1966 Mustang Restomod Amplifies What Ford Did Right The First Time

The pure and simple beauty of a ’66 Mustang GT fastback is something that just about anyone can appreciate. Even a person that doesn’t generally like Fords or isn’t a so-called “car person” would recognize one of these ponies as special. The Ford Mustang set the pace for affordable performance, and a year before Chevrolet released their Camaro, the ’66 Mustang fastback set the bar for what everyone else would have to compete with.

This Mustang looks good inside and out.

Sam Melton is the owner of this particular pony and he’s had it for seven years. “When I got it, it was a driver,” he explained. “It drove, but that was about all it did.”

Although it was rough when he got it, Sam saw the potential in rebuilding this Mustang. When presented with all the options that are thrown at a person when they start a restoration project, Sam chose to go the stock route and restore his car to factory specs—reusing the original drivetrain. “I stuck with everything vintage,” he said. “It’s even got the original carburetor.”

The venerable small-block Ford 289 cubic-inch engine is a powerful engine in a small package and it has no problem pulling this Mustang around.

The only change that same made was the color, from the factory this car was silver, but Sam painted it this blue color in the restoration, a choice which we wholeheartedly agree with. While silver is a great color on these cars, this blue color really pops and makes Sam’s Mustang stand out. You have to see it in person to really appreciate just how good this color looks, but hopefully these pictures give you an idea.

The drivetrain is set up just how Ford designed right off the assembly line. The heartbeat of this horse comes from the stock 289 cubic-inch small-block V8 Ford engine that originally spread its shock towers. Linked to the engine are the car’s original four-speed manual transmission and an 8-inch rearend. While it’s not a crazy high-performance build or a drag car, it’s a tribute to what Ford did right back in ’the early ’60s.

Sam still has the original wheels at home ready to go on at any time, but these Centerline wheels add some custom flair to the car that meld really well with the paint job this car is dressed in.

Sam’s Mustang is just an absolutely beautiful and well-maintained car. We love the simplicity of the restification and the appreciation for what the car is and the way that it was designed. These things are legendary in the classic auto industry, so Ford had to have done something right a the time. Don’t get us wrong, we always love to see a big-block, a turbo, or both at the same time, but it’s always good to look back at what brought us here and appreciate the amazing cars that these were—even in the stock configuration.

The interior on this Mustang also really pinpoints what it means to be made of muscle. Subtle wood-grain accents and the wood steering wheel say style, while the simple black vinyl seats and four-on-the-floor transmission say speed.

About the author

Kyler Lacey

A 2015 Graduate from Whitworth University, Kyler has always loved cars. He grew up with his dad's '67 Camaro in the garage and started turning wrenches at a young age. At seventeen, he bought his first classic, a '57 Chevy Bel Air four-door, and has since added a '66 Plymouth Valiant and '97 Cadillac Deville to his collection. When he isn't writing for Power Automedia, he's out shooting pictures at car shows, hiking in the forests of the beautiful Pacific Northwest, or working on something in the garage.
Read My Articles