[marlene kit car]

I have a fiberglass "Marlene" kit car I'm trying to put together. It basically uses 1978 Mustang suspension (4 bolt wheels). I would like to use the Ford 5 bolt front disks. I found a 1982 Mustang at the junkyard today with 5 bolt discs and it looks like it might work. The tie rods/pinion are reversed ('78 in front of frame/ '82 behind), but by putting left side on right, etc. it looks like it could work. It would, also, give me 11 inch front discs. I have 11 inch 5 bolt discs on on the rear. Or are there other solutions? Are the ball joints/spindles the same on the "78 and "82? Or the wheel bearings and axle shafts?
Thanks

[astroracer]

I don't do a lot of Ford stuff but I would be surprised if they ARE different. GM reuses bearings and spindles like there is no tomorrow.
It is easy enough to compare part numbers at a parts store or even online. If the bearings are the same part number you may be good to go but, what you may want to do first, is look into 5 lug rotors for your '78 spindle. They were an option on the high perf cars. You can do this online also.
If you can get decent prices on new or rebuilt parts I wouldn't waste the money on junkyard stuff. Calipers should be rebuilt anyway and rotors turned just to get a baseline so going with new won't be that much more expensive.
Mark

[marlene kit car]

Thanks Astroracer,
How/where do I find part numbers online?

[Brian_B]

Isn't the 78 mustang a "mustang II" (small mustang)? I thought they were 74-78.

If so, there are tons of upgrade kits for the front suspension. I would bet you could look in some of the Mustang II IFS swap threads around here and find out what would fit for sure.

[marlene kit car]

Yes it is a Mustang II. Thanks Brianl.
Ralph

[ViperMonster800]

Oh goodness yes that is a Pinto-Mustang. What a glorious car it is too. I have a '78 hatchback myself.

I'm not sure but I think it has the same suspension as the Pinto. Thats got cheap written all over it.

I wouldn't go with that swap if you're talking about turning it around. My father told me his friend, back in the day, did an odd V8 swap (non Ford V8) into a Sunbeam (lil English sports car). He did a similar thing by turning around the steering and when he would go to turn a corner, the wheel would try to overlap the path of the other... bulldozing the car into submission.

Looking up part numbers isn't hard. Go to either AutoZone.com or AdvanceAutoParts.com and look up parts for your Mustang and compare with parts for an '82 Mustang... match the numbers up... if they match.

I'm probably in over my head on this post but I'm just putting in my two cents.

~Glen

[61 chevy]

you can use the rotors from a ford granada....may have to make a new caliper bracket though.

[Flying-Mercury]

Well all 74 true 78 mustang parts Most only fit those

years . 79 parts are diff. big time . I been with FOMOCO

for 35 years . Call a NAPA dealer near you and see how

much lower and upper arms would be . Calling a dealer

well trying to find a parts person that would help be a long

shot ! Car Quest parts are not to bag either . Have to

do some looking around Try ECIHOTRODBRAKES.COM

Hope this helps ? Ken Phoenix Az

[timothale]

if you want to stay with the smaller brakes the ford ranger 5 bolt rotors were turned down to fit and were sold in kit form, it think you had to have a different wheel bearing. there are a lot of kits to use 5 abolt 11 inch rotors and several different calipers, there are even kits to use the ford pickup large bolt patern but you usually have to use 15 inch wheels with the pickup size