We have all seen them-Fords sitting in a pasture or rotting away in a secluded barn, so filled with cancer that all they are good for are a few parts. But there are some that can see past that condition and envision the neglected metal's future. Thomas Thu is one of those individuals; at age twelve he was told by his friend Bob Elliot where he could find a good parts car. A week later, Thomas sold his dirt bike and bought the Mustang for $1,000. He told us, "I fell in love with the car and its options: A-code, close ratio four-speed, 8-inch rear axle with 3.00 posi, and factory in-dash tach."
Over the next four years, Thomas and his father went through every inch of the Mustang, cleaning or replacing every bolt and piece of cancerous sheetmetal. In fact, the roof and firewall are the only original metal on the car. About halfway through the restoration, Thomas' father tried to talk him out of finishing the car, telling him it was only good enough to be a parts car. Thomas wouldn't hear of it; he pushed forward on his project. He said, "After four years of hard and tedious work, the car was finished just before my 16th birthday. Now I enjoy cruising and occasionally racing it in the quarter-mile."
Today this '67 Dark Moss Green fastback catches the eye of even the import crowd. You can't help but notice its great lines, accentuated by the addition of a Shelby trunk lid and a front chin spoiler.
The interior dcor option is complete with black deluxe bucket seats and fold down, as well as the unique brushed aluminum appliqus in the door panels and instrument panel. The Mustang also has a center console with seatbelt holsters and an optional in-dash tachometer. The LeCarra three-spoke steering wheel gives Thomas directional control of the 393ci 351 Windsor tucked nicely under the hood.
Just reading the host of options will give you an idea of what kind of go this pony has: Coast High Performance rotating assembly, Scat 9000 crank, Probe forged pistons, factory forged connecting rods, Walker ceramic coated headers, Melling hi-volume oil pump, Holley 110GPH hi-volume fuel pump, Comp Cams XE274 cam, Comp Cams Magnum lifters, Comp Cams Hi-Tech pushrods, Comp Cams double roller timing chain, Crane Energizer roller rockers, Probe Industries stud girdle, World Products Roush 200 heads, Edelbrock Performer RPM Air Gap intake, Edelbrock Victor Series aluminum water pump, Holley 4150HP 750 double pumper carb, and it's all cooled down with a SPAL 11-inch electric fan on a manual switch. That's all worth about 450 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, which drives through the Ford top loader close ratio four-speed and 9-inch posi rearend with 31-spline axles. All of that puts rubber to the pavement in style with 14x7 Magnum 500 wheels wrapped with 225/60 R14 Radial T/A's.
We asked Thomas what he liked most about his car and he said, "It's unique, and we specially built it for my likings." It is definitely to our likings, as well! Thomas also said he wanted to thank Arild Thu, Bob Elliott, and Rob Charlton for helping resurrect his Mustang back from the rust.