Eleven years after he began packing styling foam onto that burned out '95 Mustang, Dave took the Mach III out of the garage for its first trip on October 21, 2006, to attend a Copperstate Mustang Club show. The drive gave him a chance to evaluate ride, handling and other characteristics; remarkably, the roadster needed only minor tuning to meet Dave's incredibly high standards.
A month later, Dave trailered his red replica to a pre-arranged location (see sidebar) an hour before dawn for a Modified Mustangs photo session. Knowing what effect the Mach III has on people, we purposely chose to work in an isolated part of the state.
"Since I started driving it," Dave tell us, "I've seen people go nuts over this car. Some of them know what it is or is supposed to be and they have a million questions. They want to know how I got it, where I got it, if they can buy one, if they can buy mine ... I can't stop for gas without drawing a mob. One guy thought it was the real show car, and he got really mad that I had it and wouldn't confess how I got it from Ford."
To that gentleman, we make this offer. Get busy building your own Mach III, and we will consider shooting it for the Modified Mustangs cover in 2018.
Specifications
Dave Haymond's 1995/2006 Mach III Replica
Engine
4.6-liter DOHC Cobra V8
Engine Modifications
JBL headers, polished Kenne Bell supercharger, SVT Lightning 91mm mass airflow sensor, K&N filter; 42-pound injectors, custom charged-air intercooler, Bassani X-pipe, Supertrapp mufflers
Engine Management
Stock SVT Cobra
Driveline
Borg-Warner T-5 five-speed transmission; aluminum driveshaft, 3.73:1 gears, custom shift linkage
Numbers
400 RWHP, 425 RWTQ
Chassis
Customized '96 Cobra chassis
Exterior
Composite body panels, custom LED taillights, custom headlights with Bosch components, 2.5-inch windshield chop, touch sensor door handles, functional hood scoops, functional rear scoops
Interior
Cobra brand carbon fiber seats, custom two-tone leather, custom pods for AutoMeter fuel pressure and boost gauges, custom console, custom billet pieces, Kenwood CD/DVD navigation system with touch screen; six Diamond speakers, two trunk-mounted subwoofers, two 500-watt amps, Viper pager alarm system
Suspension
Late-model Cobra IRS rear suspension, airbag suspension, Tokico struts with coil-overs (front), Baer 13.25-inch discs (front) with stock Cobra calipers, stock Cobra brakes (rear), custom lower A-arms
Wheels And Tires
20 x 9" Vellano three-piece alloy chromed wheels (front), 20 x 11" (rear); Continental SportContact 2 tires (255/30-20 front, 305/25-20 rear)
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to AMP Performance, BC Automotive, Alumalite Engineering, Interior Shop and Marline Holl for her extreme patience and understanding.
Shooter's Notes
Route 66 historian and automotive writer Jon Robinson showed me the perfect photo location for this article: the restored Cool Springs Cabins store about 20 miles from Kingman, AZ. According to Cool Springs manager Dennis DeChenne, at one time this stretch of road carried 9,000 vehicles a day, ranging from wide-eyed vacationers enjoying the wild west to long-haul truckers full of caffeine and other day-extenders. Cool Springs is strategically located between Kingman and Oatman, just at the point where Route 66 changes from long straightaways to tight curves. Visit www.coolspringsroute66.com for more information about this historic stop on The Mother Road.
Brad Bowling