A Corvette Powered Mustang That Mad Max Would Love
Just like in Road Warrior's wasteland, this Mustang was fabricated from scavenged parts, with plenty of ingenuity, to make a completely unique mutant vehicle. The more you dig into this 1967 Mustang, the more ridiculously awesome it is!
Is it a Chevy or Ford?
Sometimes the best projects don't have concours ready paint jobs or perfect panel gaps, instead projects like Kyle Schaife's 1967 Mustang celebrate building something for the pure joy of driving! In case you are wondering, this 1967 Mustang is built on a custom tube chassis and uses a C5 Corvette drivetrain and suspension. This build became so radical that it is hardly a Mustang any more. In fact, only a handful of the panels remain from the original 1967 Mustang bodywork. The best part about the project is that it was done on a budget, with much more talent and fabrication than dollars, and all in a normal garage. Kyle even admits that he was not a great mechanic when he started the project which made his franken-stang an awesome learning experience for him.
Why LS Power?
These days, a LS-swapped Mustang is not rare, especially in the drag racing world. Aftermarket parts manufacturers have even made bolt-in swap kits to put an LSX engine into every generation of Mustang. Most importantly, the LS is cheap and readily available from salvage yards, which is why the owner chose it to propel his Mustang project. In this case, a custom tube chassis was used so that the LS1 motor from wrecked C5 Corvette donor car could be placed in the ideal location, with the Corvette transaxle out back in the truck. With a custom tube chassis, locating the wheels in the Mustang body, and reusing the C5 brakes and suspension was fairly easy. The Corvette LS1 remains stock for now, but the owner plans on adding bolt-on modifications and possibly a turbo setup when he gets bored with the stock power.
Fabrication Mastery
Although the owner admits not being the best mechanic, he is an excellent fabricator as evidenced by the amazing interior work and custom chassis. The immaculate hand fabricated roll cage and frame are all proof that the owner knows exactly what he is doing. The custom aluminum panels in the interior give the Mustang a minimal, racecar look. Everything screams function over form, and forget about finding a hint of luxury here. It is very apparent that the builder was more interested in creating a ridiculous performing car, instead of something to take a long road trip in.
How Much Mustang is Actually Left?
As previously mentioned, only a few panels, including the roof and rear quarters, are original to a 1967 Mustang. A signature feature of this Mustang's aesthetic is the mismatched color body panels, with rust and welds visible. This deliberate design cue contributes to the apocalyptic look of this Mustang. The bare metal body panels were coated to prevent any more rust in the future, but no attempt was made to paint the body. Although the owner says the car is not completely done, it looks pretty perfect as-is!
It's All In the Details!
Although the look of this Mustang may not be pleasing to the average person, any car enthusiast will appreciate the amount of fabrication work that went into creating this monster. In fact, this rough, function over everything, Mad Max style is becoming more and more popular in the car scene. If you look at the functional bits like the suspension, you will appreciate how perfect the car actually is! Builds like this 1967 Mustang evolve the modified car scene and push the average guy with a garage and some tools to build something unique to be proud of. You can check out many more pictures, as this project grows and changes, on Kyle's Instagram.
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