Combine one part 1969 Ford Mustang Mach 1 with the Ford GT engine; then, add 11,000 man-hours.
It doesn’t sound like a good idea to take a 1969 Ford Mustang Mustang Mach 1, and add design cues from 2005-2006 Ford GT. Although they are great cars in their own right, combining them with a retro-tinted supercar is just too strange. Eckert’s Rod & Custom put in 3 years and 11,000 hours to create this bizarre combination. The shop was dubbed “The Mach 40” and the result is amazing.
The team began with a beat up ’69 Mustang Mach 1 which was basically a rolling shell. The builders built a new chassis that allowed for a supercharged V8 of 5.4-liters from a damaged GT. This machine was complex to construct, with the creation of a clamshell rear deck as well as a new suspension system that took into consideration the engine’s mid-mounted position. The complex task of cooling the new powerplant was also involved.
The shop also replaced the stock 2.4-liter turbocharger with a Whipple 4.0-liter unit. The vehicle produces 660 horsepower (492 Kilowatts) at the wheels and 580 poundfeet (786 Newton meters) at the wheels, which is a significant improvement over the GT’s factory rating (550 hp (410kW) 500lb-ft (678Nm). A dial is located in the cabin that can be used to adjust the ECU to increase the output to 850 horsepower (634 kW).
It has a retro feel to it. The driver looks at four circular gauge pods while gripping a wooden steering wheel. The radio is not hidden and there is no modern infotainment system. The interior is upholstered in a mix of black and red leather. Although a glass panel separates the engine from the occupants, it is still quite loud with the engine only a few inches from their ears.