What color is that?
I’ve heard Inverness Green, Dark Green Poly, Augusta Green. The Marti says it’s a special pint color, but I’m not sure what it’s called. I’d love to know.[/quote]
It is not Inverness Green or Augusta Green. Both of those colors are much darker.
Randy Goodling
CCOA #95
Always good to stay factory or repro factory whenever possible. Some things like brake upgrades do not hurt the value much, as they are easily returned - and increased safety is never a bad think for a car that will be driven. I might start with anything safety or reliability related (exhaust, brake, & electrical repairs/updates from your list). Not sure if you gain much advantage in grouping too much items together that are not directly related (i.e. replacing a water pump & timing chain at the same time), as hours/material still add up when you are breaking down a different system.
Nice looking car - have fun making it what you want…
Awesome!
Just in the nick of time, Don! I dropped it off with Scott yesterday and he said he’d coordinate with you on using a bunch money I put “on account”, and purchased the 30% off electric headlight kit, too! We’re starting with safety stuff…like correcting the shadetree fuel system, a bit of engine clean-up/fine-tuning, disc brake conversion, and some fresh steering components. Also doing a T5 transmission and cooling/AC upgrades for the Arizona summer. Scott said he will have the car in the shop for about a month…but not a minute of bodywork!
Looking forward to working with you both to get this ride on the road!!
It’s in good hands with Scott, I’ve picked up parts from him and picked his brain a bit. He knows his cougars and does good work.
Thanks! I’ve been busy kncoking items off the list.
Yep! I went with ClassicAutoAir, Sanden, and sourced the proper lower dash to look just like factory.
This brings me to the purpose of my response today. The gears on the T5 conversion (2.95, 1.94, 1.34, 1.00 and 0.63 overdrive) are nice but my factory axle ratio is 2.75. Probably a good thing, when it was a 3-speed toploader, but now that I’ve got the T5 w/overdrive, I think a shorter ratio will help unleash the power of my cleveland and the previous owner’s performance mods. So I’m investigating relacement 3rd members with TracLoc, in the 3.50-3.89 range. I found that Currie makes one for about $1700 (many people reccomend), and Speedway has theirs for about $950. Anything you think I should know to make an informed decision?
Thanks in advance!
I had Randy’s Ring & Pinion in Everett WA build a unit up with all new Yukon internals for my 70 XR-7 with a T-5. I used 3.50 gears and a tru-trac unit. I don’t recall the price now but it included removing the center section from my car and installing the newly built unit. I supplied a center section for the build as I wanted to hang on to the factory 3.0 Traction loc unit. I like first through 4th driveability with it, but think maybe a 3.70 might have made 5th little more useful on state highways. It is still running a little lower RPM at 55 to 65 mph.
You should have a differential shop or two fairly close by. Unless you are experienced building them up it can save some heartache having it done by a pro.
I really like the way you detailed your engine.
Yep. I’m sure there are plenty of diff shops in the Phoenix area. I wasn’t going to build the diff, but buying a complete 3rd member as a unit.
The Currie is most expensive (and very well regarded), with their TrueTrac 9"/28-spline 3.89 gear unit at $1,727, but Speedway makes a very similar one, using the Richmond Powertrax Grip Pro for $950. I’m not sure who manufactures the actual gears for the Speedway and now trying to evaluate whether the Currie unit is worth almost double.
https://www.currieenterprises.com/ford-9-inch-third-member-assembly-28-spline
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Ford-9-Inch-Gear-Style-Posi-Differential-Third-Members,6788.html
Thanks for the kind words about my engine detailing. Since taking this photo, I’ve also added a DEI heat sleeved, SS-braided fuel line with threaded fittings to replace the rubber line and hose clamps. I’ve put out a zillion car fires and it’s almost alwatys a fuel line.
Give Arizona Differential a call
(602-272-4600)
3601 N 36th Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85019
Tell them Dustin at Redburn Tire referred you. The owners name is Nate. They do good work and reasonably priced. We have had all kinds of random stuff done from driveshafts to 3rd member overhauls on F550s. They even did a custom axle for an coworkers transam (explorer 8.8 center section into a trans am housing)Im sure they can source a new 3rd for you if your perfer but can also rebuild what you have. Just pull yours and bring them the 3rd. I plan to have them install a traclock in my 8" at some point
Any reason you dont want to rebuild what you have? If your putting gears and a trac lock in it your basically only reusing the housing and pinion yoke anyway even after paying for labor.
