Early A 17's

To get a 17X9 on the front you would need about 6.3" of back spacing on the wheel to have the tire not hit the outside fender lip. The problem with 17" and smaller diameter wheels is the outer tie rod end will hit the wheel or tire with more than about 5" of back spacing.

The picture below is a 18X9 wheel on a 72 Dart with 6.3" of backspacing. This only works because that tie rod end will fit inside the larger 18" wheel diameter.

You might be able to get a 17X9 to fit with less back spacing but it will probably require fender lip modifications to avoid rubbing issues.