1969/70 owners who have done the Shelby drop

[alan 70]

Hi all, I am looking at doing the Shelby drop on my 70 convertible, on the engine side, the new holes look very close to running off the edge of the stamped metal which is part of the engine mount. Can anyone let me if they stay on the stamped metal as it starts to taper in just below the original hole location.
Thanks Alan

[jiffy]

I did it on my '69 (which is currently in Lysterfield South...) many years ago. The Shelby drop template is different for 65/66 and 67/70 (just checking you have the right one).

Have you seen these pics/write-up? http://67fastbackproject.blogspot.com/2016/03/mr-arning-and-shelby-drop.html

I have a couple of pics that I took from a distance that I'll add but it was (from memory) close to the edge inside the engine compartment, but not off the edge of the reinforcement.

[AussiePhil]

Hi all, I am looking at doing the Shelby drop on my 70 convertible, on the engine side, the new holes look very close to running off the edge of the stamped metal which is part of the engine mount. Can anyone let me if they stay on the stamped metal as it starts to taper in just below the original hole location.
Thanks Alan

Hey Alan,
Just like Jiffy I have done the Klaus Arning drop and gussets as well on my 68.
There is a section in the forum Shelby UCA Drop about it.
It is a very easy and inexpensive modification.
Yes the holes do go closer to the edge of the support but not critically.
A couple of things to look out for as I found the UCA raises at a different angle to the stop.
1. In my case the UCA hit the support before it reached the stop, I needed to grind about 1/8” in the U of the UCA.
2. You need to watch if the upper ball joint does bind, MOOG upper ball joints have better angle of movement, in my case I manufactured wedges to suit.

This may have been covered in Jiffy’s blog but I just rushed through it!
Any questions just ask!

Cheers Phil.

[jiffy]

Yeah - my original-spec OEM style ball-joints bound up when the UCA was at the top of it's movement, so I had to get a wedge kit - which pissed me off because I'd gone to the effort of getting them restamped like original...

[alan 70]

Thanks everyone for your response, I have the right template, I have looked at YouTube videos on earlier mustangs and the sheet metal on the engine side looks looks different to mine. I will remeasure  tomorrow it’s a bit awkward to get a good measurement on the engine side.
Hey Jiffy I am in Lysterfield if I am not happy with my new measurements any chance of checking out your car
Thanks Alan
 

[jiffy]

only if you move at the speed of light - it's being picked up tomorrow to come join me in Qld, I'm one of the 50K Victorians who have had enough of Dicktater Dan and moved to the sunshine.

Plus, as it's all assembled now, there probably aren't any meaningful measurements you can get...

[GEOFF289]

Damn, I was just about to offer to drive it up there for you.

[AussiePhil]

Hey Alan,

One more thing to remember is that it drops the road height by twenty millimetres by memory.
That suits some people wanting to lower the front.
My road height was just fine before I did the drop so I machined 8mm spring spacers to get back to that height.

This is a piece I put on the forum.

https://forum.mustang.org.au/index.php/topic,36188.25.html

https://forum.mustang.org.au/index.php/topic,36003.50.html

Cheers Phil.

[HRTZ65]

Hi Alan

Here is a picture of the drop on my 69 convertible if it helps

[AussiePhil]

Hi Alan

Here is a picture of the drop on my 69 convertible if it helps

Hey HRTZ65.
Nice engine bay, isn’t a great job getting rid of the tar paint!
My car was assembled minus engine, I had to do it with a scrapper and flap discs.
Would have been much easier getting it blasted off!
Cheers Phil.

[alan 70]

Thanks everyone,  Hrtz65 that photo really helped,your new holes remained on the spot welded engine mount bracket close to the edge though, mine will end up in the same spot as yours. I remeasured last night.
Nice engine bay.
Alan 70

[HRTZ65]

Thanks guys. I started scrapping but the car was eventually blasted inside and out.

Glad the photo helped

[SMH00N]

I stuck an XF front in my 70. Low King springs, tyres just under the guard lip.
No holes, no grinding, no spacers.
Plus you get rubber or poly bushes if you want on the top arms.

Worth a look at this if you haven't spent a great deal on your front end already.

[AussiePhil]

Hey Stephen,

Very interesting.

I’ve done the Shelby Arning drop with all original Mustang control arms etc.

I’m interested in how the Falcon XF parts differ .

I’ve had a quick look at some of the XF parts.

So for there to be any change in Geometry if the Control arms shafts are not stepped down the spindles must be taller.

One great advantage is using XF spindles you can use XF disc brakes.

And you can pick up XF parts pretty cheap and very available.

If anyone is wary of drilling the shock towers you can buy stepped down Upper Control Arm Shafts that use the original holes.

Cheers Phil.

[SMH00N]

I think the spindles are taller. From memory that's the diff. Plus bigger bearings on the outer hub. (I thinks its the outer)
There's another Mustang forum that has all the intel on it.

I'm using XB brakes on this at present, they has the small hub centre for my early wheels and when and if I get a chance I'll drop the XF alloy calipers on. But, being in NSW with all the people in RMS who Know Better Than Us, the brakes need an engineers report and I dunno if I can be arsed proving that a 30 year newer brake system is better than the original.

[alan 70]

I am going the Xf route,it does raise the height by 3/8, I didn’t no what was in mine so I bought a pair of second hand Xf spindles control arms and brakes complete a while ago, I am going to use the Xf upper control arms and alloy calipers, after pulling every thing apart I found out I had late model Xd spindles which after some measuring they where the same as the Xf ones, I also have roller spring perches, Koni shocks and lowered springs and will do the Shelby drop watching out for binding though