In this day of ever wilder builds with tubular this and CNC that, it is hard to remember that time when young people could get a cheap ponycar, modify it and have a blast on a budget. Enter Ethan Moradzadeh, a 23-year-old machinist out of California. He proves that not only is it possible, but you can have a lot of fun doing it.

The ’67 Mustang 2+2 is one of Ethan’s daily drivers (with the green truck parked behind it in photos being the other) and he built the 454-horsepower 289 himself.

 Not a stroker or big-inch Windsor or Cleveland, it’s just a regular old small-block Ford …

The only semi-exotic parts on this 11:1 289ci SBF are the Airflow Research 165cc heads and Victor Jr. intake. The cam is of the hydraulic-roller variety, a split-duration piece with 232/240 intake/exhaust at .050 from Anderson Ford Motorsport. Gross lift is .576 with 110 lobe separation. The 91-octane engine sends power to a Ford Toploader 4-speed and a 9-inch rear housing 4.11 gears. Now that is “old skool.” No fancy (or expensive) overdrive trans or nitrous, just lots of rear gear and plenty of RPM, just like they did in the ’60s and ’70s. The engine made peak power at 7,100 rpm and 360 lb-ft of torque at 5,600.

While he’s banging gears at a range normally reserved for one of today’s overhead cam Coyotes, just remember this is how the hardcore did it back when lumpy cams and leaded fuel ruled the earth. RPM was the only way to get naturally-aspirated, small-cube mills to make a lot of horsepower. It’s obviously no torque monster, but who cares? Horsepower wins races and we’d venture to say he’s gets plenty of joy and satisfaction out of matting the throttle and slamming gears at these upper stratosphere RPM.

 Note the lack of custom paint, billet wheels and pristine bodywork …

Heck, it barely has anything that resembles paint. We dig the old school Torq-Thrust D-style wheels, which carryout the vintage theme. Powershifting that high-winding Ford at 7,200 rpm, though, where the fun is, not to mention just driving this thing on the street. Let’s never forget this is a lot more fun than polishing chrome and aluminum. A lot easier on the back, too.

Ethan’s ponycar has run a best of 8.3-seconds in the eighth-mile, but he feels with some work he can get it down to 7.9 (he’s looking to trade his lightweight flywheel for something more drag-oriented). We love his low-dollar approach to street muscle and drag racing. There’s no big-dollar enclosed trailer. Or any trailer at all, for that matter. Strapping the drag radials to his roof is priceless and emptying the 2+2’s interior and trunk in his pit space means a quick exit from the track when he’s done.

We’re not sure what’s next for this wonderful street machine, but it probably won’t be something to make it look better!