I have several complete housing from these guys, best of the best. Here is a 3.70 with a 31 spline eaton tru trac.
https://www.quickperformance.com/Ford-9-Complete-Center-Section-Third-Member_p_36.html
Its another option if you dont stay local, highly recommended.
I’m not opposed to rebuilding what I have, if I was of the mind to have a shop do it…but I was hoping to get my hands dirty with my buddy helping me. I guess I’m not confident in my ability to set the pinion and ring, all the bearings, and the tracloc to the right thousanth, when neither of us have done it before (plenty of YouTube University, though). Having a pre-built carrier seems to take the hardest part out of the equation. But I’ll definitely give your buddy a call - just to get his thoughts on the swap, generally. Thanks for the tip!
Honestly there are some things worth paying for as well. Ive been turning wrench my whole life and professionally for 20 years now. There are a couple things I absolutely hate doing even if I can actually do them. Setting up differentials is one of them! 
This is what I love about this forum. Just got off the phone with Nate (super straight-forward dude). He can rebuild me with a 3.50 with gear posi, using a Yukon ring and pinion for about $1K - out the door. Considering the least expensive option for a third-member is $950, I’d not be spending much more, and having a pro do it means warranty (and same day burnouts).
Also steered me away from shortening all the way down to 3.70 or 3.89 for street. He thinks even with my .63 OD, it’d rev kinda high on the open road at highway speeds for hours. I’m guessing the 3.50/posi will give me plenty of the thrust I’m looking for.
Nice, Glad you got it worked out! The plus side to local is if the rare case there was an issue you have a name to a face to get it resolved.
a 3.50 is probably a good choice, I plan to run the same but with a 4 speed, I may have to go the other way depending on my end use. The big cost is the trac lock assembly so once you have that if you are unhappy with the 3.5 you can have it regeared for much cheaper then the original bill.
My 3rd has already been rebuilt previously with 3.55 installed so I plan to have Nate install the trac lock when Im ready. Ill just bring down the 3rd and drop it off for the day. I could do it myself but I absolutely hate doing gear installs. Not to mention their shop is a block away from my shop so makes sense for me to just have them knock it out for me.
I have 3.50 in two Cougars and it is too low to drive on Arizona interstates and expressways. You end up being passed by people that are doing 80 and not paying attention to how fast they are closing on you. With overdrive you can run much lower gears.
The 2.75 axle/3-speed toploader was swapped for the T5, with 2.95, 1.94, 1.34, 1.00 gears and 0.63 overdrive. You think I’ll have trouble with the 3.50 keeping up at 80?
When you have your 3rd member rebuilt, just change it to a 31 spline and get new axles. Look at it this way, they ones in there now are 50 years old, bearings old, seals. You don’t know what was done to it before so the axles are questionable no matter how good they look. Nothing worse then getting it rebuilt and having an old axle break off at the carrier. Mercury built it to be light duty, so the axles may be the new weak link.
I do recommend nothing higher then 3.73s otherwise you really start spinning it to get the speed up.
Not at all. I would run 3.8 or so. .63 times 3.9 is 2.46 ratio.
I have the same setup in mine now. 3.50 is perfect for me with the 0.63 on the highway. Equates to about 2,200 RPM at 70 mph.
The real problem is not so much the gearing, it’s do you have the HP/TQ to move the total weight to that speed and keep it there? Aerodynamics also is a big issue when it comes to HP to move it down the road. Think of a 72 Lincoln brick, with a 225HP/350 TQ 460 and 6,000# of weight. Even at 80MPH with the 2.75 gears they put in them was hard to keep that speed up.
If you watch NASCRAD, use to be good decades ago, this is why on the superspeed ways it takes them 1 lap just to get up to speed. As soon as they get out in the air from drafting, it’s like dragging an anchor.
I put 4.10s in a 72 Maverick I built for my son. Home made Boss 302, AOD. But the car only weighed 2800 lbs. Go with a good cam and build for TQ in the midrange, 2000-4500. That will make lots of difference.
