# 64 1/2 mustang



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

I have bought a new project, and have ran into an item you are all
Familiar with, which is the 64 1/2 mustang... Mine is with out a doubt the true 64 1/2. 
Question I have is what parts do I look up for this car, I see a lot of parts out there and want to buy, but none specifically say 64 1/2 year?? Technically it's labeled as a 65 can anyone help please!!!


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

bostonwindows30 said:


> I have bought a new project, and have ran into an item you are all
> Familiar with, which is the 64 1/2 mustang... Mine is with out a doubt the true 64 1/2.
> Question I have is what parts do I look up for this car, I see a lot of parts out there and want to buy, but none specifically say 64 1/2 year?? Technically it's labeled as a 65 can anyone help please!!!



Sorry meant to put 64 1/2 at header( subject)


----------



## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

I don't think your going to find many parts listed for a 64 and a half. You will have to look everything up as a 65. My wife has a 65 GT. Mustangs Unlimited is a good source for parts


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Which motor do you have? Hope it isn't the straight 6 with 1 bbl carb. I had one of those in my '66 Mustang and it was slow, slow, slow, AND got bad gas mileage. The good news with that car is that it is easy to work on and plenty of parts suppliers. Bad news is it is probably a rust bucket unless someone kept it inside for its life. Make sure to check the top of the gas tank, which is also your trunk floor, for rust and pinholes. Post some pics when you can...


----------



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

bostonwindows30 said:


> Sorry meant to put 64 1/2 at header( subject)


I changed the title for you---The '62 1/2' sure got my interest!


----------



## Brainbucket (Mar 30, 2015)

interchange manual should help.:vs_cool:


----------



## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

raylo32 said:


> Which motor do you have? Hope it isn't the straight 6 with 1 bbl carb. I had one of those in my '66 Mustang and it was slow, slow, slow, AND got bad gas mileage. The good news with that car is that it is easy to work on and plenty of parts suppliers. Bad news is it is probably a rust bucket unless someone kept it inside for its life. Make sure to check the top of the gas tank, which is also your trunk floor, for rust and pinholes. Post some pics when you can...



I had a 65 once. Where people in the back seat put their feet there was nothing but carpet to hold them up. Would get wet all the time. Rust on these cars is like cancer, it's just everwhere and there's no fix.


----------



## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

Congrats on your new acquisition! They were definitely fun cars. I never owned one, but drove and rode in quite a few of the early ones. A guy my folks knew was a Ford engineer who worked on some aspect of them, and he bought his wife one shortly after they came out, so they became the hits of the neighborhood, particularly all of us teenagers. Later in life, I learned that my wife's first car was a '65 'stang, and I came real close to buying a duplicate for her a couple of years ago, all original, ran good, and seemed to have been very well maintained and stored, but still was a Michigan car, and, at that time anyway, I wasn't up to taking on what looked it would have been a fair amount of body work for something that we would drive only occasionally and otherwise have to make space to store. As far as "half" year models, I won't say there were a lot of them, but the'64 Mustang was not unique in that regard, and I do not specifically recall any of them being broken down as such in Chilton's or any of the other manuals. Although now that I think about it, there may have been notations of "early" or "late", which would be the same, so may go up in the loft and pull out one of my older manuals one of these days.


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

With the crappy drum brakes on those cars perhaps this could be considered a feature... the Fred Flintstone brake option! ;-)



ChuckF. said:


> I had a 65 once. Where people in the back seat put their feet there was nothing but carpet to hold them up. Would get wet all the time. Rust on these cars is like cancer, it's just everwhere and there's no fix.


----------



## Oso954 (Jun 23, 2012)

> As far as "half" year models, I won't say there were a lot of them, but the'64 Mustang was not unique in that regard,


The proof of concept for the Mustang was the Ford Falcon Sprint. It was introduced in 63 1/2.


----------



## ktkelly (Apr 7, 2007)

Here ya go.

http://forums.vintage-mustang.com/


Great bunch of guys and really good source of info.


