Soooooo Someone Put a 1970 Fastback body on a GT-R Chassis

An Unlikely Mash-up

In the 2016 SEMA show, Jerry Fan demonstrated that it is actually possible to combine old-school American muscle with new school Japanese high-performance machinery. At the Toyo Tires ‘Treadpass’ display, he displayed ‘Muzilla’ – a mash-up build that comprised of a 1970 Ford Mustang Fastback mounted on a 2010 Nissan GT-R chassis. ‘Muzilla’ combines the words "Mustang" and "Godzilla." Needless to say, it was one of the most intriguing car builds of the entire show.

Granted, car enthusiasts have been doing crazy car conversions for years now, but Jerry’s Muzilla takes the cake. Most car conversions have been limited to an engine or front-end swaps, and even those swaps have been primarily done using components of similar US domestic market cars or cars of the same brand. Jerry Fan went way beyond that, taking the entire body of a 1970 Ford Mustang Fastback and planting it onto not just any Japanese sports car; but that of the Nissan GT-R – a supercar in its own right. Undoubtedly, many USDM and JDM purists were angered and disgusted by Jerry’s daring mash-up, but outrageous as it sounds, he seems to have made it work. He made a customized hood with an extra large scoop and with an inlet that enables you to peak into the fierce GT-R engine. Car enthusiasts at the 2016 SEMA who were familiar with the GT-R were able to recognize the engine, and according to Jerry, their reaction to his creation was quite rewarding. 

>>Join the conversation about this Mustang body on GTR chassis right here in The Mustang Source.

Outstanding Performance Cars

Jerry Fan said that his fascination with the 1970 Ford Mustang Fastback started one time when he went for a track tour of the Auto Club Speedway in California. It just so happened that the ’70 Mustang Fastback was one of the cars being driven on the track that day, and it was love at first sight. To give credit where it’s due, the ’70 Mustang Fastback is an outstanding muscle car that looks like it was built for the track. Its long, pointed front end and its sloping roofline make it quite aerodynamic, so it doesn’t hinder the superior performance of the GT-R. Jerry chose to use a Mach 1 model of this Mustang Fastback, which came with high-performance enhancements like a hood scoop and a large front chin spoiler that helps to reduce lift when the car is accelerating. He chose to add a wasp front carbon splitter, an exhaust blown diffuser, and ’13 Mustang sequential headlights. 

>>Join the conversation about this Mustang body on GTR chassis right here in The Mustang Source.

Different Eras

The 2010 Nissan GT-R, on the other hand, is a monster of a sports car, capable of sprinting from a standstill to 60 mph in just over 3 seconds. This is why it earned the nickname ‘Godzilla’. It is significantly wider than the ’70 Mustang Fastback Mach 1, so a lot of modification had to be done to make the body of the Mustang fit onto the chassis of the GT-R e.g. enhancing the Mustang’s fenders. Jerry also had the GT-R’s chassis modified a bit. He installed an Art Morrison roll cage to enhance safety, and he also installed Bilstein shocks and KW coilover sleeves to enhance the handling and ride quality of the car. For the brakes, he used stock GT-R brakes, and the wheels are forged 18×9.5-inch DPE RS-L25 wheels wrapped with 275/40R17 Toyo R888 tires. 

>>Join the conversation about this Mustang body on GTR chassis right here in The Mustang Source.

That Engine

Jerry’s Muzilla features a performance-tuned version of the 2010 Nissan GT-R’s VR38DETT powerplant. They went to Church Automotive Tuning for the tuning of the engine. The stock engine of the 2010 Nissan GT-R is a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine that develops 485 horsepower and 434 lb-ft of torque. After the guys at Church Automotive Tuning were done with it, it was able to deliver 525 horsepower and 569 lb-ft of torque. It got a Cobb Tuning Accessport upgrade, speed density tuning, a 3-inch cold air intake, and a Tanabe exhaust. 

>>Join the conversation about this Mustang body on GTR chassis right here in The Mustang Source.

The Interior

The Muzilla also features a customized interior that incorporates elements from both the Nissan GT-R and the ’70 Mustang. For example, it features a Mustang dashboard with Mach 1 style panels and an integrated Nissan GT-R instrument cluster. Jerry also got a modified flat-bottom Sparco Mugello steering wheel with AMG paddle shifters that are perfect for high-performance driving. He also installed a Sabelt GT-200 carbon hybrid driver seat that is deeply bolstered for enhanced body support, and a Kirkey aluminum bucket seat for the front passenger. Both seats are trimmed with custom leather upholstery.

>>Join the conversation about this Mustang body on GTR chassis right here in The Mustang Source.

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