1966 Ford Mustang Convertible - Virtual Reality - 62
After watching Chip Foose on TV building Mustangs, Carol Lamb decided to find the Kiwi equivalent to build one for her.
Every now and then a car comes along that stands out for no apparent reason. Cars that do this are often more than the sum of their parts, perhaps through good planning, quality workmanship, or maybe the owner’s passion.
Carol Lamb’s 1966 Mustang convertible is one of those cars. However, she’s quick to place the credit elsewhere.
“He really is New Zealand’s own Chip Foose, one of New Zealand’s best kept secrets,” says Carol. She’s talking about Neil Hodgson, who works for Wings and Wheels Taupo. Neil was responsible for project managing the build and performing the bulk of the work on Carol’s Mustang. Judging by what we found when we got the chance to have a detailed look over the car, we’d have to agree with Carol’s description of its creator.
Dreams Become Reality
Despite being a Holden driver on a daily basis, Carol has always dreamed of owning a 1966 Mustang, and it had to be a convertible. So after she and her husband, Greg, sold their earth-moving business, they decided to make that dream a reality.
The starting point for the build was a locally sourced car that was yet to be complied and was in need of a little TLC.
While very modest about her own input, and quick to offer all credit for the build to Neil, we know Carol wasn’t without some
great ideas of her own. Either way, her Mustang is now one of the coolest summer cruisers around.
Originally, the car was going to receive a mild tidy-up, nothing too serious. But after having it walnut husk-blasted, it became apparent that serious bodywork was needed to get it into shape, and that changed the direction of the entire build. “It looked good, but after blasting it was Swiss cheese. It had had an accident at some stage and a new chassis rail was fitted, albeit on an angle,” Neil says.
He enlisted Mark Jones Paint and Panel, based in Tokoroa, to do the panel work. “Mark’s not that old,” Neil explains, “but he learnt how to do things the old-fashioned way and do it right, rather than just bog it up.” Mark and his team are responsible for the new floors, doors, guards, front and rear valance, bumpers, bonnet, boot lid and cowl, plus a new inner guard and chassis rail.
While the body was being worked on, Neil set about ordering the rest of the parts he would need. Often Carol would come in with ideas, Neil would come up with a few options, or a photo of what he thought was best, and Carol would give her tick of
approval. “She was great to work with, super-passionate, and we had lots of similar ideas,” he says of the experience.
Having such a great owner and builder relationship allowed Neil to order parts and make decisions without needing to check every last detail, which for a car builder is a great advantage. “I did slip in a few secrets that I didn’t let her know I was doing,” Neil says. More on those later.
Once back from the panel shop, and still in primer, Neil worked on the car for three months full-time, fitting all the parts that had been amassed during its time away.
One of the packages that arrived while the car was getting panels sorted was the Total Control tubular A-arms and coil-over shocks, along with a rack and pinion steering assembly. Combined with Koni adjustable rear shocks and King aftermarket leaf springs, the ride is now well and truly beyond anything dreamt of back in 1966.
Also included in the piles of parts was a Ford Racing 302ci engine. “We ordered the engine direct from Ford Racing through contacts I have from working on the [Wings and Wheels-owned] Ford GT,” Neil says. “It’s got 10.0:1 compression and alloy
Ford GT40 heads along with Edelbrock fuel injection and MSD ignition.”
Preparing For Perfection
Rather than fit everything completely at this stage, Neil focused on making modifications such as the custom engine and trans mounts, modifying the trans tunnel and the like, so the car could be sent off for paint. After three solid months in Neil’s care, it was back to Mark and the team in Tokoroa for the straight white tinter to be applied. The whitest of all whites available really makes the car stand out, but as with the rest of the build, nothing is overdone.
“We could have gone for six-pot brakes, or massive wheels but we decided they would be overkill and detract from the car,”
Neil explains. “Instead two-pot Baer callipers were chosen for each end, along with 13-inch and 12-inch rotors. While by no means a small brake setup, they don’t scream for attention; rather you know they’re there and you know they’re good.” Same goes with the wheels. A retro-looking Shelby Cobra rim was chosen in an 18×8-inch diameter — not too big but not too small.
