Florida-based Autoshop Restomods ’70 Mustang with Boss 572
Lonnie’s Hot Rod Shop built an extreme 1970 Mustang restomod powered by a custom-built Kasse Boss Nine motor.
Ford Mustang is an automotive design icon and over the years, car customizers from around the world have used first-gen models of this legendary pony car to carry out some exceptional restomod and engine swap projects. With the 2020 SEMA Show upon us, we expected many radical restomods to come our way and Lonnie Bridges is responsible for one such build. Lonnie is currently working on a 1970 Ford Mustang for a client who enlisted the hot rodder’s services after going over his earlier projects.
Like many enthusiasts, Lonnie’s passion for cars harks back to his childhood. The hot-rodder was just 13 years old when he first started working on cars and continued working on new projects until becoming a full-time mechanic. On a recommendation from his wife, Bridges retired as an industrial mechanic and set up his hot rod outfit in Plant City, Florida about 13 years ago.
Since then Lonnie’s Hot Rod Shop has produced many exciting builds and seeing how Bridges is a former Mustang owner himself, it is safe to say that his current project is in safe hands.
With complete creative control of the project, Lonnie aims to convert a ‘70 Mustang into a restomod cruiser which he has dubbed ‘Helleanor.’ The first step of the restomod process involved sandblasting the car to bare metal and getting rid of all the rust. Lonnie claims the car was in good shape and came equipped with a running motor which was swapped for a specially built Kasse Boss Nine powerplant. The 572 cubic inch motor comes equipped with Borla Stack injection and produces 860 HP of maximum power.
The bodywork was modified to incorporate a rear diffuser, a ’68 Shelby Cobra tail panel, 1-inch quarter panel extensions, and custom fender flares. To give the pony car a chopped stance, Lonnie raised the wheel wells by 3-inches. The car will eventually sport a ’68 Mustang-inspired dash and the bodywork will feature an Arancio Borealis (Lamborghini Orange) paint scheme.
The project was recently featured in an episode of Road to Battle of the Builder which was posted on the official SEMA Show YouTube channel. This year, SEMA week is an online-only event in light of the ongoing global pandemic, and enthusiasts from around the world can follow all the excitement via the SEMA360 virtual platform.