'64-'66 Mustang Convertible from the Ground Up

Sure, a fully restored first generation Ford Mustang Convertible with matching chassis and engine numbers is something that many car nuts dream of, but what if you could build a brand new example from the wheels up using officially licensed parts?

Ford now offers this opportunity with the release of an officially licensed 1965 Mustang Convertible body shell that can be turned into a ’64½, ’65 or ’66 model, depending on the trim and powertrain that is installed during the rebuild.

“The 1964-66 Mustang is the most restored vintage vehicle. But the number of original 1964-66 vintage bodies is shrinking every year,” said Dennis Mondrach, Ford Restoration Parts licensing manager.

“Most of the original Mustangs left in scrapyards are rusted or wrecked beyond repair. The new body shell is made of virgin metal and uses modern welding techniques. It comes rustproofed, and after final adjustment and finish preparation of the body panels, it is ready for painting and final assembly," Mondrach added.

According to Ford, almost all the parts necessary to build a complete new 1964-66 Mustang convertible, sans for some minor body hardware, are now available from Ford-approved classic parts suppliers.

The 1965 Mustang Convertible body shell will make its debut at next week's SEMA Show in Las Vegas but is already available for order from Ford Restoration parts.

Prices start from $15,000 and for that you get the body that includes the doors, trunk lid and all the sheet metal from the radiator support to the taillight panel except the hood and front fenders, which are available separately.

2012 Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca PHOTO GALLERY

Melvin Betancourt is a Ford designer who 11 years ago, suffered a serious heart problem. Betancourt is now 49 years old and in good health, thanks to the doctors at Henry Ford Hospital who performed a very difficult open-heart surgery and saved his life.

Wanting to give something back, a grateful Betancourt decided to design a one-off 2012 Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca that will be auctioned off to benefit the cardiovascular care, research and education departments at the Henry Ford Health System.

“There are gifted people out there who have been given the ability to do what they do,” said Betancourt. “I’m here because of them. We’re all here for a purpose, and maybe my purpose is to help people through my skills. One of the things I do very well is vehicle customization – taking a car that already exists and enhancing it to make it a one-of-a-kind vehicle.”

The one-off Mustang is Betancourt’s modern version of the 1970 Boss 302 with which Parnelli Jones won the 1970 Trans-Am Championship. It is painted in the iconic “school bus” yellow color at the AutoAlliance International plant, where all Mustangs are built.

Instead of using 1970's-style racing decals, Betancourt decided to paint the black stripes and the number 15 on the doors. “I approached the project from a car collector’s perspective”, he says. “I asked myself, what would happen if they put me back in 1970 and asked me to design a car for Parnelli Jones.”

The Mustang was auctioned off on Saturday, October 15, at the “Get Your Heart Racing” event and Parnelli Jones signed the car making this collector’s item even more special.

PHOTO GALLERY

New Hollywood Movie Fast Five Used Nissan 370Z,Mercedes Benz CLK63,BMW X5M,Ford Mustang GT 5.0,Nissan GTR R35 And Dodge Charger Police Car.

Real Life Fast Five: What is the Ultimate Heist Vehicle? [Video]

Inspired by a scene from the upcoming Fast Five film or as some fans refer to it, Fast and Furious 5, in which the protagonists try out different cars to find the right one for a risky heist, the folks over from Autotopia set out to test numerous tuned cars on a race track to see which one is best suited for the task.

The cars they chose for the test include the AE Performance Nissan 370Z used in the movie Fast Five; Autotopias’ Ford Cargo Van; DC Motors Mercedes Benz CLK63 AMG Black Series; Gintani BMW X5M; Heintz Ford Mustang GT 5.0; MFEST E60 BMW M5; OE Tuning Mercedes Benz C63 AMG; Airtiger Express Nissan GTR R35; Tesla Motors Roadster Sport and finally, the Team Wu Dodge Charger Police Car.

The supercharged Dodge Charger Police Car set the baseline time of 5:46:47 minutes, which the rest of the cars had to beat. The getaway drivers had to complete two-laps around the two-and-a-half mile-long track while carrying out various tasks such as picking up an accomplice and shooting out surveillance cameras. Scroll down to watch the video and see how the cars performed.

VIDEO

FORD MUSTANG GIUGIARO CONCEPT

Ford Mustang Shelby GT640 Golden Snake by GeigerCars

Under the hood, the 5.4-liter V8 has been equipped with a supercharger, a revised ECU, and a stainless steel sport exhaust system. Thanks to these modifications, the engine produces 640 PS (471 kW / 631 hp) and 789 Nm (582 lb-ft) of torque. This enables the Golden Snake to rocket from 0-100 km/h in 3.7 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 295 km/h (183 mph).

The components will be available for purchase individually, but the demo model is for sale for €89,000 ($125,475).

Ford Mustang

The Ford Mustang is one of the U.S. car manufacturer Ford built in 1964 for sports cars and the ancestor of the pony car class. As the name "Mustang" by the company Krupp and Kreidler was protected under trademark law, "the Mustang was in T5 Germany as" displaced. This model is often referred to as a veteran of the pony cars and replaced the Ford Thunderbird as the number one sport coupes from the Ford.