You're right, I did find that same part number on other cars, Torinos I think, and others. And while it would be fun to hunt down these old timers in junk yards, like I did in the "old days", I'm not that young anymore, and there aren't that many 60s-70s cars left in the junk yards around here (south of San Diego, near the border with TJ). So I will get by using M22 star washers glued to large diameter fender washers, pretty sure they'll do the trick.
Hey guys, catching back up on this project. Finally got to where I might call it "DONE". Of course, ran into many slow-downs along the way, not least of which was the decision to paint the entire front radiator panel - scuff, rust-bust, prime and paint. Glad I did 'cause it looks much better behind the grill and bumper now. As I said above, my drilling skills for the new frame holes were amateur, resulting in imperfectly aligned holes, with the slop in the bracket holes I was able to align the new small bumper pretty well. The '74 vinyl stone guard cut down and painted flat black looks good behind the bumper, I think, I just hope the paint stays stuck to the vinyl. Next step is the valance - either a stock piece, or modified '65 Mustang valance, still thinking about it.... A lot of lessons learned the hard way, happy to share with anybody else looking to do this swap. Thanks for all the support along the way!
Just checking in, not much to update. Drove the car home from the shop, no issues. Still deciding on which way to go with the valance, stock or modify a 65-66 Mustang valance. I'll see what the guys at the donut runs think...
Well.... first of all, Maverick valances are like $280; I'm sure you know, EVERYTHING specific to Mavericks is 2-3 times the cost of the same item for vintage Mustangs. Ironic, but it is what it is...the price you pay for uniqueness I guess. Mustang valances are like $60-80. I like the look of early Maverick valances, but the Mustang valance just looks more muscular, sporty, without being too racy. Until I get one and try it out, I won't know for sure 1) that it will look good, or 2) that I (or a body/sheet metal specialist, which I am not) could make it fit. I do know that the maximum width of the Maverick front end, from left to right fender "wings", is 58". The Mustang valance is approx. 64", so I'd have to trim out 6" somewhere; I figure either: 1) cut 3" off each end, to get rid of the running light holes (blue lines below), or 2) cut in the mid section (yellow lines), both sides of the license plate indentation, then just slide the two end pieces under the center section and rivet or weld it back together; that would leave the running light holes, which I could use as lights, or as air ducts for the brakes, or engine bay, kinda pseudo-racy, but that way it would still have a lip for attaching to the wings with speed nuts (I'd have to bend one or the other to match the curvature). The Mustang valance has a lot of protrusions along the top for bolting to the stone guard, probably just cut those off and try to hide the upper edge under the Maverick's bumper or stone guard.
'Bout had a fricking heart attack today. My wife's cat lives in the garage with my Maverick; the demon cat loves to climb all over my precious beast, which has a number of 3-toed scratches in the paint now (can't see 'em from 5 feet away). She gets a cat, I get a paint job AFTER the monster dies. Even so, I keep it covered in the garage to minimize any further damage....which is a pain, and counter to the whole idea of having a garage IN THE FIRST PLACE, since I have to cover and uncover it every time I take it out or work on it. Well, I usually roll the cover up from the rear onto the hood, then back out, then roll it all the way up and stow it. Today, my back out geometry wasn't good, I was about to back into my OTHER Maverick (a '24), so I tried to straighten it out BEFORE I took the cover all the way off the front....which meant I couldn't see where I was going, but I estimated I had plenty of room.... Boy was I wrong! I crashed my brand new shiny $525 bumper into the side of my house! Like an absolute unequivocal DUMBA$$! In a near-catatonic state, tears starting to form and my heart in my throat, I got out to look at the bad news. Sure enough the bumper had been pushed in about an inch or so, but AMAZINGLY....NO DENT or SCRATCH (it was still under cover, which probably prevented any scratching). The brackets shifted rearward under the bolts/nuts, which took up the impact. Sure, they got scratched, but who cares?! I searched all over for other hidden damage, but I couldn't find anything. All I had to do was realign the bumper, after doing that you cannot tell. Well, maybe there is the very very slightest "crinkle" in the bend of the bumper, under the chrome, but it looks the same on both sides so it's possible it was there before, I never noticed it. At any rate, it's WAY BETTER than what I was expecting as I was getting out of the car to inspect my dumbassery. Luckily, the impact point on the house was in the same spot where my wife had hit it years ago, some stucco damage, but she'll never know...and I'll never tell!
Ooh, glad you didn't take more damage than that. I wouldn't have guessed the Mustang valance would be that much wider. The track width is almost identical. The front of the Mustang is a lot less tapered, more square I guess.
