Under Construction
Skilled fabricators fascinate us with their ability to think in three dimensions and solve mechanical dilemmas most auto journalists couldn't sort out in a lifetime. Viewing these under-construction photos and perusing their captions should help you comprehend the enormity of the SN65 project, and why it consumed a couple years of Bob and Wayne Julian's lives.
 The beginnings of an amazing...  The beginnings of an amazing project required cutting the body portion off a perfectly good red Cobra and the opposite portion off a perfectly good '65 fastback. We imagine nerves were thoroughly frayed at this point. The entire drivetrain and suspension were removed from the Cobra for detailing and, for the most part, later reinstallation. |  Additional square tubing was...  Additional square tubing was added to tie the main rocker-panel tube to the firewall and cowl areas, as well as to the A-pillars. This all helps with load distribution and torsional rigidity. You can also see here that the original shock-tower structure has been removed by drilling out all the factory spot welds. |  Any panels that had to be...  Any panels that had to be fabricated (and there were many) went through multiple steps, starting with a cardboard template, a design on a CAD program, double checking and modification as needed, and then the actual metal was zapped out on a plasma-cutting table. Notice that this panel already has all spot-weld locations pre-located, along with all tabs and bend lines. |
 Here, this same panel has...  Here, this same panel has been folded and is being fit to the subframe rails. This piece and its twin on the other side were instrumental in relocating the K-member forward nearly 7 inches in order to extend the Terminator wheelbase to match the '65 wheel openings. |  This is an idea of what it...  This is an idea of what it took to relocate the strut towers to their precise new positions. Bob was getting a bit dismayed at this point, but brother Wayne calmly pointed out that, "If it were easy, everybody would be doing it." |  The stuff painted red is the...  The stuff painted red is the original Cobra metal; everything else has been fabricated by the Julians (you can see the new versus old strut-tower positions). Notes scribbled on the metal are reminders of things yet to be done. The exterior cowl of the '65 was used (after modification), but the inner cowl was from the Cobra to ease use of its dash assembly. |
 Before we leave the underhood...  Before we leave the underhood area, contrast this shot to the last one. Here, many of the Terminator components are installed on the perfected and painted sheetmetal. Craftsmanship's a wonderful thing. |  Some components of the blown...  Some components of the blown cammer caused hood-clearance woes, so a creative solution was employed. Part of the discarded Terminator body was used as a basis for a hood bulge. Note that the fender is also marked here for potential flare dimensions. | |
The Details
'65 Mustang Fastback/'03 Mustang Coupe
Owners/Builders: Bob and Wayne Julian, St. Charles, IL
Engine
Supercharged '03 Cobra "Terminator" 4.6L 4V modular
Custom cold-air inlet
Transmission
Stock '03 Cobra T56 six-speed manual
RearEnd
Stock '03 Cobra 8.8
Traction-Lok
3.55 gears
Solid aluminum pumpkin mounts
Exhaust
MagnaFlow 2.5-inch
Turn-downs at rear valance
Suspension
Front: modified Maximum Motorsports
K-member, Fox Mustang ('79-'93) lower control arms, Maximum Motorsports coilover conversion
Rear: stock '03 Cobra IRS, upgraded bushings
Brakes
Front: stock '03 Cobra, 13-inch disc,
two-piston caliper
Rear: stock '03 Cobra, 11.65-inch disc, single-piston caliper
Wheels
Front: Forgeline RS3, 8.5x18,
6-inch backspacing
Rear: Forgeline RS3, 9.5x18,
7-inch backspacing
Tires
Front: Toyo Proxes, P245/40ZR18
Rear: Toyo Proxes, P285/35ZR18
Interior
Modified '03 Cobra dash, modified '65 door panels, Recaro buckets with
Corbeau harnesses
Custom upholstery by Riggs Brothers
Kenwood Excelon DDX 8017 head unit, Hifonics ZX8000 amp, MB Quart QSD216 in-door speaker drivers, Infinity Kappa Perfect 12.1 subwoofer in custom trunk enclosure
Exterior
Mostly stock '65 Mustang fastback skin with modified front valance, hood, and fender flares. Paint color is '05 Mustang Screaming Yellow