Frame Up Restored Mustang Fastback 4.6 Liter 5 Speed

It's a great time to be a Mustang fan at RK Motors Charlotte! Over the past few weeks we've penned a rare pace car, corralled a whole herd of fifth generation muscle, and rounded up a couple of super nice restorations for good measure. However, it wasn't until after the dust settled that we realized we'd forgotten one of our blue oval fans favorite segments: resto-mod/pro-touring. No worries though, we didn't become the nation's premier seller of specialty cars by resting on our laurels. And this killer 1969 Mach 1, with its smooth 4.6 liter DOHC V8, custom black interior and slick Sizzling Crimson paint, perfectly fits the bill! You know, over the years we've seen a lot of nice builds; but this Carlisle Ford Nationals winning Mustang ranks right up there with some of the coolest pony cars to ever roll through our showroom doors. The amount of detail work that went into its construction is just unbelievable, and there's virtually no piece of its body or drivetrain that hasn't been smoothed, polished, massaged or altered in some way. If you're in the market for classic good looks and spectacular modern performance, there simply isn't a better option!

Starting life in Metuchen, New Jersey as an authentic V8 optioned fastback, this 1969 Mustang was rotisserie restored to better-than-new condition in the fall of 2010. During that highly detailed reboot every one of its sculpted panels was, with the help of both CJ Pony and Virginia Classic Mustang, repaired and massaged to near perfection. And in fact, the stack of build receipts that are included with the car's sale shows that every nut, bolt, bracket and bushing was sourced as new, as it was being prepared for a coat of Scion's Sizzling Crimson Mica paint. Once all that new hardware was tied together, that metallic basecoat hit the car's straight metal to create a spectacular finish which plays exceptionally well on Ford's classic '69 profile. And you can certainly rest assured that the solid and wave-less panels on this pony are centered in gaps that are much tighter than the day it rolled off the assembly line. Now, unless you're new to the hobby you know that a body has to be extremely straight to pull off a dark color like this. And it should come as no surprise that, visually, this Mach 1 one of the most striking Mustangs we've ever seen.

A masterful restoration is all about the details both on the surface and below the surface. At the front of this razor-sharp coupe, chrome-trimmed low beam headlights and grille-mounted high beam headlights combine with a thin chrome bumper and ridged front fenders to provide a fierce, aggressive face. Between those fenders, a chrome-trimmed scoop visually complements traditional rear window louvers while great looking stainless trim combines with bright chrome drip rails, familiar silver wipers and body-matched racing mirrors to frame like-new glass. Below those mirrors, correct chrome door handles combine with a polished power antenna, dent-free stainless fender trim and small, square marker lights to add detail to the car's sinister mug shot. And above those marker lights, deep-set quarter scoops lead the eye to a concave rear valence which hangs a detailed fuel filler and segmented tail lights above a second chrome bumper, chrome-trimmed reverse lights and subtle stainless exhaust tips.

A great resto-mod build is all about taking the virtues of a classic factory design and incorporating modern mechanical elements that are as stylish as they are seamless. Nowhere is that philosophy more evident than under this Mustang's hood, where classic transforms to state of the art in literally the blink of an eye. The car's original 290 horsepower mill has been exchanged for a 400 horsepower, DOHC 4.6L modular V8 that runs twice as good and looks just as natural. The long-time thoroughbred of Ford's performance car stables, this hand-built powerplant utilizes four camshafts, aluminum heads, a fixed runner intake, tumble-style intake ports and a rugged aluminum block to create an unbeatable combination of smooth cruising and spirited performance. Naturally, the 'mod motor' you see here comes complete with sensors, a fuel pump and an Engine Computer Module from its 13K mile 2004 Mach 1 donor car. Before the new DOHC engine was even loosened from its original mounts, a Rod and Custom Motorsports aftermarket engine cradle and front suspension were bolted up. Once the engine was seated, a Ron Francis wiring harness was installed and programmed by The Detail Zone. Next, a Doc's Blocks radiator, which is complete with a large electric puller fan, billet specialties overflow tanks and a full set of braided hoses, was charged with keeping everything cool. And then, a pair of ceramic coated BBK long tube headers was perfectly blended into the powerplant's bright silver paint. Finally, when all was said and done, the car looked and felt so good that it could've been convincingly billed as a one-off SVT show car!

Underneath the car's striking body, and behind its serious motor, you'll find more fresh paint and more serious hardware. A modern 5-speed manual transmission, which comes from the same 2004 Mach 1 as the DOHC 'mod motor', sends power to a rebuilt Ford 9 inch Posi-traction rear end that houses tall 3.91 gears and rugged Century axles. Custom welded exhaust, which is complete with an H-pipe crossover, flows from the ceramic coated BBK headers into stainless Magnaflow mufflers, making this lamb to lion's transformation sound the part. Suspension upgrades abound as the car's original leaf springs benefit from new sub frame connectors out back, and its original coil springs benefit from new tubular control arms up front. A Laurel Mountain Mustang power rear disc brake conversion combines with power factory front discs and power rack and pinion steering to provide curve ability that would've been unthinkable in 1969. And power is thrown to the pavement via 17 inch gray-spoke Billet Specialties Mags which spin 215/55 Dunlop SP Sport radials in front of 275/50 Nitto NT450 Extreme Performance radials. Aesthetically, this Mustang's suspension is detailed in the same bright silver paint that adorns its modern DOHC V8. And well-planned finishing touches like gloss black floors, a fresh stainless fuel tank and fresh stainless hardware add the kind of finishing touches that make a build look great from every angle.

Peer inside this awesome '69 Mustang and you'll find a black interior that is, like the rest of the car, an exceptional mix of both vintage and modern pieces. Black Ultraleather fabric covers both custom door panels that are complete with dual speakers, and custom seats that are complemented by hidden belt retractors. The car's crack-free dash hangs a traditional Mustang clock next to a Sony Xplod CD player and full 2004 Mach 1 instrumentation. A polished aluminum steering wheel combines with a tilt steering column, integrated Ron Francis cruise control and a traditional Hurst shifter to keep you connected to the road. If it gets a little too hot, either figuratively or literally, a complete Vintage Air climate system is piped in through the dash. And if you ever need to haul anything, a fully finished trunk is ready and willing to lend plenty of cargo space.

The sale of this world-class Ford resto-mod includes an autographed Celebrity Choice Award from the 2011 Carlisle Ford Nationals and a book-sized stack of build receipts that document the car's entire restoration process.

If you're the kind of enthusiast who enjoys the best of everything and understands that quality doesn't compromise, then you're already familiar with what this Mustang has to offer. Stunning to look at, thrilling to drive, and exceptional to show, it's a state of the art resto-mod that will remain timeless thanks to smart design and immaculate craftsmanship. With its fully sorted driving experience and completely detailed good looks, you simply can't go wrong with this 1969 Mach 1 fastback. So why not enjoy the fruits of someone else's labor for a fraction of the construction cost?