Steering/Braking Upgrades for a '72 Conv.

Hello all, After my dad passed last year, I tracked down and purcheased back the 72 Conv. that he and my brothers restored almost 20 yrs ago. It'd been gone from our family for 12 yrs. It only had an extra 68 miles from when it left, and looked just the same. Dream come true! I think I'M the one that aged, though, because the sloppy steering and 4 wheel manual drums bother me alot more now than they did when i was 20.. So I guess I have 2 questions. 1. Is there a Ford out there from which I can get the parts necessary to upgrade to power discs? The car isnt concours correct, so accuracy isnt as much a concern as drivability , cost, and the simplicity of the change.  The same question applies to the Steering. Is there another setup that will make this car handle better without spending an arm and a leg? The suspension has been checked by myself and a reputable garage, with everyone agreeing that all components are in good shape, without any significant wear, and that the handling characteristics are normal for a vehicle of that vintage. But it handles like my old CJ-5! I hope my "junkyard retrofit" mentality dos't horrify anyone, I've been working on old Jeeps the last 10 years, and think in terms of practicalty and function, not so much about show judges..  I truly appreciate any help anyone may have. Thanks! Matt  

Hello Matt,

Check my post of power steering box rebuild. The old saginaw boxes can really make the car loose when they are worn out. I had my box and pump rebuilt for approx $400 from lee manufacturing in california. This solved the tracking problem

as for a good donor car, check out a old lincoln versilies(?) 78-82  They came with front disc brakes that bolt right up to the mustang and if you want to be trick take the 9" rear out with disc brakes ( dont forget the emergency brake cable mounts and brake proportioning valve) and have power 4 wheel disc brakes. I have been using this setup for 15 years and it works great using all ford parts

Erik