SHOP PROJECT

One pony car did stand out above the rest, and it belonged to Colorado Mustang Specialists, Inc. The recently completed Sonic Blue ’67 Shelby GT500 clone was so fresh, you could still smell the paint. Okay, so you may be thinking, “I’ve seen plenty of Eleanor Mustangs before, so what makes this one so unique?”

The Inspiration Behind the Build

Our story begins last year, when Colorado Mustang owner Dan Dunning decided to build a project car that, upon completion, would be on the caliber of any modern luxury car on the road today. Up to such a challenge, Dunning selected probably one of the nastiest examples he could find sitting in the company’s salvage yard in Aurora, Colorado.

“The car had tree branches growing through the floor pan. Branch by branch, piece by piece, we had to carefully cut everything away in order for the car to be moved safely. The floors, quarter panels, fenders, doors and splash aprons all had to be replaced. Hundreds of hours were devoted to fitting the fiberglass body panels to the sheetmetal. Our goal was to build a grand touring car that would approach the modern luxury car standards we set for the project.” And while that sounds pretty good to us, what were the mechanical guidelines that made this Mustang such an awesome road machine?

Building a Modern Performance Car

As Dunning put it, “This car was designed to handle and drive like a modern-day Ford product. That meant it had to be as serviceable as any modern-day luxury car, and built with readily available parts that could be purchased through any auto parts store, your local Ford dealer or a specialty shop such as Colorado Mustang Specialists.”

Suspension and Braking System

Credit for the car’s construction and assembly goes to Sean Blea and Pat Chambers. For openers, the ’67’s unibody platform was equipped with a late-model, 3.55:1-geared SVT Mustang Cobra Short-Long Arm (SLA) IRS, outfitted with a set of QA1 coilover shocks, Air Lift airbags and a set of slotted and cross-drilled ’04 SVT Mustang Cobra rear disc brakes.

The front suspension on the fastback consists of a Fat Man Fabrications coilover-strut setup, using AGX coilover shocks with Air Lift airbags, a pair of ’04 SVT Mustang Cobra front spindles, a 1-inch front anti-sway bar, NAPA rack-and-pinion steering, and a pair of 13-inch slotted and cross-drilled ’04 Cobra front disc brakes. Rolling stock on the Mustang comes in the form of a set of 17-inch 2004 SVT Mustang Cobra factory aluminum wheels, rolling on P275/40xZR17-inch front and P275/40xZR17-inch rear Goodyear F-1 ultra-performance radial rubber.

Powertrain Specifications

Powering this beauty is a 10:1-compression Ford Racing Technologies (FRT) M-6007-A351 Windsor crate engine, equipped with a set of Ford Racing GT-40 1.94-inch intake and 1.54-inch exhaust aluminum heads, along with a Ford Racing dual-plane intake and NOS-equipped 750cfm Edelbrock Performer carburetor. Of course, this engine is dressed out to the nines with its Ford Racing polished-aluminum valve covers and oval Cobra air cleaner. Ignition duties are handled by a Ford Racing breakerless ignition, while the exhaust is handled by a set of JBA Firecone headers and Walker Dynomax mufflers.

Backing up an estimated 550 hp is a Ford Racing 7003-Z World Class five-speed transmission, using a King Cobra clutch and pressure plate. The final link in the ’67’s powertrain is a Driveshaft Doctor’s custom-fabricated driveshaft.

Unique Body Modifications

As we mentioned, the ’67 Eleanor Mustang body kit was massaged to perfection by Dan Blea. However, along the way, the two Dans decided to improvise on the theme by installing a hydraulic-strut-actuated one-piece tilt front end (complete with billet aluminum grille and tri-bar halogen headlights), which closes and fits like a glove! After all the bodywork was completed, Blea sprayed the fastback in PPG 2005 Mustang Sonic Blue with Tungsten GT stripes.

Interior Features and Personalization

The interior of Colorado Mustang’s quasi-Shelby also has received the full treatment, with a pair of ’04 SVT Mustang Cobra front bucket seats, an ’04 Mach 460 audio system with dual MTX rear-mounted speakers, Auto Meter Cobalt gauges, a Ford Racing short-throw shifter, an ididit six-way tilt billet steering column, and a Cobra/GT350-type wood-rim steering wheel. Of course, there is significant personalization throughout the car, including Mustang, Shelby and Ford running-horse badging. Back in the trunk, note the trick Optima enclosed battery box along with the nitrous bottle and MTX amp. It’s totally puffed out!

Conclusion

Completed at a cost right at six figures, this once-forlorn $35 junkyard special has been not only resurrected, but elevated to world-class grand-touring-car standards.