Pictures: NotStockPhotography.com

Meet Craig Waltjer’s one heck of a ’69 Ford Mustang. Waltjer has loved Mustangs since his teens in the early ’70s when his brother bought a ’66 Fastback K code. Ever since then the ‘Stang bug bit him. Riding in the Mustang was awesome, although his brother never let him behind the wheel to actually drive it.

After Waltjer received his driver’s license, he couldn’t afford his own Mustang so he was given his father’s old ’66 Ford Galaxie 500 two door. While a senior in high school, a friend bought a ’69 Mach 1 with a Windsor 351 complete with a shaker hood.  Fun times in the Mach 1 ended as Waltjer then went on to college, then to a career, marriage, and moved around the country quite a bit. He also had some children of his own.

Pictures: NotStockPhotography.com

Waltjer’s brother decided to buy another Mustang which ignited his dormant passion for the pony car. This time it was a ’70 Mach 1 that his brother purchased in 2004 and he decided to start his own classic car restoration business in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, called Muscle Car Creations. Now that Waltjer’s brother had his own speed shop, finally getting his hands on another Mustang didn’t seem all that impossible anymore. He set out looking for a ’69 Mustang project car.

He found his long awaited gem of a ’69 Mach 1 listed on eBay in the Dallas area and it was in decent shape with no rust, just needed some TLC on the body panels. It had a big block S code but it was considered a “rolling chassis that included many new parts” according to the seller. The previous owner was not able to finish the restoration project. As soon as the rebuild went underway, they came across the fact that this was a rarer Mustang GT, not a Mach 1.

That opened the doors to do a custom build instead of following the route of restoring to a Mach 1 clone or GT restore. He kept vintage touches including the fold-down rear seats and the dashboard but went all out in terms of the engine and performance. Thanks to Cressman Enterprises who built the engine starting with a 427 FE Genesis race block and finishing it into “a fast 532 Stroker torque monster.” This bad boy made it’s debut at the 2011 Winterfest of Wheels last February in Sioux Falls. It also debuted in Houston at the Mustang Club of Houston’s spring car show last April and was awarded the Sturgis Mustang Rally Choice Award at the ’11 Sturgis Mustang Rally.

It’s definitely an attention-grabber, that’s for sure!