Photo: Ironworks Speed & Kustom
Back in 1967, the Ford Mustang was just beginning to establish a beachhead in the hearts and minds of car lovers. Ford wasn't even dreaming that the muscle cars it made back then would still be the stars of specialized car shows, auctions, and high-profile media stories, decades after they rolled off assembly lines.
On their end, customers just wanted the hottest car on the block to move them around, so they paid the big bucks. They too had no idea that the vehicles they drove in 1960s America would become icons of the automotive industry.
And this year Mustangs of the 1960s don't get more iconic than the DS-500R. Born in stock form in 1967, the car has just been declared the winner of one of the most coveted titles for custom cars, the Goodguys 2023 Street Machine of the Year.
The DS-500R is the work of a California-based custom garage known as Ironworks Speed & Kustom. It was brought in front of cheering crowds gathered in Columbus, Ohio, for the 25th Summit Racing Nationals Presented by PPG last week.
As most of you already know, the 1967 Mustang line is the one that gave birth to the famed Eleanor seen in Gone in 60 Seconds. That's why most customs based on this line try one way or another to reference the on-screen Mustang.
Not the DS-500R. This one embraces what the Goodguys Rod and Custom Association calls a "supercar-influenced classic" look.
You can see that in the wide fender flares, fastback roof vents, and a narrow rear bumper, but also in the absence of the Eleanor-famous black strips running the length of the car.
The general lines of the Mustang are the original ones from decades ago, but a new grille has been installed up front, together with a lower front spoiler and a custom scoop on the car's hood.
Under that hood hides a 5.4-liter V8 usually seen in the GT500. Tied to a six-speed transmission and breathing through a stainless steel exhaust system, it spins six-spoke EVOD wheels shod in Michelin tires. Sized 19 and 20 inches in diameter, they are supposed to reference the GT40 and ensure the above-mentioned connection with the supercar world.
Behind the wheels tons of aftermarket suspension hardware was fitted, including Detroit Speed gear at the front, RideTech coilovers, and Hyperco springs, among others.
The interior was not left to chance either (in fact, it's one of the strong points of the build), with machined parts and the bucket seats carefully dressed in red and black leather. The dashboard holds Dakota Digital instruments.
Ironworks does not say how much it cost to put the 1967 Ford Mustang DS-500R together, and its current owner is equally tight-lipped. Perhaps we'll be able to place a value on it if and when it shows up for sale sometime in the future.
And this year Mustangs of the 1960s don't get more iconic than the DS-500R. Born in stock form in 1967, the car has just been declared the winner of one of the most coveted titles for custom cars, the Goodguys 2023 Street Machine of the Year.
The DS-500R is the work of a California-based custom garage known as Ironworks Speed & Kustom. It was brought in front of cheering crowds gathered in Columbus, Ohio, for the 25th Summit Racing Nationals Presented by PPG last week.
As most of you already know, the 1967 Mustang line is the one that gave birth to the famed Eleanor seen in Gone in 60 Seconds. That's why most customs based on this line try one way or another to reference the on-screen Mustang.
Not the DS-500R. This one embraces what the Goodguys Rod and Custom Association calls a "supercar-influenced classic" look.
You can see that in the wide fender flares, fastback roof vents, and a narrow rear bumper, but also in the absence of the Eleanor-famous black strips running the length of the car.
The general lines of the Mustang are the original ones from decades ago, but a new grille has been installed up front, together with a lower front spoiler and a custom scoop on the car's hood.
Under that hood hides a 5.4-liter V8 usually seen in the GT500. Tied to a six-speed transmission and breathing through a stainless steel exhaust system, it spins six-spoke EVOD wheels shod in Michelin tires. Sized 19 and 20 inches in diameter, they are supposed to reference the GT40 and ensure the above-mentioned connection with the supercar world.
Behind the wheels tons of aftermarket suspension hardware was fitted, including Detroit Speed gear at the front, RideTech coilovers, and Hyperco springs, among others.
The interior was not left to chance either (in fact, it's one of the strong points of the build), with machined parts and the bucket seats carefully dressed in red and black leather. The dashboard holds Dakota Digital instruments.
Ironworks does not say how much it cost to put the 1967 Ford Mustang DS-500R together, and its current owner is equally tight-lipped. Perhaps we'll be able to place a value on it if and when it shows up for sale sometime in the future.
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