Manny Galvan purchased this '07 Mustang GT new in 2007 from Gaudin Ford in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he's worked since 2001.
Like Manny's career, this GT has progressed from something simple into an accomplishment to be very proud of-but neither happened overnight.
"I've been involved with Mustangs my whole life," says Manny. "As a kid growing up, I was raised on the legendary car." When Manny was a teen, his dad purchased a "beat-up" '67 coupe that is still an ongoing project for the father and son.
"I fell in love with it the moment I saw it," Manny continued. "I was eager to know the roots of what a muscle car was all about, but I never would have guessed this valuable information and desire would lead me to where I am today."
Manny is the high-performance-vehicle manager at Gaudin, and after purchasing the S197 seen on these pages, he began the long process of transforming a completely stock Mustang into a one-of-a-kind showpiece destined for the mother of all trade shows-SEMA.
"When starting the project, I envisioned a sleek, fast, state-of-the-art machine," Manny explains. "I knew this build would have to be custom-made with one-off pieces. I didn't want a carbon copy of someone else's Mustang-it needed to be one of a kind." So Manny had a rendering made to give him and his team some direction.
The first step of the process after purchasing the car was disassembly. Everything came off-from the interior, to glass, to body panels. Then, with the help of a long list of manufacturers, Manny and the crew began the slow, painstaking process of reassembly. Because he wanted a one-of-a-kind result without being too over the top, many of the pieces had to be modified or fabricated from scratch.
Once Manny was finished, the work of art you see in these photos was the result. It would be impractical to list all the features of Manny's GT, and there is a long list of companies and people who helped make this build possible. Some of the main contributors are Stillen Motorsports, Steeda, Comp Cams, Shelby American, Manny Pena at MPR, Agent 47, Asanti Luxury Wheels, AP Racing, APR Performance, and Gaudin Ford.
In the end, the Kenne Bell-blown, MPR-built Three-Valve produced 692 rwhp. It has been a fixture at the SEMA show for the past four years, with no intention of quitting. "The end result has won us numerous First Place trophies," says Manny. "We built a machine that represents our craft. It represents our attention to detail, and our relentlessness to make it happen when people told us it couldn't be done."
Making things happen is Manny's way. "Nothing is going to come your way if you're going to just wait for things to happen," says Manny. "You have to work harder and longer, and strive to go further." This is exactly what he has done with his '07 GT, and his dedication and hard work has paid off big.