eBay Find of the Day: Crazy Horse - 1967 Ford Mustang with butterfly doors and folding hardtop
1967 Ford Mustang hardtop convertible custom - Click above for an image gallery
According to this eBay seller, this is the only 1967 Ford Mustang ever fitted with a retractable hardtop. As we've never seen one before (or one wearing butterfly doors, for that matter), we'll give the auctioneer the benefit of the doubt.
In any case, this restomod 'Stang has been comprehensively reworked, including a new Ford Racing 302 crate motor, along with a new Tremec T5 gearbox, a fully reworked suspension and a set of four-wheel discs hiding out under the American Racing Torque Thrust II wheels.
Of the staffers we surveyed here at Autoblog, we're not crazy about the paint or the doors, but the retractable fiberglass top unit from Mustang Plus is something we can't help but find interesting, particularly if this conversion was done to a donor car that wasn't originally terribly collectible (non numbers-matching, etc.). Admittedly the lines of the top don't blend with the rest of the design as nicely as a stock hardtop's roofline does, but that's to be expected with conversions like this. Besides, both the engine bay and the underbody are incredibly sanitary – certainly cleaner than they were the day this 'Stang rolled off the assembly line.
The seller says that the droptop conversion is something of an homage to a concept Mustang model that Ford originally considered building back in 1967. According to the listing, the Blue Oval invested some $250,000 in exploring the concept, only for it to get nixed by Henry Ford II because it couldn't be motorized. A quarter century later, retired Ford designer Ben J. Smith apparently devised the system seen here. Be sure to check out the huge gallery of images and the link below... only a few hours left to get your bid in!
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[Source: eBay]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Pokey 2:05PM (4/27/2009)
Aside from the paint, I like it!
Everything looks to be very well done, and I like the wheel choice. I don't really care for the doors, but, that's an easy fix.
I will say that I am not sure if I like the way it looks with the top up, but I would have the top down most of the time anyway.
If these baby were to somehow end up in my garage, I wouldn't complain at all. Well, I probably would complain, until I got it repainted.
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Hamud 2:10PM (4/27/2009)
Agreed.
Paint it in Bullit Green and put regular doors, perfect.
MemphisNET 2:13PM (4/27/2009)
Highland Green, less clearcoat, and normal doors -- rear window is also a bit too small. Overall though it's very well done.
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Polly Prissy Pants 3:01PM (4/27/2009)
"Overall though it's very well done."
Except for where the roof header meets up with the A pillar/windshield. Maybe that's why there aren't any pics from the front with the top up. Other than that it appears to be quite festive.
bssplayr 2:19PM (4/27/2009)
Oy...there's a whole lot of 'just plain wrong' going on there...
The hardtop looks like it belongs on a pickup truck...the rear decklid is too long, and from the lines, I'd say that they had to chop a fastback to do this.
And so-called 'Lambo-doors' don't belong on a classic musclecar. Ever.
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PumaGTO 5:22PM (4/27/2009)
They´re "butterfly" doors... Still horrible anyway.
And yes... Though I admit this is far from being the worst tuning made to a muscle car ever, the butterfly doors, "suicide" (or whatever) trunk and mexican festival paint scheme just kill it.
aj121489 8:53PM (4/27/2009)
No PumaGTO they're not butterfly, they're attempted scissor. Butterflies open up and out like on the Enzo or McLaren.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_doors
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scissor_doors
But yes bssplayr I totally agree. The doors have no place on most cars, much less classic muscle. While all the work seems to be pretty well done, it's all on the wrong car. That paint scheme definitely doesn't belong here and to be honest I think I'd rather have a ragtop. And I really hope they didn't destroy a fastback to do this. That would make me really sad because I absolutely love fastbacks :(
jcar302 2:20PM (4/27/2009)
The doors really have to go. IMO it would be wise for the seller to remove all the pics of the scissor doors from the ad. While i think the car is ok, it's very hard to respect a car with lambo doors that really shouldn't have them.
Even as i type this out, with no pic on my screen, all i can picture in my head is those damn doors.
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RamblinReck89 2:24PM (4/27/2009)
Scissor doors? Seriously? I think we just found the best way to make a mustang uncool.
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letstakeawalk 2:38PM (4/27/2009)
Actually, Ford figured out the best way to make the Mustang uncool back in 1974:
Add a "II" behind the name.
(Thank FSM the Mustang recovered from that horrid tragedy)
RamblinReck89 2:42PM (4/27/2009)
I intended to type "classic mustang." but you do have a point.
Alex 2:33PM (4/27/2009)
why butcher a classic?
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Taglane 2:41PM (4/27/2009)
Well........The wheels are nice.
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bill jackman 2:43PM (4/27/2009)
Makes me want to go bass fishing!
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John P. 5:19PM (4/27/2009)
You made me laugh out loud with that comment. You nailed it.
I can really appreciate what he did from an engineering standpoint and just plain hard work though.
Dan 2:49PM (4/27/2009)
I spoke with Ben Smith a few years ago for a comprehensive story on the Mustang retractable hardtop:
http://www.hemmings.com/hcc/stories/2005/10/01/hmn_feature5.html
He's a very nice gentleman and was very passionate for that concept.
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Aloysius Vampa 3:58PM (4/27/2009)
I'd totally drive it.
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Ray 5:07PM (4/27/2009)
..........Into a tree
Keith 8:48PM (4/27/2009)
We saw this car at the 45th Anniversary Celebration in Birmingham, I believe. It looks pretty good in person. Maybe not elegant, but well done nonetheless.
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996700 6:18PM (4/28/2009)
pros' and cons
(P) paint wheels' rear disc brakes T5 tremc (C)doors-omg strips. I would drive it at night only!!
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