1968 Ford Mustang Restomod

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!