The first generation Mustang was extremely well-received during its first few years, and only continued to gain fans as it grew up. Despite being so popular, however, the classic Mustang isn’t as well known for being a platform for crazy big-block swaps and insane modifications as it is for being painstakingly restored to as close to its original form as possible. However, Peter Rogers and his team at The Mustang Shop of San Diego decided to break the mold a little bit and tuck a 5.0-liter Coyote under the hood of their ’67 convertible. He claims that this V8-swapped first-gen Mustang, completed back in 2012, is the first ever Coyote swap in a first gen.

The lack of Coyote-swaps seen in classic Mustangs could be largely due to the lack of space. The original (’64-’66) model was a rather small car, offering nothing larger than a 289 cubic-inch V8. It wasn’t until the ’67-’68 model that it received a re-design increasing overall size and, most notably, allowing it to accommodate big-block V8s. Thus, Rogers’ choice of the ’67.

The car received a full restoration: repair and replacement of floors and paneling, sandblasting and repainting, and even a coilover suspension with a Mustang II front end. Rogers and his shop also did quite a bit of custom fabrication for the ‘Stang, including subframe connectors, a front suspension crossmember, custom radiator support, and motor mount brackets.

As for the mill – a 2012 5.0-liter GT – to be left entirely stock save for an ECU re-flash. Rogers and his team went with a Tremec TKO 600 five-speed transmission (which required further bodywork and customization to squeeze it in) and a Currie 9-inch rearend.

It’s possible that this is indeed the first ever Coyote-swapped classic Mustang, but even if it’s not – it’s still a badass ride. We want to know what you think, though. Comment below if you know of a Coyote swap that happened before this one.