Vehicle Description
The magnetic spell that classic cars have over us is an undeniable
force, but one that often conflicts. When curb appeal capable of
stopping you dead in your tracks also comes with a primitive
driving experience - where every imperfection on the road is felt
inside, or the rear end seems to be a little tardy coming out of
turns - our enthusiasm can certainly be dampened. That's a
challenge ably solved by this stunning 1967 Ford Mustang GT500E
Restomod Fastback. It combines outstanding Shelby GT500E good looks
with a host of well-chosen modern upgrades and performance specs
that make it an absolute blast to drive. I'm usually not one for
hyperbole, but I can confidently say that this unreal S-Code
Mustang - with its transformed body, Bullitt-style dark green
paint, sporty leather interior, and whiplash-inducing 427
V8/6-speed drivetrain - is the most jaw-dropping Mustang I've ever
had the pleasure to write about.
You'll find a sizable legion of Mustang enthusiasts who believes
that the 1st-gen fastbacks are among the best-looking classic cars.
Furthermore, many argue that the mysterious 'Eleanor Mustang'
(hence the 'E' at the end of GT500E) is the greatest looking
Mustang of all time. A peculiar claim, not because I necessarily
disagree, only that the Eleanors aren't technically 'real'
Mustangs. They were never Ford production cars, and the famous
Eleanor is not a classic at all, but rather a modern follow-up to
the original 1971 'Eleanor' used in a H.B. Halicki's movie, Gone in
60 Seconds. In 2000, the film was remade and its biggest star was a
'new' Eleanor Mustang designed by Steve Sanford - and even though
the film was hardly memorable, the leading-role car was burned into
the minds of fans all over the world. This particular Dark Moss
Green fastback is one of the slickest builds we've ever laid our
eyes upon, combining the top-notch design of the Shelby/Unique
Performance collaborations with a Bullitt-style presence. If you're
familiar with these cars, you know the restorations are insanely
difficult and brutally expensive, and this beauty was built by two
of the most highly respected shops in Texas. Completed in 2018,
there's not a piece of the body that wasn't professionally attended
to, with the giant hood, Shelby front clip, aggressive side scoops,
lower-body ground effects, and Shelby rear clip complete with
Thunderbird-sourced taillights all put together neatly to form the
base of this legendary muscle car. Dark Moss Green is actually the
original color, and the builders made the wise decision to stick
with that recipe. Of course, modern materials vastly out-shine
anything from the '60s, and with the addition of painted-on black
stripes, this fastback looks absolutely sinister. With 5,102 miles
on the build, it's no longer a perfect show car ready to pull
straight into SEMA, and a closer examination will reveal an
imperfection or two, but overall the curb appeal is so darn high
that it's almost impossible to list any demerits. It would be like
complaining that the frame around the Mona Lisa has some chips in
it, or that Mozart's symphonies would've been even better if he
only had a better haircut. The truth is it's a gorgeous, albeit not
perfect, iconic Mustang that outclasses every other car, everywhere
it goes.
The black vinyl interior is a stunner - a very skillful and
effective recreation of the GT500's vintage look with a host of
impressive features. Recaro buckets are well-padded, with no wear
marks or creasing on their surfaces, and they feature 4-point
racing harness seatbelts attached to a 4-point roll cage mounted
just behind - a welcome safety upgrade. Beyond the Cobra tilt
steering wheel, an attraction on its own, sits a reworked dash
bezel filled with digital instruments that keep an accurate eye on
the big block under the hood, and the billet pedals down below
simply refuse to be treated gently. Splitting the buckets is the
car's factory center console, reworked to house switches for the
power windows and lights, a FiTech control module, and that
gorgeous chrome 6-speed shifter that's topped with an 8-ball style
Cobra knob. A retro-style AM/FM/AUX/BT stereo now manages upgraded
speakers stashed throughout the cabin, and a trio of vents pump in
cold R134a A/C and keep everyone comfortable. Plush black carpets
insulate the floors while a custom headliner was cleverly installed
above, the door panels at the flanks are virtually unmarked, and
even the trunk was restored to match with custom hidden panels.
A 427 V8 monster lives under the hood, built for power but still
manageable enough to drive regularly. Bored to a whopping 480
cubes, it was pro-built to eat asphalt faster than an industrial
grader. Installed 5102 miles ago, it features all the standard
go-fast parts, from aluminum heads, FiTech fuel-injection dual
4-barrels, a billet front-runner serpentine belt system, to a giant
aluminum radiator up front that keeps the whole show running cool.
It's neatly dressed in Cobra valve covers and a matching oval air
cleaner (even the MSD ignition box was finished to match), plus
fresh paint on the inner fenders and firewall. Everything under the
hood is new, including the powdercoated braces, plumbing and
electrical, power steering, and Wilwood power 4-wheel disc brakes,
and you can see that it's all fresh. A Tremec 6-speed manual is
assisted by all new components, while the 9-inch rear end is filled
with 3.75 posi-traction gears inside. Long-tube headers feed into a
cackling X-pipe dual exhaust system that sounds downright erotic
with the electric cut-outs open at full bore and the rolling stock
rides on Halibrand-style American Racing wheels with staggered
235/45/17 front and 275/40/17 rear Nittos that set the killer
stance.
Documented with a Marti report and loads of restoration
receipts/photos, this S-Code GT500E Restomod is the one your
parents told you to be worried about. Call today!
