My 79 Mont project

[ncontt]

Thanks to my main man "MA84LX" MAD MIKE. We got a ton of stuff done today. Swapped in mustang camber plates for the mont ones, mocked up 17 inch chrome bullitts, mounted brake booster, installed dash/gauge cluster, got dash wiring straightened out, mocked up a pimpified center console (more work do be done here.... ) mocked up the bench seat in stock location, put rear seat in ( for pics....) and that's about it for today.....next will be motor/trans install...

[quarterstang86]

Quite the project you have going on there. Looks pimp! I see those 4 door post cars all over the place down here, what you've done makes it look pretty darn good.

- What size tires you running up front? Reason I ask is dependant upon your ride height you might run into rubbing issues.

- Was the dash swap fairly straight forward? I like the older "four eye" style dashes but the late model swap you've done looks great in your car.

[ncontt]

don't recall what size those are on the front ( I was just testing with those rims) since there was NO way a 18X9 with a 265 was going on there w/o some work ie. coilovers/cc plates, different lower A arms, etc.

Ya, that is my concern too up front, as there is no motor/trans or any load whatsoever on the front suspension

That is a factory k member from a 90 stang, dash, harness (ALL OF THEM) front to back!

The dash swap was fairly simple:

First I removed the stock mont dash (of which I still have everything for interested parties). Next we ran the stock 90 stang dash harness, at this point I also installed the harness that runs the power from side to side for the doors and stuff (future project). One problem we ran into was the holes for the heater core, main harness etc. didn't match up exactly so we had to do a little grinding/cutting to get the right size/location. In addition, you will have to cut one of the brackets that holds the heater box to the firewall and bend it to suit. Then on the drivers side, another issure you will run into is where there is a vent that goes into the cowl area of hood. This hole I covered up with a custom plate that I RTV'D and riveted into the factory location for this ( I believe this is where the fan was mounted from the factory, I'm going from hazy memory here LOL)



the bolts in there where just to hold it tight while it "cured", the factory studs/nuts will secure this to the hole.






factory studs to secure it.



cranked down and sealed up.

[ncontt]

Next to actually mount the dash, you will have to bend down all the tabs that secure the factory mont dash in to approximately a 45* angle (give or take), also it may help to bend the metal lip directly below the window to ease access/fitment issues that may arise. Also you must cut almost all (if not all) of the tabs about 50% of their length (sorry no pics, we were too busy installing the dash) It's fairly straight forward, you will see where it hits and needs to be bent. Also there is a brace on the drivers side that you don't need ( I removed it and install all the pedal assembly from the mustang)

Good luck and feel free to email/pm if you need anything.

Brad

[MA84LX]

Mac Daddy,,

[82_4door]

I'm a big fan. Keeps the pics coming.

[quarterstang86]

I'll be using my factory pedals when I do the v8/5spd swap. My car is a factory 4spd car so I lucked out there. Good info there on the dash swap though, keep the progress pics updated.

[Ken Newman]

Looking good. You got a bunch done today. Good luck. It's been approx 12 years since I did mine. Still needs painted!

[ncontt]

haha, I hear ya Ken. Mike was a machine on that thing today...all I had to do was keep him fed (brats on the grille) and some COLD BEERS....lol Ya, all of the aesthetics can wait for now, for the moment we're working on functionality. Or should I say Pimpinality? lol

[MA84LX]

haha, I hear ya Ken. Mike was a machine on that thing today...all I had to do was keep him fed (brats on the grille) and some COLD BEERS....lol Ya, all of the aesthetics can wait for now, for the moment we're working on functionality. Or should I say Pimpinality? lol

Cold beers, nice weather, and a smoking grill is a very good motivator!!!

[ncontt]

well Mike was giving me hell for not posting the pic of the car cleaned off since he went to all the trouble of cleaning off all the crap of it...lol so here it is...

[Ken Newman]

Lookin GREAT!

[MA84LX]

Man I didn't drive 65 miles, work my ass off, not to show any progress...

[mustang4life1985]

Wow that Fairmont looks awesome!

[Travis T]

I can't believe I passed that car up for $200.

[ncontt]

I can't believe I passed that car up for $200.

Well, let me be the first to say...."thank you"

The more I look at that one pic it looks like the rims were "photochopped" on there...lol, they weren't, I just didn't even put any lugs on it.

I will be putting the intake on the motor sometime this week and try to be ready for install of the motor/tranny here ASAP...

thanks for the compliments...couldn't do it w/o my dawg mad mike.

[fordguy]

cool project, looks good.

[86REDGT]

I like it

[FuturaGuy]

Next to actually mount the dash, you will have to bend down all the tabs that secure the factory mont dash in to approximately a 45* angle (give or take), also it may help to bend the metal lip directly below the window to ease access/fitment issues that may arise. Also you must cut almost all (if not all) of the tabs about 50% of their length (sorry no pics, we were too busy installing the dash) It's fairly straight forward, you will see where it hits and needs to be bent. Also there is a brace on the drivers side that you don't need ( I removed it and install all the pedal assembly from the mustang)

Good luck and feel free to email/pm if you need anything.

Brad

I saw that both you and Ken Newmann used the Mustang steering column along with the '87-and-later Mustang dash. How did you wire the brake and directional lights? The Mustang uses a separate bulb for the brake light and the directional light switch is different internally. I got an electronics engineer whose son works with me to help design a solid-state circuit so all the directionals, brake lights, and 4-way flasher would work with the Mustang directional switch. But if there's an easier way, I'd like to know about it.l

[Ken Newman]

I used the entire Mustang harness. My rear turn signals are the inside bulb on each side (the Futuras have 3) and the brake lights are the outer two. I believe it is Reese that makes an adapter for towing a trailer that has the same circuit for the brake and stop lights. You can use it to combine the turn and brake light circuits to have all three bulbs work together. Hope this makes sense.....Ken.

[48fordnut]

nice car. help me finish mine. jim.

[ncontt]

I used the entire Mustang harness. My rear turn signals are the inside bulb on each side (the Futuras have 3) and the brake lights are the outer two. I believe it is Reese that makes an adapter for towing a trailer that has the same circuit for the brake and stop lights. You can use it to combine the turn and brake light circuits to have all three bulbs work together. Hope this makes sense.....Ken.

I did the same as Ken, I used the entire Mustang harness, everything plugs right up, in the rear I had to lengthen the wires to the side markers, in the front I had to splice in the headlight plugs but they were a wire to wire match with the original 'mont harness (same colors), AND lengthened the side marker lights in the front. They "may" have been ok, but I put another 6-8 inches in there just to be safe.

[ncontt]

nice car. help me finish mine. jim.

Jim, I will get with you...send me an email directly and we can talk.

Brad

[fordguy]

what are you guys running for exhaust? if a mustang system is used, where do you need to add length, tails and flowtubes?

[Ken Newman]

I lenghtened the tubes in front of the mufflers about 6 inches if I remember right. The H-pipe is the stock Mustang one. I just moved the cat-back part back some. Brad may have a more accurate measurement. It's been approx 10 years since I did mine, Ken.