The 344-acre North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, North Carolina, once again hosted the Goodguys 3rd Annual North Carolina Nationals and we were there in search of the coolest Ford Muscle we could find on the impressive event grounds.

Featuring a huge outdoor car show, an indoor car show, a swap meet, a car corral, dozens of vendors, as well as its famous autocross competition, the Goodguys’ shows offer a nice mix of automotive entertainment and they are always a good time. This year’s edition did not disappoint.

With hundreds of awesome Fords to choose from, narrowing our selection down to a top-five list was no easy task! But at the end of the day, we finally narrowed it down to five outstanding rides that stood out above the rest! Check them out…

5. Geoffrey Beale’s 1966 Ford Mustang

Our number-five pick could have just as easily have went in the number one spot, it’s that nice! Geoffrey Beale’s 1966 Ford Mustang Coupe is truly a modern marvel. Nicknamed “Techstng,” this pro touring build features some of the best parts available on the market today as well as some cool tech tricks that set it apart from the rest!

The car sits on a full Art Morrison chassis trimmed out with Wilwood brakes and custom 19-inch Rushforth Nighttrain wheels. Tucked inside the chassis is a 700-horsepower Ford Performance Parts Coyote crate engine topped by a 2.9-liter Whipple. The 5.0-liter engine is mated to a six-speed Tremec manual transmission.

The cockpit of the car is where the real tech begins on this Mustang. Creston touchscreens control the air conditioning, power windows, and stereo as well as open the hood, doors, and trunk. The screen’s also display the side view of the car through strategically mounted cameras, eliminating the need for mirrors.

The body of this Mustang is painted in beautiful Aston Martin Tungsten Silver to finish off the modern look. Built by Throwback Custom Cars Out of Burlington, North Carolina, the Techstng is one pro touring machine we’d love to drive!

4. Ken Edward’s 1966 Ford Mustang

Number four on our list symbolizes what Goodguys has become more increasingly well-known for — Pro Touring machines and autocrossing! Ken Edward’s 1966 Ford Mustang coupe is built for the track. Powered by a 364-cubic-inch Dart small-block matched to a Tremec transmission, this little red coupe has no problem powering around the cones on the course.

3. Chris Hughes’ 1991 Ford Mustang LX

Number three on our list took us to K&N Filters All-American Sunday, when 1973 and newer cars are allowed on the show field, while Friday and Saturday are pre-’72 only. Chris Hughes’ 1991 Mustang LX first caught our attention for the massive intercooler tucked inside the front bumper, but once we got closer, we found a clean, well-built Fox behind that massive inter-cooler!

A 331 small-block Ford fed by a ProCharger powers this clean LX down the road. The information card says the car was custom built buy the owner and if that’s the case, Chris did a really nice job! There is great attention to detail throughout the entire car!

4. Matt Pfister’s 1969 Mustang

If you are a regular reader, you first saw Matt Pfister’s beautiful, Coyote-powered fastback highlighted recently. If you missed that article on the build, you can check it out here. Gary Paquette of GT Graphics & Customs in Franklin, North Carolina, built one awesome Ford Mustang for Matt and Judy Pfister of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, that definitely deserves a second or even a third look.

Ford Racing Coyote engine, Heidits four-link, Wilwood brakes, the list goes on and on. We could talk all day about the modifications that make this 1969 a modern day muscle car. The attention to detail in this car is incredible. Every thing on this car has some sort of special touch. It is truly a work of art!

Painted in beautiful Candy Apple Red, the classic fastback lines are mesmerizing. From 20 feet, you recognize those iconic fastback body lines, but at 10 feet, you start to notice all the custom touches like the shaved door handles, custom front valance and functional side scoops that set this Mustang apart from the rest.

Be sure at stay tuned to Ford Muscle for a special upcoming feature on this 1969 Fastback!

1. Charles Lingle’s 1970 Ford Torino

While any of these awesome Ford muscle machines could have taken the number one spot, there was one that caught our attention early on Saturday morning and kept us coming back all day.

Charles Lingle’s 1970 Ford Torino is 100-percent classic muscle car, in fact, this black beauty is nearly all original too. A bit of an oddity in the world of customs that is normally associated with Goodguys, it sits exactly how Detroit designed it.

This Torino GT only has 16,000 original miles on it. It’s a one owner, still has the original black paint, original black interior, and numbers-matching 351 engine, the list goes on and on. Not only is it original, it’s in excellent shape. If we didn’t know better, we would have said this car just completed a nice restoration.

One of the most unique features about this car is the transmission choice. With the GT package and the shaker hood, you’d expect at very least an automatic, if not a four speed, but his car actually features the base transmission, a three speed on the column. The column shifted three speed was a popular option in the 50’s and early 60’s, but was basically obsolete by 1970 except on a few rare occasions!

Be sure and check out the Goodguys site for their next event in your area! If you are close to North Carolina, be sure and check out the Southeastern Nationals at Charlotte Motor Speedway October 20th to the 22nd 2017.