April 5, 2015
Posted By : Barrett-Jackson

BEAUTY AND THE BEACH: 1967 Ford Mustang Custom Fastback comes to Florida

BEAUTY AND THE BEACH: 1967 Ford Mustang Custom Fastback comes to Florida

April 5, 2015
Posted by Barrett-Jackson

This 1967 Ford Mustang Custom Fastback (Lot #427) sold for $110,000 in Palm Beach.

This 1967 Ford Mustang Custom Fastback (Lot #427) sold for $110,000 in Palm Beach.

Imagine if you could build a Mustang incorporating the best styling elements from the first generation of production. And then you could meld that shape with state-of-the-art aftermarket performance parts, along with custom pieces that only truly skilled craftsmen could deliver. What would you build?

Chances are it would probably look something like the custom 1967 Mustang Fastback (Lot #427) offered for sale here.

The 1967 Mustang’s profile is instantly recognizable, and few have ever found ways to improve its basic silhouette – the exception being, of course, Shelby American, and this Mustang incorporates all the right Shelby elements, such as Shelby-style rear decklid with spoiler, Shelby taillights and the C-pillar scoops that made the GT-350 so striking. The custom front end takes its styling cues from Shelby Mustangs as well.

But this car is no mere mimic. The car builders put their own powerful spin on the design, cleaning up the Mustang’s lumpy bits with flush-mount components. The custom hood’s locks are mounted flush, and the doors incorporate Kindig’s “Spoon” smooth door handles. The custom gas filler cap is likewise flush mounted. The rear bumper has been tucked, smoothed and painted to match. The custom side-exit exhaust is skillfully integrated with the Mustang’s original lines.

The black anodized aluminum grille incorporates PIAA projector driving lights, which work with the tri-bar halogen headlights to cut through the night. Bullet side mirrors find that sweet spot between classic and modern.

The body has been subtly lengthened and widened, which makes perfect sense once you discover what has been squeezed inside. The custom, one-off, 24 x 15-inch Kompression three-piece forged alloy rear wheels tuck completely inside the quarter panels thanks to enormous wheel tubs and a narrowed Currie 9-inch rear-end housing. Those massive wheels are wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero rubber. Wilwood 16-inch, cross-drilled, slotted and vented disc brakes with six-piston calipers are visible through the spokes like works of engineering art.

Convincing those pieces to work in harmony requires a well-thought-out suspension. Underneath this Mustang you’ll find an adjustable Ride Tech coilover system, with trunk-mounted air compressor and accumulator tank, and an adjustable four-link in the rear. Up front are tubular front A-arms, drop spindles and rack-and-pinion power steering. Dual trunk-mounted batteries help spread the weight around.

As with the exterior styling, the engine also reflects a touch of the Cobra influence. The aluminum Shelby 427 block has been bored and stroked by Keith Kraft to 527 cubic inches, and delivers 750hp. Three 500 cfm two-barrel carburetors on a polished aluminum intake manifold feed the beast, and an MSD ignition provides the spark.

This big block is one of the best-dressed engines you’ll ever find, with custom-made, snakeskin black anodized, finned “527” valve covers, polished aluminum oval air cleaner, March billet serpentine drive belt system, billet pulleys, polished aluminum air conditioning compressor, chrome alternator, aluminum radiator and oil pan, ceramic-coated exhaust headers and stainless braided lines throughout. The engine compartment is as smooth and clean as the exterior, thanks to carbon-fiber inner fenders and radiator covers.

Backing up that thumping V8 is a Tremec T-600 six-speed manual transmission with cooler, hooked to an aluminum driveshaft, with a custom driveshaft loop.

The interior was designed for serious driving, with Wilwood brake and clutch pedals, Lokar billet gas pedal, Dakota Digital VHX analog gauges and center console indicator panel, and a Hurst floor shifter sprouting from a custom console. The custom upholstered leather bucket seats are deeply bolstered for high-g maneuvers, with driver and passenger secured by G-Force Pro Series racing restraints.

The inside was finished out in style. The custom door panels are made from leather and billet hardware. The dash is a combination of carbon fiber and padded leather. Look up and you’ll see the custom windshield visors and embossed headliner with accent lighting.

If there’s one system on the car that might rival the beat of the pistons in their cylinders, it’s the 1500-watt Arc Audio Black Series stereo system. Components are hidden throughout the interior and are controlled by an iPad Mini.

This Mustang is a new build with only a few hundred tuning and break-in miles racked up so far. All eyes will be on this mountain-motored Mustang as it crosses the block in Palm Beach. Be prepared for the ground to shake.

This article by Steve Statham appears in the Spring 2015 issue of The Barrett-Jackson Experience magazine. To order your copy or subscribe, click here or visit www.shopbarrettjackson.com.

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