That vision of the Mustang as a total package extends to every aspect of the vehicle. The interior, for example, may look
beautifully
restored and original but is far from it. There’s a 2008 Mustang
shifter, while Auto Meter gauges adorn the dashboard.
Carol’s favourite touch? “The water bottle holder!” she says, laughing. “It’s impossible to find a cup holder that fits a Pump water bottle, so Neil made me one. I love it.” So much for the custom console, billet cluster, Vintage Air air conditioning system, beautiful leather retrim or the rear view camera screen that blends seamlessly into the car… Although she laughs about it, Carol does have a valid point: how often have those plastic water bottles cluttered the floor of your own vehicle?
The holder was one of those little touches Neil neglected to mention to Carol. As was mounting a rear vision camera in the old key hole on the trunk lid, and fitting LED back-lit sills, both things Carol is now more than happy with. The attention to detail extends throughout the vehicle. An example is the engine bay, where there is a plethora of custom fabrication work to get things exactly right. Not only does all the engine bay work look good, it’s functional, too.
Looks Good, Goes Better
The
joy of the brand-new injected crate motor is that it starts first time,
every time. It also adds to the car driving every bit as well as one
that’s just off the lot. Since the build was completed late last year,
Carol’s Mustang has travelled around the North Island completely without
trouble. There are not a lot of freshly finished vehicles that will do
that without at least some teething issues.
The Marshall Transmissions-built EF XR8 four-speed auto and 8.8-inch diff fitted with a torsion limited slip head also played a big part in this.
It’s not often that we think of an owner suiting their car, but if ever there were a case, it would be Carol and her Mustang. It’s great to meet someone so passionate about their vehicle, yet so modest at the same time. Carol enjoys the Mustang so much that she’s not afraid to share it, insisting NZV8 drive it to our photoshoot location just to see how fabulous it really is.
It’s easy to see why Carol is so happy with the outcome of the build. It drives beautifully, everything works like new, and while it turns heads, it doesn’t scream for attention. If you know what you’re looking at, you’ll see it. If not, you will just have missed one of the highest-quality built cars we’ve ever had the chance to feature — along with the coolest owners we’ve had the pleasure of meeting.
Every now and then a car comes along that stands out for no apparent reason. Cars that do this are often more than the sum of their parts, perhaps through good planning, quality workmanship, or maybe the owner’s passion.
Carol Lamb’s 1966 Mustang convertible is one of those cars. However, she’s quick to place the credit elsewhere.“He really is New Zealand’s own Chip Foose, one of New Zealand’s best kept secrets,” says Carol. She’s talking about Neil Hodgson, who works for Wings and Wheels Taupo. Neil was responsible for project managing the build and performing the bulk of the work on Carol’s Mustang. Judging by what we found when we got the chance to have a detailed look over the car, we’d have to agree with Carol’s description of its creator.
Dreams Become Reality
Despite being a Holden driver on a daily basis, Carol has always dreamed of owning a 1966 Mustang, and it had to be a convertible. So after she and her husband, Greg, sold their earth-moving business, they decided to make that dream a reality.
The starting point for the build was a locally sourced car that was yet to be complied and was in need of a little TLC.
While very modest about her own input, and quick to offer all credit for the build to Neil, we know Carol wasn’t without some
great ideas of her own. Either way, her Mustang is now one of the coolest summer cruisers around.Originally, the car was going to receive a mild tidy-up, nothing too serious. But after having it walnut husk-blasted, it became apparent that serious bodywork was needed to get it into shape, and that changed the direction of the entire build. “It looked good, but after blasting it was Swiss cheese. It had had an accident at some stage and a new chassis rail was fitted, albeit on an angle,” Neil says.
He enlisted Mark Jones Paint and Panel, based in Tokoroa, to do the panel work. “Mark’s not that old,” Neil explains, “but he learnt how to do things the old-fashioned way and do it right, rather than just bog it up.” Mark and his team are responsible for the new floors, doors, guards, front and rear valance, bumpers, bonnet, boot lid and cowl, plus a new inner guard and chassis rail.
