Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertibles, Ford
VIDEO: Muscat hard-top convertible Mustang GT
Earlier in the week, we told you that a Maltese firm had developed an aftermarket hard-top convertible to be used on the Mustang, and now you can see it in action. Peter Muscat decided to put his own touch on the popular Ford Mustang GT by converting the pony car into a hard-top convertible. To make room for the custom mechanicals that power the roof, Peter decided that the back seat was dispensable. Considering the rear seats of the Mustang are pretty unusable for anyone older than six, we're okay with that decision.
It takes a reasonable 29 seconds to drop the top on Pete's 'Stang, and about 40 seconds to put it back up. Looking at the video, the roof doesn't appear to be as sturdy as what you'd get from the factory (i.e. VW EOS or Volvo C70), yet the motion seems well-executed. Pete added one of those overly-vogue side vents to his personalized Mustang, but left almost everything else stock. In the next six years, Pete plans on building 500 of these one-off Mustangs, and he says he's already got orders for over 100. Hit the jump to check out this unique Mustang's hard-top convertible in motion.
[Source: Imalta.net]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
DPC car videos 8:05PM (3/24/2007)
Thanks for the video, looks very clean but it seems to have too many processes before it closes and opens and that causes this system to be very slow. Over all a good job but doubt any car company will employ this company for their cars unless they reduce the process and time of the hardtop.
http://www.dpccars.com
DPCcars
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doug 8:57PM (3/24/2007)
im pretty sure that its maltese, not maltan
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Lee Gibson 8:57PM (3/24/2007)
"overly vogue"?
What does that mean? Would the world somehow be a better place if there were fewer retractable hard tops in it?
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Big jim 9:23PM (3/24/2007)
the hardtop ruins the mustangs lines and profile, ugly as sin
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Jones 9:30PM (3/24/2007)
i agree with big jim... its profile looks hideous. i wouldnt sacrifice looks for a hardtop... its just not worth it. paying thousands of $ to make your car uglier? even if its rare and out of 500, i wouldnt even take it if it was for free.... i think the soft top brings better feelings of nostalgia of the original mustangs which this generation is retro-styled for.
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Jaymez 9:50PM (3/24/2007)
There are only two ways you could get me to buy a convertible. Make it a Wrangler or make it a hard top convertible.
Now, if someone would make a hard top convertible pick up truck. A real truck, not another SSR.
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ttruck 10:06PM (3/24/2007)
Anyone stupid enough to invest that much money into a Mustang, deserves what they get, a car that has already lost thousands in resale value when it rolled off the lot, and lose thousands more for making it look like crap. I'll bet that this THING has massive body flex and if it doesn't leak now, give it six months.
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david 10:08PM (3/24/2007)
Gotta say this is a crazy but good idea. I have a Caddy Allante with the hardtop and its light but a pain in the butt to switch. Summer months the hardtop goes in the shed and the rag gets its due. The difference in road noise with the hardtop on is night and day.
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Josh Oliver 10:44PM (3/24/2007)
Lest we forget about the Pontiac G6 hardtop, there AutoBlog.
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Sandy 11:16PM (3/24/2007)
It's okay. I like his ascMcLaren Mustang/Capri much better. I don't use a convertible from November thru April 1st as I have a Cherokee Limited. (THE original, NOT the Grand ...) the final year, 2001. Then, come April the Cherokee gets cleaned & detailed as though it was going to a museum, and out cometh the convertible, until October. So, a hardtop is not necessary for me. I'm awaiting & praying for a Dodge Challenger R/T Hemi convertible.
I will add that Peter Muscat does do very high quality work. I would NOT fear a car that he designed to be a problematical car !
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Deezee 11:23PM (3/24/2007)
I like this top a lot. The profile does look funny but it still looks better than the regular rag top to me. Good job P.M
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JIm 12:20AM (3/25/2007)
I'm a ragtop guy. Owned more than I can count, including a 95 Mustang Cobra 2-top (removable hard top - Ford only made 499). The cloth top is soon to be a thing of the past, the advantages of a hard roof are just too great. Costs are coming down, but what is a limited production specialty builder going to charge for this, $40K? Look around, anywhere near that price and there are a lot of very nice convertibles some with hard roofs.
The work appears to be quality, but the lines seem out of balance, but a few folks - and enough to make this guy a little money - are probably out there.
My biggest fear with a folding hard roof is a rear fender bender when the top is down. Ouch! Mega bucks to fix and will probably never work correctly once repaired.
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NoNameDenton 12:22AM (3/25/2007)
I would much rather see a targa like on that Italian concept, with a power retractable roof like on the Porsche 911 Targa, but that is me. A hard top convertible makes sense as long as they still offer the soft top like with the MX5 Miata, though a 3 piece hard top would work better then a the two piece show here.
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Gregory Anderson 1:21AM (3/25/2007)
For goodness sake I'm sick of hearing about the Mostang!! Bring on the Challenger!!
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Bryan 3:26AM (3/25/2007)
TTruck you don't know much about Mustangs do you? The older they get, the more they are worth! Show me another manufacturer that has a vehicle like the Mustang. Exactly, you can't.
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Ben 4:20AM (3/25/2007)
Well # 14 ... Gregory Anderson ... just do not read it. Wait for your "Challenger" ... and wait .... and wait ... and wait ... and by the time it comes out Mustang will be on another version so you will have to wait some more to get a Challenger that is up to the Challenge.
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Ben 6:36AM (3/25/2007)
I don't like the looks. Like a last generation mustang top. The deck lid looks strange too. If I'd known there was another Ben on this forum, I would have chosen a different name... but maybe two Bens are better than one.
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Tom Design 9:25AM (3/25/2007)
Hey, why does Autoblog never mention what a great value can be found in the Pontiac G6 convertible? Just asking. I would think a car that has identical underpinings to the luxo Saab 9-3 convertible, for under $29k, would be included with hardtop/convertible reviews mentioning a VW and a Volvo? Did ConsumerReport-itis strike Autoblog? Do great value U.S. cars just get ignored or bashed?
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rossewage 11:44AM (3/25/2007)
"Now, if someone would make a hard top convertible pick up truck. A real truck, not another SSR."
Check out the removable hardtop pickup truck here:
http://www.aev-conversions.com/products/brute
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ttruck 11:59AM (3/25/2007)
Bryan, it seems you don't know much about Mustangs, the old Mustangs, 60's and early 70's stangs are great cars, the new ones are JUNK. You must not watch Barrett Jackson auctions, the old Mopars and Chevys blow away the Mustangs in desirability and the fact they increase in value. But as I said the old Stangs are great cars, the new models suck as far as reliability and resale.
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