I have always had a love for first and second generation Mustang Fastbacks. All through my childhood, I wanted a GT350 or GT500 Fastback. I finally found a 1967 Fastback and purchased it along with a full rolling chassis platform from B Rod Or Customs in Tennessee that included Wilwood brakes, power rack and pinion steering, and coilovers on all four corners. Knowing that I wanted to resto-mod it with a modern engine, 6-speed transmission, custom platform, air conditioning, etc., I turned to my dear friend Steve Hines, who is the owner of Shines Customs, to do the transformation. He had built a custom 1969 Camaro SS/RS RestoMod and a 1966 Mustang GT350 SC several years earlier and I was well aware of his unique ability to create cool rolling art. I gave Steve full artistic license to create a one of a kind 1967 Mustang Fastback modeled after the venerable GT500. Stance, sound, and appearance were critical elements and Steve had the skills to do the job.

Once the car was completely disassembled and placed on the jig, the hard work began. Media blasting revealed some rust and thick coats of Bondo. Those areas were cut out of the body and replaced with fresh metal. Steve also had to attach the body to the custom chassis platform. In addition, Steve custom built the ground effects and rear spoiler out of metal. Performance was an important factor so we opted to replace the old aftermarket 302 cubic inch roller motor and install a modern Ford Generation II Coyote crate engine with Borla 8-stack fuel injection. We installed a brand new T-56 Magnum 6-speed transmission, driving a new Moser 9-inch rear end with a Currie center chunk with a 3.70:1 Truetrack posi.

The body paint is Randy Apple Red with Hot Chocolate stipes from Painthouse in Cypress, Texas. They were the same folks that supplied the Super Blue on my ’66 Fastback. Steve knew that I retired from Hillsborough County Fire Rescue as a Division Chief/Paramedic and surprised me with a Fire-Rescue build to commemorate my 33 year Fire-Rescue career! Steve’s ability to create custom accents is remarkable. From the bead rolled Maltese cross on the underside of the hood to the custom gas cap with my badge number embolden in the center, this Mustang was all mine.

The power of the Gen II Coyote is unbelievable. Second gear is my favorite - roaring through the Magnaflow exhaust system, shifting into 3rd gear is like a time machine - you are catapulted forward as you feel the g-forces accelerating through the gears. While at the 2022 NSRA Southeast Nationals in Tampa I was honored to receive the Mike Kelly’s Cruise News Pick, and my future plans are to drive the car to as many shows as I can. It is also in the plans to do as many Hot Rod Power Tours and Cruisin’ the Coast events as I can. My grandsons love the car, and my 10 year old grandson simply says, “That’s one cool car, grandpa”! What more motivation does one need than encouragement from one’s grandson? CN