1966 Mustang Hardtop: Built by New Zealanders

By Marcus Amick - August 25, 2017

KSV9000 Kiwi '66 Fastback

Eye-catching, SEMA-show, big-block Ford Mustang draws inspiration from down under.

If you ever find yourself having to answer the question, “So what’s the big deal with classic Mustangs?,” send the person a photo of this custom ’66 model. Then sit back and wait for the response. Flat-out stunning, right? Hard to believe we missed this one during the 2014 SEMA Show.

Even more insane is the fact that this beauty grew out of a passion for American muscle rooted in the great land down under. You see, the owner, Chris Slee, cultivated his love for Mustangs when he lived in New Zealand, as detailed in a Mustang 360 report. But the actual custom mod itself was born out of a need for Slee to hype up a car restoration shop called Kiwi Classics Customs that he opened when he moved to Franklin, Tennessee.

The native New Zealander’s journey for the perfect promotional tool led him to CraigsList, which is where he came across the ’66 Mustang coupe. It took another three years for Slee to get his Mustang crafted into the kind of marketing tool that he’d envisioned. But clearly, it was well worth the wait.

Let’s the start with the most obvious: the Mustang’s widened body (3 inches each side), draped in that jaw-dropping black paint work with red accents. That alone is enough to win over the average skeptic of classic Mustang fans. But as you might imagine, that only taps the surface of this beauty.

ALSO SEE: What the Forum Says About This Kiwi ‘Stang

Slee’s Mustang, which he’s dubbed KSV9000 in tribute to the New Zealander’s native-adjacent Holden Special Vehicles, also packs a helluva punch under the hood. The power source started as a Ford 460 with a 557 cubic-inch stroker kit from Scat. Beefed up with a few more mods, the engine now cranks out 750 horsepower and 754 lb-ft of torque.

Some of the other custom features include a mashup of everything from a 1970 Thunderbird rear seat to a rear axle from a Ford Explorer. There’s a lot more to Slee’s custom Fastback, detailed in the full Mustang 360 report here.