MUSTANG MONTHLY
| Built on a ’10 Mustang GT, Retrobuilt’s Grabber Blue Mach 1 is powered by a stock 4.6-liter topped by a functional Classic Design Concepts Shaker hoodscoop. View Related Article |
What we didn’t tell you is that Retrobuilt was already transforming another S197 Mustang into a modern facsimile of a ’69 Mach 1.
“Is this an old car or a new car?” we asked Clinton White, who owns Retrobuilt with his son, Clinton White II.
“It’s a new old car,” White laughed.
A new car with old styling might be more descriptive since underneath the jazzed up body is an ’05 or later Mustang. This particular Grabber Blue fastback is a ’10 model.
From a distance, you may have trouble convincing your eyeballs that the fastback is not a vintage ’69 model. However, the S197 Mustang chassis is three to four inches wider, so Retrobuilt helps the illusion with trick changes, such as the front bumper. They start with an original ’69 bumper and add two inches to each side. The rear Sport Slats are off-the-shelf for the S197, but Retrobuilt must modify the mounting hardware to fit the modified late-model body. After all, the biggest part of the job is customizing the new Mustang to look vintage. This job involves unbolting the front clip, bumper cover, and rear decklid, and hanging quarters and door shells. The hood, front fenders, doors, quarters, and rear decklid are fiberglass. When the cars are finished, about the only original piece left is the roof.
Factory ’69 Mustang components are limited to the headlight buckets, side marker lights, and chrome door handles. The rear spoiler is a modified ’69 unit, cut and widened for fit. The pedestal mounts are vintage ’69.
