Tag Archives: Mustang

Hollywood to Withywood – Ford Mustang GT 35th Anniversary

In 1999 Ford upgraded the fourth generation Mustang with a minor, more aggressive, face lift know as ‘New Edge’.

Ford Mustang GT, Redhill Village Hall

Being the 35th Anniversary of Mustang production all 1999 Mustangs left the factory with 35th Anniversary wing / fender badges.

02 Ford Mustang GT_2614sc

There were also 4,628 US$ 2,695 Option Code 54Y 35th Anniversary Limited Edition models all powered by the GT 4.6 litre / 280 cui V8 of which 515 were white, 1,259 in silver, 1,299 in black and 1,555 in Performance Red.

Ford Mustang GT, Redhill Village Hall

Official documentation on today’s featured Mustang GT show’s it was purchased in 2000 by the First Entertainment Credit Union, an organisation that was originally founded to serve employees and former employees of Warner Brothers, for the first registered keeper in Hollywood.

Ford Mustang GT, Redhill Village Hall

It was my great privilege to be allowed to drive this car for a couple of miles on Bank Holiday Sunday from Redhill Village Hall south of Bristol to it’s current home near Withywood.

Ford Mustang GT, Redhill Village Hall

As it appears the vehicle is currently fitted with a non cat exhaust, not required of a personal import of this age, the consequent sound it emits was music my ears.

Ford Mustang GT, Redhill Village Hall

So long as left hand drive is not too alien to the driver the car is surprisingly easy to drive, the pedals are taught and the gear change is slick, with the tremendous torque of the V8 it will pull effortlessly in any gear from 1,000 rpm.

Ford Mustang GT, Redhill Village Hall,

The steering is typically vague as per many US vehicles I have driven be they blue oval or bow tie, but apart from that this car is great fun to drive, as it should be with less than 40,000 miles on the clock.

Ford Mustang GT, Redhill Village Hall,

Seating is infinitely more comfortable than my Euro box and I’m sure I could spend a couple of hours emptying the fuel tank and get out afterwards completely relaxed.

Ford Mustang GT, Redhill Village Hall,

The car is fitted with a Ford Mach Sound System which includes radio/cd and compact cassette, as initimated earlier, for the purposes of the test the hi fi was completely superfluous.

Ford Mustang GT, Redhill Village Hall,

The current owner reckons he gets around 22 mpg which given the weight of this Electric Green beast is not too bad.

Ford Mustang GT, Redhill Village Hall,

When I had finished backing the car into the owners drive I was left wishing I did not need a vehicle capable of carrying 4 passengers or a couple of hay bales, as this car would never cease to put a smile on my face.

Ford Mustang GT, Redhill Village Hall,

Alternatively I wish I could afford a second car for cruises, the occasional spit and shine event, bring what you brung and or a bit of track day fun all of which this car could be suited to without much in the way of additional work.

My thanks to Nick, who is currently offering this car for sale, for further details get in touch in the comments box below or see the new GALPOT classified ads page.

To hear this great car in action check out this youtube link.

Thanks for joining me on this “Hollywood to Withywood” edition of “Getting’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again for a look at a Speciale Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Classic Clubs – Silverstone Classic

Today’s blog is dedicated to all the hundreds of car clubs and thousands of classic car enthusiasts who brought classic cars along to Silvertone Classic as we take a look at some of the clubs present.

Aston Martin Owners Club, Silverstone Classic

No less than three, from a total production of 100, of the 2002 limited edition Aston Martin DB7 Zagato’s headed the Aston Martin Owners Club parade.

Berkeley Enthusiasts Club, Silverstone Classic,

Celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary in style was the Berkeley Enthusiasts Club, above a Berkeley Foursome and B105 lap the Silverstone Circuit.

BMW Car Club, Silverstone Classic,

Complementing the 40 metre BMW wheel and Village Green the BMW Car Club was out in strength, above a Z3 and Z1 lap the circuit during one of the parades.

Classic Corvette Club UK, Silverstone Classic

Classic Corvette Club UK was celebrating it’s 35th anniversary, the ’78 Indy 500 Pace Car Limited Edition above was built a year before the formation of the club. This one has the desirable 220hp L82 motor option, the 1978 Indy 500 was won by Al Unser in his Cosworth DFX powered Lola T500.

Daimler & Lanchester Owners Club, Silverstone Classic

The Daimler & Lanchester Owners Club always have a fine display of SP250s at this event and this year was no exception.

