What would YOU build?

Given that you had the financial means to build it - what kind of Mustang would you build and why?

1. Stock - leave it the way Ford built it thank you.
2. Mild Restomod - bolt on goodies and some horsepower upgrades - but definitley streetable.
3. Clone - Eleanors, Cobra recreations, something like what you saw in a magazine
4. Street/track - more go than show
5. Wild Restomod - Something like the Konig Brothers builds - everything custom

I personally would fall in the slightly higher end restomod.  I don't want something that somebody else already has - I want something well thought out, practical and doesn't take away from the original Ford lines.  I remember a couple of years ago at our local World of Wheels - the "best of show" was a '33 5-window.  It was a beautiful car, but everything on it had been done a million times - the guy took no chances.  didn't do anything for ***

What do you think?  

Dave  

I beleive that I would also go for the slight restomod version.  Put a little extra on the car than Ford gave it, make it your own and drive the thing.!!!  

I'm right there with you guys. Unless you're building a concours trailer queen, make it what you want. You're driving it. It should be the way you want it.

When we restored my wife's '65, we painted it Atlantic Blue, which wasn't available until '67.

I respect the guys who take the time and effort involved in a concours resto. There's no doubt that they put a lot of time and research and effort into that. But, unless you've got a super rare optioned car, do it like you want it to be.

Soon, we'll be upgrading from 4 lugs to 5, if for no other reason than all the wheel options available.

Of course, we might be moving from the 200ci to a 302 or something. It'll be whatever makes her happy and enjoy the car more.  

I have a 69 Mustang "E".  I am removing the 6 and working on a small block.  I want to restore the body to orginal, with Mustang "E" on the side but it will have more hp under the hood.  I'm planning of course some suspension mods, bit stiffer and lower, nice wheels and tires.  Not to radical, just want to move when I mash the pedal.  

I personally think Ford did a great job on the mustang 40 years ago.  But I can do better now.  There are so many better parts available now, if you are actually going to drive it, it makes no sense to make it concourse.  In my opinion no offense to the incredible work done by those concourse restorers, but with all of the irreplaceable or at least extremely difficult to replace NOS parts it is financially crazy to drive them much.  So I like to modify my cars in anyway I think it will make them more fun to drive.  I.e.  more power, overdrive, better brakes, upgraded suspension, my 67 that I just started will definatly have air conditioning.  and If I had the talent and finances of the ring brothers You bet your life I would use it to make the car exactly the way I want it.  My license plate on my car says it all '65 my way.  

I am going mild on a 1967 convertible right now.  For driving and my enjoyment, but it is very nice.  I noticed your artical on the Randall Rack.  I did a little research on them and so far have not been impressed.  I have sent this note on to others.

September 20, 2006

Hi,

I just purchased your mag yesterday (Oct. 2006) primarily because of the artical on rack and pinion steering.  I am moving right along on a 1967 Mustang convertible and will soon need a r&p unit.  I was inpressed with your artical and then checked into the pricing of the unit and that was very favorable as well.  I then sent Randall a couple of questions.  For what ever reason, there is no address anywhere that I could see as to where they are located.  I did notice however that they mentioned the Pacific Northwest and since that is where I live, I was interested in keeping the business local.  I asked them a couple of short questions and got crappy stupid answers.  One question was where are the parts made to which he said  "locally" another was where are you located, this question must have been too hard as he did not respond.

I noted on checking them out that their warranty is also non existant.

I have not heard of this company before, but the taste I have gotten yesterday and today has not been good.

To me this does not sound like a reputable company at all.  What are they trying to hide.  Maybe they are on the whitness protection program or something.  Why do they go to the trouble of getting some great PR (maybe it was paid advertising it was so "rosey") that you gave them and then have "Big Foot" answer the e mails?  At least they should give him a key board with all the letters so he could at least attempt a reasonable response.  

What do you do to check out the companies that you do these articals on?  I certainly will not do business with them and it makes me wonder why and how you chose them.  My last response to them was a thank you...as I told Randall, "at this time I do not know which unit I will be putting in, but it will not be his"!  In this day and age a person has to be careful and check things out before a major purchase.  What help is your mag as a source of information if this is the best I can expect?

A concerned reader.



I saw that you did the install and your info was posted very clearly.  I just do not know what they have to hide.

t parry  

me personaly, being younger; twin turbo GT500 (teh new one). im a power fiend.  

Dave,
There is room, in our hobby, for all of the options you gave.  I do all my own work so I think anything you do yourself, for yourself,is fine.  That doesn't mean everyone else will like the results but I don't build cars for everyone else.

When I planned my TT '65 Fastback, the goal was to do stuff that was rare.  Classic Mustang turbo cars are still rare but getting popular now.  Nobody makes kits so I exspect turbo Mustangs will remain rare, given the amount of custom fabrication it takes.  I could have put in a T5 but that would be much of a challange.  Try putting a T56 in an early car, now thats a challange!  I could have bought a aftermarket fuel cell/tank but decided to design one.  RCI built one, based on my design, and it worked great.  They built a few more but stopped custom stuff as they were so far behind in the regular tanks.  I have a video data logger onboard.  Most folks think it's a DVD or TV, LOL.  It's a working tool that helps me tune the car. Things happen too fast to look at any gauges except the shift light.

