Eleanot – Paul Mayo’s Supercharged-LS ’67 Mustang Fastback
Once a Ford guy, always a Ford guy certainly applies to Paul Mayo. To be more specific, he’s a Mustang guy through and through. He’s owned several Mustangs over the years and even built an Eleanor clone (it’s his favorite movie car).
“The family enjoyed that car for years, but the time came and I sold it,” Paul says. “My son and daughter (7 and 10 at the time) were devastated. I made it my goal at that time to build another one someday.”
Years later Paul found a rusty hulk of a ’67 fastback Mustang, bought it, and embarked on another build, one that ultimately lasted six years. With the help of his son Evan, an artist, they created a design and found a shop. But that decision didn’t work out, so he turned to Bobby Schumacher and his talented team at Vintage Fabrication in Independence, Missouri.
This version of Paul’s Eleanor-inspired Mustang stands out for two important reasons. First, the bodywork performed by the craftsmen at Vintage Fabrication is all metal, no fiberglass or carbon fiber panels. Second, the power comes from 427c.i. Chevy LS V8 that produces 1,101 horsepower.
The bodywork includes hand-built rockers, side vents, spoiler, grille, rear valance, flush-fit glass, smooth drip rails, and widened fenders. Other features include Kindig door handles with custom GT40 bumps, BBT side view mirrors, custom headlight buckets, and sequential taillights. Michael McLin did a fantastic job applying the custom colors: charcoal grey with black stripes.
So, why a Chevy engine in a Ford? “In addition to putting out huge horsepower that would have been tough to get out of a Coyote,” Paul says, “we had limited space to work with between the suspension, so we needed a narrow block.”
Borowski Racing built the engine that features a Whipple 2.9-liter supercharger, a Comp Cams LSR hydraulic camshaft, and Dart Pro 1 LS3 heads. Exhaust exits through custom side pipes with Granatelli cut-offs to Magnaflow mufflers. Street Rod Garage custom-built the chassis that features Ridetech air springs front and rear. Forgeline 18-inch Grip Grudge rims are wrapped in BFG rubber.
Vintage Fabrication also created the interior that features a revamped dash incorporating a one-off gauge cluster from Classic Instruments, custom-upholstered Recaro seats, a Billet Specialties steering wheel, and Vintage Air climate controls. Ringbrothers handles and Clayton Machine Works pedals finish things off.
Paul says he’s happy he found Vintage Fabrication to help bring his vision of the “GT1100” to fruition. As he puts it, this custom build “wasn’t about preserving the Ford legacy, but rather forging a brand-new take on one of the sexiest cars ever made.”
Photos by John Mishler
