Super-clean Fox Body Mustang Draws Inspiration from Europe

By Brett Foote - October 17, 2019

Rushed and spontaneous color choice is just part of what makes this incredibly clean Mustang one of the nicest Fox Bodies ever.

Inspiration, as they say, can be found anywhere. This is true of most things in life, and it’s certainly true in the world of automotive enthusiasts. Oftentimes, we find ideas for our builds on other cars, whether they be the same make and model or not. But less often, we implement design elements we find on cars that are nothing like the ones we own. Mostly because, well, it just doesn’t look right. But Don Rahman, owner of this stunning Fox Body Mustang recently featured at Hot Rod, made two very different things work flawlessly.

We’re talking, of course, about the Mustang’s Nardo Grey paint. A color first made famous by the Volkswagen Group, it’s appeared primarily on Audi vehicles but also various others. The thoroughly modern hue has spawned its own cult following, but you rarely see it on vehicles that are nearly 30 years old. But it looks absolutely perfect on this Mustang, to say the least. Funny thing is, Rahman, a fabricator at Scott Rod Fabrication, picked it on a whim. Going against the opinions of his co-workers in the process.

“My friend Shawn and I built this car over a two year period,” Rahman told Hot Rod. “I stripped it down to the last nut, bolt and wire, then built a rotisserie to flip the car upside down to sandblast and paint the bottom side. I fully welded in engine bay panels and smoothed them out. After sorting out the fitment issues I was about out of time. So, I had to decide on a color and get body painted ASAP! Everyone I asked said green (the original color). We even had everyone pick out of a hat and everyone pulled out green. So, I went to the paint store and got Nardo Grey (lol).”

Of course, this gorgeous Mustang isn’t all about its unique choice of color. The stance is also perfect, thanks to Maximum Motorsport’s Grip Box combo, along with Koni adjustable coilovers. Satin black 18-inch SVE Drift wheels, wrapped in Nitto Invo tires, both look great and cover 13-inch Baer brakes. The interior of this Mustang is likewise a nice blend of old and new. Corbeau RSS seats and five-point harnesses look right at home, as does a Grant wheel and Holley EFI touchscreen.

With all of these upgrades, Rahman certainly couldn’t just run some mild 302 under the hood. Instead, he chose a nicely built 408 cube Windsor. To that excellent base, he added a forged Scat crank and rods, JE pistons, Dart Pro 1 heads, and a Howard’s cam. The Holley-injected mill produced 418 hp and 447 lb-ft of torque on the dyno. Rowing through the gears on his T5 transmission, Rahman also ran an 11.61 at 117 mph.

If nothing else, Rahman’s super clean Fox Body Mustang is proof that sometimes, two very different things can work together harmoniously. More often than not, these kinds of ideas turn out looking like failed science experiments. But this time, his bold choice resulted in one of the cleanest Foxes we’ve ever seen.

Photos: Hot Rod