Topic: Best resources for Mustang restoration? (books, manuals etc)

[66ivy]

What book or online manual etc do you recommend for someone beginning a restoration on a 66 Coupe? As far as part placement, screws, part numbers etc? Ford Service Manual? Looking for exploded parts type drawings etc. I have found a couple, like Haynes etc but wondering what the pro's go-to books are.

[J_Speegle]

First welcome to the site - hope you find the information here useful in your endeavors

If you do a search you will find that this question gets asked allot - well at least a few times here

Believe you will find members believe that a site like this is your best resource for restoring a car. No book will provide you with the latest information on how to achieve the right finish, who does the best work, and personal answers to your specific question while taking into consideration when and where your car was built.

- Depending on your level of mechanic's a shop manual may provide the basic  how stuff comes apart and goes back together but will not help with finishes, original part details and the like.

- The copies of the Assembly manuals will provide some exploded views as to what goes here and what goes there but some of the details will likely be incorrect for your particular car and the numbers listed will be part numbers (numbers on paper tags no longer on your parts or on boxes) not engineering numbers. But these should be in your library IMHO  as a starting point

- A copy of the MCA rules will provide some general guide for how some parts should be finished (painted, natural and so on) but will not always list the type of plating when they mention the term "natural" and sometimes there are old details that are left in the wording for one or more reasons.

- Do allot of searches here and read allot of what appear s to be related posts and stories of what others have been challenged by and have accomplished. Sure you have lurked here for a while before joining so you already know we have one focus - Concours not sort of Concours

Sure you have already evaluated the path you have chosen, the level you will be building to and your abilities, room, skills and finances. IF not there are a number of threads on that part of the process. That by itself is the guide for everything that will follow and something that you will return to over and over again when faced with a challenge, road block or choice


All the above will help in what is in front of you. The challenge for you is figuring out when you need to ask how something is done or is what I'm reading is correct today but each can be part of the puzzle.  Please include when and where your car was built in every post and request you make - many add the info to their signature so its done for them    If not expect the first response not to be an answer to your question but instead a request to you for more information.

Again - welcome to the site

[jwc66k]

What book or online manual etc do you recommend for someone beginning a restoration on a 66 Coupe? As far as part placement, screws, part numbers etc? Ford Service Manual? Looking for exploded parts type drawings etc. I have found a couple, like Haynes etc but wondering what the pro's go-to books are.

Welcome to the forum. A lot depends on what your goal is, a full concourse restoration, a concourse driven restoration or a fun car that looks factory. There are other levels that are listed in the MCA rule book. As to recommendations, get some Mustang Parts catalogs to get a familiarity of what is available for parts and, even more important, what are the costs. I recommend you look at these websites and get their catalogs: National Parts Depot (aka NDP) - http://www.npdlink.com/ - they post on this forum; Virginia Classic Mustang - http://www.virginiaclassicmustang.com/ - they (Brant mostly, good guy) post on this forum; Mustangs Unlimited -  http://www.mustangsunlimited.com/ - there are others, these three have a good reputation (at least by my standards). For hardware, AMK Products - http://www.amkproducts.com/ your hardware source.
As to books, you will find a selection listed by all three of those Mustang parts suppliers in their literature section.
Some specific titles I recommend:
- 1966 Comet, Falcon, Fairlane and Mustang Shop Manual. This is needed for engine, transmission, suspension, etc, rebuild and service.
- 1966 Mustang Assembly Manuals - Body, Interior, Electrical, Engine Accessories. These are drawings of what Ford engineering intended the car be before it actually got built. At assembly, there were many changes that are not documented here, but the paper format give you a place to make notes specific to your plant, month of build and other items that get revealed on this forum. Don't be afraid to mark up the books. Those manuals are 85 to 90 percent accurate (my opinion).
- 1965 Mustang Assembly Manuals - Chassis, Weld and Sealant. These two manuals do not have a 1966 equivalent but can be used to get an idea what goes where. They are 50 to 80 percent accurate (and better than a brown paper bag and Crayola).
- AMK Products Guide to Ford Fasteners - this book shows the hardware parts referenced in the above manuals. It is 95 to 98 percent accurate.
- Magazines - Mustang Monthly, get a subscription.
How to books:
- Mustang How-To, vol 1 and 2. Reprints of Mustang Monthly articles.
- How to Restore Your Mustang, by Larry Dobbs and Donald Farr; the least you're going to get is how to take things apart and put them back together.
There are some reference books that are merely re-printed pages of the Ford Car Parts book which is used for service after the assembly line. They do not cover what the assembly line did.
One more thing, learn the Ford part number system.
Jim   

