2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Hits 60 In 3.5 Seconds

December 04, 2020 – Ford has been building high-performance Mustangs for quite some time, but they are taking their 2021 Mustang Mach-E GT Performance model to the next level. Although they have moved the Mustang to an EV platform, they haven’t ditched their roots of building bad to the bone rides that will throw you into the back of your seat. 

The GT Performance may not deliver the same V8 roar we’ve come to love, but it does have something else up its sleeve. Pumping out 358 kilowatts of power, or 480 horsepower, and 634 pound-feet of torque, the GT Performance model can jet to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds, making the already quick Mach-E GT even quicker. The Performance model not only delivers that extra power over the base Mach-E GT, but also features enhanced grip and better handling. 

The 2021 Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance also has more in store than just extra power, though. The Performance Edition features several sportier components, including 20-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli summer tires and red-painted Brembo brakes. Also featured is MagneRide damping that helps to improve handling performance. 

To make the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance even more driver focused, the front seats are Ford Performance-sculpted with Performance Gray ActiveX material, while a unique aluminum instrument panel sits right behind the wheel. 

The Ford Mustang Mach-E Prototype: Seven Motors and 1400 HP

July 21, 2020 – If you’ve been dying to get your hands on the new Mustang Mach-E, then you’re going to fall in love all over again with Ford’s new prototype, the All-Electric Mustang Mach-E 1400. Along with RTR Vehicles, Ford set out to show just how powerful electric cars can become, and of course, how much fun you can have with said power. The prototype Mach-E produces a whopping 1,400 peak horsepower, and at 160 mph, creates a staggering 2,300 pounds of downforce.

Just about every automotive enthusiast has a solid understanding of the performance an electric vehicle is capable of. Take for example the Tesla P100D, or the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. The Tesla produces 600 hp and an incredible 713 lb-ft of torque, rocketing to 60 mph in 2.4 seconds, while the Taycan Turbo S produces 750 hp and 774 lb-ft of torque, getting to 60 in just 2.6 seconds. You almost wonder just how much more power you could get out of an electric vehicle, or even if you’d need it.

But, Ford wanted to prove that there is way more juice left to squeeze from these electric motors, and that’s exactly what they set out to do.

The Ford Mach-E produces its power with seven motors, and when paired with an incredible amount of downforce, shows just how capable it is at the track, dragstrip and gymkhana course. With three motors attached to the front differential and four connected to the rear, Ford had to figure out how they’d even control that much power. A single driveshaft connects the motors to the differentials, and a huge amount of adjustability allows the Mach-E 1400 to be perfectly set-up to do everything from drifting to racing on the track.

The reason this should get any enthusiast excited is because Ford is learning more and more from these prototype vehicles, pushing the limits of EV power. Every technological advancement they make with these prototypes will soon be hitting their production vehicles. Are we saying Ford will soon be producing a 1400-hp Mach-E for the public, no, but could something be released that easily takes out a GT500, who knows, but we’d like to think so!

Million Dollar

Vicious Mustang

There’s something about early Mustangs that just gets the heart pounding and the blood pumping. Despite their obvious age, now almost 60 years, they never seem to go out of fashion. Like a good pair of 501s, they look better with age, they feel comfortable and to paraphrase Rod Stewart, they wear it well.

The other cool factor regarding early Mustangs is that it doesn’t seem to matter what people do to them they always look good. Take, for example, the Vicious Mustang designed and built by Timeless Kustoms, Camarillo, CA, and said to cost a cool mil’. Timeless began the million dollar build with an original ’65 Fastback that was stripped to its shell for a total makeover that incorporated numerous Dynacorn body panels. The base for the creation was a chassis from Art Morrison fitted with a Corvette C7 front clip and an Art Morrison multi-link independent rear suspension. Triple adjustable coil-over shocks from Ridetech are fitted to all four corners.

Quite often, modifiers of early Mustangs will lean toward the more traditional powertrain with a small-block Ford with twin 4bbls, quad Webers or some similar historically accurate induction. However, in the case of the Vicious Mustang the owner opted for not only a supercharger but also twin turbos for what he terms as compound forced induction.

