Ok, so this has now been resolved. An thought you all may want to know the heads up result:   

The short of it :  DO NOT buy ST Suspension!!!  

Their customer service was very nice and tried to be helpful, but at the end of the day their part comes no where close to fitting.  And there is nothing "special" about my set-up that would make a part designed for stock no longer fit.  

I went back to the garage and specifically pulled it out myself and tried it the other way around just to make sure  (in case they just botched it) and they were right - it came no where close the even being able to make the connections at all.  The part measurements they sent me to verify I had the right part all checked out.  So I had the right part.  Putting the new bar next to the old stock one showed the significant differences between the two.  I have no idea how they have "been selling this part for 20 years with no issues" (as they claim).  

Now off to try and see if I can get some kind of extra anything for my lost $ installing it and lost hours sorting it out along with the return.
 

Full disclosure:  long story short, I'm not doing the install on this one.  Not worth getting into the why, it is what it is.  When I saw this and the shop supervisor did, we both asked if it was upside-down.  The tech said they tried it the other way around and the fit didn't work at all due to interference in the middle. In additon, ST suspensiopn has all these images plus a few more showing the overall install and they havn't mentioned that.  Good thought to double check the obvious first, though.  Unlike the time I swapped out a "bad" starter on an Accord only to find the connection between the positive battery cable was shot.  

Thanks all for the insights and confirmation.  I knew the '67 was wider so they could shoe-horn in a larger engine, but that confirms the '66 is suspect for fitting.  I don't see how the 2" difference would work in this.  That's quite a bit.  Sounds like there were some change overs mid year, but they are relatively minor tweaks like you would expect on most any manufacturing line as you start getting more data on the design.  I'd be surprised if they did a retooling that would result in this big of a difference.

As for trying out the '66 if they'll send it:  Honestly, I don;t want to waste my time on it.   The time spent replacing the old one, sending it back, and installing the '66 only to see it not fit and then have to send that back as well... adds up to costing me a lot of hours out of my day as a result of their poor understanding.  Not to mention the calendar time, too.  So if with a little help I can get some background information to prevent one return-test fit-return cycle, I'm all for using it.  

Yeah, you're right on with that suspicion.  It's misleading spin and lobbying.  The economics of ethanol on the gas without gov subsidy doesn't pan out. It is actually a net negative in total fossil fuel burn (and cost).  The reason it's cheaper at the pump is government subsidies to farmers.  Gov pays farmers to produce to give then some scratch and to keep food prices down, then as a result process and sell the ethanol from the overproduction to get somewhat of a return.

So many things wrong with this. 

http://www.thedrive.com/news/20722/internet-revolts-after-couple-trades-in-husbands-dream-1966-ford-mustang-for-a-new-audi-s5


As the article says, everyone is entitled to do with their property what they want.  But we are also entitled to make opinions and judgement of people based on their actions.  


And it is stereotyping on my part, but.... I can tell exactly what kind of woman that is and what she is like based on her picture. 

I agree that the vinyl has it's purpose.  Mainly graphics work.  Like the falcon and some cool looking ones I've seen with faux-carbon fiber.  For color effects and multi-tone that would just be much more expensive in paint but a digital printer can crank it out no-problemo.  As for use by someone who wants to frequently change colors (one color car)... I'm not so sure, personally.  But I can see it argued either way.

Regardless, what I have been finding and hearing, which is what lead me down this rabbit hole, is that vinyl is being pushed more and more as a full-spectrum replacement for paint.  Not a just special-case replacement.  Not for me and my application, per above!  

 

Yeah, the DIY went out the door on this pretty quick.  I have not had good luck myself in shooting things, and as others mentioned matte is hard to fix.  Pretty much a re-do.  Then there is the aspect that even when I paint with rattle cans in my garage, it smells all over the first floor.  Even after putting plastic over the connecting door.  Add in 2k, and no-beuno.  

I quickly got off my 2 day brain fart on wraps.  Did some further research and primary reasons were:

- No savings on prep as you all mentioned.  Every little imperfections comes through.
- $ for $ on equivalent offerings, actually does not end up saving you $.  Despite what wrappers claim.  They usually accomplish this in the fuzziness of comparing these. A mid-level wrap is cheaper than an entry-level premium paint job.  But does not look nearly the same (seams, delamination, rough cuts around features, wear on sharp edges, crappy cutting around protrusions, emblems, antennas, etc. I saw some naaaasty images.  
- Longevity.  They say "lasts 7 years with care, a paint job will list 5-7 with care."  What the hell?  how many of you repaint your car every 7 years?
- Longevity.  About that 7-years....  most all vinyl mfgs. have a 5 or 7 or whatever year warranty.  But then change that based on your location and the surface angle!  For example, one well known supplier had a 0% multiplier on horizontal surfaces in California.  As in - NO warranty!  
- Back to cost.  The closest same-same estimate I could do without too much effort put the cost for the vinyl applications was just about $1k under a very good "mask and spray" restoration-specialty shop I talked to (so not your Maaco level).  How does that "savings" rack up if you have to pay a mask-and-spray level fee every 7 years?  Mmmm-hm.
- As y'all also said - the paint job is probably the one cost that affects you daily perception and pride the most.  An even ok-wrapper that gets a little bubble or delamination or peeled co

Ha!  If that was my rig I'd wouldn't be worrying about much.  

