S197 Saleen with ’69 Body: Two Mustangs, One Bad-ass Ride!

By Brett Foote - October 14, 2019

Like a certain breath mint commercial, this old/new Saleen Mustang combines two different things into one tidy package.

If you’ve been living on this giant rock for a while, you probably remember those old breath mint commercials. You know, the ones that touted the fact that their breath mints were more than just a breath mint. In fact, their advertisements featured two people arguing over the proper classification of said mint, as if it were two very different things in one tidy package. You might be wondering at this point, what does that have to do with this classic looking Mustang before you? Well, this car is actually two, two Mustangs in one, because there’s a modern S197 Saleen sitting underneath that classic bodywork.

Yes, while most restomod cars simply upgrade the drivetrain and suspension on an older car, this Mustang goes the extra mile. It was originally built by Trans Am Florida as a show car back in 2010. The car has changed hands several times since. Its most recent attempted sale was at the Russo and Steele auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, which is where YouTuber Rich of MustangConnection1 caught up with the car. It failed to meet the reserve price at that event, but this unique Mustang is well worth a closer look.

Overall, the Saleen Mustang hybrid looks pretty good. But as Rich points out, there are some clues to tip you off to what’s going on underneath. “The wheels and tires give it kind of a unique stance,” Rich says. “It’s a little off, if you will. That’s because it’s built on an ’05 platform chassis. And look at the fender. You can see the fender starts small and comes out wide to the normal look. And that’s because they had to figure out a way to get this body to fit over the Saleen.”

Despite the obvious flaws, it’s hard to knock such an ambitious project. “They’ve done a dang good job,” Rich says. “Who knows how many hours went into it.” Still, there are logistical issues with combining two things that don’t go together that are impossible to engineer away. The interior is pretty much flawlessly integrated, however. But in the end, it would have obviously been easier and more effective just to stuff a custom chassis underneath a classic Mustang and call it a day.

Which is probably why the car’s changed hands so many times over the years. The restomod movement has come a long way, and you no longer have to settle for things like misaligned body panels and odd offset wheels. Regardless, we at least appreciate the effort and vision that went into the “old” Saleen Mustang!