Well it's Friday. SLL what did you get for your son?

NADA…..

Now I have extended time to research this. This son usually sets his sights and sticks to it. But he came in 2 days ago and told us, he changed his mind now he wants springs for the front end of the stang. Springs have already been replaced, but they put 245’s on the front /255’s on the back. (Firestone Firehawk ZR’s)
The car has just hit the road the last 2 weeks fairly regularly after a 2-year restoration. Now he thinks that the 245’s on the front are going to be a problem without stiffer springs. So he asked if we’d buy springs instead.
It’s been a huge project and I’m excited for them. My son and husband have done all the work. As soon as the new mufflers come in at Dallas Mustang. It goes to the muffler shop, (it’s got the old mufflers rigged now). And that will be the first item that will have been installed or done at a ‘shop’. I wish I had a digital camera, I need to borrow one, and load (somewhere) some pics for you guys. This project is why I ended up doing ALL the A/V lately. Since it’s eaten up all my husbands spare time for 2 years.

It’s a high school graduation gift for my son. And he’s matched all the money we have put into the car with money he’s earned himself. The total bill so far stands at about 14K. It’s a ridiculous amount to spend on parts alone (no labor bill) on an old 68 coupe. 88 5.0 302 motor (totaled out of another car with 6 thousand miles on the odometer)
9” Currie 350 traction lock
Manual rack & pinion by Total Control
4 wheel disc Baer brakes / Painless wiring Kit / New Vintage Air system
Cam/port polish heads/intake/carb/headers etc.
Pro Comp ultralite gauges. / New bucket seats / back seat reupholstered.
New sheet-metal in the rear-quarter panels / Paint stripped to bare-metal
Black w silver racing stripes (Shelby Style)
New 66 GT Shelby Hood / California Special Trunk
Shelby Oil-Cooler Valance on front/Shelby Side brake coolers (they are functional not just for looks)

The car amazingly enough (I was doubtful, way back when) looks tasteful, sporty, and classic (not a hodgepodge) I was shocked and floored by how well it turned out. He was just offered 30K for it last week. So they DID good.

Am I boasting and running on about it….yessss…sorry!!!!….but I’ve given up a lot myself the last 2 yrs to support this ‘car pit’ project of theirs.
Bottom line, Since no-ones even allowed by my son to put a finger on the paint. I realized the first day, I asked you all for help on the speakers, that my son and I are going to have to coordinate on shopping for speakers since I don’t understand his installation parameters. He won’t change a single thing in the interior. Which means no tweeters, and something that will fit in the existing front round opening’s and the rear backseat deck 6x9 ovals.
Knowing nothing about Auto sound, I guess he intends to have any amps in the trunk with his eventual subw. We need to go shop together (me for speaker sound/spec help, him for what will fit/work/wire).

My DSL went kaput on me right after I posted this and had seen about 2 posts (but before I got a chance to reply back). Just got back on-line late last night, (it was service provider problem) but it was a killer workload today. Thanks for all the help!! If we do the springs and not the speakers I still know the second he saves the money he will be purchasing. So we’ll start shopping now, and see what we can learn.

Well, I finally finished my subwoofer box last weekend. I made a dual vented box using Infinity Kappa Perfect 12.1d (dual voice coil) subs and a JBL 600.1 amplifier. 300 watts to each sub. This thing is powerful. It sounds pretty darn good too. When I was testing it out at first, my mom came out after a minute and said that she could here it inside. She also heard things rattling in the garage. Mind you I was in the driveway with all windows up, all doors and the trunk closed.

If anyone else is interested in car audio I could recommend Infinity speakers with JBL amplifiers. I found them at Sound Domain for big discounts to so I got quite a bargain. There better speakers and amps available, but you have start paying a bit more to notice a difference. I would say it's something like Outlaw equipment in that I got pretty darn good equipment for a much lower price than would be expected

A website I forgot to mention is Crutchfield. They have a speaker fit guide that goes all the way back to 64. For newer cars, they have a scale to tell how difficult the installation would be.

Another option for SLL's son would be to get some small home theater satellites and glue/velcro them in somehow. I would say find something very small for these, then get some 8 inch midrange/highrange bass speakers and a sub. These can be found in normal car audio equipment without too much trouble.

Hey there Lena,

My father and I restored my 67 Camaro years ago going through many of the same trials and tribulations as you are. Unfortunately my poor Camaro is once again in need of a full work-over from head to toe. My father owns an automotive shop which I worked at for ten years and used just about every paycheck earned there on my car. Anyway I just recently replaced my old Pioneer amplifier with a new Sony 100watt x 4 channel amp and blew out my two front speakers so I feel your son's pain! My car is my 2nd obsession next to Home Theater and deciding where my money goes ( and what my wife will let me use ) is one of my biggest struggles.

