Rebuilding it to be better and faster is more or less what brothers Bob and Wayne Julian were thinking when they set off to modify their '65 Mustang fastback. What they ended up doing entailed far more than just swapping in some high-tech parts, though.
Stuffing modern drivetrains into old cars is the latest trend these days, and after pricing out the parts to swap a Terminator Cobra drivetrain into their fastback, Bob and Wayne came to the conclusion it would be cheaper just to buy a Cobra and strip it for parts.
The option to convert the...
The option to convert the '65 to Shelby specs was certainly there, but Bob insisted the Mustang retain both of its bumpers and factory Ford charm. This required fabricating new bumper mounts to the SN-95 chassis, but at this point, that was child's play.
"Stripping" isn't exactly an accurate term, however, as the '65 Stang lost far more of its factory fodder than did the slightly used, 5,000-mile '03 Cobra. In fact, only the exterior shell was used from the old stallion. The Cobra had its body panels and roof excised from the lower half of the chassis, which was set on a jig after the drivetrain was removed. There it was carefully melded with the '65 body.
The old-school Pony shell was 2 inches wider than the '03 Snake's chassis, which was easy enough to make up. The wheelbase-a full 7 inches longer than the SN-95-would be a far more adventurous task that entailed lengthening the front framerails and the fender aprons behind the shock towers. Track width was another issue, but one that was easily handled with a quartet of custom wheel arches.
Utilizing the SN-95's chassis meant the Cobra's IRS would rest in its factory-engineered location. "I've seen a lot of IRS installs in old cars, but they never looked right with regard to the axle geometry," Wayne says. The newer chassis also benefits from many years of automotive progress, and a supportive aftermarket that is flooded with performance-minded parts.
Sure, it looks like a nicely...
Sure, it looks like a nicely modified vintage Stang, but you'd be awfully surprised to find out it has all of the creature comforts, ride quality, speed, and efficiency of a late-model Pony. Does it get any better?
Said parts include a bevy of bolt-ons from Maximum Motorsports in San Luis Obispo, California, which supplied the the SN65 (as its owners call it) with one of its IRS upgrade packages, along with its high-performance Bilstein coilover suspension system. Maximum's tubular K-member and Fox-length control arms were employed as well.
The standard Cobra braking package made the transition over to the new car, but the wheels didn't have enough offset to tuck them in properly. "We checked with a lot of places, and no one was willing to work with us," Wayne says. "We then talked to Forgeline, and they made it happen-delivering the custom wheels in a short amount of time." The Forgeline RS3 wheels were wearing Toyo T1R Proxes rubber at the time of our photo shoot. The front 18x8.5 rims are shod with 245/40/18 rubber, while the 18x9.5s out back feature a 285/35/18 size. Since the shoot, though, Toyo's RA1 track tires have been fitted to the car in the same sizes and offer a considerable improvement in grip.
Internally, the DOHC Four-Valve supercharged Cobra powerplant was untouched-a MagnaFlow exhaust system and a custom modified Western Motorsports cold-air induction setup get the air moving in and out a little faster than before.
Recaro Sport seats were used...
Recaro Sport seats were used as the stock suede/leather snakeskins sat too high inside the cabin. The new stools are fully optioned with power assist, and seat heating and ventilation.
The Western Motorsports Velocity...
The Western Motorsports Velocity air intake needed to be slightly massaged, and a '99 Cobra throttle body elbow was used to angle the incoming air charge around the shock tower. Other than that, the cammer fit between the towers just like you'd expect to find in a normal Terminator Cobra.
Since the car's completion,...
Since the car's completion, Bob and Wayne have both enjoyed driving the SN65, having logged some 17,000 miles on both public highways and road courses such as Road Atlanta and Putnam Park. "Imagine a Cobra with a better suspension and a 7-inch-longer wheelbase," Bob says. "It's really a lot of fun."
The factory dashboard needed...
The factory dashboard needed to be modified quite a bit, but everything works just like it did when it resided between the '03's doors.
The '65's factory door panels...
The '65's factory door panels were used, though the vertical ribs that usually inhabit the center section were smoothed out. Riggs Brothers helped work out numerous interior details, and National Parts Depot, as well as Laurel Mountain Mustang, also took part in the build.
Though the trunk area looks...
Though the trunk area looks super simple, it actually houses the car's Optima batteries and a host of audio equipment. Note the glow-in the-dark safety pull. It works, too.
Even with custom wheel arches...
Even with custom wheel arches opening the wheelhouses more, the stock Cobra wheels wouldn't work, so these custom-built Forgeline shoes were ordered.