Sold my 65 coupe a few short years ago:



Was far from stock what with a 89 302, 6 speed, and 9" third member.


Went to the dark side with this:


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Thanks guys for the info... This will be a fun project.


----------



## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

raylo32 said:


> With the crappy drum brakes on those cars perhaps this could be considered a feature... the Fred Flintstone brake option! ;-)


Your right about the bad drum brakes. Converted my wives front brakes to disc, made a huge differenc


----------



## 02920diy (Apr 5, 2016)

Nice project! Mustangs Unlimited is the place to start. They should be able to tell you what is different on the 64 1/2. Does yours have a generator instead of an alternator?


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Yes has generator... Very weird but interesting.


----------



## ktkelly (Apr 7, 2007)

Easiest way to tell if you have a REAL 64 1/2:

http://www.mustangandfords.com/news/mustang-1964/

There's a lot of interesting little things to look for.


----------



## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

I don't know what they did in the south, but, being up north, we always had a window scraper in the car, so, with generators, we always had something handy to tap the voltage regulator when the points would stick and the ammeter started to climb too high.


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Have a question? I have been messing with it for a few days and did a complete tune up on it. Then realize the ignition switch went bad so changed that also to get her to fire up. Problem is she does fire up but only for a sec. And then dies. Even hitting the gas doesn't get it to run.. Your thoughts on what it could be?? Help!!


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Carb? Clogged fuel filter?


----------



## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

bostonwindows30 said:


> Problem is she does fire up but only for a sec. And then dies.


Perhaps as in fires while the key is in the "start" position, and then dies when it returns to the "run" position? If so, it's probably a simple matter of the wrong switch, or it's wired wrong. In the "start" position, you should have power to the ignition circuit and to the starter circuit. In the "run" position, you should have power to the ignition circuit, but not to the starter circuit. With the key in the "run" position, do you have voltage to the coil?


----------



## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

Not a mechanic but mechanically inclined lol. Did it run when you bought it? Did you change the points? Had to set ours with a dwell meter (can't believe I still had one) cause I couldn't get it to run correctly setting it by feeler gauge. How long has it sat up? Could very well be a carb issue if it has not been used for a long time and gas has sat inside it. Hopefully you can determine if it's fuel or electrical first, then go from there. I'm leaning towards a fuel delivery problem because the engine does start for a moment


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Maybe give it a shot of starter fluid spray and see what it does.


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Yes fuel issue I think might be it... Might be a fuel pump on the way out??


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Fuel filter I changed..


----------



## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

The ignition switch supplies voltage to the coil through two separate circuits, one for running and one for starting. For starting it supplies full 12V, for running it runs through a resistance wire to knock the voltage down to 9V or so. Check both positions to make sure that they provide the coil the correct voltage. (Do this with a voltmeter between a ground on the engine and the + screw on the coil.)

If the engine seems to want to run while starting (12V) but not when you let go of the key (9V) it can also mean your coil or spark wires are borderline. 

Or as others have pointed out, a fuel problem. A quick but messy check, -take off the fuel line going into the carburetor, stick it in a pail and have someone crank the engine a second or two. You should get two solid squirts of fuel for every revolution.


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Thanks chuck.. I replaced the ignition switch I took that one to the auto place to match up, there are two for this vehicle. A three prong or a four, I had a 4 prong in my car but realized my car only needs three?? Could this be an issue???


----------



## oh'mike (Sep 18, 2009)

Someone here should be able to tell you how to jumper the ignition from under the hood--I use to know how when I was younger---

Don't tell anyone, but we would jumper the ignition and then kick the starter over using a pair of pliers on the starter contacts.

No need for a key before the steering column locks.


----------



## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

bostonwindows30 said:


> Thanks chuck.. I replaced the ignition switch I took that one to the auto place to match up, there are two for this vehicle. A three prong or a four, I had a 4 prong in my car but realized my car only needs three?? Could this be an issue???


