The Gulfstang: 1968 Ford With a Toyota Heart
Before You Freak Out, Give the Gulfstang a Chance. You Might Just Be Surprised
Any video that starts with a rear-tire smoke show is going to be a good one, no matter what engine is powering such rubber destruction. The car in this video is Beau Mikelthun’s 1968 Ford Mustang Coupe. And the engine under the hood actually comes from Japan, by way of Toyota. We’re talking about an inline 6-cylinder with a big turbocharger on it: the 2JZ-GTE. You may have heard of it. This one was originally found under the hood of a fourth-generation Supra. But now it powers Beau’s strangely-beautiful, mixed-nationality muscle car.
Beau has a long history with straight-six Mustangs. His first car was a four-eyes Fox Body with six-pot power. This one has a bit more go, though. This Mustang was found in a pretty sad state. For years Mikelthun watched the car disintegrate, until he finally stepped in and restored it back to drivable condition.
CHECK OUT: What Forum Members Are Saying About Mikelthun’s Unholy Creation
Wanting to do something wild with the ‘Stang, Mikelthun first put a Lima-block 2.3-liter Turbo under the hood. But it didn’t like the high-boost tune and exploded. In the search for more power, he considered an LSx swap. But he ultimately settled on the 2JZ, the “Japanese LS” answer.
Besides the excellent video above, you can aslo check out the Gulfstang on Beau’s Instagram feed. This is a really sharp car. The Le Mans Ford GT-inspired Gulf livery and rear quarter horseshoe motif is just the icing on the cake. This project has taken years of work, but now it’s something Beau’s really happy to drive. Ultimately isn’t that why we’re all car fans? Just to have fun?
Via [eGarage]
