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1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap

If you're new to the world of automotive enthusiasts, I suggest you hold on tight for the ride. Whenever someone is going to talk about engine swaps, people will start arguing for sure. Especially if someone will make the mistake of offending the purists. Because you can't just swap a rotary engine inside of a Ford Mustang for example.
1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap 16 photos
Photo: Bring a Trailer
1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap
Don't take this the wrong way. No one will stop you from performing such a swap. And if you do some research on the topic, you'll find out that a rotary Mustang exists. What I'm trying to say is that using a non-Mustang engine in this kind of vehicle is bound to stir up a lot of anger. Luckily, this 1970 model is safe from that kind of unwanted attention. And I think this is the first time I've ever seen one with this particular powerplant.

Just by reading the title, you would have already guessed that there's a supercharged, 4.6-liter V8 under the hood. This powerplant was sourced from a 2004 Terminator Cobra, and it has an output of 390 horsepower and 390 lb-ft (528 Nm) of torque. That's almost double what the original 302-2v unit would have provided. Although the seller didn't provide a video of the car, I imagine it must sound nice with a dual exhaust in place.

The seller states that his goal was to create a vintage-looking vehicle that ran and drove like a modern-day car. It looks like he has spent more than 1,000 hours working on this car. Not only that, but this build drained some $70,000 out of his account, labor not included. The car has been with the current owner for just over 10 years now, and I imagine it won't be easy for him to let it go. Surprisingly enough, he's only driven it for 1,300 miles (2,092 km) since he finished working on it.

1970 Ford Mustang Is a Terminator in Disguise, Won't Come Cheap
Photo: Bring a Trailer
The original 4-speed gearbox was ditched in favor of a Tremec TKO-600 5-speed manual. And that is good news indeed because this gearbox should be capable of withstanding up to 600 lb-ft (813 Nm) of torque. Let's face it, with an engine like that under the hood, it would be a shame to keep it running in stock form. Those who are experienced with Terminator swaps will tell you that you can go as far as 800 rwhp on E85 if you've got proper cooling in place.

But at the end of the day, it all depends on how much you're willing to spend on this car. It has just been listed, and with 7 days to go before the auction is over, the highest bid is $12,500. There are a few bits and pieces that aren't perfect, and I would get rid of the steering wheel. But the 16" Magnum 500-style wheels look spot on, although you might want to alter the stance a bit by lowering the car.

Would you be surprised if this car went for more than $100,000? And if you can afford that kind of cash, why skip on the extra $10,000 to $20,000 required to turn it into a Shelby GT500 killer?
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About the author: Dragos Chitulescu
Dragos Chitulescu profile photo

The things Dragos enjoys the most in life are, in no particular order: cars, motorcycles, diecast cars, and drifting. He's seen (and driven) many vehicles since he started his writing career back in 2009, but his garage currently houses a 1991 Mazda RX-7 FC3S Turbo II and a 1999 Suzuki SV650-S.
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