1970 FORD MUSTANG AUTO RESTOMOD

Ford’s Mustang is rightfully regarded as an icon of the 20th Century given the cultural impact the Pony car had. There was a Mustang for everyone and every use, but this broad-spread appeal meant there are significant areas for improvement in the base car’s engineering, and fit and finish.

This ’70 Mustang has undergone a remanufacturing-level rebuild at Classic Muscle Cars in Melbourne, 2016, where the shell was stripped bare and mounted on a rotisserie. A full right-hand drive firewall (including windscreen wiper system) was welded in, all seams were sealed in high-quality Wurth products, while the arrow-straight, damage and rust-free shell was stripped to bare steel and re-sealed in epoxy primer before being coated in Dupont jet black.

Exterior modifications include the Boss 429 bonnet scoop, billet grille, colour-coded door handles, high-quality Foose 19-inch wheels, ADR-approved Hella headlights, new glass, re-chromed exterior trim, blacked-out wipers and rear lights, and window moulds. The suspension and brakes have been upgraded with high-quality TCI and Wilwood hardware to suit the 408 cubic-inch (6.7-litre) stroker Cleveland engine, which has been built from a bare block using high-quality components and modern upgrades like electronic fuel-injection, digital ignition and a roller camshaft. This high-performance engine offers Shelby Mustang-beating performance with modern reliability, and has been paired to a rebuilt late-model Ford AOD four-speed overdrive automatic transmission and high-stall torque converter.

Down the back the evergreen Ford nine-inch differential with limited-slip centre, 28-spline axles and 3.9 gears for spritely performance and impeccable reliability. The rebuild included running brand new fuel lines, and fitting a new fuel tank which has been modified to suit fuel injection.

A right-hand-drive-offset collapsible Ididit steering column improves safety out of sight over the original item, while the cabin has also been restored to Mach 1 Deluxe-spec trim levels and then upgraded significantly from there to be a far more usable place to spend time. To match the wholly rebuilt shell and mechanical package, brand new door trims, dash pad, carpet, headliner, console, seats and fittings were fitted to provide an as-new base for the car.

Modern upgrades include Dynamat acoustic and thermal insulation to enjoy late-model luxuries like air conditioning, leather trim, heating system, Auto Meter gauges, electric windows, GPS and Bluetooth, reverse camera, and push-button start. All up this classic Mustang has been refined, remanufactured and re-engineered to the highest quality, and is ready to be enjoyed for another 50 years.