Vehicle Description
Is it just me, or does this Mustang look like it's breaking the
speeding limit just sitting still in our photo booth? Faithful
readers, this dialed-in 1968 Ford Mustang Restomod is that fast.
With a 5.0L/306 V8 crate motor topped with fuel-injected dual quads
under the hood, a 4-speed automatic overdrive transmission, and
great upgrades like power steering and power 4-wheel disc brakes,
this is the resto-mod your mother warned you about.
First off, that bright blue-teal paint (it looks awfully close to a
cross between Tahoe Turquoise and Gulfstream Aqua from the Early
Mustang color palette) has never been more appropriate for the
legendary '68 Mustang coupe bodywork. Already one of the greatest
designs of the muscle car era, the shiny driver-quality paint only
adds to the appeal and you'll probably get tired of everyone asking
you about it every time you stop. Or not, because EVERYONE thinks
this is a gorgeous car, especially with the white 'C-stripe' on the
side and the beefy hardware jutting out of the hood and the
profiles. It's a much older paint job, one of the earlier
basecoat-clearcoat jobs you'll see, and unfortunately some oof that
older clearcoat has started to fade and lift off, particularly on
the roof and decklid. That drops the overall ranking of the paint
to slightly below average, but the curb appeal is still through the
roof and this bruising Pony absolutely looks like a million bucks
when it's zipping past you down a country road. Fortunately, since
the builder knew that all eyes would be on this Mustang at all
times, he made sure the work was done right all those years ago,
which means crisply rendered bodywork, great panel alignment, and
exacting gaps that line up well throughout. That aforementioned
'beefy hardware' includes the obvious air-engulfing 'street scoop'
breather jutting out from the center-cut of the hood, the GT lights
in the front grille, and those uber-cool side pipes at the flanks
that look brand-new with their shiny heat shields stealing the
show. Most of the chrome/brightwork is in great shape and appears
to be recently replaced or re-plated, providing a great contrast to
the light paint from end-to-end.
The all-black interior sticks to the original design's intent, but
takes it up a notch with deeply-bolstered, high-back bucket seats
that hold you in place far better than the slippery original
chairs. Stock door panels were beautifully rendered to match the
new seats and the back seat was reupholstered with stock materials
to give the entire interior a very consistent look that marries
new-with-old perfectly. Factory gauges fill the woodgrain accented
dash, visible through the spokes of a custom leather-wrapped
4-spoke wheel, so it feels quite modern from the driver's seat. The
swapped-in Monster transmission is a heavy-duty 4R70W that's
protected with a trans cooler and is fully programmable via
handheld device you can keep in the cabin, and it's managed via a
T-Handle shifter inside that super-cool, custom center console that
also features cup holders and extra storage space. Speaking of
programmable, there's a small screen mounted to the left of the
steering wheel that controls the Holley Sniper EFI system under the
hood, so you can play around with it and get that air/fuel mixture
just right based on your area's elevation, desired performance,
efficiency, etc. Finally, a great-sounding retro-style digital
stereo system pumps tunes through upgrade speakers, a big
amplifier, and thumping 10-inch Rockford-Fosgate subwoofers in the
trunk. But don't worry, the trunk still has plenty of room and
looks relatively stock, with a reproduction plaid mat covering the
floor and a spare tire and jack set in tow.
The fresh 306 cubic inch BluePrint V8 crate engine under the hood
has more than enough power (factory rated 370HP and 390 lb-ft of
torque) all by itself to make things very entertaining. It's a
brand-new piece with under 2K miles on the clock, augmented with
dual 4-barrel Holley carburetors fed through a Holley Sniper EFI
system, a Holley Sniper hi-ram intake manifold, a new fuel
delivery/return system, and a set of shorty headers that exhale
through the side pipes at the flanks. So yeah, those factory
horsepower ratings are probably a bit conservative. The fully
dressed small block wears Ford Blue valve covers from Ford Racing
so it looks clean, and functionally it's ready to rock with a big
4-core aluminum radiator and electric fan, a new distributor, and a
new fuel tank underneath. New springs and shocks out back give it
that awesome stance and help nail it to the pavement, power
rack-and-pinion steering is a must-have on any restomod, and the
power brakes have been upgraded to discs at all four corners.
There's also a new driveshaft spinning the stock rear end filled
with 2.79 gears, and the staggered Cragar S/S wheels wear 215/60/14
front and 245/60/15 rear white-letter radials to finish off the
killer look.
Fast, beautiful, and fully sorted, this is the kind of Mustang that
you'll never get tired of driving or showing. Call today!