So, I would also fall in the upper end restomod built to drive.  After three years of car shows, I walk right past anything that doesn't show some indication that it is different from the other cars I have seen 1,000 times before.  I walk right past the cars with the big signs that say "I didn't do any thing except write checks to other people".  Show me something different, something well thought out, something I can learn from, and I'm happy and I don't care if it's not a Ford.

Eric  

I'm thinking about a 53 stude starline with a stroker 351w..maybe a 427ci...oh well...just a dream for now.  

Hi Dave,
I'm new here but have been a subscriber for a few years now.
 I would build a '68 Mustang fastback that would be a loose 3.  It would have Shelby body panels on the exterior BUT not one 'S' or 'Y' anywhere. Just the scoops and spoilers and maybe a few other touches that I could dream up. He didn't build it so why put his name on my Mustang? The only place my car would say Shelby would be on the 10 spoke wheel's center caps. It would be painted a medium metalic blue with solid rocker panel stripes in gold. They would not spell out GT anything, just stripes. It would add to the car to include the 69-70 Shelby front fender scoops onto the 68's fenders. Too many scoops? Never crossed my mind!
 I have a '71 351 Cleveland engine and C-4 tranny coiled up in the corner of the garage here waiting for that day. Back that engine up with a T-56 and that would work for me. Throw in aftermarket air conditioning and update the suspension to road rocket specs and that would be good. I'd have to stick with 15" tires unfortunately though. Some yo yo somewhere decided that 16" tires and up do not deserve white letters except for those jumbo doughnuts that SUV's wear. So for a decent tire profile with white letters I'll have to stick with the 15"s. Which bites if you ask me. Nascar has white letters, Formula 1 cars have white letters but can I get a decent 35, 45, or 55 tire profile with white letters? NOT!
 The interior would be the stock black 68 deluxe style. It would have A/C like I mentioned above. Other additions would be a console and A piller gauges and anymore I could tastefully add without looking too garish. Have them monitoring things like oil temp, coolant pressure and exhaust temp, stuff like that. I have a Lincoln LSC that has an overhead console with a compass and outside temp reading. Adding features from other Ford products like that would be included in my car. Driving at night with all the gauges lit up looks absolutely awesome in my mind's eye.
 Those new Dynacorn bodies that just came out have this guy pretty excited thinking about how to spend time when I'm no longer working and have lots of time on my hands.  Not futzing around fixing rust for the money they are charging seems mostly worth it to me also.
Thank you for the forum for me to speak up.
Bob  

Build CSX4000 Shelby Cobra. www.denbestemotorsports.com

take a look at this site.  

Dave,
It's been almost a year now since I completed my mild Eleanor restoration. I'm very proud how it turned out and the wife was very happy as well. My next build will be a 65 or 66 Mustang Fastback (if I can find it). I'm not exactly sure what it would be depending the condition of the car. If it is in descent condition, I will restore it to concourse driven, otherwise it will be mild restomod. I have restored a 67 GT Fastback A-code 7 years ago in concourse driven, but sold it to make room for a 69 Mach 1 project 5 years ago. That too is long gone. The only mustang that I kept all this years is my original 1973 Mach 1 which I restored stock, except with minor performance upgrades.  
Artstang
73 Mach1, 351C-4V Ram Air
67 Eleanor convertible
02 S281 SC Saleen conv.
05 Sport Trac 4x4 (DD)
04 EB Explorer AWD

Hey guys,

I'm new here, but I would follow either catagory 2 or 4.  For catagory 2, I would like to try this with the new 2010 Mustang:


http://media.photobucket.com/image/2010%20mustang%20shelby/deanos75/2010StangSketch72sm.jpg

It's just a little something I cooked up for the next King of the Road edition Mustang.

Dean  
Dean
"Grape Ape"
http://www.grapeapedesign.com

Hey Dave,

I love the FFR builds and WANT one too.  So since I cant afford one at this time, I am building a '94 Mustang GT eventually into a full bore SCCA Autocross/Road Race cruiser based on the '95 Cobra R/Steeda Q351 legal in the T-1 and ESP classes.  When time and money permits, I am working on a '77 Mercury Capri that will have a Cobra 5.0 EFI, T-5 and 4-wheel disc brakes.  I plan on it looking stock/sleeper like and having a nice cruiser/multipurpose/fun/out-of-the-ordinary car.  I had one stock when I was in High School so its like going back of sorts.  I received it in a purchase of a '94 Cobra drivetrain package that the seller "talked" me into accepting in the deal.  I am a no-budget-broken-shoe-string-racer so things take quite a bit of time and elbow grease from my friends and I.

Thanks for listening  
Jim
www.ponyracer.com

I would build the 69 hanging from the roof into a nice drag car with a big 351C.
 
1967 Falcon 4 door 351C-4V
1970 Mustang 351C-2V
http://raceabilene.com/kelly/hotrod
Owner built, owner abused.