MOOSETANG

In today’s automotive aftermarket, building a great-running, awesome truck can soon lead to a depleted bank account. With the cost of billet wheels, the price of modern powertains and paint jobs costing thousands of dollars, building a truck for under $10,000 can, to many, seem like an impossible undertaking. During a serious editorial meeting to discuss that very topic, the one thing we all agreed upon is just how difficult it would truly be to build a $10,000 truck.

NO HAND SIGNALS

Rearview mirrors with LED turn-signal indicators are relatively new, but you will be seeing more and more of them, especially on luxury SUVs and pickups. They are already standard equipment on some models, and probably part of an upgrade premium package on others. They are also now available in the aftermarket.

Young and Clear on What He Wants

Let’s then take the case of young Tyler “Moose” Hellard. Hellard is the exception to the rule—it isn’t his decisiveness that varies from the theory—it’s his age. Hellard knows exactly what he wants all right, but he’s only 19 years old, and at 19 it’s just a whole lot easier to keep things in perspective. “I want a ’68 Mustang fastback.” Okay, then, that’s clear. Guess what else he’s clear about? “I want it low, fast and comfortable. And while we’re defining goals here, I want it to handle and look really cool, too.” You’re more likely to get what you want if you know it going in.

The Search and The Find

Hellard’s father Ted is a bona fide car nut himself, so Hellard comes by his enthusiasm honestly. Their search for a Mustang was relatively wide-ranging. After local efforts were exhausted, they traveled to the Barrett-Jackson auction in Arizona to continue their quest. Nothing there seemed quite right, either.

During the course of his automotive deliberations, Hellard’s father made the acquaintance of Kevin Bradley, the youthful proprietor of Kreations, a top-notch hot rod shop in Rio Dell, California. The Hellards and Bradley agreed it would be better to start with a reasonably good car. The project vehicle was in pretty good shape. Bradley has called it a good starting point. Naturally the Krew stripped it immediately.

Building a Dream Chassis

The first order of business was to refit the chassis. The front-end focus was to replace the stock suspension with a Heidt’s Mustang II front suspension assembly… The Ford 9-inch Detroit Locker-equipped rearend was narrowed 1 inch. It carries Baer 12-inch brakes and Koni shocks. The rear springs are custom 2-inch lowering units.

The front end is sprung with QA1 coilover units and features rack-and-pinion steering… The brakes up front are 13-1/2-inch Baer Track system disc setups. There’s no shortage of stopping power on this pony.

Powertrain Built for Speed

If you recall, one of Hellard’s requirements was that the car be fast. To accomplish that goal, Bradley called on 707 Automotive… An ’04 Ford 302 small block was stroked to a whopping 347 inches. A Ford Motorsport 303 hydraulic-roller cam pushes the valves in a set of Trick Flow cylinder heads… The transmission is an ’04 T5 Tremec five-speed engaged with a RAM clutch.

Striking the Right Body and Interior Balance

The body and paint on the Mustang are the most visible accomplishments of the Kreations Krew. The overall impression that the car makes is one of extreme smoothness… DuPont’s Hot Hues Sinful Cinnamon coats the very straight metal. Stock bumpers provide safety barriers at both ends of the car. All the chrome work was done by Sherm’s Plating in Sacramento.

Creature comfort was high on Hellard’s list of requirements. Bradley enlisted hot rod legend Howdy Ledbetter to fit a luxurious rust-colored leather interior to the Mustang… All of the interior metal and plastic surfaces are painted with a special paint. The handmade dash is another in-house special project, and it’s fitted with Auto Meter instruments.