1968 Mustang Becomes the Ultimate GT
Slideshow: The owner of this stunning 1968 Ford Mustang has had decades to dream up his idea of the perfect ride.
Time Will Tell
When you own a car for a long period of time, the wheels in your brain have plenty of time to turn. And in the process, you come up with all sorts of ideas. Typically, you slowly build a vision of what you believe the perfect iteration of your car might look like. And that's essentially the story behind Brian Commisso and his beautiful 1968 Mustang recently featured at Hot Rod.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
Second Choice
Interestingly enough, this particular Mustang isn't what Commisso was after when he responded to a classified ad way back in 1986. He actually thought he was going to look at a Shelby. But alas, that car turned out to be nothing more than a clone.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this 1968 Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
It All Works Out
Luckily, the seller had another Mustang hidden under a tarp, and it turned out to be a very nice S-Code GT with a 4-speed and 9-inch rear end. Smitten with his find, Commisso managed to bring it home, along with a host of additional parts.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this 1968 Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
Rejuvenated
Commisso was by no means a mechanic, but he had learned his way around a shop as the son of a Porsche mechanic. So he set about fixing up his score, returning it to like-new condition over the period of several years.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this 1968 Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
Second Time Around
By 2001, Commisso had his Mustang on the show circuit and winning awards. But by 2010, the older restoration was beginning to show its age. So he set about redoing the car, but with some additional modifications in mind.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this 1968 Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
More Power
Most of this plan revolved around more power. Much, much more power. And Commisso found it in the form of a 526 cubic-inch FE engine with an aluminum block and heads.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this 1968 Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
Killer Setup
With all forged internals and 13:1 compression, this built engine was a beast in the making. But Commisso eventually decided to ditch the original Holley carb and single plane intake manifold for an eight-stack Weber setup that looks killer.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this 1968 Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
Powerful Choice
When it was all said and done, the massive FE engine produced a stout 747 hp at the flywheel and 650 to the rear wheels. The big motor is backed up by a Tremec TKO 5-speed and 3:73 gears in a Moser rear end.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this 1968 Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
Not Afraid to Turn
Of course, injecting that much power in a first-gen Mustang without upgrading the suspension would be pointless. So Commisso also installed a TCI IFS up front and a 4-link out back, all of which is fortified with a laundry list of upgraded components.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this 1968 Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
Hidden Intentions
Outside of a set of Vintage Wheels fashioned to look like knock-offs from a GT40, you'd be hard pressed to tell what's going on underneath this vintage Mustang. Which is by design, of course. But the end result of all this hard work is one man's dream car - one he finally got around to building after waiting a few decades.
Photos Courtesy of Hot Rod.
>>Join the conversation about this 1968 Mustang right here in The Mustang Source forum.
And, for information on maintenance and repairs for your Mustang, head on over to our How-Tos at MustangForums.com!