Vehicle Description
SUMMARY
The beneficiary of a 2-year, $250K restoration
427 cubic inch Roush Performance IR V8 / Electronic fuel injection
/ 546 horsepower
Tremec 5-speed manual transmission
Custom Italian leather and Cobra skin interior / Vintage Air
conditioning / 1,000-watt audio system
Seamless body kit / Pepper Gray Metallic paint / Black stripes
Custom 18-inch Forgeline Grip wheels
Ford 9-inch rear axle / Truetrac posi-traction differential / 3.70
gears
Detroit Speed front suspension / Custom rear suspension
Power rack-and-pinion steering / Baer 4-wheel power disc brakes
Polished side-exit exhaust / Magnaflow mufflers
Who can forget the 2000 remake of "Gone in 60 Seconds"? Chock-full
of Hollywood A-listers, it's a fast paced, high octane classic that
twists and turns through two hours of adrenaline-fueled action. And
the first time the star of the movie, a 1967 Mustang GT500 known as
Eleanor, pulled a full throttle 360 and kicked off one of the most
epic chase scenes in history, every gearhead on the planet had a
new favorite car! Today, the hobby is full of Eleanor replicas.
That means every red-blooded 'car expert' makes it their passion to
analyze details and lecture owners about their doppelgangers doing
the original car justice. That love it or hate it polarity
ultimately reflects itself in prices. Sloppy builds get relegated
to the cost of their collective parts while well-done cars, like
this Roush 427-powered pro-tourer, find themselves at big venues
bringing big money. At RK Motors Charlotte, we believe the only
thing cooler than a car that runs well is a car that runs well AND
turns heads. And this red-hot Mustang will smoke vintage metal at
the cruise in or the race track!
BODYWORK/TRIM
Designed by famed Hot Rod illustrator Steve Stanford, built by
celebrity car builder Chip Foose and listed by Hot Rod Magazine as
one of most influential vehicles in the history of hot rodding, the
original Eleanor was actually 13 different cars uniquely equipped
for different shots throughout the movie. And while most commercial
reproductions take liberty with small details that separate
Hollywood fantasy from backyard reality, well-executed builds, like
this fully sorted coupe, are case studies in authenticity. The
car's construction began with a custom-molded Eleanor body kit that
features functional brake ducts. Once that fiberglass was sourced,
it was seamlessly fitted to solid, 1967 Mustang metal during a
frame-off pro-touring build that spanned two years and $250,000.
With that profile formed, a smooth coat of correct Pepper Gray
Metallic was detailed with correct black stripes, sealed in durable
clear and rubbed to a spectacular shine. And today, this top notch
Eleanor is a fitting and impressive tribute to one of the most
iconic muscle cars of all time!
Since most classic car enthusiasts credit Carroll Shelby with
introducing some of the coolest and most aggressive Mustangs ever
created, it's only natural that Eleanor's terminal form mirrors his
stellar design. At the car's leading edge, custom grilles center
large PIAA fog lamps between chrome-trimmed headlights, a familiar
Shelby R valence and small PIAA driving lamps. At the top of that
grille, an aggressive fiberglass hood aligns low-key Ringbrothers
pins with polished wipers, straight frames, clear glass and
Shelby-style pillar scoops. At the sides of that hood, a striped
profile seats functional quarter scoops beneath flush door handles,
bullet-style mirrors and a stylish Monza fuel filler. And at the
back of that profile, a peaked decklid joins a body-matched bumper
to frame a small camera and custom, sequential taillights that
employ 300 LEDs.
ENGINE
Pop the car's lightweight hood and you'll find 427 cubic inches of
Roush Performance small block that gives fresh meaning to the words
"Go Baby, Go"! Ensuring this Mustang's would-be challengers will
face a much direr reality than that provided by a retrofitted
romantic relic, Roush's IR crate engine utilizes a steel crank,
H-beam rods, a roller cam and forged pistons to twist 546
horsepower into 540 lb./ft. of torque. At the top of the smooth
mill, eight Roush stacks mix fresh oxygen with high octane pump gas
that's provided by Roush electronic fuel injection. Those cones are
bolted to a polished Roush intake, which rides between aluminum,
CNC-ported heads and stylish Roush valve covers. Fire is provided
by a traditional distributor and loomed Roush 9mm plug wires.
Cooling comes courtesy of a polished AutoRad radiator, which
circulates coolant past large electric puller fans and a polished
expansion tank via pliable hoses and an aluminum water pump.
Ceramic-coated JBA headers evacuate spent gases in to polished
stainless pipes. And in front of those tubes, Billet Specialties
Tru Trac components spin a polished Powermaster alternator opposite
a polished AC compressor. Aesthetically, the Jet Black block looks
right at home in the car's mirror-like bay. And well-planned
details, like braided lines, billet reservoirs, Ringbrothers hood
supports and a color-keyed Baer brake booster, are both functional
and appealing.
DRIVETRAIN/SUSPENSION
Take one look under this pony and you'll find glossy, body-matched
floors that were completely massaged during the car's extensive
restoration. Behind the brutal 427, a modern Tremec 5-speed spins a
familiar Ford 9-inch that's fitted with a Truetrac differential,
31-spline axles and big, 3.70 gears. Those gears ride a glossy
4-link rear-clip that's finished with a thick sway bar and
adjustable Detroit Speed coil-overs. Opposite that clip, a Detroit
Speed subframe centers power rack-and-pinion steering between
tubular control arms and two more adjustable coil-overs. Stops come
courtesy of 4 and 6-piston Baer calipers, which utilize Baer
power-assist to clamp 14-inch drilled and slotted rotors. Torched
dinosaurs flood polished Magnaflow mufflers, which feed polished,
side-exit pipes. Power meets the pavement through custom Forgeline
Grips, which spin 245/40ZR18 BF Goodrich g-Force Rivals in front of
335/30ZR18 BF Goodrich g-Force Rivals. And first rate detailing
abounds, including stainless fluid lines, a deep-sump oil pan, a
subtle Baer proportioning valve and a custom Detroit Speed fuel
tank.
INTERIOR
Open this head-turner's doors and you'll find a custom upholstered
cockpit that twists cool Cobra skin and plush Italian leather into
an exceptionally attractive driving environment. The car's thick
bucket seats wear fresh covers and body-matched buttons between
requisite lap belts. In front of those thrones, a custom dash hangs
custom Classic Instruments telemetry above 1,000-watt Pioneer
touchscreen audio and Vintage Air Gen IV climate control. Below
that dash, fresh Daytona carpet floats a custom, color-keyed
console between a billet shifter, small accessory gauges and billet
foot pedals. Opposite that island, a custom headliner bridges the
gap between color-keyed Hertz pillar speakers and a polished
rearview mirror. In front of the driver, a precise Budnik steering
wheel spins satin spokes around a modern, titling column. At the
sides of the passengers, custom door panels anchor polished poppers
and polished pulls between modern power windows, crisp Hertz
tweeters and color-keyed Hertz kick speakers. And behind the
cockpit, a custom-upholstered trunk props more color-keyed Hertz
speakers above a fair amount of storage space.
The name Eleanor has become synonymous with killer Mustangs that
mix unbeatable performance with spectacular looks. This striking
Eleanor pro-tourer features a superb build and excellent
out-of-the-box abilities. If you're a pragmatic enthusiast who
likes to show your car on Friday and tear up the pavement on
Saturday, you've found your next classic!
