to make sure the alignment's good, then a 2nd test drive with 195/70 R14s off the Camry.
I'll be happy enough if the 195/70 R14s fit.
They seem the 'correct size' for my plans with the car.
I didn't mention it has electronic ignition now (oc), an old BW T10 4 sp. trans & the stock 8" Ford rear end w/3:00 gears. Runs on just 1 belt, manual steering & no AC,
as simple as it gets.
My only gripe with the car is shifting the old T10'. I need to "find" the gears, much like hitting the right notes on a trombone. It's way harder to shift than a modern manual trans that 'guides' the shifts.
It also sometimes pops out of 3rd gear when decelerating, a common problem with old T10s (Super T10s not as much). I can definately see why most old Mustangs have a C4 auto trans instead.
@@ministryoftruth8588 The car sounds fantastic, was a great find. Sorry I could not help much, but as you mention the 65 had narrower rims and body so hard to make comparisons between the two cars. I do agree on electronic ignition as it makes set up and reliability a lot nicer. Best of luck on the tires, hopefully they fit well.
why the lowering kit and not a leaf spring with the correct load to give the ride height you want?
Great question, It ended up being simply cost. The kit was 40 bucks and replacement springs are over 360. Also being in Canada shipping is always a huge cost and a pair of leaf springs would cost over 139.00 to ship so approx. 500 US or 700 Canadian. Springs were still good so I figured was the easiest option
What is your ground to wheel well measurements? I am looking at tires for my project. Looking at 205/70r14 or 225/70r14 for the front
Thank you for the question Brian. I will measure them for you today BUT I have done both the Shelby Drop as well as shortened the front springs PLUS I am running air suspension on rear so my car is lowered and therefore my measurements will not reflect a normal car. now personally I had the 225/70r 14 on the car as a test and found them to have a very wide side wall.
@68 Mustang Restoration I am installing a block drop on my rear, and I installed shelvy dropped too. I cut about a quarter coil off, so I'm not sure how much it dropped it. I have some junk 205/70r14 on it right now and are about .75 of an inch inside the lip. I didn't know if you had any issues when turning, since your wheels look about the same inside as mine.
@@brianbartholow2159 ah, so my tires are 215/70r 14 and fender to ground on all four corners is 24.5 inches as I want the car sitting flat. As far as how high tire goes up in fender front is 3/4 of inch and the rears are the same. She is not super
Low down but tires are up into wheel wells
Sorry been out of town working. I got back and put the car on the ground with the 215/70r14 and I have 24.5 in front and 27 in rear.
@@brianbartholow2159 so you are the same as me in the front but your back is higher. I too have the 1 inch drop kit on the back as well as air shocks so I can balance it out based on load in the car. Maybe my leaf springs are weaker than your. I never replaced or re-sprung them so that might be why I am lower in the back. You have one last option and that is to shorten your shackles on the rear leafs. Of course only if you want to lower it more. For me it was just a personal preference to level the car out as a raised rear end also looks good
Finally you cleaned the tires 😂. I like the Thrust wheels but think original look best on your car. And I am a stock person to begin with. Congratulations on tires!
I cannot believe all that is left is the "C" stripe and a few last minute details. 2 years later
@@68mustangrestoration34 easy peasy project 😂
Optie 2 😁👍
Done
What were the tire sizes of the last one? (Biggest)
I ended up with 215/70r/14. This is in the middle between 205 and 225. Watch my latest video and you will see what the 215 looks like. The main reason was I wanted to keep slotted steel rims
So the biggest one you showed in this video were 225's?
@@ryantaccone6285 yes. the 225/70R/14's were the largest. But as I said I was limited by the 14 inch rims I wanted to keep. Although I could go larger the sidewalls were simply way too tall. so I would not recommend bigger than 225 IF you are keeping your 14's If you want larger tires under the car I recommend going to 15's so the side wall ratio is not so big. NOw if you want to squeeze the largest tires possible I suggest mustang forums as my car is lowered front and rear and therefore I cannot put much larger or I will get rubbing
Will 235/60 15 fit on a 67 mustang?
wish I could give you a definitive answer. What I did is compare the 215 70r 14 that DOES fit on this car to a 235 60 15. if you look at the diameter yours are about 1/4 inch bigger, but the difference is that your tires are 3/4 of an inch wider.. I do not think 3/4 inch wider will hurt but again I never installed your size. hopefully you can find someone who can provide a tire to test. good luck
@@68mustangrestoration34 I just found out that 235/60 will fit on back and I have to go 215/60 on the front. I already have 235/60 15 on all four but the fronts rubbing.
@@tmacdagreattv sorry to hear and I appreciate the information and will suggest 215 60 15 max for front and 235 60 15 back. But I do have a couple of questions, have you dropped the ride height? also do you know the offset on your rims? Mine are factory original and have zero offset in the rear and + 6mm ( +1/4 inch) offset on the front. too much offset can push your tire closer to the fender. Once again thank you for your feedback and help