Mustangs Plus is closed?

[RagTop]

Talk about being late to the party. I was browsing 347 strokers for my '69 vert and found out that Ron and Cindy Bramlett retired a year ago and that Mustangs Plus is gone??? Saw a lot of comments wishing them well but I also saw one guy saying that first generation Mustangs were basically for old guys 50 and over. Guilty, but I didn't realize that the gen 1 cars were going the way of the Model A. Anyone have any input on this and/or a source for a 347 stroker?

 

[RapidRabbit]

I didn't realize that either. I haven't bought anything from them recently.

However I did find this info. They were bought by another company.

Mustangs Plus is Acquired • EMB Corporate Site

Mustangs Plus Joins Top Flight Automotive! March 29, 2021 The assets of Mustangs Plus, a long-time Mustang aftermarket supplier, were recently acquired by Extra Mile Brands. This recent acquisition has enabled us to build on our already expansive Mustang offering on Top Flight Automotive. As a...

www.extramilebrands.com

Sent from my motorola one 5G using Tapatalk

 

[Horseplay]

As far as sources for a 347 go, find a local engine builder or simply buy a Ford crate piece. Or better yet, build your own. The last place you want to buy one would be a mustang parts house kind of place. They would just be middlemen making a buck off you.

Classic mustangs are not going away any more than the Model A has. It by the way is rocketing up in price. I've been hunting one for quite a while now. Should have pulled the trigger on one last year. They've gone up nearly double over night it seems. My guess is "that guy" is some young "enthusiast" whose idea of hot rodding is slapping on some 20" wheels and underglow lighting. All the younger guys I run into drool over the fastback, their only regret being they can't afford one. I think cost is the real issue as to why more young guys don't go Gen 1.

 

[KBMWRS]

I believe there is a new "auto" restorer/repair shop in its place now. My guess is that the new owners just bought out the stock and moved it.
I should ride over there and check it out...only a couple hours away.

 

[Starfury]

I discovered this a couple months ago. I grew up in Stockton, so I was a frequent customer. Ron's son actually strolled by my house one day and commented on my fastback.

I thought they were great pioneers in the restomod scene. I'm still looking for one of their old remote 5sp shifter setups.

 

[RagTop]

Looks like simply buying a Ford crate piece runs in the $16K range these days. My current engine is the original 302 that came from the factory in October 1968. I swapped cams twice and bumped it up to a 4V before having it short blocked by Diablo Engineering in Dublin. They installed KB flat tops and externally balanced the rotating mechanism. It came out a .040 over 308 and I stepped up to a top end kit from an outfit called Central California Mustang that included a 351 W single profile cam (224 duration and .500 lift) with the gentler firing order, Ford GT40P heads (cast iron), a pair of custom tri-Y headers to accommodate the straight in plug arrangement, and a set of Ford Racing roller rockers. I also swapped out a balky Holley 600 cfm universal 4V for a 625 cfm Barry Grant Road Demon carb at that point. I had a guy in Auburn provide me a '68 J-code disty that was curved to my specific needs. It has a base timing of 14* and is all in at 34*. Alas, that was a long time ago and my total cost was around $3.7K. At the time I had the shorty done I kept thinking about a 347 but passed because of the extra expense and the problems they were having with the lower rings in those days. I'll be 77 in May and I can barely walk now. I doubt I can assemble an engine anymore. My 308 still runs strong despite having 55K miles on it. I guess I'll just have to be satisfied with what I've got. Still, the itch is there.

 

[Horseplay]

You can get engines from Ford or Blueprint or many others for far less than $16k. More like half that for a moderate 347 stroker. For less than $10k you can get one rated over well 400 hp. Blueprint would be your most economical vendor and they have come long way in terms of quality and performance. Full warranty too. For $16k I could put together a really healthy piece with all the best goodies. That is if one could get the parts. That's still an issue.