Lokar Direct Fit Billet Throttle Cable System For Classic Mustangs

Ford’s sporty youth car, the timeless and enduring Mustang, will be 50 in another year. Because the Mustang has been so popular in all of its many forms through the years, aftermarket companies like Lokar Performance Products have paid very close attention to what people want.

In this tech review, we’ll be taking a look at Lokar Performance Products’ billet aluminum throttle pedal assembly for classic 1965-70 Mustangs on our Power Automedia project car known as “Biting The Billitt.” This pedal conversion kit looks fabulous and functions very well because it completely replaces your Mustang’s factory-installed throttle linkage with crisp cable function and light throttle effort. And because it’s suspended from your Mustang’s firewall, your right foot has good mechanical advantage and enhanced control. This means less driver fatigue coupled with great looks against fresh carpet.

Throttling Up…

Beginning in 1969, Ford went to a factory throttle cable and continued with the suspended heel and toe pedal system, which was safer and smoother. The problem with aging cable operated throttle systems is a frayed and binding cable, which tends to hang up as it wears, making it frustrating and unsafe.

Removal of Ford's antiquated linear throttle rod, spring, and bellcrank takes about 30-60 minutes using simple hand tools. You will need a 3/8-inch socket to get the throttle assembly and a #1 Phillips screwdriver to remove the accelerator pedal. Be advised the Phillips screw can be a bear to get out. Soak the screw with WD-40 in advance.

Lokar Performance Products offers classic Mustang enthusiasts a better bolt-on throttle pedal system you can install in an afternoon and be out cruising by nightfall. There are two items you need to purchase: the billet throttle pedal assembly and Hi-Tech throttle cable package.  

What makes the Lokar throttle pedal conversion kit a great value is aesthetics and function. For 1965-68 model Mustangs, this pedal assembly plugs right into the stock accelerator pedal pass-through in your Mustang’s firewall. At the attachment point is where the throttle cable passes through. For 1969-70 cars, it’s is a simple bracket affair that bolts right to your Mustang’s firewall and uses the factory cable pass-through.

The Lokar throttle pedal conversion kit is made from 6061-T6 billet aluminum and CNC machined for an exceptional appearance. Delrin bushings provide a smooth operation. What’s more, you can order this kit in black or brushed aluminum to suit your own tastes.

Billet Throttle Pedal Assembly Features

  • CNC Machined 6061-T6 Billet Aluminum for great looks
  • Bolt-In with no modifications
  • Spring-Loaded Throttle Return
  • Delrin Bushings for smooth operation
  • Rubber Pedal Inserts
  • In Brushed or Black Aluminum

Cable Me…

The advantage of Lokar’s billet throttle pedal and cable system is the Teflon-lined cable system, which is safer and smoother. – Brian Downard

Exceptionally smooth throttle function comes from Lokar’s line of Hi-Tech throttle cable kits that tie the throttle pedal and carburetor together for a slick demonstration of form and function. Lokar throttle cable kits are available in braided stainless, black stainless, or with a black housing. The nice thing about Lokar’s cable system is its compatibility with factory or Lokar throttle pedal packages.

“The advantage of Lokar’s billet throttle pedal and cable system is the Teflon-lined cable system, which is safer and smoother,” Brian Downard, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Lokar, tells us. “This is certainly a better system than even Ford’s original cable system because it won’t stick or bind. It’s also made entirely right here in the USA.”

Lokar's throttle pedal system for the 1965-68 Mustang simply plugs right into the stock throttle pedal pass through. Hold the assembly from inside while a helper runs down these Allen screws from the engine compartment.

As you can see in this series of images, the Lokar plate is mounted to the firewall using a pair of allen head bolts. The allen bolts go through the plate on the cabin side and holds the throttle pedal assembly in place.

Billet Throttle Pedal Assembly Features

  • CNC Machined 6061-T6 Billet Aluminum for great looks
  • Bolt-In with no modifications
  • Spring-Loaded Throttle Return
  • Delrin Bushings for smooth operation
  • Rubber Pedal Inserts
  • In Brushed or Black Aluminum

Easy Installation

If you’re working with a 1965-68 Mustang, you have a simple suspended accelerator pedal and linear movement mechanical throttle linkage to disconnect and remove. The greatest challenge is removing the accelerator pedal screw and spring, which may involve WD-40 and a lot of tenacity because these screws are normally frozen after four decades of use. If a large Phillips screwdriver won’t get the pedal screw out, vice-grips will.

Though the Lokar billet throttle pedal assembly and cable system are separate, they work together to give your Mustang crisp throttle response. If you have a 1965-68 Mustang, pedal installation is easy from the inside with a helper on the engine side of the firewall. You begin by inserting the billet throttle pedal assembly and have your helper install the cap and Allen screws. Simply use a thread locker on those Allen screws.

If you’re working with a 1969-70 Mustang with the suspension pedal and cable system, Lokar’s billet throttle pedal bolts to the firewall where the factory pedal assembly was, which means you don’t even need a helper for this one.

Engine/Transmission Control

Lokar’s Hi-Tech throttle cables afford you a new sense of engine and transmission control because there’s never been a smoother way to operate engine throttle and automatic transmission modulation. Whether your classic Mustang has a vintage C4, C6 or FMX, or a more contemporary Automatic Overdrive, the Hi-Tech cable system works with all of these transmissions. What’s more, it will also work with the fuel-injected SEFI 5.0L High Output engines as well – so you’re covered no matter how you’ve modified your Mustang.

The Lokar Hi-Tech cable system arrives ready to modify and install. The cable is a cut-to-fit arrangement and is fully adjustable for nearly any application out there. All you have to do is determine proper length, allow enough room for adjustment, and install your Lokar Hi-Tech cable system. Once you have installed the Hi-Tech cable system, all you have to do is adjust pedal height to your comfort, then, make sure a floored pedal also means a wide-open throttle. Transmission modulation (kickdown) cable tension depends upon your type. If you have the Ford AOD, follow Ford’s directions carefully including the use of a pressure gauge.

Before cutting cable to fit, allow yourself room for adjustment. You can always cut more. If you cut too much, you're stuck with the result.

If your Mustang has an automatic transmission, you have two cables - throttle and transmission kickdown - to work with. The throttle cable should be adjusted to where the pedal reaches the floor and you have a wide-open throttle. At the same time, the kickdown cable should be at full tension with a C4, C6, or FMX transmission at wide-open throttle to get a downshift. If you have an AOD retrofit, follow Ford's instructions on cable tension and control pressure or you may risk transmission damage. The Lokar brake pedal installation is an easy bolt-on, involving drilling small pilot holes where appropriate, then a larger 3/8-inch hole. From there, use a thread locker on the screw threads.

This is the 1969-70 Mustang throttle pedal, which is a direct bolt-on to replace your factory pedal assembly. Check out the brushed aluminum foot rest. Put this guy right next to your dimmer switch to give you something else to do with your left foot.

Lokar Performance Products demonstrates you can enjoy a nice combination of direct bolt-in form and function with its billet aluminum throttle pedal kits coupled with smooth cable operation enabling you to thrust your vintage ride into the 21st Century.

 

About the author

Jim Smart

Jim Smart cut his teeth on automobiles in the 1970s with a passionate interest in Ford and Chrysler musclecars. After serving in the United States Air Force, he transitioned into automotive journalism as editor of Mustang Monthly magazine in 1984. In 1990, Jim joined Petersen Publishing Company as a feature editor at Car Craft, and later as editor of Mustang & Fords, then senior editor at both Mustang Monthly and Mustang & Fords. Jim writes for a wide variety of automotive publishers and websites.
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