Seven days, seven cities, and 1,200 miles of some of the best back roads America has to offer are what make up the annual Hot Rod Power Tour. We jumped in our Mustang this year and joined in for the long haul in our continued search to bring you some of the coolest Fords in the country!

With all that hard driving and traffic, only the best of the best survive the long haul! In the end, after sorting through thousands of cars, we were able to settle on our five favorite Fords on the 2017 tour, check them out!

5. Clean ’Bird

With rear-wheel-drive and a V8 underhood, the mid-’90s Ford Thunderbird had the platform to be a cool car. However, sadly most of them were not viewed or treated as such. We ran into one in Bowling Green just after closing ceremonies that fit the bill as a cool Thunderbird!

Since no owner was in sight, we could not get much info on this one, but we felt it was too good not to feature . Its sleek, white paint and a set of black Niche Wheels give this car a great sporty look. A small cowl hood and clear headlights keep it clean and simple. The black wheels hid some massive brakes which would no doubt put this ’Bird on it’s nose when needed!

We just wish we could have gotten with the owner to see what was under that hood of this one, so we will certainly keep an eye out for it at future events.

4. Long-Haul Supercar

How many people can say they actually drive their Ford GTs? This awesome supercar is usually limited to holding down corner spots in garage collections or being towed to half-mile events and shows.

This Ford GT, however, was apart of the Long Haul Gang  (a car that completes all seven stops of the Power Tour) this year. It has been on multiple previous tours as well! We loved seeing all the brake dust on the GT wheels, as there is little time for cleaning and this car is obviously driven hard like it is supposed to be!

We had a good time tearing up the corn fields of Iowa in our Mustang, but doing it in a Ford GT would be a memory of a lifetime!

3. Hot Rod Lincoln

The stance, the color, the entire look of this Lincoln Mark VIII is right on the money. Add the creature comforts already built into the Lincoln from the factory, and this is one cool driving machine. Coming from Ford with the now legendary Four-Valve 4.6 engine, these cars were hot rods in corporate clothing from day one!

This one is lowered and modified with an ’03-’04 Cobra Mustang bumper, as well as a set of 20-inch Bullitt-style chrome wheels. The small Cobra R-style cowl hood completes the look and blends everything together with the already sporty Lincoln body lines to make one sexy machine!

Its engine was modded with a simple cold air intake and cat-back exhaust to help the Four-Valve monster breath a little better going down the road. We were able to follow the Lincoln along the route between Kansas City and Newton and it looks just as good going down the road as it does sitting still! Plus, the DOHC 4.6 has a nice deep rumble, but still retains that Lincoln class.

2. Fox Hauler

Wagons seem to be the popular trend on the Power Tour! Plenty of room for family and a week’s worth of luggage and tools. This particular Ford wagon takes advantage of the highly popular Fox chassis, only in Fairmont wagon form.

This 1978 hauler is typical of what you would find in most Fox builds, including a five-speed manual transmission, five-lug aftermarket wheels, and a Vortech supercharger hanging from the front of its Ford small-block.

The car still pays homage to its humble roots though with its bench seat and mostly all original interior, including the now obsolete column shift! We especially love the Recaro child seat mounted in the back. It shows not only that junior is safe, but that this wagon is still serving its purpose as the family hauler — only with a little more attitude than it had in 1978!

1. Aero Warrior

When we first walked up on this car at Iowa Speedway, we assumed from the front grille it was a Ford Talladega, Ford’s answer to the Plymouth Superbird and Dodge Daytona in the 1969-1070 NASCAR Aero Wars. What we actually found was a modified Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II.

The car, owned by Michael Callahan, continues on its original assault on speed. Now, instead of the high banks of Daytona and Talladega, this car races on the salt flats of Bonneville. The modified front end, sinister black paint (No Talladega or Mercury Cyclone Spoiler II ever came in black.), black wheels, racing seats, and a race-inspired interior let you know that this car is built for business.

The car achieved a top speed of 154 miles per hour on the legendary salt flats and it was driven to and from Bonneville. This is one muscle car we would love to do the long haul in!