The base engine is a 5.2L Coyote ‘Aluminator’ from Ford Performance fitted with an Aviad four-stage dry sump system. Internally the block is fitted with Dart Big Bore 3.7-inch sleeves, Manley 2618 forged pistons and Pro-Series rods and a Comp cam and a Ford Performance Coyote Boss 302 forged crank. Meanwhile, the GT350 heads were CNC ported. And there any similarity to other modified Mustangs ends because between the heads squats a serpentine belt-driven Magnusson TVS Magna Charger for low rpm boost. Supplementing the blower for high rpm boost is a pair of exhaust-driven Precision 64/66 ball bearing turbochargers.

Employing a MoTeC engine management system and an Aeromotive fuel system comprising Eliminator pumps, Pro Series EFI Regulator and fuel rails with a trunk-mounted custom fuel cell, the engine produces 1,003-wheel horsepower and 784 lb-ft of torque on E85. Backing up the power plant is a Centerforce DYAD Clutch, an EMCO CG46 sequential six-speed transmission and a 9.75-inch Strange Engineering aluminum independent axle.

To stop this beast Vicious is fitted with 15.5-inch Brembo carbon-ceramic rotors with six-piston front calipers and four-piston rears. The wheels are Forgeline GT3C Centerlocks: 19×11 in front and 19×13 in back. The tires are 305/30ZR19 in the front and 355/30ZR19 out back.

The other cool factor regarding early Mustangs is that it doesn’t seem to matter what people do to them they always look good.

Those big tires are wrapped with some expressive hand-crafted bodywork including integrated fender flares and an aggressive deep front air dam fitted with twin coolers and a F-40-inspired rear end diffuser. Incidentally, the grille contains machined inlets for the turbos and the cool satin paint is a custom PPG mix called ‘Vicious Titanium Silver’. The main body color is accented with a red-edged ‘over the top’ black stripe in traditional style.

Contrasting with the subtle, semi-gloss exterior color is a wild, blood red leather interior handled by @ethorcustoms within Timeless Kustoms. It features a full tube-steel roll-cage and TK-branded Sparco Pro2000 seats fitted with DJ Safety five-point harnesses. DJ Safety also supplied the fire suppression system while the climate control was provided by Vintage Air. A MoTeC digital dash cluster sits behind the quick-release, three-spoke Sparco R325 steering wheel that is fitted with paddle controls.

As early modified Mustangs go, Vicious has to be one of the wildest from its triple-blown engine to its blood red interior. To compliment the build and the public’s enthusiasm for all things Vicious you can visit ViciousStang.com and check out the related clothing line. You can also follow them on Instagram and Facebook and watch the vids here.

Martini Mustang

As international brands go, Martini and Mustang are two of the best known and strongest in their respective markets. The Martini & Rossi liquor company was founded in the mid-19th century, as a vermouth bottling plant in Pessione, Italy. They began sponsoring auto racing under the Martini Racing banner in 1968, and sponsored Scuderia Ferrari until 2008. The Mustang, of course, was introduced in 1964 and became an immediate hit with the public selling 418,812 units in the first year.

As both Martini and Mustang have extensive and successful racing provenance it seemed obvious to Steve Strope of PureVisionDesign.com to combine them and build the Martini Mustang. As seen on TV’s Hand Built Hot Rods, Steve has a unique ability to build not only amazing muscle cars but also concoct a back story that qualifies their existence. In the case of the Martini Mustang Steve posed the hypothetical question; what if Ford were talking to Martini in the mid-sixties when the Mustang had just been introduced and was being raced to great success in Europe by Alan Mann Racing? Would they have developed this Martini-striped Mustang to take on the best Europe had to offer? And, had they built it would they have powered it with Ford’s DOHC Indy engine? That’s unlikely but Steve never lets a fact get in the way of a good story.

…take a ’66 Mustang, splash on the Martini livery, throw in the DOHC Ford Indy engine and you have the T-5R Martini Mustang.