TKO - thanks for the tidbits and info.  I may take you up on that offer to run some things by you if I get into a quandary or get suspicious of something.  And definitely going to look into 3 floors as opposed to 2.  Right now the plan is to try and make some areas easily expandable, like the workshop (although don't worry - there will be a workshop.  We are contractually obligated to have one due to an agreement with our architect.  Of course I won't put up much of a fight about that - "No, honey, see we HAVE to have space for a separate painting and varnishing area.  It's in the contract.  Just like the welding hood.").  I have seen some techniques in Africa and Central America where they leave a few feet or rebar sticking out of the top floor so they can add on later on.  Not quite the extent we were looking at, but maybe leave a junction box and duct work to be easily tapped into at the outside wall. Similar with the bedroom side of the house so we can change what might initially be a 2-bedroom into a 4-bedroom.  Anything else structural akin to the rebar sticking out that will make life easier when it comes time? Like maybe some different way to finish off the joists or other structural tie-ins on the outside wall that would be expanded upon?


Good thoughts and observations by all on this.  Nice to have.  My parents' drive is 12 deg. and is barely workable without 4WD.  So maybe around 5 deg, max from that and what others have said.  I'd love to just go asphalt, but the cost difference could easily be $20k.....  A bit Appalachian, but maybe we could look into doing asphalt for the more problem sections that you all have flagged like steeper hills and area prone to washout.  Not ideal, but if it saves $10k that could otherwise be put into the house or filling up that new workshop space... 


(don't take that as a dig against hill folk, my parents live in the foothills and I have

So I may be building a new homestead.  We need to get quotes on the driveway to factor into our budget and land offer.  The potential parcel has lots of hills, so the question is:

Do any of you have experience with, or a good feeling of, the maximum incline a mustang can handle going SLOWLY up a gravel driveway?  My parent's place has a steep one that I know my mustang would just spin and throw rocks on.  Hell, a front-wheel drive sedan barely makes it.  

I don't want to come rolling in on move day and find out I need to rip out and regrade the driveway.  Or that I could have moved the garage location a little to the left and saved enough money to buy a second project car to fill the extra bay.   Thoughts?  The ride is up in the paint shop right now, so just taking it out looking for steep drives to try out is not quite practical.  

http://www.motortrend.com/news/watch-ken-block-tempt-death-climbing-pikes-peak-in-a-1400-hp-mustang/
 

To close the loop on this:

I did find a guy to paint it!!!  He was exactly the type of guy I was wanting to find - has a place outside of town, a few scrap cars on his properties, willing to and can do any job - insurance work, custom jobs, body work, mechanic, and breeds German Shepards.  Has a towing business for anything from tiny hybrids to Semis and RVs.  A great guy whose usual response is "yeah, we can do that for ya."  in a thick NC accent.  When looking over my car  he even mentioned off hand "You know... I've got a 9" Ford diff with disc brakes on it just sittin' over there.  Just sayin'...."

So if you are in the Raleigh/Durham, NC area and need anything - Advanced Towing and Collision is the way to go.  I told him he should make a different branded subsidiary to push his custom and all-around work, but we'll see.  He seems plenty busy and happy for now.

So thanks to the community for keeping me going!!

Also - the roof was a very pleasant surprise.  A bunch of pock marks and a few rust holes no bigger than a 1/4" here and there.  Probably the first thing ever that went my way on this damn car.  

So Maaco (at least the ones near me) don't shoot satin finishes.  I am so tired of how difficult these seemingly simple things can be.  Looks like unless I want to wait 8 months and shell out $10k+, I'm signing up to do it myself.  Time to start the research and make the judgement....

I am really scared of this roof though.  I don't know what to do if I peel back that vinyl and find it needs a new one.  Anyone else deal with this?


 

Thanks.  I have been very tempted to just do it myself - that ends up happening a lot to me in hobbies and at work.  But from prior experience painting my quarter panels over and over and over again due to f#%$n' runs and drips I am trying my best to not do resort to this (although that was a rattle can job.  But still - it was enough to tell myself painting is not my strong suit).