I'm not aware that some had different numbers of positions. Do the voltage tests at the + terminal of the coil, and that will tell you if you have a switch problem.


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Thanks chuck for the help. I will keep everyone posted if that's okay?


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Yes, I did that once on my old '66 (can't remember why, tho). Just ran a wire from the battery + to the coil. Then jumped the soleoid like Mike. It was way too easy on those cars.

Yes, please keep posting updates, Boston. We want to see this baby run!



oh'mike said:


> Someone here should be able to tell you how to jumper the ignition from under the hood--I use to know how when I was younger---
> 
> Don't tell anyone, but we would jumper the ignition and then kick the starter over using a pair of pliers on the starter contacts.
> 
> No need for a key before the steering column locks.


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

What is I do put a wire directly from coil to battery and it stayed started? What then???


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Before you do that just take your volt meter and see if you are getting +12v at the coil with the key in "on" position. Should be +12v at the coil in "start" and "on". If you don't then there is something open in the circuit to/from your ignition switch.... or the switch itself. If you don't have +12v wire to the coil then run the wire and try it just to verify it runs if you want.



bostonwindows30 said:


> What is I do put a wire directly from coil to battery and it stayed started? What then???


----------



## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

raylo32 said:


> Should be +12v at the coil in "start" and "on".


Agreed, except that you may have 12 volts at the coil in the "run" position, or you may have 6 volts. Some ran 12 volts to the coil for both start and run, and some ran 12 on start and 6 on run. That's why yesterday morning I suggested checking for voltage at the coil with the key in the run position, but did not mention 6 or 12. Just check to see if and what you are getting there. Assuming that you do read 6 or 12, as long as I was at it, the next thing would be to clean the top of the coil, and you will probably find "6 volt" or "12 volt" molded in small letters on the case, just to make sure that someone swapped it out for the wrong one at some point. But the key is to see if you are even getting any voltage to the coil in the "run" position. If not, as I said, it's probably a matter of a wrong or incorrectly wired switch.


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Gotcha Dexter... Following along here I have 22 volts coming from the coil, just for ****s and giggles I ran a wire from cool to positive battery and the damn thing started and ran for a long time... Sweet!!!!!! Now what??


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

12 volts lol sorry


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

So the problem is the switch or the wiring. You need to get your meter out and check to see where it gets open circuited. Check +12v coming out of the ignition switch "on" terminal and if good, then follow and test the wiring on down the line to the coil. Another way is to to check continuity of the various parts of the circuit using the ohms scale. 



bostonwindows30 said:


> Gotcha Dexter... Following along here I have 22 volts coming from the coil, just for ****s and giggles I ran a wire from cool to positive battery and the damn thing started and ran for a long time... Sweet!!!!!! Now what??


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

What about just changing out the whole wiring?


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

If you want, but probably not necessary. Are you sure the new switch is good and connected properly? +12v coming out in "run"? If so it should be simple to follow that wire.

Another lesson from all this is how easy these cars are to steal. A quick jumper to the coil and a screwdriver to jump the solenoid, no steeing lock, and off it goes. So once it is restored be careful where you park it!



bostonwindows30 said:


> What about just changing out the whole wiring?


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Lol I was just thinking the same thing.. Now I am a crook lol


----------



## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

If you find a bad wire, of course you need to repair or replace it, but I'm not sure that I would simply start running new ones for the heck of it until I had a schematic in hand or at least a plan for attacking all of them. Not as much going on in those older cars, so might be that you could find a harness and take care of all of them at one time, utilizing the proper connectors through the firewall, etc. I'm not sure what you mean by "22 volts coming from the coil". It's not a battery, so if you're maintaining voltage out of it you must have voltage going to it. Maybe something else is crossed up, but I'm still thinking switch or connections at the switch. Or, and I can't remember how they stepped it down, but, if it's a 6 volt coil, there must be a resistor in there someplace, I would assume on the firewall. Have you googled or otherwise looked for a wiring schematic?