Our story starts with a ’66 Mustang chosen because of its compatibility with contemporary Shelby R (racing) parts. Steve then went in search of a suitable engine and landed at Ed Pink Racing Engines (EdPink.com), Van Nuys, California. There, general manager, Frank Honsowetz revealed that he had four 255 ci dual-overhead-cam V8s that were popular Indy car engines from 1964 to 1978. It was the same engine that powered Brit Jim Clark to win the Indy 500 in 1965.

In Steve’s vernacular, take a ’66 Mustang, splash on the Martini livery, throw in the DOHC Ford Indy engine and you have the T-5R Martini Mustang. The one issue with the race-bred engine was that it was, well, a race-bred engine when, in this application, it needed to be a tractable street engine. Consequently, the team at Pink’s began by stroking and boring to achieve a capacity of 292 ci. Billet steel rods from Lunati are topped with CP forged pistons that have a compression ratio of 10.5:1. Obviously, there are no off-the-shelf cams for this engine so they had to be specially ground to Pink’s specs. 

Originally, the Ford Indy engine had stack fuel injection and Steve wanted to retain that look and turned to Holley for their Dominator ECU and EFI components modified for individual runners. To help build low-rpm power, the injector stacks were made as long as possible. Peak torque of 362 ft-lb comes at 5,600 rpm and max horsepower is 426 giving the 2,900-pound pony a great power-to-weight ratio. According to Honsowetz, “We got the power where we wanted it with a combination of cam profile, increased intake runner length and diameter, and header tuning.”

… Steve has a unique ability to build not only amazing muscle cars but also concoct a back story that qualifies their existence.

Two unusual aspects of this engine swap are the exhaust system and the fact that the engine in its original racing application had no on-board starter—instead, hand-held starters were used. Luckily, Steve was able to adapt a Quarter Master bell housing to the C&R Performance four-speed. Located in Mooresville, North Carolina, C&R built the 63-pound box for NASCAR Sprint Cup cars but it was banned because it was too light. “You can carry the gearbox under your arm, it’s that light,” Strope said, “and it shifts butter smooth.”

The sharp-eyed among you will notice that the engine valley where the intake would normally sit is empty. That’s because Pink’s flipped the heads so that the exhaust would exit in the normal position, below the inlet, and not through the windshield.

While Pink’s fettled the engine, Steve’s capable team in Simi Valley, CA, reworked the Mustang’s chassis and suspension. Up front they installed Detroit Speed and Engineering’s Corvette-inspired Mustang Aluma-Frame front clip. Mounted on a lightweight aluminum cradle, it’s a direct replacement coil-over setup that even includes the spindles. It radically alters the driving dynamics of any Mustang offering up to six inches of suspension travel and the precision of rack-and-pinion steering. In the rear, there’s a four-link system and the brakes are Wilwood all round.

For wheels Steve turned to EVODIndustries.com who produced a unique, one-off set of four-spoke, 17-inch pin-drive wheels that emulate those used on the ’66 Lotus Ford Indy racing car. The rears are 12 inches wide, which necessitated a slight tubbing of the rear inner body. The tires are Kuhmo Escta V710s that are just about street legal.

Attention to detail could be Steve’s middle name and this trait is exemplified in the department of the minimalist, rally race-style interior. The period-correct, dark blue, low-back bucket seats upholstered by Eric Thorsen are superbly framed with a Shelby rollcage. The instrumentation, complete with map-reading lamp and dash timers, comprises simple, round, analog gauges reworked using AutoMeter internals by RedlineGaugeWorks.com. Their German script gives a nod to that invented European racing heritage, as does the Momo Prototipo steering wheel. Shelby-style knobs, handles, and even an R-model radio-delete plate sourced from Tony Branda add to the authenticity as do 427 AC Cobra pedals.

Steve’s tribute to Shelby continued through the body mods that included lightweight, Maier Shelby-style fiberglass reproduction parts, including the hood, front fenders, bumpers, etc. Likewise, Shelby Plexiglas rear quarter-windows and an R-model-style Plexiglas rear window were fitted, along with “shaved” hood hinges.

