1968 Ford Mustang Coupe Nostalgic Notchback

Up for Auction is a Spectacular Mustang that has been featured in multiple magazines.
1968 Ford Mustang Coupe - Nostalgic NotchbackLooking Back, ith a Modern TwistThe builder of this stunning car, ngelo is a fan of late-Sixties road racing and all the classic machinery of that era—everything from the Lola T70, o Ford's Ferrari-stomping GT40, o Shelby's curvaceous Daytona coupe. But it was the raw simplicity of early Trans-Am pony cars that perhaps left the biggest, ost lasting impression on this Canadian enthusiast, n impression that is quite clearly reflected in his approach to personalizing this racy looking, ut very street-worthy 1968 coupe.

Why a notchback? Though it's the swoopy fastback models that have perennially captured the hearts and wallets of many Mustang collectors, emember that on the racing side, p until the 1969 season, ord's factory Trans-Am efforts were always based on the humble and light coupe bodystyle (not to be confused with SCCA's B-Production class where Shelby's G.T. 350 had been campaigned.) Among the most memorable of those Trans-Am notchbacks was the yellow No. 17 Jerry Titus-driven Terlingua Racing Team entry of 1967, ith its blacked-out nose and hood, nd Shelby's signature over-the-roof striping scheme. Substituting red for yellow, e can't help but see a little of the No. 17 car's overall design theme in Angelo's creation.

But there's a twist: Angelo has fashioned his coupe's blacked-out snout not with paint, ut with honest-to-goodness carbon fiber—not that he really planned it that way. You see, t was his cousin, ony, ho first came into possession of the carbon-fiber hood and one-piece fascia (along with a trunk lid) almost by accident while looking for a simple fiberglass hoodscoop for his own '67 fastback project. Seems the seller had hand-crafted the strong, ightweight mid-year parts as prototypes and was willing to use Tony's '67 as a test bed for fitting. But shortly thereafter, ony sold his '67 project and asked if Angelo was interested in the carbon-fiber parts for his '68. Ang was, ut only if he could exchange the fastback-style decklid for a California Special-style version for his coupe. When asked about this, nstead of just laying up a new decklid, he carbon-fiber dude then crafted up a fresh complete setup—decklid, ascia, nd hood—for Angelo (who also owns Tony's original set of composite components.) Anyway, hey lend the coupe's frontal view a pretty distinctive look, inished off with mesh grille inserts and a hand-made aluminum chin spoiler, ith brake vents. Out back, eneath the ducktail spoiler is a ribbed taillight panel, shortened and painted bumper, nd '70 Mach 1 exhaust tips. The side marker lights are filled in, nd Shelby sidescoops are trimmed down for a more flush fit.

The notchback was a whole lot rougher when Angelo picked it up for a paltry $3,900 back in 2006. As might be expected for that price, t needed some metal surgery, ncluding floorpans and rockers, ork that Angelo tackled with the help of cousin Tony. Since then, e says he's "stopped counting" the money spent, nd has for the hours invested by Angelo and his build-buddy and fellow Mustang fanatic, ino, e guesses it's "up in the thousands, ut then it could be I'm just slow…" Dino apparently matched Angelo hour-for-hour on the buildup, nd at very reasonable cost: "All for the low, ow price of beer and pizza," says Angelo.

Photo GalleryView Photo GalleryAnd when cousin Tony sold his '67 project (to help finance a '66 build), e also sold Angelo the FRPP 351W crate motor, hortened 8.8-inch axle housing, estomod Speed Shift remote shifter, s well as the Classic Performance Products "MINI Sub-frame" kit that are now installed on the notchback. That CPP suspension kit eliminates the factory strut rods and converts the front suspension to an upper and lower A-arm setup. Angelo has dropped the upper A-arm inboard mounting points by an inch for an improved camber curve (like the '65 G.T. 350) and added a 1.25-inch antiroll bar. The notchback hunkers about an inch lower than stock at all four corners, nd the fat, ive-spoke Boss 338 rims residing there are at least reminiscent of the Trans-Am days. The coupe's twin bullet side mirrors are similarly retro-racy.

That theme continues inside where the Restomod Speed Shift remote shifter lends a sort of fabricated, ompetition look while taking a whole lot of reaching out of the act of shifting the coupe's T-5 5-speed.

Here's how Angelo sums it all up: "What I like most about this car is that I can take the family out for an ice cream and it will feel like I'm driving what could be described as my own streetable race car." So it's retro and racy, ut also reliable.

The Details

1968 Mustang coupe

Engine
Ford Racing Performance Parts (FRPP) 351W crate engine (circa 2003, -6007-D351R)
FRPP M-6250-Z303 hydraulic roller cam
FRPP GT-40 aluminum heads
750 Holley carb with ProForm body

Transmission
Borg Warner T-5, uilt by Martini Automotive
Luke Racing clutch
Fidanza aluminum flywheel
Rearend
8.8-inch axle (out of a Cobra, hortened)
3.55 gears

Exhaust
Hooker long-tube headers
BBK X-shaped crossover
Flowmaster 40 Series Delta Flow mufflers
2.5-inch mandrel-bent pipes

Suspension
Front: Classic Performance Products "Mini Sub-frame" kit, YB shocks, 20-pound coils, .25-inch bar
Rear: 1-inch Laurel Mountain drop leaves, YB shocks

Brakes
Front: Vintage Cougar disc brakes
Rear: Ford Explorer disc brakes

Wheels
Front: Boss 338, 8x8
Rear: Boss 338, 8x9.5

Tires
Front: Continental Extreme Contact, 245/45ZR18
Rear: Continental Extreme Contact, 295/45ZR18

Interior
Instrument panel stuffed with Auto Meter SportComp gauges, uner FX buckets, rant GT steering wheel, estomod Speed Shift remote shifter

Exterior
Custom carbon-fiber front fascia, ood, nd decklid; custom mesh grilles; custom aluminum chin spoiler with brake cooling inlets; filled side-marker lights; modified Shelby sidescoops; finned aluminum taillight panel; '70 Mach 1 exhaust tips (black); PPG single-stage urethane finish by CFD Auto, oronto, ntario, anada