On the subject of your son's Mustang, I am curious to learn if the front suspension has been narrowed of if the fender/wheel wells have been "streched" to fit those 245 tires he has up front. I also used to own a 67 Mustang (which is escentially identical to the 68) and was BARELY able to fit 235 tires without having to bend-in the inner fender lip until it was flat, and then my truning radius was limited. You said that he thinks stiffer springs would help to solve his problem, but if the suspension location is still stock, those tires may never fit right and rubbing may not go away, wether it's fender rub from shock travel or his sidewalls hitting the inner fender and wheel well. As much as he likes his wide tires in the front, he may need to go a step or two down in front tire tread width to really fix the problem. Let him know that a suspension with 225 to 235 tires on the front is still capable of pulling some good G's around corners, and with a old muscle car like his, understeer is the least of his concerns. I learned just how tail-happy an old V8 hot rod can be, and have the tickets to prove it!

Just some friendly advice for him to chew on! Take care Lena!

-Jeremy

"used just about every paycheck earned there on my car."

That’s my son! He saves several hundred and then does something else. Right now he’s wheeling and dealing on a combo Christmas present, something to do with some new heads which he will chip in on also.

I’ll have to ask him this afternoon what issues they ran into with those wheels, I know they had them. Can not remember if they modified the wheel wells on the fronts. I know when ordering the custom Currie 9” for the rear end; they specified 1” shorter than stock to give those back wheels enough width clearance. He did install the stiffer springs and said that fixed the bottoming out, but we’ll see?

"I learned just how tail-happy an old V8 hot rod can be, and have the tickets to prove it!' These kinds of cars are not really my style, but the other day I got a yen to drive it. My son is rigid in his rules surrounding this mustang, Rule #1: No one drives it but him. We were standing out front and I said, “Hand me the keys” His mouth literally opened up and he stuttered for a second, before he could speak, ..(timing is everything) I tilted my head raised an eyebrow and gave THE LOOK.

I have to say I was impressed with it and my husband, who rode with me, ruined my image as he repeated to all the guys my comments along the line of “I sure would like to find a straight away with no Boys in Blue around” That thing was a dream to drive, clutch was glass smooth, steering dead on, (the suspension is kinda hard on a female, stiff as an older model Viper which I have ridden in). I didn’t worry about breaking those sticky tires loose. But I really don’t have the muscle in my forearms to pull the width of those tires around with its manual steering, unless it has some forward momentum.
They are having one issue which is the main reason my son will not allow anyone to handle this car. It is reputed to have a really vicious bump steer, I was careful to try not to experience that, throwing my right hand back on the wheel after every shift and using my left thigh as friction against the bottom of the steering wheel in case it occurred. They intend to try adding? to reduce this wicked behavior. I attended with them last Saturday an open house in Dallas @ Dallas Mustang, a large parts supplier. The car is not finished yet but they entered it in the open house show. It won ‘Best in Show’ 64 to 73 class.

Thanks Benjamin! - for the mention of Cructhfield, I have not looked at that site for these (I find them a little high in pricing sometimes) but it would be a good resource just to learn by seeing several products lumped in one spot. The son put the speakers on the back burner, (partly due to the car show), I’ve told him when he has time, we’ll go together and listen/look where ever he chooses.
PS Oaf: Dont those Morel Supremo tweeters look good!!!. But 500 a pair!

[This message has been edited by Smart Little Lena (edited October 25, 2002).]

"Thanks Benjamin! - for the mention of Cructhfield"

No problem. I find their prices to be fair, but I don't think I've spent $20 there because I find fantastic deals elsewhere (Sound Domain). I do use Crutchfield for information, which they are great at. Sometimes I feel like a heel for it, but that goes away quickly.

Is there any way for you to post a picture of your son's car? It sounds like it's coming along great. I'm more of a brand spanking new type of person, but I do have a good appreciation of the classics.

Benjamin,
I'll try to get on the pics. I've been meaning too. But I like 35m and have never purchased a digital camera (amazing isn't that since I want it in the rest of my AV!). So I've have to sort out scanning photos or borrowing/buying digital etc. Will work on!

I'm still trying to figure out what the thread title means...

------------------
Matthew J. Hill
matt@idsi.net

The thread title was just a play on the movie title. Partly chosen because a key element of the movie centers on cars and mainly picked as I hoped for responses ‘fast & furiously’ if any at the forum had thoughts. On the day I first posted the sons BD was in 2/3 more days and I knew nothing about car audio brands soooo I had to put the pedal to the metal.

Fortunately this purchase was put on hold when he suddenly have to have springs to fix an issue on the stang and asked for those instead. But now he’s saved enough money to start looking and we are going to try to do some listening tests. He found a brand he wants me to hear, I believe called “Audiobauhn”, (not sure of spelling). And digging (a little) into this myself I have become interested in ‘Focal’, just looked up some dealers around here who carry these. (Also want to hear RF Infinity’s, Boston, Pioneer etc).

Many I’m interested in are offering component sets only, which will not work for this car. These need to be coaxial, 2 or 3 way combo units. With a sub added later to the trunk.