Mustang Owners Club of Great Britain, Silverstone Classic

The Mustang Owners Club of Great Britain were celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Pony Car, above a ’70 convertible stands next to a ’69 Shelby GT 500.

Ginetta Owners Club, Silverstone Classic

Regular readers will know I’m a big fan of the Ginetta G33, one day when I’m in a position to buy one I’ll become a member of the Ginetta Owners’ Club.

Jaguar Enthusiasts Club, Club, Silverstone Classic

John James of the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club was able to help me out with an Otter Switch for GALPOT’s most famous XK140 owner Geoffrey Horton in California.

Lamborghini Club UK, Silverstone Classic

The original competition spec prototype Lamborghini Muira Jota burned to the ground on the, unopened, Brescia ring road in April 1971, a member of Lamborghini Club UK has built this wonderful replica of the Prototype originally built by Bob Wallace.

Mercedes Benz Club, Silverstone Classic

Amongst the Mercedes Benz Club members vehicles was this imperiously tailfined 1967 Mercedes Benz 200.

Morgan Sports Car Club, Silverstone Classic

Wecoming Morganeers was the Morgan Sports Car Club with 5,000 owners world wide.

Piper Sports And Racing Car Club, Silverstone Classic

Catering for just 80 examples ever built is the Piper Sports And Racing Car Club which is primarily concerned with preserving the marque for whom Tony Hilder designed the 30″ GT’s first seen in 1968.

Porsche Club Great Britain, Silverstone Classic


Porsche Club Great Britain
is the UK’s only officially recognised club for the marque and has close links with Porsche AG and the marques official importer Porsche Cars Great Britain.

Stag Owners Club, Silverstone Classic

Driven by a zest for life for those united by a common interest in the Triumph Stag classic car is the Stag Owners Club.

Karmann Ghia Owners Club, Silverstone Classic

The Karmann Ghia Owners Club attempts to support all aspects of ‘KG’ ownership from purists who want to see original cars to those whose interests include customisation, lowering and performance modifications.

Thanks for joining me on this ‘Classic Clubs’ edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for Americana Thursday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Classic Racing Americana – Silverstone Classic

This weeks Americana post comes from Silverstone Classic where an interesting selection of vehicles was on display.

Rigling Buick, Bachmann, Maserati Centenary Trophy, Silverstone Classic

The Maserati Centenary Trophy featured three US cars two of which appear to have been Indy 500 racers including the Rigling Buick, seen with Heinz Bachmann at the wheel above, possibly raced as a Schafer 8 Special between 1931 and 1934 by Paul Schafer who was joined with a second Schafer 8 Special in the 1934 Indy 500 by Al Miller who finished 6th. Coincidentally Paul carried the #26 in the 1934 race and Al the #36.

Kurtis KK500G, Fred Harper, Maserati Centenary, Silverstone Classic

The second Indy Car in the Maserati Centenary Trophy was the 1957 Kurtis KK500G driven by Fred Harper, this car was bought by Ray “The Flying Grocer” Crawford in 1957. Ray was a rare owner driver who failed to qualify the Meguiar Mirror Glaze Special at Indy in 1957 and 1958, but he did bring the car to Europe both years and raced it in both of the “Race of Two Worlds” events held at Monza, Italy in 1957 and 1958 finishing 7th and 4th respectively.

Corvette Stingray, Craig Davies, Chopaed International Trophy, Silverstone Classic

Craig Davis driving the #99 Corvette Stingray drove to an entertaining 13th place finish with Tim Harvey in the Chopard International Trophy, here the car is seen having just passed the #112 Cobra driven by Tim Summers.

Ford Falcon, Martin Melling, Mustang Celebration Trophy, Silverstone Classic

Seeing a Ford carrying a #88 these days seems a little strange, but this was Silverstone not Darlington, the ’64 Ford Falcon above was driven by Martin Melling to a 32nd place finish in the Mustang Celebration Trophy Proudly Presented by Pure Michigan.

Ford Mustang, Jackie Oliver, Mustang Celebration Trophy, Silverstone Classic

The #3 ’65 Ford Mustang above was driven by former Le Mans winner, Grand Prix driver and Arrows Formula One team owner Jackie Oliver to a fine fifth place in the Mustang Celebration Trophy Proudly Presented by Pure Michigan.

