Coyote-Powered 1965 Mustang Coupe Proves Dreams Come True in Garages

This track-ready Coyote-powered 1965 Mustang coupe weapon was built without a state-of-the-art shop, proving anyone can do it.

In a world where over 1,000 horsepower barely turns heads and folks routinely spend six figures having high-end shops build their dream cars, it’s always refreshing to see a car truly built by someone in their own garage in their spare time. It’s all the more refreshing when it’s a well-executed build. Certainly, this Coyote-powered 1965 Mustang coupe is a Grade-A example of that exact scenario.

In a recent video posted to the 337 Speed YouTube channel, host Jay Thomas outlines the entirety of this build. Ryan, the owner, goes over the car tip-to-tail with Thomas. Throughout the video, it becomes very clear that this car is much more than just a Coyote swap. Instead, it’s a full-blown track-ready party car. Let’s check it out.

Modern Power for A Customized Classic

Ryan explains that he started this project after getting his first decent job. He states that he was looking to buy a New Edge Terminator Cobra, but this 1965 coupe came up for sale. “I wanted a Mustang…the guy basically just had too many project cars and he was wanting to let go of it,” Ryan tells Thomas.

He continues to say that he knew his intent was never to optimize it for straight-line use. Instead, he wanted to be able to dominate road courses and autocross events. First on the list to make that happen was removing the straight-six it came with and replacing it with modern power.

That, in its own right, isn’t exactly a trivial situation. In a video on his own YouTube channel, GrgBuiltCoyote, Ryan highlights that he replaced the entire front steering and suspension setup with a Rod and Custom Motorsports package that eliminates the factory strut towers and uses modern coilover suspension, disk brakes, and a manual power steering rack.

“There’s no shock towers because Coyotes are massively wide. That’s one characteristic that everybody’s aware of…this is pretty much an unopened gen-one Coyote,” Ryan tells Thomas in the 337 Speed video.

The engine is mated to a Tremec TR-6060 six-speed manual transmission from a Super Snake and runs off of a Ford OEM ECU. So, it’s got plenty of power on tap. As you might expect, the rest of this nearly 60-year-old chassis has seen some upgrades.

No Parts Left Untouched

Like the front, Ryan converted the rear suspension to a modern coilover setup as well. He handled this task by way of the Total Control Products triangulated rear four-link assembly. This modern suspension setup undoubtedly changed the handling characteristics for the better in a drastic way. A Ford nine-inch rear-end assembly feeds power from the six-speed transmission to the rear wheels.

Speaking of wheels, you likely took notice of the fact that they are quite wide. 11 inches wide, to be exact. The front two sport a set of 295/30R18 Falken RT660 tires. The rears are the same tires but a bit wider, 315/30/R18. Despite the massive track width, the wheels and tires don’t look out of place thanks to the Maier Racing Adams widebody kit, which brings a taste of GT350 styling to the party.

Overall, this build is a completely modern track-ready weapon wearing the skin of an icon. Though it is the original 1965 chassis, effectively every part of his has been brought to modern performance standards. As you can see in his personal video, Ryan isn’t doing all this work in a huge shop, either. It’s all done with some elbow grease and dedication in a basic garage.

“You don’t need a fancy workshop or the most expensive tools to create something amazing. You just need to put the right parts in the right places,” says Thomas.

Be sure to check out both the videos below to get a closer look at this phenomenal project and for a chance to hear that Coyote roar!