The Mustang was then shipped to Pomona, CA, where the team at MicksPaint.com applied the Martini-inspired Porsche Carrera white PPG paint and graphics. “We raised and flared the rear wheel arches and made outer wheel tubs for it.” Said Mick. “We made an aluminum deck lid skin for it, made a custom front valance, and custom front and rear bumpers for a better fit. The paint, however, was basic Porsche white throughout with Martini stripes laid out by Steve.”

Finally, there are those custom T-5R badges likewise designed by Steve: T-5 was the designation of Mustangs that were shipped to countries such as Germany and Canada where the word Mustang name was not allowed because it was already in use on another vehicle. And, if this was a shipped car, it would be an R model, hence the T-5R designation. We said he told a good story.

The Martini Mustang went on to win numerous awards including the prestigious Ford Design Award at the SEMA Show becoming a fitting tribute to the Martini and Mustang brands.

Purist Build

To Cut or Not to Cut—That Is the Question.

There are as many different opinions about building, rebuilding, customizing, or hot rodding cars as there are butts for the seats of those cars. Twenty or even ten years ago, collectors and restorers would cry out foul when somebody cut up a restored, original car to make some kind of hot rod out of it—didn’t matter if it was a ’32 Ford, a Mustang, a Mopar or a Porsche. But as we are beginning to see significant changes to the hobby, as we know it, people care less and think, well, I might as well cut it up. Others think, well, if I cut one up it will make all the others that are left more scarce and therefore more valuable. Others might think, there are not many survivors; I’d better restore it.

I guess I’m on the fence a little as I love modified cars of all kinds but I can also see and appreciate folks who prefer it as the factory delivered it—the purist outlook. Just take the Porsche market. Before Rod Emory’s Emory Motorsports started building “Outlaw” Porsche 356s more than 20 years ago in 1996, nobody dreamed of cutting up and customizing a Porsche, especially not a 356. Pretty soon, other companies such as Rob Dickinson’s Singer Vehicle Design were doing same to the revered 911. Prices of these re-imagined Porsche have escalated to over $1 million. Who’d a thunk it?

Of course, Porsche is not the only marque to succumb to the cutting torch. I was watching an auction show on TV recently and watched as two customized Ford Bronco’s crossed the block at well over $100K each. What suddenly made the Ford Bronco so valuable if it wasn’t for what companies such as Icon and ASC Bronco have done to elevate their desirability?

Look at the flip side of the coin though. It wasn’t that long ago that owners and restorers of early Fords such as Model Ts, Model As and ’32-’34 Fords totally frowned on anybody cutting up and hot rodding those cars. There were some who wouldn’t even sell a car to a known rodder. Now, most of the people who liked stock early Fords have passed or, are too old to care. Consequently, there’s a glut of those cars on the market and prices have fallen drastically. So, one could ask, did their protectionism matter in the long run? No, because in reality there are many, many more cars than there are people who want to cut them up.

Consider all the classic cars that lay rotting in fields, yards, and garages. Their owners saying, “I’m going to restore it someday.” Well, someday came and went and now the car has rotted into the ground. Which is worse? To let the car rot or to let it go to somebody who can restore or modify it and enjoy it because all the hoarder has done is destroy it.

I take equal umbrage with those restorers who are anal about so-called factory overspray and the like. Talk to anybody who worked a factory line in the fifties and sixties and they will tell you there was no specific factory overspray pattern. It came out the way it came out and to give or take judging points for something as subjective as overspray is, in my opinion, asinine.

“What I like to do is use factory reinforcement pieces such as those from a convertible model; torque boxes and frame connectors, etc., as a way to strengthen a chassis.”Steve Strope, Pure Vision Design

When looking at the pureness of a build one also has to take into consideration the state of the donor vehicle. I know of several guys that have started with little more than a rusty frame and firewall and they have spent thousands of dollars fitting new panels when they could have replaced the whole body more easily and for less money. “But,” they say, “It’s not original.” Well, you’ve replaced almost the entire car so what makes that more original than a new body?”