Intrepid RM1, Peter Garrod, Group C Endurance, Silverstone Classic

Finally it was great to see the 1991 Chevrolet powered IMSA Intrepid RM1 get a run in the Group C race with Peter Garrod at the wheel. The Intrepid designed by Bob and Bill Riley an built by Pratt & Miller was a forerunner of the Riley Scott’s US Prototype Sports Cars that would win 32 races between 1995 and 2005.

Thanks for joining me on this “Classic Racing Americana” edition of “Gettin a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again tomorrow for Ferrari Friday. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Super Saturday Part 2/2 – Silverstone Classic

Today’s blog continues on from yesterday with coverage of the second half of the Silverstone Classic Super Saturday race programme.

Porsche 911, Slater, Silverstone Classic

The 50 min Choppard International Trophy for pre’66 GT Cars was won convincingly by Sean McInerney driving the #64 TVR Griffith seen above about to thread it’s way passed the; #27 Porsche 911 driven by Adrian Slater, the #31 Lotus Elan driven by John Sheldon and the #91 Sunbeam Tiger shared by Neil Merry and Terry van der Zee.

Brabham BT4, Minshaw, Silverstone Classic

Jason Minshaw won the first of the weekends two Jack Brabham Memorial Trophy races driving the 1962 Brabham BT4 seen above. It is sad to have to report that in the second race for pre ’66 Grand Prix cars the following day Denis Welch was killed in an accident while driving his Lotus 18. I am sure you will want to join me in offering sincerest condolences to Denis’s family and many friends.

Ford Falcons, Voyazides, Gardiner, Silverstone Classic

Perversely the Mustang Celebration Trophy proudly presented by Pure Michigan was dominated by the type that the Mustang wiped off the sales floor, namely the Ford Falcons driven by Leo Voyazides #1 and Mike Gardiner #37. Leo is seen above sweeping into a lead that he did not relinquish for the rest of the race.

Maserati Centenary Trophy Start, Silverstone Classic

Light was fading at the start of the Maserati Centenary Trophy for pre ’61 Grand Prix cars and photographers such as your truely were having to resort to every trick in photoshop to get an image. Above Philip Walker driving the #1 Lotus 16 is seen streaking into what proved to be an unassailable lead ahead of; the #30 Offy powered Scarab driven by Bristol’s Julian Bronson, #88 ‘Toothpaste Tube’ Connaught C Type driven by Michael Steele, the, #27 Tec-Mech driven by Tony Wood, #35 Kurtis driven by Fred Harper.

Lola T70, Voyazides, Silverstone Classic

Leo Voyazides thirst for victory was unsatiated after winning the Mustang Celebration trophy and he is seen above driving his Lola T70 in the FIA Historic Masters Sports Cars race in hot pursuit of the cheeky 2 litre / 122 cui Chevron B19 driven by Martin O’Connell. No one knows exactly what happened to Martin, but he ended up in the rough stuff, uninjured leaving Leo and Simon Hadfield a clear road to victory lane.

Mercedes Benz C11, Berridge, Silverstone Classic

The final race of Super Saturday was my favourite not because it was the most closely contested, it was not despite the best efforts of Katsu Kobota driving a Nissan to take the challenge to the winning #31 Mercedes Benz C11 driven by eventual Group C Endurance winner Bob Berridge, but because the twin turbo V8 C11 driven at full speed is music to my ears and poetry in motion to my eyes. I could watch that car circulating all day and night as I did in 1991 at Le Mans, with out a care in the world.

Approaching 9pm it was all over time to return my photographers bib to the Media Office, jump into a courtesy BMW, driven by an ex Royal Protection Officer, which on the way back to the car park took me past the crowds waiting for Bonnie Tyler to give a rendition of “Total Eclipse Of The Heart”.

Thanks for joining me on this “Super Saturday Part 2/2” edition of Gettin’ a li’l pscyho on tyres. I’ll be staying with Silverstone Classic for the rest of the week I hope you will join me starting with Maserati Monday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Chrome, Stripes And A Sheriff – Classics At The Castle

This weeks Americana Thursday blog comes from Classics at the Castle where a fabulous selection of US cars were on display.

Pontiac Le Mans, Classics At The Castle, Sherborne

My favourite was this ’67 Pontiac Le Mans, somewhere around the time this car was built the US show the Monkees hit our shores and even on the steam powered black and white the Pontiac derived Monkeemobile looked like the coolest thing on the planet perhaps bettered only by the crime fighting jet powered Batmobile.

Ford Mustang Cobra Jet, Classics At The Castle, Sherborne

I looked at a Mustang Cobra Jet a couple of weeks ago, it apppears that there are at least two in south west.

