NECESSARY ACCESSORY
September 25, 2022
THE AUTO BUILDER
Featured
Breaking The Ridler Code
It occurred rather quickly—in just a decade or so, the Ridler award has risen to the top of the list of awards for hot rods. Sure, it all started more than 60 years ago, but back in the 2000’s, the competition intensified for this coveted award. The Auto Builder was intrigued by the award’s newfound popularity, and we did everything in our power to bring proper recognition to these grand automobiles. We also dedicated ourselves to help popularize “The Great Eight,” which each car must win to qualify for Ridler competition. Being selected in the Great Eight is a feat in its own right, but the road to winning the Ridler is as mysterious as the final award itself.
THE Z11 CHEVY DAYS
In 1962, General Motors’ performance car sales, namely those of Chevrolet and Pontiac, were steadily pulling away from the competition. On the dragstrip, the 409’s horsepower and torque were getting the job done, and so was that all-important driveline. The Borg-Warner T-10 four-speed transmission shifted perfectly, and the overall suspension, even slightly modified, allowed the car to launch without wheel-hop woes.
A UNIQUE CLASSIC
Simi Valley, California, holds the record as having more cars per capita than any other city in the country. As a hard-core car enthusiast, I am constantly on the lookout for cool cars in the neighborhood, and since I moved to Simi myself, I have seen quite a few great-looking rods and classic cars, and I have met some really nice enthusiasts who have introduced me to other owners of top-quality cars.
Spotlighter
ELECTRIFYING PONY
This ’66 Mustang 2+2 Has All the Right Stuff
Mustang enthusiasts Tony and Tammy Seader of La Salle, Colorado, have always wanted a classic Mustang fastback, and about three years ago Tony found this ’66 Mustang 2+2 sitting on a used car lot.
Author
Bob McClurg
Story & Photography
Finding the Right Mustang
“The car had been through five different owners,” Seader said. “It seemed as though the car had charging-system gremlins that nobody seemed to be able to diagnose.”
Since Seader happens to be an electronics technician, he wasn’t too worried about something as minor as an electrical problem, so he bought the car and drove it to and from work for three years. However, after he started to tackle the problem in earnest, even he was stumped.
“Eventually I discovered that the car had been built with the wrong wiring harness. Ford had installed a 1964-1/2 to 1965 Mustang generator wiring harness by mistake, and there was no return wire in the loom to recharge the alternator.”
Suspension and Drivetrain Upgrades
With the wiring harness problems fixed, Seader began to prepare the Mustang’s unibody platform. First, he rebuilt the 3.00:1-geared Ford 8-inch live rear axle, reinstalling it on a set of Mustang Specialties reverse-spring-eye rear leaf springs equipped with a pair of Monroe Magnum shock absorbers and a 3/4-inch anti-sway bar.
Front suspension on the fastback consists of rebuilt versions of the stock upper and lower control arms along with a pair of 1-inch Mustang Specialties front coil springs, a 1-inch front anti-sway bar and a pair of Monroe Magnum shocks.
Wheels and tires on Seader’s Mustang consist of a set of 17×8-inch American Racing Torq-Thrust II wheels rolling on P235/45xZR17-inch Yokohama radial rubber.
Under the Hood
Power comes in the form of the original serial number 289 Ford small block, which is stock internally but externally was treated to an Edelbrock Air Gap four-valve intake and 600-cfm Edelbrock Performer carburetor protected by a handcrafted air cleaner. Also onboard is a PerTronix Ford breakerless electronic ignition firing a set of Autolite spark plugs through MSD wires. The exhaust consists of Triple Nickel Tri-Y headers and MagnaFlow mufflers with Shelby-style side-exit pipes. Backing all this up is a Ford Top Loader four-speed.
Bodywork and Paint
Credit for the extensive bodywork goes to Dan Ambrosio. For openers, a Shelby GT350R-model-style front valance was molded in. The cowl was smoothed and filled, the driprails were shaved, the rear louver areas were filled in, and a hand-fabricated rear deck spoiler was built. Then Ambrosio painted the fastback in PPG Burnt Orange and Pearl White, adding a lavender pinstripe to offset the two colors. Upon reassembly, both the front and rear window glass was glued in place to eliminate the stainless window trim, making the car look all the more slick.
Custom Interior Touches
As with the exterior, the interior of the Mustang features numerous subtleties, including a smoothed dash in place of the customary dash pad, Auto Meter white-face gauges, a Colorado Custom billet steering wheel, burnt-orange carpet and a pair of ’69 Mustang bucket seats trimmed in soft oyster (white) leather, with the Mustang insignia by Jerry’s Upholstery of Greeley, Colorado.
Award-Winning Mustang
Completed just prior to last summer’s Rocky Mountain Mustang Roundup at Steamboat Springs, Colorado, this ’66 won the People’s Choice award and the Award of Excellence in the 1964-1966 modified class. The car also has won Best of Show at the Phil Long Ford Fest 2006 and a Top 10 at the Summerfest in Greeley, Colorado.
Nothing seems as at home under the hood of an early Mustang fastback as a warmed-over 289. Seader’s engine wears an Edelbrock intake manifold and carb, tri-Y headers and a custom air cleaner. The air cleaner actually pokes through the hood to replicate the shape of the early Shelby hood scoops.
Jerry’s Upholstery covered the ’69 Mustang high-back buckets in oyster-colored leather. The smoothed dash contains white-faced Auto Meter gauges, and the steering wheel is from Colorado Custom.
