Wednesday 2nd April 2014

Ford Mustang shooting brake: You Know You Want To

Curious mash-up of classic American muscle and Swedish family values in Mustang/Volvo estate hybrid

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There's a lot of V8 wagon love on PH already this week so when we saw this custom 1966 Ford Mustang estate lurking in a quiet corner of eBay we actually got a bit excited.

Roofline/hatch look familiar? Source may surprise

We don't usually go in for the whole modified custom scene on PH, but a quick scan of the eBay add found that this Mustang is quite amusing and really rather curious: for one, it's got a Volvo roof.

Yep, that whole top panel and rear hatch assembly once belonged to a Volvo 240DL estate. This is a transatlantic muscle car-cum-family special. It's actually a nicely executed conversion, too, looking at the pics - those exposed hinges giving it a certain appeal. We still can't decide if it looks like a goth's hearse or a sort of an American take on the Jensen Interceptor, though.

One thing it will be is fast. Built as a show car, this '66 Stang has a big-block 8.4-litre V8 crate motor from Ford's Special Vehicle Operations Division originally developed to go racing. An 870cfm Holley four-barrel carb delivers the juice to produce around 625hp at 6,250rpm.

All-American under here, if not exactly original

A shed load of torque - 600lb ft at 4,800rpm - will give the nine-inch Traction-Lok limited-slip diff and the three-speed auto a hard time, not to mention the tyres, with that leaf-sprung live rear axle.

One thing it won't be is frugal.

The previous owner - a professional Mustang restorer - apparently sunk over £70,000 turning his original six-cylinder Mustang coupe of 20 years into a stretched, booted custom show car. It seems the effort paid off, as the Mustang "Sedan" as the seller has termed it, picked up the MCA Pinnacle Award in 2013 for the "Best Restomod." We're sure that's a very prestigious crown.

Since its total overhaul, the car has completed just 200 miles. Which means the metallic purple paint and the cream interior should be immaculate, while the Shelby style chin spoiler shouldn't have had too many encounters with kerbs or sleeping law enforcement officers, as they're probably known Stateside.

Craftsmanship can't be faulted, that's for sure

Despite the numbers, it's the odd arrangement of quite impressive practicality sitting side-by-side with genuine muscle car performance from the original era that's got us curious. We really want to click the close button on the browser, but find our cursor hovering closer to 'Bid'.

 

 

 

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1966 Ford Mustang custom 'sedan'
Price: starting price $35,000 (£21,000) - reserve not met
Why you should: Power, performance, space practicality
Why you shouldn't: Fuel economy, er, have you seen how it looks?

See the original advert here. Photos sourced from advert.

[V8 FOU]

A real Guilty Pleasure car! Just love it. A very well executed conversion as reported.

[R3UMP]

Looks like a car for your 'ultimate' journey

[Quickmoose]

Fine skills, high quality workmanship. Dreadful idea.

[Justayellowbadge]

Interceptor?

Did you mean GT?

[LOW4LYFE]

This is a great idea, but I'm not keen on some of the details. Latches on the outside look slapdash, needs glass in the rear rather than metal work. It sits too high and not a fan of the wheels. Whats with the digital dash bits on the interior? Sometimes mixing modern and retro is good but this bit just seems a bit thrown together. Plus, what the hell have they done to that front bumper?

That said, if I had a bottomless wallet I'd go for it and just customise it to my tastes. Nice one off to have.

[Censorious]

That'd make a great hearse.

What a way to go!

[anonymous-user]

Really needs some chrome trim around the rear window too, for cohesion.

Other than that, yeah, nicely done but without rear windows it's a van really isn't it? Interesting for 5 minutes.

[griffdude]

With no rear side windows, does that make it a 'Stang-van?

[gck303]

200 miles since it was completed?

Can someone please explain why someone would go to this effort, then not use it?

Yes, it needs: glass in the rear, chrome round the the rear windows, original instrumentation, the original front bumper and other brightwork (that front bumper is dreadful!)

Edited by gck303 on Wednesday 2nd April 13:36

[Amirhussain]

No I really don't want to

[Krikkit]

gck303 said:

200 miles since it was completed?

Can someone please explain why someone would go to this effort, then not use it?

Some folks just thrive on building these things. Once they're finished they just move onto the next project.

Not how I'd do it, but I can understand the joy of fabrication.

[BorkFactor]

I have to admit, I am yet to see any "shooting brake" design that I actually like. I don't like them at all.

[Justayellowbadge]

Krikkit said:

gck303 said:

200 miles since it was completed?

Can someone please explain why someone would go to this effort, then not use it?

Some folks just thrive on building these things. Once they're finished they just move onto the next project.

Not how I'd do it, but I can understand the joy of fabrication.

It'll get trailered to a show, polished, trailered back again. It's probably done lots of miles, just not under its own power.

[leghorn]

I can see why it has a two-footed brake pedal!

[uuf361]

No, no and No.... Yuk!

[Chickentonight]

To these eyes, that's really vile

[Steff]

Good workmanship but it has looks that would make children cry.

[anonymous-user]

I'm sorry to say it looks utterly horrid.

Worst thing I've seen since the Aston Martin Lagonda many years ago.

[Monty Zoomer]

Article said:

It seems the effort paid off, as the Mustang "Sedan" as the seller has termed it

"Sedan Delivery" is American for "Car Derived Van."

[richard300]

Its not a shooting break or an estate - Its a van!
Someone turned a nice iconic coupe/fastback into a van.