Another thing to take into consideration when deciding what to do is progress. Compare whatever it is you drive every day with a car of the fifties or sixties. It’s night and day, black and white, good and bad. A modern car with all its convenience and connectivity is amazing to drive. Yet a stock, classic-era car that is 50 or 60 years old can be an absolute pig to drive with drum brakes, no power steering, no real air conditioning, no retractable seat belts, no cup holders, no USB port and no connectivity. Some people love it but my guess is, most people don’t.

I have a friend in England, Dan Clare, with a funky Model T Ford hot rod that to see driving on the street is magical because it’s so out of place. It’s like seeing a punk rocker at a bus stop in Los Angeles. It’s an anachronism that is kind of amusing. But talk to Dan about driving his rod and he says, “Sixty miles is about the max I can drive. It just flat wears you out.” You would never say that about a modern car that you can jump in and drive 1,000 miles with little or no thought.

Because those classic cars are what they are and drive as they do is why people modernize them with stronger frames, better suspension, better brakes, more power. I spoke to Steve Strope of Pure Vision Design, a well-known builder of highly modified cars. Steve has cut up some of the best from Mustangs to Road Runners—nothing is too sacred, however, in his opinion he likes to retain the stock frame where possible because, “The stock frame fits and as long as it’s up to the task of the power we’re adding, I don’t see any good reason to change it. You know the body will fit without modification and will not need hacking.

“What I like to do is use factory reinforcement pieces such as those from a convertible model; torque boxes and frame connectors, etc., as a way to strengthen a chassis. These are simple mods a guy can probably do at home and not degrade the integrity of the car. That’s what we did on the recently unveiled PGA ’73 Challenger.

“The addition then of aftermarket suspension components from somebody such as Hotchkis will improve the suspension for probably less than the cost of restoring the stock suspension. With a new kit, the work is already done and you will get a new, stronger, improved suspension and your old car will handle and stop like a modern car with no significant loss of integrity.”

I have to agree with Steve, I like a stock frame, as long as it’s sturdy that has been updated to accept modern suspension and brakes. However, when the frame is rotten or weak then a new frame is totally acceptable.

It doesn’t get more pure than a Shelby G.T.350 so what can be wrong with taking a boring stocker and re-engineering it into a pure-bred, road-going racecar?

One question often asked when builders are sinking money into a project is, is it worth it? I know several guys that have invested mucho dinero into a show car project only to not win. That’s a gut-wrenching, disappointing feeling that nobody likes and to make matters worse the car can now possibly be somewhat devalued. It didn’t win; you overbuilt the neighborhood, as realtors say, and invested too much in a project that is not worth the investment.

Call me cheap but I just don’t get the idea of investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into a project that ends up being worth 10 cents on the dollar—makes no “cents” to me. That said, to some people cost doesn’t matter and bless them, they are building cool cars that inspire and excite us and help keep a hobby, industry, and lifestyle afloat which is, after all is said and done, what it’s about.

Consequently, you have to pick your car. Take for example that of OVC Mustangs who take old ’65 Mustangs and turn them into Shelby G.T.350 Mustangs. It doesn’t get purer than a Shelby G.T.350 so what can be wrong with taking a boring stocker and re-engineering it into a pure-bred, road-going racecar? And, the value of that new G.T.350 would far exceed that of the stock Mustang.

In ten or twenty years, the hobby, industry, sport, call it what you will, will have moved on. Change is inevitable. What’s hot today will probably not be hot tomorrow. So, in my opinion, it doesn’t matter if we cut up cars or not—no matter how special they might be. There are lots to go around. Unless, of course, that car is really rare, a one-off or a very special model that by modifying it you destroy both its integrity and its valve.

In the Beginning: Ford Mustang

How the Original Pony Car Won America’s Heart

It isn’t very often that a single car model manages to create an entirely new market segment all by itself, but that’s exactly what the Ford Mustang did in the mid 1960s, and the other cars that followed its example from GM, Chrysler, and AMC all shared a moniker coined to reflect the Mustang’s equine name—the “Pony Car.”

