427-Powered, Pro Touring 1967 Ford Mustang Is the Ultimate Test Mule
This 1967 Ford Mustang is used to test suspension components, but it’s also a show and race-ready rig that can do it all.
The automotive aftermarket is a highly competitive space, one filled with companies that both produce and sell products designed to make our cars look and perform better. As such, companies that actually make parts need test mules to develop them, putting those products to the test in real-world conditions. We’ve obviously seen our fair share of cool test vehicles over the years, but arguably none of them are as cool as this amazing 1967 Ford Mustang build by the folks at Total Cost Involved (TCI).
Ed Moss – the owner of TCI – put this 1967 Ford Mustang together as a way to test out the company’s suspension parts, which it offers for a wide array of older vehicles. As such, it’s loaded to the gills with those sorts of things, a list that includes the company’s Pro Touring IFS front and Torque Arm rear suspension setups, making it a formidable handler for events like autocross, which it has competed in regularly.
Of course, the upgrades on this pony car don’t begin and end there – it’s also equipped with Wilwood brakes with 14-inch calipers and 6-piston front and 4-piston rear disc brakes, helping it slow down in a hurry. Power comes from a 351 Windsor V8 that’s been punched out to 427 cubic inches by the folks at Smeding Performance, with a Holley fuel system, Derale cooling fans, beefed up cooling system, and a Magnaflow exhaust.
Output comes in at 570 horsepower and 580 pound-feet of torque, which flows to the wheels via a Tremec T56 Magnum gearbox – fitted with a McLeod RST dual disc clutch, SFI scatter shield, and hydraulic throwout bearing – along with a Currie 9-inch rear end with 3.89 gears. For wheels, the pro touring machine rides on a large set of 18×10-inch front and 18×12-inch rear Billet Specialties LeMans wheels wrapped with meaty Toyo R888 or Falken 615K tires, depending on what sort of track the car is competing on.
Inside the cabin, this 1967 Ford Mustang is certainly more touring machine than focused racer, as it’s awash with beautiful saddle and tan leather covering custom seats and other surfaces, Auto Meter gauges, and a host of amenities. On the outside, this vintage pony car is show ready with a 100 percent steel wide body that was hand built with a purpose – to create downforce and look amazing at the same time. Needless to say, TCI accomplished that mission, and in the process, put together what might be the coolest test mule ever.
Photos: Total Cost Engineering
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