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Okay question... Ignition switch has a prong on the outside that doesn't attach to anything? Does it?


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

I can't help on that detail. I sold my '66 in 1978!


----------



## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

Can't see it from here. What is the brand and part number of the switch? Have been working the shop off and on, so went up in the loft to see what I could find. Oldest manual I have left goes back to '66, and nothing as far as a full schematic. Did happen to think though that there are two tools I would definitely have out there, in addition to an analog scale VOM. Your local parts store will probe type continuity testers and voltage testers. They're nothing fancy, a screw driver handle with a sharp probe, a wire with an alligator clip, a bulb, and a batter in the handle of the continuity tester. Shouldn't be more than a couple bucks each, but worth every penny for something like this.


----------



## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

Re step down voltage for 'run' position, Fords those years used a wire with built-in resistance under the dash, the wire was generally pink and had writing on it something like 'do not cut, do not splice', etc.

Start at the ignition switch you put in. Draw yourself a picture of the switch and figure out which connection is which. With the switch off, use your meter to find which terminal is hot. Obviously you have a hot because it starts. Mark it down. 

Mark or record the color of the other two or three wires and take them off the ignition switch, turn it to the run position and see which terminals become hot. Do the same for the start position. I don't know if you have an accessory position on this switch, if so do the same.


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Will do chuck... Thanks I will keep you posted.


----------



## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

Here you go: 

http://thecareandfeedingofponies.blogspot.com/2008/03/65-wiring-diagrams.html

http://averagejoerestoration.com/re...agrams/1965-mustang-wiring-diagrams/1965c.jpg

Those are 65, so they show an alternator, but I suspect most of the colors of wires will stay the same.


----------



## Veronica S (Apr 9, 2016)

Hello.  That first blog mentioned by ChuckF is mine, and I have been driving a 64 1/2 convertible as my primary means of transportation for the last 17 years or so. How the ignition system works on your car is very simple. On your starter solenoid, you have the positive battery cable attached to the big post towards the front of the car, the starter cable going from the big post towards the rear of the car down to the starter, and on the front of the solenoid you have a red wire with a blue stripe attached to the post marked 'S' and a brown wire attached to the post marked 'I'. How this works is when you turn the key to the 'start' position power goes from the ignition switch to the solenoid by way of the red/blue wire. This closes the solenoid and causes full battery power to go to the starter motor, and sends power to the coil by way of the brown wire on the post marked 'I'. When you release the key and it returns to the 'On' position, power goes to the coil by a different route. There is a short red wire with a green stripe coming out of the ignition switch, which is plugged into the pink resistor wire, and that resistor wire goes to the firewall connector, where it changes back to a red/green wire that is attached to the post on your ignition coil that is marked either 'BAT' or '+', depending on who made the coil that is currently in your car. 

If you look at where the brown wire is plugged into the solenoid and follow that brown wire back to the firewall connector, you will notice that appears to be coming out of the same position as the red/green wire that goes to the coil. That is exactly what it is doing. Those two wires are spliced together inside the firewall connector. So, when the key is in the 'Start' position, power is going from the solenoid, through that brown wire to the red/green wire, and to the coil. When the key is in the 'On' position, power goes straight from the ignition switch to the coil, through the resistor wire. 

Since everything is working normally when the key is in the 'Start' position, there is nothing wrong with the solenoid, brown wire, red/green wire under the hood, or ignition coil. Since the problem occurs with the key in the 'On' position, the problem would have to be somewhere between the ignition key and the firewall connector. Like maybe the connector on the back of the ignition switch, resistor wire burned out, cut, or unplugged, corrosion in the firewall connector, something like that, but, somewhere between the ignition key and the firewall connector. Hope that helps.


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Thank you Veronica, so basically if I change the wire from the ignition switch to the firewall this should fix my problem? Cause I can't find the problem...


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Ya the only way she will fire up is if I run a wire from cool to the battery...


