Hello all, I got my dream car

[Hileanor]

Hello all I have been blessed not only do I have a wonderful girlfriend she is responsible for me having access to a dream car ( her 72 mustang coupe) but she is also responsible for finding my dream car ( my 72 mustang fastback). Now, having gotten introductions out of the way I have a question about my 72, it is a 302 car that has had a 429 swap. Will I need to reinforce the frame and what type/ brand of headers should I go with?

 

[droptop73]

Welcome from west Michigan!

The cars did not have anything special done to accept the 429. I would recommend a good set of subframe connectors though.
I would recommend sticking with manifolds, IMO headers are not worth the trouble.

 

[mjseakan]

Welcome from Central New York.
Mike

 

[Kilgon]

Welcome from Ohio. As @droptop73 mentioned the main thing to do is to get sub-frame connectors. When they did the engine swap the motor mounts got move but that was the only modification needed. Also, hopefully they beefed up the front springs. You might also want to upgrade your sway bars.

As far as headers your choices are somewhat limited. Holley/Hooker and Hedman are the only vendors I know of that offers long tubes for our cars. They are multi piece headers and if you plan on going with an efi you have to be extra careful about exhaust leaks. They are nice but can be a pia putting on. The other couple of vendors that offer shorty's are Crites and FPA. There is also Stan's headers but I'm not for sure they are still open. Hope this helps.

Hookers - https://www.holley.com/products/exhaust/headers_and_exhaust_manifolds/

https://www.hedman.com/mustang-head...378&YearID=1971&MakeID=54&ModelID=688&CID=460
FPA - http://www.fordpowertrain.com/FPAindex/Mustang1.htm

Crites - https://www.critesperformanceparts.com/page8

 

[DAverkamp]

Front springs for sure, 415ish # if I recall, fresh brakes on all 4 corners if not done already and if you want headers, I would recommend block hugger shorties so you wont need a shoe horn and a swear jar near by!

 

[DAverkamp]

Welcome from west Michigan!

The cars did not have anything special done to accept the 429. I would recommend a good set of subframe connectors though.
I would recommend sticking with manifolds, IMO headers are not worth the trouble.

Sanderson makes a 429 hugger and may peek your interest, but they hit the weasel sock a bit hard but have been good to me so far!

 

[Stanglover]

Hello and welcome from SW Ontario, Canada.
Sounds like a nice ride you found, but pictures speak an thousand words, as the sayin goes. We LOVE pictures!
All the best with it and to be honest why headers unless your manifolds are cracked and can't be replaced. Headers won't make that much difference. Why spend the money if not really needed.

 

[Hileanor]

Thanks y'all, and in that case I will just stay with the manifolds, also looks like first thing I am buying is springs and frame connectors

 

[Hileanor]

Oh and as soon as I get back up to where it is being stored I will take pics but she ain't pretty... Yet.

 

[71ProjectJunk]

Welcome from Texas.

 

[Ron Tanzi]

Sanderson makes a 429 hugger and may peek your interest, but they hit the weasel sock a bit hard but have been good to me so far!

Nice fitting headers. Super clean setup.

Ron

 

[Ron Tanzi]

Welcome from Rhode Island USA.

Ron

 

[Stanglover]

Thanks y'all, and in that case I will just stay with the manifolds, also looks like first thing I am buying is springs and frame connectors

They didn't come from the factory with beefed up frame with the 429, but not a bad idea to add frame connectors if you have the budget.
For springs, without doubt, buy from Eaton Detroit Springs, or from a vendor like NPD that sells Eaton. You can go to Eaton's website and plug in your car, but of course call it a 429. The rear spring may also need to be upgraded. Again, you can check on the website by comparing a 302 fastback to a 429 Mach 1. Stock rear springs were 138 lbs spring rate. The 302 maybe 78 lbs I think at a guess. When it come to springs, trust me, you get what you pay for.
If it were my car, I would want to seriously look at the suspension as a whole and upgrade and replace anything that is questionable. Oh boy, I love spending other peoples money!!

 

[Hileanor]

Oh I will definitely be changing the springs and since it was a 302 car originally I am gonna add the frame connectors and thanks for the Eaton info y'all are awesome

 

[Hileanor]

Oh also the original sway bar was in the trunk and I am not sure how that thing work with the 302 that was in her, I mean I had an 87 that had a bigger factory bar.

 

[DAverkamp]

Nice fitting headers. Super clean setup.

Ron

My bro and I were a bit concerned about Sanderson's patented flange-less mounting system with only using their black permatech but we followed their install procedures and we be damned that it works as advertised.

 

[Ron Tanzi]

My bro and I were a bit concerned about Sanderson's patented flange-less mounting system with only using their black permatech but we followed their install procedures and we be damned that it works as advertised.

That is a game changer. Function always wins over perceived form. If something looks pretty but functions like poop then it becomes obvious. I have stock manifolds, therefore I can not speak from experience. This is why we share our information with each other.

Ron

 

[Sheriff41]

Add another welcome from Texas!

 

[71 gbvert]

Welcome from Illinois.

 

[71ProjectJunk]

Oh also the original sway bar was in the trunk and I am not sure how that thing work with the 302 that was in her, I mean I had an 87 that had a bigger factory bar.

Sway bars in the 60's and 70's were not big like from the mid-80's and forward (some 70's cars like Trans Am's had big bars, but they are the exception). They were usually pretty small by todays standards. You can definitely upgrade to a bigger sway bar if you want the car to handle the corners better, and probably put a rear bar in the process. From the description it seems that someone used the car as a drag car, or at least intended to, no front bar, big block 429... One of the first thing to get removed from a drag car is the front sway bar. They are heavy, they are at the furthest part of the front of the car, and they limit your suspension travel. So, as long as you are going straight, you do not need them, but a car with no sway bars has a ton of body roll on corners, and it handles like a pig.