While Pontiac had defined the Muscle Car formula of a big V8 engine in an intermediate-size chassis with the 1964 GTO, that was basically an option package on the otherwise-ordinary Tempest. Ford, headed at the time by the legendary Lee Iacocca, was working on a new small, sporty car design that wouldn’t look like any other car in the current fleet, though to save time and money it would share the majority of its underpinnings with the existing Falcon and Fairlane. Between late 1962 and the spring of 1964, a crash program took the Ford Mustang from a bullet list of goals to a production-ready design that would turn out to be an enormous sales success, paving the way for subsequent model generations that spanned more than 50 years of continuous production all the way to today.

Those goals included room for four with buckets and a floor-mounted shifter in front, an overall length of fewer than 15 feet from bumper to bumper, a curb weight under 2,500 pounds, and a starting price of less than $2,500 (about $20,200 in today’s dollars). Engines would include a base inline-six as well as an assortment of small-block V8 options, and both notch-back and convertible body styles. To say that Ford captured lightning in a bottle is an understatement—the Mustang prototype was the hit of the 1964 World’s Fair, and on the opening day of the fair, more than 22,000 orders were taken for the new car. Between the 1964 ½ model year (because the Mustang was introduced late in the model year cycle, the first 120,000 or so were technically 1964 models, though they carry 1965 VIN codes) and 1966 (the peak year of first-gen Mustang production) a whopping 1,288,557 Mustangs were built.

The best modern analogy would be to call it the iPhone of its day…

It’s hard to convey just how much excitement and interest the Mustang sparked when it hit showrooms, and GM, Chrysler, and American Motors all rushed to create their own cars to compete in the previously non-existent market segment. The best modern analogy would be to call it the iPhone of its day; while other cars preceded it that had some of the same features, none combined them in a way that defined a whole new type of enthusiast car like the Mustang did. Realizing what they had, Ford leaned into the Mustang’s popularity with ad campaigns that emphasized the idea of youthful exuberance, and even went as far as to disassemble a 1965 convertible into four main sections plus a few odds and ends, load the pieces into an elevator, and then reassemble the entire car on the 86th floor observation deck of the Empire State Building.

The Mustang’s ground-breaking long hood/short deck styling set the standard for the domestic competition through the 1960s and beyond, and racers began to adopt it as a platform for closed circuit and drag racing competition as well. Best-known is the Shelby GT350, which debuted in 1965. Carroll Shelby, who also imported the British-built AC Ace and re-engined it with Ford V8 powerplants to create the legendary AC Cobra, took Mustangs equipped with the 271 horsepower 281 cubic inch Windsor V8 and modified them with different carburetors, intake manifolds, brakes, and other small changes in order to prepare them to the limit of SCCA B-Production rules, where the cars won three years in a row. Through subsequent years, the Shelby Mustang became less race-focused and oriented toward high-performance street use, but the die was cast, and many a future Mustang would wear Shelby or Cobra badging in homage to these seminal performance cars (and many a baby girl or family dog would end up named “Shelby” as well.)

…other manufacturers who were now offering their own “pony cars” plus the 1973 oil crisis brought the first generation to a close.

Over the course of the Mustang’s first generation, which lasted through the 1973 model year, engine options included inline sixes as well as 289 and 302 cubic inch Windsor small-block V8s (named for their Canadian manufacturing location in Windsor, Ontario), plus 390, 427, 428, and 429 cubic inch big-block V8 power. The Mustang progressively became larger and heavier, and a major facelift for 1971 radically changed the car’s profile. Though still popular, sales were nowhere near what they had been during the glory days of 1965–1969, and competition from other manufacturers who were now offering their own “pony cars” plus the 1973 oil crisis brought the first generation to a close.

The replacement, Ford’s Mustang II, was already waiting in the wings—having seen the end of inexpensive gas and ever-stricter emissions standards on the horizon, the company was well-prepared with a new model that was smaller, more fuel-efficient, and as it turns out, universally hated by Mustang fans then and now. But that, my friends, is a story for another day…

OVC Mustangs

In April 1964, after Ford sold 22,000 Mustangs the first week it was on sale, General Manager Lee Iacocca called Carroll Shelby and asked for a Mustang that could beat the Corvette in SCCA B Production road racing. The Mustang had in fact already been proven in Europe where Alan Mann Racing had prepared ten for rallying. They were successful and to prevent any competition from Mann in the U.S., Shelby got hold of a coupe and tested it at Willow Springs, California. Sensing the cars’ potential in both street and race trim; Shelby ordered a batch of Wimbledon White 1965-1/2 2+2 fastbacks from Ford’s San Jose, California, plant. They came less hood and less back seat to meet the SCCA’s sports car requirement.

