Mustang 72 Low & Wide Project

[oldfox]

Hello and a Happy New Year 2025.

I've been checking the forum for a while, but this is my first post; so I'd like to introduce myself first.

I live in Europe (Southern France) am Austrian, and have octane in my blood for around 60 years.

Now I have a Mustang Mach1 1972 that I'm currently restoring, removed all the rust and replaced some of the metal panel.
Well but after some thought and searching for parts, I would like to change a few things on the Mustang.
Normally I'm more in favor of restoration cars to his true and original; plating, chrome, screws, washers, etc. everything as original as possible,
BUT I fell in love in a rendering project. The designer gave me his OK to build this Mustang, but now!! Drawing is one thing, making is another.

I would like to have your opinion on this project?

and by the way start with some questions:
What's the lowest Mustang 7123 that you know of or how low did you take yours?
Has anyone disengaged his rear frame to raise the axle?
Is there someone with a Air Suspension experience ?

Thanks in advance for all your comments
Andy

 

[tpj71mach]

Happy new year and welcome from Chicago! That sure looks like quite a challenge to make that rendering a reality, I wish you the best of luck with it!

I hope you can work the front fender style line that the rendering loses with the completely smooth flare design. I feel that style line that swells as it proceeds down the fender and then tapers as it goes down the door is iconic to our cars. I would want to incorporate that into any wide body modifications I made if it were my car.

Enjoy your new project and have fun making it what you want it to be. I have no air ride suspension experience to share but I am sure there are some members who will have information to share.

 

[Cleveland Crush]

Hello and welcome. Quite the radical project! Are you planning a track, street or show car? What are your powertrain thoughts?
There are a couple forum members working on very radical projects that will have thoughts on your build.

 

[oldfox]

Happy new year and welcome from Chicago! That sure looks like quite a challenge to make that rendering a reality, I wish you the best of luck with it!

I hope you can work the front fender style line that the rendering loses with the completely smooth flare design. I feel that style line that swells as it proceeds down the fender and then tapers as it goes down the door is iconic to our cars. I would want to incorporate that into any wide body modifications I made if it were my car.

Enjoy your new project and have fun making it what you want it to be. I have no air ride suspension experience to share but I am sure there are some members who will have information to share.

Hi & thanks, yes it is a challenge but that's what we love, right? I understand your argument, but since the front wheel is so high up, this line naturally disappears. But I will try to take your argument into account when modeling the fenders.

 

[oldfox]

Hello and welcome. Quite the radical project! Are you planning a track, street or show car? What are your powertrain thoughts?
There are a couple forum members working on very radical projects that will have thoughts on your build.

Hi, well, it's intended for street and show. I'll come up with something for the powertrain, but first I'll do the chassis

 

[tony-muscle]

Nice project and welcome. One of your limitations when lowering the car is to fit those wide tires and allow a decent turning circle. With the car so low you will also have a limited amount of suspension travel. If it is for show only you could limit the amount the wheels can turn which will help. Otherwise you will have contact between the tires and inner apron/front rails. Off course, you can push the wheels out some and deal with the design of the fender to fit. So I think it will be a balance between the outward location of the tire, fender and inner apron/front rails. I think the rear will eventually be much easier than the front.

 

[oldfox]

Nice project and welcome. One of your limitations when lowering the car is to fit those wide tires and allow a decent turning circle. With the car so low you will also have a limited amount of suspension travel. If it is for show only you could limit the amount the wheels can turn which will help. Otherwise you will have contact between the tires and inner apron/front rails. Off course, you can push the wheels out some and deal with the design of the fender to fit. So I think it will be a balance between the outward location of the tire, fender and inner apron/front rails. I think the rear will eventually be much easier than the front.

Hi Tony,
thanks for your thoughts,
in fact on this preview car is in the lowest position, that's why I was thinking for a air suspension so that it can be raised for driving. I was thinking about 5-6 inch from the ground for driving and another 2-3 inch more for parking driveways or those road bumps.
In any case, you are absolutely right, at first I was more worried about the rear axle, but I think I am closer to a solution there than at the front. The upper and lower arms don't look good at all, even if the lower arm is at the top touching the frame I am still missing a good 4 inch' ,and you can't get there with drop spindles either (if You can get it somewhere !!).
Regarding the inner apron, except for the shock towers, I can gain space there with minor modifications, hope so.
Certainly the battery and windscreen washer system and everything I can remove will no longer find space in the front, most will go in the trunk. At the same time this will clean up the engine compartment.

 

[Steve McMahan]

I would think starting with a custom chassis and then using the shell as the starting point of the build. With a completely designed chassis, you’ll get the wheel width, turning radius (potential), suspension geometry, etc all set before you start on the body shape. Good luck.

 

[detritusmaximus]

What Steve said. Looking at the rendering. Picture just how wide those front tires are. Not enough room for tire/wheel/suspension/frame to occupy the same space. Not unless you start from scratch. Or go with much narrower tires/wheels with a silly amount of offset, which will look weird when you start turning the wheels and expose all the mechanical bits.
That is the problem with most renderings. Trying marry original chassis and radical concept usually results in a very compromised design that fails to deliver.

 

[oldfox]

Hi folks,
I know it will be difficult to find a compromise between wide & low and drivability, but it looks worse than it is. (eternal optimist )
If I project the whole thing onto the car, admittedly not that wide (-2inch/side), it results in a plus width of around 3 inches per side. Since the wheels are much higher, you have to see the whole thing from above and there is already the width of the original.
We could actually talk about a visual effect.
In total it will be 2 meters wide, the original is 1.882 meters, and it looks crazy wide. I took fast 2 pictures of the rough prototype, just to give You an idea.

As Steve already said, it will be easier at the back, the front is really a different matter. I'm thinking about whether I should go for a coil over strut suspension of course with air bags.

 

[turtle5353]

Similar to a rendering I found but this one isn’t as wide. I really like the low wide look.

 

[Bill Perkins]

Welcome from Opelika, Alabama, I wish you the Best on your Mustang Upgrades

 

[Don C]

In case you haven't seen it, this might give you some ideas:
https://7173mustangs.com/threads/wide-body-kit-from-scratch.18000/

 

[tony-muscle]

View attachment 96505Similar to a rendering I found but this one isn’t as wide. I really like the low wide look.

Nice pic. Do you have a link to this one?

 

[oldfox]

Hi everyone,

to turtle5353: yes I read the whole thread, brilliant work down to the last detail, really impressive,
and for Tony,
without wanting to anticipate Don C, here is the link I have for this pic:
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...-is-a-cool-widebody-render-144628.html#agal_3
and if you're interested, here's my inspiration for the project:
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...-widebody-cyberpunk-style-machine-158257.html
and in another design:
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...rmance-livery-in-sharp-rendering-158921.html#