----------



## Veronica S (Apr 9, 2016)

It isn't exactly as simple as just replacing a wire, but, it isn't much worse than that. There are a few things that could be causing the problem. Assuming that the new ignition switch is ok, which it probably is, since replacing it didn't change anything, the problem could be in that molded rubber connector that is plugged onto the back of the switch. A couple of quick tests will narrow it down, though. Since you have replaced the switch, you are probably ok with snatching the instrument cluster back out. With the cluster out, find the short red/green wire coming out of that molded rubber connector, unplug the fat pink wire from the red/green wire, turn the key on, and see if the end of the red/green wire is showing power with a volt meter. If it is not, the problem is probably the connector. If it is showing power, plug the pink wire back in, unplug the the engine gauge wire harness from the firewall, and, with the key on, and see if it shows power at the spot the pink wire is on the other side of. If there is no power there, replace the pink resistor wire. But, somewhere between those two points is where you will find a break in the power flow.


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Okay... Gotcha makes total sense, okay this's will work...

THANKS everyone who has helped me with this issue each of you has helped me a lot.... THANK YOU!!!!!!

I will keep you posted...


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

What do you think is the best tester for this situation?


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Never mind found one in my garage... I will let everyone know the results today... Going to test everything!!!


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Okay... Had to do some rewiring and some testing and conclusion is that no colts are coming from my coil. 

What could it be?? Still in dash or outside??


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Volts


----------



## Veronica S (Apr 9, 2016)

Are you saying that power is making it all the way to the coil but nothing is coming out of the coil? And, what sort of rewiring did you do?


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Yes no power at all is coming from coil??


----------



## ChuckF. (Aug 25, 2013)

bostonwindows30 said:


> Yes no power at all is coming from coil??


That can't be right, because the engine was running. Do you mean to say that no power at all is GETTING to the coil?

You have to have a voltmeter, and put the black test lead on sheet metal ground, and with the ignition switch on 'run', put the red test lead on the 'run' terminal on the ignition switch. 

If there is 12V there, then move along that path all the way from behind the dash, through the firewall, into the engine compartment and all the way to + on the coil, until you stop seeing 12V. When you stop seeing 12V, the last wire you tested must have a break in it.


----------



## Veronica S (Apr 9, 2016)

You can get some seemingly strange readings from a breaker point ignition system, depending on whether the points are open or closed, and, that is the system that you have. You should disconnect the wire from the + side of the coil and check it for power. If that shows power, reconnect it, disconnect the wire from the - side of the coil, the small one that goes to the distributor, and check the post marked - without the wire attached to it. It could also be the case that you have more than one problem. The rewiring that you did, whatever that was , could have corrected one of the problems, but, you still have another, like maybe the points in the distributor have given up the ghost on you and need to be replaced. 


I tried responding to your PM, but, apparently my post count is not high enough. Which is just as well. I have no problem with PMs, but, that doesn't really help the next person to come along with a similar problem. Walking through it once in a public forum would prevent that person from having to type questions that have already been asked and answered.


----------



## Veronica S (Apr 9, 2016)

And, speaking of typing the same thing twice,  this might help. 

http://thecareandfeedingofponies.blogspot.com/2008/04/ignition-system.html

Eventually, this will come up, also. 
http://thecareandfeedingofponies.blogspot.com/2008/03/setting-points-in-your-distributor.html


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Well been working on this for a few days still... Lol I changed the wire harness under the hood and changed starter solenoid. When I start it up now it will start up and run turning key all the way. As soon as I let it go, she dies? Help


----------



## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

Pull the wire off the ignition switch "run" terminal and check continuity of that wire to the coil. If that is good check to see if you are getting +12v out of the switch on the run terminal with switch in "run". If not the switch must be bad.


----------



## bostonwindows30 (Jan 23, 2013)

Finally I have found the solution... After testing every wire I had a wire in the back touching metal, but also killed my coil somehow... I fixed the wire and replaced the coil, and it finally has started up...

THANK YOU to everyone helping me out..


----------

