Ringbrothers Puts 580-BHP Twist on a 53-Year-Old Mustang, Taking SEMA by Mach 1 Storm

PATRIARC is the given name for this one-off Mustang that required north of 5,000 “meticulous and laborious build hours” – that’s over four months! The Ford Performance Aluminator 5.2 XS engine produces 580 horsepower and 445 lb-ft of torque (588 PS / 603 Nm), all dedicated to a Strange Engineering 9-inch rear end. A Bowler Tremec T-56 Magnum six-speed manual gearbox mated with a Centerforce clutch link the 317 CID (5.2 liters) V8 mill to the differential.

Power and control go hand in hand in performance automobiles, so the Baer Brakes 14-inch rotors and six-piston calipers are the natural choices for this Father of all Mach 1s. Monstrous Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires (275/35R19 front, 345/30R20 rear) provide the sure-footedness of PATRIARC. HRE G-Code Edition wheels - 19x10-inch front, 20x13-inch back – handle massive acceleration and abrupt brake pedal abuses.

“The Mustang Mach 1 has always been an aggressive-looking car, and we wanted to add to those classic good looks with subtle but critical changes and, like all our builds, it has the performance to match its new-found aggression,” says Ringbrothers co-owner Jim Ring.

This custom Mach 1 sports Penske Racing Shocks RS Edition coilovers for the front and rear independent suspensions, provided by Roadster Shop FAST TRACK. They also built the Stage III chassis, converted to a unibody design to support the heavily modified original Mustang Mach 1 body bearing the Ringbrothers' signature alterations (look at them in detail in the photo gallery).

Four inches wider overall and lowered at the back, the Ringbrothers Mustang Mach 1 shell features a new custom-made floor pan and transmission tunnel. The interior is tailored to this automobile, and a roll cage hints at road-illegal performance. (Just a reminder: Ford explicitly warns that their 5.2 Aluminator is “designed and intended for competition use only or off-highway use only. It should not be installed on a vehicle that is driven on public roads and highways.”)

The upholstery and trim work by Avant-Garde Interiors include the Vintage Air Gen IV Magnum climate control system, Dakota Digital instruments panels, and the bespoke Ringbrothers “The Elder” carbon-fiber hoop steering wheel. JL Audio is the choice for sound entertainment, with a Kenwood radio receiver attached.

“PATRIARC (…) showcases our capabilities, levels of craftsmanship, and engineering when reimagining what this iconic car could become. It is modern performance, capability, and comfort wrapped in a classic American exterior.” (Mike Ring, Ringbrothers co-owner)

To put it into a more numerical perspective: the engine (the 5.2-liter V8 Aluminator) is Ford's most powerful naturally aspirated modular crate motor ever built. And, with a price tag of $26,495.00, the mill alone costs under $1,000 less than a 2022 Ford Mustang (the entry-level EcoBoost Fastback).

In 1969, a brand new Mustang Mach 1 came with an MSRP of $3,122, equivalent to $25,249 in 2022. That's over $1,000 less than the Aluminator crate V8! The original car had seven engine options, with three displacements available. The 351 CID (5.8 liters) was the base option, and the 428 CID (7.0 liters) range-topping monster was the most performant version. Performance outputs started at the 250 bhp/355 lb-ft mark (253 PS, 481 Nm) and reached the peak performance figures at 335 hp and 440 lb-ft (340 PS over 597 Nm).