While the body was being worked on, Neil set about ordering the rest of the parts he would need. Often Carol would come in with ideas, Neil would come up with a few options, or a photo of what he thought was best, and Carol would give her tick of
approval. “She was great to work with, super-passionate, and we had lots of similar ideas,” he says of the experience.Having such a great owner and builder relationship allowed Neil to order parts and make decisions without needing to check every last detail, which for a car builder is a great advantage. “I did slip in a few secrets that I didn’t let her know I was doing,” Neil says. More on those later.
Once back from the panel shop, and still in primer, Neil worked on the car for three months full-time, fitting all the parts that had been amassed during its time away.
One of the packages that arrived while the car was getting panels sorted was the Total Control tubular A-arms and coil-over shocks, along with a rack and pinion steering assembly. Combined with Koni adjustable rear shocks and King aftermarket leaf springs, the ride is now well and truly beyond anything dreamt of back in 1966.
Also included in the piles of parts was a Ford Racing 302ci engine. “We ordered the engine direct from Ford Racing through contacts I have from working on the [Wings and Wheels-owned] Ford GT,” Neil says. “It’s got 10.0:1 compression and alloy
Ford GT40 heads along with Edelbrock fuel injection and MSD ignition.”Preparing For Perfection
Rather than fit everything completely at this stage, Neil focused on making modifications such as the custom engine and trans mounts, modifying the trans tunnel and the like, so the car could be sent off for paint. After three solid months in Neil’s care, it was back to Mark and the team in Tokoroa for the straight white tinter to be applied. The whitest of all whites available really makes the car stand out, but as with the rest of the build, nothing is overdone.
“We could have gone for six-pot brakes, or massive wheels but we decided they would be overkill and detract from the car,”
Neil explains. “Instead two-pot Baer callipers were chosen for each end, along with 13-inch and 12-inch rotors. While by no means a small brake setup, they don’t scream for attention; rather you know they’re there and you know they’re good.” Same goes with the wheels. A retro-looking Shelby Cobra rim was chosen in an 18×8-inch diameter — not too big but not too small.
That vision of the Mustang as a total package extends to every aspect of the vehicle. The interior, for example, may look
beautifully
restored and original but is far from it. There’s a 2008 Mustang
shifter, while Auto Meter gauges adorn the dashboard.Carol’s favourite touch? “The water bottle holder!” she says, laughing. “It’s impossible to find a cup holder that fits a Pump water bottle, so Neil made me one. I love it.” So much for the custom console, billet cluster, Vintage Air air conditioning system, beautiful leather retrim or the rear view camera screen that blends seamlessly into the car… Although she laughs about it, Carol does have a valid point: how often have those plastic water bottles cluttered the floor of your own vehicle?
The holder was one of those little touches Neil neglected to mention to Carol. As was mounting a rear vision camera in the old key hole on the trunk lid, and fitting LED back-lit sills, both things Carol is now more than happy with. The attention to detail extends throughout the vehicle. An example is the engine bay, where there is a plethora of custom fabrication work to get things exactly right. Not only does all the engine bay work look good, it’s functional, too.
Looks Good, Goes Better
The
joy of the brand-new injected crate motor is that it starts first time,
every time. It also adds to the car driving every bit as well as one
that’s just off the lot. Since the build was completed late last year,
Carol’s Mustang has travelled around the North Island completely without
trouble. There are not a lot of freshly finished vehicles that will do
that without at least some teething issues.The Marshall Transmissions-built EF XR8 four-speed auto and 8.8-inch diff fitted with a torsion limited slip head also played a big part in this.
It’s not often that we think of an owner suiting their car, but if ever there were a case, it would be Carol and her Mustang. It’s great to meet someone so passionate about their vehicle, yet so modest at the same time. Carol enjoys the Mustang so much that she’s not afraid to share it, insisting NZV8 drive it to our photoshoot location just to see how fabulous it really is.
It’s easy to see why Carol is so happy with the outcome of the build. It drives beautifully, everything works like new, and while it turns heads, it doesn’t scream for attention. If you know what you’re looking at, you’ll see it. If not, you will just have missed one of the highest-quality built cars we’ve ever had the chance to feature — along with the coolest owners we’ve had the pleasure of meeting.
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