Also ordered was the high-performance, 289 “K-code” engine. Upgrading the engine of the R-is-for race model included blueprinting, balancing and high-compression pistons. External add-ons included an aluminum “high-riser” intake with a 715-cfm Holley, a 6.5-quart oil pan, Tri-Y headers and an X-pipe exhaust system that exited ahead of the rear wheels. The transmission was an aluminum Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed with a limited-slip, 9-inch Dana rear end.  The upgrades increased horsepower to 306 from the stock 271 rating.

The suspension mods included 11.375-inch Kelsey-Hayes front discs and heavy-duty, 10 x 2.5-inch Ford Galaxie drums in the rear with adjustable Koni shocks all around. 

The interior was left almost stock. The back seat was deleted and the space used for the spare. The seats were stock and offered little lateral support beyond the addition of wide lap belts from Ray Brown Automotive. Tach and oil pressure gauges were added and a flatter, wood-rim, Cobra-style steering wheel replaced the stock, deep-dish factory wheel.

The G.T.350 listed for $4,311, plus $273 for the cast magnesium wheels, however, the R version, sold through Shelby’s Venice, California, factory added almost another $2,000. Despite Shelby predicted building 200 a month, however, only 562 G.T.350s were built of which 36 were R-spec. Rumor has it #37 was destroyed but that’s just a rumor so let’s stick with 36 original cars. It makes sense, therefore, in Shelby tradition, to build a few continuation cars which is exactly what ex-Shelby employee Jim Marietta is doing with OVC Mustangs (OVC).

Marietta formed OVC with Ted Sutton while Peter Brock, the father of the Cobra Daytona Coupe, acted as a consultant. Marietta grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, going to the races as often as he could. One day, after seeing him hang around, Al Dowd, Shelby’s race team manager asked 17-year-old Marietta if he wanted a job. “Yes.” He replied and he soon received a letter from Dowd telling him to be in Los Angeles, January 2, 1965, and to bring his tools. Upon his arrival, one of Jim’s tasks was to work with Brock, Sutton, Chuck Cantwell and later designer Klaus Arning on the independent rear suspension (IRS). It worked but just didn’t provide enough ROI for the Mustang and it was shelved for the time being. 

With licensing from Ford and Shelby, OVC was officially in business in September 2014. Subsequently, two prototypes were built in 101 days at Brock’s in Henderson, Nevada, the shop where Brock was able to incorporate some of the design elements he originally suggested for the G.T.350R including a new front lower valance, new Plexiglas three-quarter windows, and a new Plexiglas rear window. Subtle but significant parts that should also be available separately for retrofit.

The first two prototypes were built, as will be the 36 continuation cars, using original ’65 Mustang Fastbacks licensed-for-the street, however, the first pair will not be serial-numbered cars as will the 36 subsequent cars.  

Each car is carefully selected before it is completely stripped and blasted clean prior to any necessary repairs. A new original-spec, iron-block 289 is sourced from Bill DenBeste’s Carroll Shelby Engine Company, Windsor, California, however, customers can specify any spec. Each engine even has a cone-shaped air filter hand formed by Jere Kirkpatrick who worked at Shelby and drove a Cobra DragonSnake to the 1964 NHRA National Championship. Kirkpatrick also fabs the cone-shaped splash guard around the gas cap on the trunk-mounted gas tank—tasks similar to those he performed 50 years ago.

After the body shells are prepped, including the addition of original-style steel fender flares, they are painted Wimbledon White with Guardsman Blue stripes on the rocker panels and Le Mans stripes over the top of the body. Other external additions include the original-style scoops behind the doors, the new Pete Brock front valence and windows and an original-style fiberglass hood complete with a scoop. 

