Q: I have purchased a 1970 Mustang. I have a 1969 460 engine that I’m told will fit in the engine compartment. I want to build a car that will do 9-second quarter-miles.

The engine will be bored .060 inches over, have a stroker kit, Cobra Jet heads, and an Edelbrock Victor Jr. intake. I need advice on carburetion and headers. The transmission will be a Powerglide with a trans-brake or a C-6. I plan on using a 9-inch Ford rear-end and ladder bars. Any help you can give me before I buy parts would be appreciated.

A: We can give you some general guidelines to help you build your 9-second Mustang. Keep in mind it won’t be cheap, nor will it be cheap to run.

  • Compression: 12.5-13.0:1
  • Camshaft: roller with 4,500-7,800 rpm powerband
  • Intake/carburetor: Edelbrock Victor 460 intake with 1,150 cfm Holley Dominator
  • Ignition: MSD box, distributor, Blaster 2 coil

Transmission choice will be somewhat dependent on vehicle weight. We suggest you put your Mustang on a serious diet to get it under 3,000 pounds. At that weight, we’d use a Powerglide and a 5,500 rpm stall torque converter. You might want to consider using an air shifter, too.

A Ford 9-inch is a must. You will need a spool and aftermarket axles to handle all the power you will be putting into the rear.

This is another in a series of weekly Q&A Mailbag sessions with Summit Racing‘s tech department, in which there are hundreds more. Click here to see them all.

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