Restomod Perfection: Meet Danny Schaffer's Award-Winning DS-500R Mustang

When Ford introduced the Mustang at the World's Fair in Flushing Meadows, New York, on April 17, 1964, it changed the landscape of the American automotive industry, giving birth to the pony car segment.

With gorgeous European-inspired styling, an unprecedented number of options to choose from, and, more importantly, a very attractive price that made it affordable to the average buyer, the Mustang quickly became a best-seller.

However, during its first months on the market, the model wasn't synonymous with performance, even when outfitted with the most powerful V8 available. That quickly changed in the following years with the addition of bigger, more capable motors, as well as performance-oriented versions like the Shelby GT350, GT500, and Ford's own Mach 1, Boss 302, or Boss 429.

By the end of the 1960s, the Mustang wasn't just America's best-selling pony car (and one of the country's best-selling models), but in the aforementioned editions, it became a purebred muscle car.

Unfortunately, the oil crises of the 1970s put an end to the muscle car era, and the Mustang only managed to survive by morphing into a smaller, fuel-efficient, yet severely-underpowered people's car. Things would slowly begin to improve during the 1990s, but in terms of performance, the Mustang would only return to its former glory from 2005 onwards.

Still, most young and old enthusiasts remained incurably addicted to the timeless styling of the first-generation model, although some preferred the modern tech of the 21st-century models.

Encouraged by famous builds like the Eleanor that starred in the 2000 remake of the Gone in 60 Seconds film, Mustang fans started building impressive restomods, a trend that's still going strong today. However, many custom builds replicated the Eleanor in more ways than one, which often led to unoriginal and sometimes botched interpretations that desecrated the soul of the first-generation 'Stang.

Attempting to build a restomod that pays homage to the first-gen Mustang

This is where we meet Danny Schaffer, a collector and long-time classic Ford enthusiast with a special place in his heart for the legendary pony car.

Though Danny appreciates a well-kept, stock classic, he always liked unique, high-powered restomods better. Along with his wife Diane, he owns an impressive collection of bespoke, modernized Fords, including a 640-hp 1964 Fairlane and a 1,000-hp 1961 Ford Starliner, but at some point, he wanted to add a 1967 Mustang Fastback to their garage.

Danny's vision was clear: combine a modern chassis and drivetrain with the beautiful look of the 1967 fastback, but avoid the Eleanor cliche at all costs.

After sourcing a suitable 1967 shell, the collector took it to a shop he thought could turn his vision into reality. However, as months went by, the project was going in a different direction than Danny envisioned, so he decided to take his unfinished 'Stang to Rodger Lee and his skillful team at Ironworks Speed & Kustom.

The Bakersfield, California-based shop worked its magic on the iconic car, and the result exceeded Danny's expectations.

A subtly resculptured body that pays homage to the original styling

Dubbed DS-500R, this amazing one-off Mustang's thoroughly revamped body was the brainchild of renowned custom car designers Sean Smith and Tavis Highlander.

The stylists, along with the talented Ironworks team, left almost none of the original body panes untouched, yet they did so in such a subtle and masterful way that even Mustang purists can stand up and applaud.

The car's fender flares and quarter panels were widened to accommodate the humongous 19- and 20-inch EVOD wheels that evoke GT40 vibes. Moreover, its custom front end, hood scoop, rocker panels, and bumpers complement the aggressive, modernized look but faithfully follow the lines of the original design.

Finished in a gorgeous PPG metallic gray paint by Cotati Speed Shop, with flawless chrome plaiting by Sherm's Custom Plating, the DS-500R's body was unquestionably modernized without employing any Eleanor-inspired elements.

I think it looks like a natural progression of the 1967 design, one that the original Ford styling team of Joe Oros, L. David Ash, Gale Halderman, John Foster, and George Schumaker would have devised had they been given 21st-century tools.

A daring, modern supercar-inspired interior

While we can all agree that the early first-generation Mustang's exterior styling is an automotive masterpiece that only a few custom builders managed to improve, the car's original cabin didn't live up to the same standard.

Naturally, if you're restomodding a first-gen Mustang, you'll want to modernize the interior thoroughly, and that's precisely what the Ironworks team did for the DS-500R.

The modern supercar-inspired interior was styled by the same Tavis Highlander, with the shop's founder Rodger and his interior specialist Jorge turning it into reality.

Upholstered in premium, bright-red leather contrasted by black fabric inserts, the cabin's massive list of upgrades included a half roll cage, custom bucket seats, carpeting, door panels, a center console with an ample armrest and, of course, a new leather-wrapped steering wheel.

One of the coolest parts of the rebuilt interior was integrating the original dashboard design, which was enhanced with modern trims and Dakota Digital gauges.

Built around a bespoke chassis and powered by a monstrous engine

To bring this awesome build to modern standards in terms of drivability, the experts at Ironworks used a Detroit Speed front suspension with tubular control arms, whereas, for the rear, they fabricated a custom subframe with a four-link setup. RideTech coil-overs with Hyperco springs were used on all four corners to achieve an aggressive stance without compromising handling.

For the brakes, the team used Wilwood competition calipers finished in red, all of which hug 14-inch (355-mm) slotted discs.

The engine chosen to power the DS-500R was an all-aluminum 5.4-liter (330-ci) Modular V8 transplanted from an SVT second-generation GT500. The unit received extensive upgrades like a bigger supercharger, aftermarket fuel injection, custom accessory drive bracket, and an exhaust system with Borla mufflers.

It was mated to a Bowler Performance Transmissions-built Tremec T-56 six-speed manual equipped with a Tilton clutch, and although Ironworks hasn't specified its output, it's safe to assume that it could deliver around 600 hp - if not more.

An award-winning build

The DS-500R was one of the shop's most ambitious projects, but the result exceeded everyone's expectations.

As soon as it left the shop, it became an instant hit that muscle car enthusiasts worldwide praised for its originality and high-level finish.

The fabulous build earned the Outstanding Engineering award during this year's (2023) Grand National Roadster Show, and several months later, it was crowned Street Machine of the Year by the Goodguys Rod & Custom Association during the 25th Summit Racing Nationals.