Plethora of problems/questions

I've got a '65 Coupe with a 289 and C4 transmission.


I want to replace the manual steering with a Flaming River power rack and pinion.
I want to replace the C4 with an AOD transmission.
I want to replace the manual drum brakes with power discs all around.
I want to install an air conditioning system because there isn't one now.
I want to rebuild the engine .30 over and install mild performance parts.
I want to install dual exhaust.


1.  What headers will work with the new power steering and the AOD transmission? Shorty or long headers, what exhaust?
2.  I know I have to replace the radiator but with what?  There are so many choices out there at so many price levels I have no idea what to choose.
3.  It has over 100K miles on it, should I replace the differential gears and rear axle bearings?
4.  What changes to the engine should I make for unleaded gas?  Heads, valves, pistons, cam?

So in other words, what would YOU do?

Tim  

Don't replace the differntial or bearings until you need to. They'll let you know when.... and that will be many more miles from now. What axle ratio do you have?

Check with folks that have done power rack and pinion conversions to get pros and cons. Heard both from owners. Then decide.

If you're going to use the car less than 10K miles a year why go to expense/trouble of AOD tranny? Especially if it already has factory 2.80 or 3.00 rear axle ratio for fuel economy. The C-4 will tolerate more power and abuse and still manitains the vehicle's classic originality.
The AOD pays off if you do a lot of highway driving. It doesn't buy you much in town or stop/go traffic.
Two companies offer a low gear planetary gear set for C-4s that drop the 1st gear ratio by about 19% and the second gear ratio by about 9%. Drive is still one to one.
That means you can use 2.80 highway rear gears for good highway cruising mileage but the car will think you have a 3.35 rear end out back in first for off the line accelration and a 3.05 in second. It effectively does the same thing as an AOD.


Front discs for sure. The car is light enough that rear discs won't be that much better than really good drums or a big drum conversion. Power brakes might not be needed unless you really want them. The car is light and manual discs work pretty good. Can always upgrade to power later too. Something to think about.

Go with a repro factory A/C or a good rebuilt original so it looks right and bolts right in. Only thing I would change is the compressor. I'd go with a modern effeicient Sanden compressor rather than the big power robbing orignial unless you plan to show the car in daily driver original class somewhere.

0.030 over original motor is good choice using 9.25:1(can use regular unleaded gas) compression Hypereutectic alloy pistons or forged if you are going to thrash the motor. Hypereutectics have a tighter fit and you won't get cold engine piston slap like you sometimes get with forged pistons in the winter. For the cost of rebuilding/milling your stock iron heads and doing a valve job with bigger stainless valves and hardened seats for unleaded gas you can buy new iron street performance heads for about the same price. Ford GT40 iron heads with 1.94 intakes and 1.60 exhaust valves with hardened seats, bronze valve guides, bigger ports, screw-in studs, big cam springs, viton valve seals (umbrella type seals suck) and guide plates. There are other manufacturers who offer similar quality products at similar prices. Bigger valves are avialble in some street motor heads but they  work best at higher rpm. Slightly smaller valves give you more velocity and torque at low to mid range street rpm.  

Go with a mild street cam if you are going to use the car for a daily driver commuter/performance car. Maybe look at a comp cams dual pattern extreme energy 256/268 duration cam or one notch higher. The 256/268 idles fairly smooth at about 780 rpm in nuetral and about 630ropm in gear with a C-4 and gives you about 15 inches of vacuum at idle in gear for your power brake booster if you go that way.
It pulls good off idle all the way through 5200 rpm.You can use a stock 1900 rpm stall converter with this cam. Great daily driver street cam. If you want more agressive cam go to the next one up the ladder on the comp cam chart. More agressive cams may require a higher stall speed converter and may provide less vacuum at ilde for accessories. Don't forget to use oil with a lot of ZZDP in it with a flat tappet hydraulic cam. Most oils these days don't have it. Use oil that does - like Shell Rotella T organic or synthetic, or us an additive. Otherwise you risk flattening cam lobes. Maybe use roller or roller tip rocker arms if you have that in your budget.
Put in a windage tray during engine assembly and a really good oil pump and beefed up oil drive shaft. Make sure your engine is balanced before assembly and ask your machinist to use toque plates on the motor during honing to keep the bores straight when the heads are bolted on.

Go with Edelbrock Performer or similar dual plane intake and 600 CFM 4 barrel carb with vacuuum secondaies and electric choke. I really like the Summit Racing Holley that just came out. It is a Holley but has special features included in the same price. Use a a good open element 3 inch tall Hipo air cleaner/filter. I use a 1 inch spacer between carb and intake manifold for better mid range torque too.

Go with a rebuilt stock distributer that is curved for the right spark advance and use a Pertonix ignitor system instead of points and condenser for the street. More performance systems exist but for a performance commuter/driver the stock dist with pertronix works good and looks original.

I'd use the repro Ford Hipo cast exhaust headers or the Shelby Tri-Y tubular units if they will clear your Rack and pinion conversion. Contact Mustangs Plus or another restomod shop that does these conversions to see what works. Then run dual exhaust back to the rear from there with a crossover or X pipe and maybe some 3 or 4 chamber flowmasters depending on how much noise you like.

Go with a 2 row aluminum or a 4 row brass and copper radiator. A big 6 blade mechanical clutch fan or electric fan with 3000 cfm and a shroud (less cfm sometimes won't cut it). I like the aluminum rads but its hard to get some local shops to repair aluminum radiators if you have trouble. So I went with the 4 row B&C and it seems to work pretty good and everyone will work on that unit if I need help.  

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Thanks for putting all that thought into your reply.  Useful information for sure and it gives me a good idea of where to start.