[mwizz]

Welcome 66ivy, you will certainly get a lot of good information from very knowledgeable people on this site.

[priceless]

Add this book to your list.

A wealth of information.

[midlife]

Welcome to the forum. A lot depends on what your goal is, a full concourse restoration, a concourse driven restoration or a fun car that looks factory. There are other levels that are listed in the MCA rule book. As to recommendations, get some Mustang Parts catalogs to get a familiarity of what is available for parts and, even more important, what are the costs. I recommend you look at these websites and get their catalogs: National Parts Depot (aka NDP) - http://www.npdlink.com/ - they post on this forum; Virginia Classic Mustang - http://www.virginiaclassicmustang.com/ - they (Brant mostly, good guy) post on this forum; Mustangs Unlimited -  http://www.mustangsunlimited.com/ - there are others, these three have a good reputation (at least by my standards). For hardware, AMK Products - http://www.amkproducts.com/ your hardware source.
As to books, you will find a selection listed by all three of those Mustang parts suppliers in their literature section.
Some specific titles I recommend:
- 1966 Comet, Falcon, Fairlane and Mustang Shop Manual. This is needed for engine, transmission, suspension, etc, rebuild and service.
- 1966 Mustang Assembly Manuals - Body, Interior, Electrical, Engine Accessories. These are drawings of what Ford engineering intended the car be before it actually got built. At assembly, there were many changes that are not documented here, but the paper format give you a place to make notes specific to your plant, month of build and other items that get revealed on this forum. Don't be afraid to mark up the books. Those manuals are 85 to 90 percent accurate (my opinion).
- 1965 Mustang Assembly Manuals - Chassis, Weld and Sealant. These two manuals do not have a 1966 equivalent but can be used to get an idea what goes where. They are 50 to 80 percent accurate (and better than a brown paper bag and Crayola).
- AMK Products Guide to Ford Fasteners - this book shows the hardware parts referenced in the above manuals. It is 95 to 98 percent accurate.
- Magazines - Mustang Monthly, get a subscription.
How to books:
- Mustang How-To, vol 1 and 2. Reprints of Mustang Monthly articles.
- How to Restore Your Mustang, by Larry Dobbs and Donald Farr; the least you're going to get is how to take things apart and put them back together.
There are some reference books that are merely re-printed pages of the Ford Car Parts book which is used for service after the assembly line. They do not cover what the assembly line did.
One more thing, learn the Ford part number system.
Jim

Very nice summary; it should be required reading for all new Mustang hobbyists.

[zray]

Not mentioned yet as an invaluable resource would be your local mustang club..  Internet forums, even those with impeccable standards , are no substitute for the hands on / eyes on capability that a local club can provide.

Z

[s2ms]

If your 66 is a V8, Bob Mannel's small block Ford book is a must have...

http://www.fordsmallblock.com/index.html

Dave

[J_Speegle]

Not mentioned yet as an invaluable resource would be your local mustang club..  Internet forums, even those with impeccable standards , are no substitute for the hands on / eyes on capability that a local club can provide.

+1  Often over looked.   Maybe as we grow one might check to see if there is a member in your area that you can call on/or offers to help. I look at allot of cars locally often prejudging before a show or offering suggestions before a restoration starts

One forum even organizes Phosphate parties in some regions of the country.   We're only limited by how much effort and what we're willing to try