Ford Crown Victoria, Classics At The Castle, Sherborne

Similarly I looked at a Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptor not so long ago, this one is said to have served Hurricane Katrina hero Sheriff Bill McGee who commandeered water for citizens in Forrest County, Mississippi from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for which he was charged with interfering with, intimidating and impeding a federal officer.

Cadillac Coupé de Ville, Classics At The Castle, Sherborne

In 1957 you would be pushed to find more graceful Detroit sheet metal than that found on the Cadillac Series 62 Coupé de Ville.

Ford Tudor, Classics At The Castle, Sherborne

I know at least one of my regular readers is a stripping expert, here are some I found on the back of a ’47 Ford Tudor.

Oldsmobile Cutlass, Classics At The Castle, Sherborne

Finally a tail light from a ’72 Oldsmobile Cutlass, not a manufacturer we see much of on this side of the pond.

Thanks for joining me on this “Chrome, Stripes And A Sheriff” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Fasten Seat Belt – Ford Mustang 302 Convertible

Seven years after the introduction of the original Mustang, Ford launched the forth and final face lifted version on the original 108″ wheel base chassis in 1971.

Ford Mustang Convertible, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

The model aimed originally at the youth market was now aimed at a far more affluent market that could afford to double the price of a basic model with sports packages.

Ford Mustang Convertible, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

By 1972 however, when today’s featured model was built things were beginning to radically change. As an oil crises drove up fuel prices, sales of performance orientated models with high end 275 hp Boss 351 motors plummeted to just 351 units.

Ford Mustang Convertible, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

With the increased perceived need for fuel conservation even the 140 hp 5 litre / 302 cui Windsor motor like the one above stood to be demonised as a gas guzzler against national interests.

Ford Mustang Convertible, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

While performance was “out” safety was rapidly becoming the new “in”, the ’72 Mustang was the first to be fitted with a “Fasten Seat Belt” warning lamp on the dash panel.

Ford Mustang Convertible, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

This particular ’72 model seen at Summer Classics in Easter Compton, fitted with a Mach 1 honeycomb sport lamp grill option was imported into the UK in May 2000.

Ford Mustang Convertible, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

1972 saw Mustang sales dip below 130,000 for the first time since the models launch in 1964 to just 125,903, the forth face lifted Mustang continued to be built with minor revisions into 1973 when sales slightly picked up.

Thanks for joining me on this “Fasten Safety Belts” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again for Ferrari Friday tomorrow . Don’t forget to come back now !

Share

Insurance Special – Ford Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Sportsroof

For the 1969 model year Ford introduced the second body upgrade to it’s popular Mustang range featuring quad headlights, a nearly 4″ longer body on the original 108″ wheel base, new Pony tribar logo and the fastback was renamed sportsroof.

Ford  Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Sports Top, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Ford offered three versions of the Mustang which were aimed with competition in mind, Cobra Jet as seen here,for Drag racers, Boss 302 built for eligibility in the Trans Am Series and BOSS 429 for engine size elegibility in NASCAR.

Ford  Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Sports Top, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Possibly the fastest of which would be the 428 Cobra Jet aimed at drag racers who if they opted for either the 3.90 or 4.30 locking ratio rear axle ‘Drag Pack’ options also got a bundle of performance improvements including an engine oil cooler which replaced the deleted Air Conditioning cooler, stronger crankshaft and connecting rods along with a better balanced motor, meaning more carefully matched parts which was known as the Super Cobra Jet.

Ford  Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Sports Top, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The Cobra jet in either form was quoted as a 335hp motor for insurance purposes though the actual figure was much closer to 400 hp. Cobra Jet motors could also be ordered with ram air scoops either attached to the bonnet/hood or ‘shaker’ scoops attached directly to the carburetor intake cleaner.

Ford  Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Sports Top, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

1969 also saw the introduction of the Mach 1 trim level which included distinctive Mach 1 body stripes, steel wheels with bold-lettered Goodyear Polyglas tyres, pop open fuel cap, dual exhausts, competition cable and pin bonnet / hood retainers, matt black bonnet / hood and simulated air scoop as seen here.

Ford  Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Sports Top, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

The deluxe Mach 1 interior included simulated wood trim, high backed seats, additional sound proofing and remote sports mirrors.

Ford  Mustang 428 Cobra Jet Sports Top, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square, Bristol

Of the 302,971 Mustangs built in 1969, 72,458 were fitted with Mach 1 interiors.

Thanks for joining me on this “Insurance Special” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

Share