The suspension is somewhat similar to the original; however, OVC is able to offer an IRS option comprising a limited-slip Dana center section with vented discs. Up front, there’s a period-correct aluminum 4-speed with the stronger cast-iron tail shaft. The wheels are 5-spoke Americans shod with Goodyear 15 x 7 race tires.

The interior is Henry Ford-black and comprises the shallow-dish, wood-rim wheel, deleted back seat, an original-style, four-point roll cage with a non-original kill switch, a driver’s race seat, a stock seat for the passenger and a new instrument cluster.

Prototype testing took place at Willow Springs Raceway on February 14, 2015; exactly 50 years since Ken Miles’ first G.T.350 win at Green Valley Raceway, Texas, February 14, 1965. The test team included Vince LaViolette, Shelby American’s current test driver, Rick Titus, son of Shelby Trans-Am winning driver Jerry Titus. Former Shelby American driver and Le Mans winner John Morton was also on hand to help tune the car’s suspension. The first new-old G.T.350R went on to win its very first race in June 2016 at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit, Oklahoma.

In 2017, OVC moved into the old Shelby International headquarters engine building on S. Figueroa Street in Gardena, California. It’s a huge, 9,000 square-foot space dwarfing the production area but affording room to grow. While visiting I counted about ten vehicles in the process from being blasted to assembled. With original K-code Shelby street G.T.350 Mustangs fetching more than $500,000 and G.T.350R models tipping the scales at $1 million, the $250,000 price tag of the continuation cars seems reasonable.

From Zero to Ford Mustang Mach 1 in 17 Years

Dennis McGrath’s Beach-Cruising 1969 Mach 1 Ford Mustang

If you see Dennis McGrath’s Grabber Blue 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 drive by, you’re going to turn your head until it disappears down the road. It’s such an eye-catching a car, you don’t want to lose sight of it. When asked about his small-block powered 1969 ‘Stang, McGrath told us he’s just always liked Mustangs, and who can blame him? Since its introduction, the Ford ponycar has been a winner, both on track and on dealer lots. In 1969, the Mustang got a tough new facelift too, with quad headlights, high-hipped quarterpanel scoops, and a variety of ferocious engine and graphics packages.

For Dennis and Jenny McGrath, there’s no need for stripes or big blocks. Give them a high-revving 351 Cleveland, a shift kit in the C6 transmission, and an empty lane to blast down California’s Pacific Coast Highway, and they’ll give the Pacific Ocean a run for its money as “Most eye-catching view on the California coast.”

Getting the Mustang into beach-cruising shape was a 17-year-long process. Along with hotting-up the 9.5:1 compression 351 V8 with a mild cam and valve job and then topping it with an Edelbrock manifold and 650 carburetor, they upgraded to March pulleys and power steering, and an MSD distributor, box and coil. That improved spark lights off the fuel and the spent gasses take a trip out through Hedman Hedders. The Cleveland keeps its cool thanks to a Mattson aluminum radiator.

Backing the small block is a C6 automatic, beefed up with a hardened shaft, racing servo, shift kit, and 2400-stall B&M torque converter. In the back is a Ford 9-inch limited slip with 3.50 gears. The McGraths wanted the Mustang to handle, so a CPP front sway bar and KYB shocks take on the turns and bounces. To keep the car stable and straight, a Total Control brace counteracts body flex. Additional stiffening comes from Total Control subframe connectors, and in the rear, Scott Drake leaf springs help keep the power squatted down on widened 15-inch Rally 500 wheels wrapped in 255/60-15 Milestar Streetsteel rubber, picked for just the right mix of street performance and that classic muscle car look. In the front, 235/60-15 Milestars point the pony in the right direction. Disc brakes on all four corners bring the Mustang to a quick stop.

Inside the Mustang Mach 1, Dakota digital gauges keep tabs on the temps and TMI leather bucket seats let the McGraths lean back and enjoy tunes through the Sony receiver, JL Audio amps, and 10-inch subwoofer and Focal speakers. So if McGrath’s car catches your eye on the road or at a show, nobody will blame you for keeping an eye on it, it’s just that perfect pony stance, sound, and style.