Widebody Mustang – Irving Medina’s 2015 GT

We’re going to be blunt right at the top here: Irving’s Widebody Mustang GT is radical. It’s an example of what some would call the new age of car building and showing. With the rise of wide body kits and air ride suspension has come a wave of new generation style—and if we’re honest, it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. That isn’t the point though; the point here at Fuel Curve is to document builds from all genres of modification. If we were all the same people building the same cars, the world would be an awfully boring place, wouldn’t it?

Irving’s story of automotive obsession started early in his life, as most do. Into his early teens, he found himself dedicating most of, if not all of his time to cars and all things related. “My first car was a 1993 Honda Civic EX,” he recalled. “It became my first build when I was 18.” The builder’s bug bite took effect at this point, as he knew the car wouldn’t remain stock for long.

Cut to present day, and Irving has owned a small variety of cars over the years—Hondas, a bagged 2012 Volkswagen Jetta, and now, his 2015 Mustang GT. The common thread among all of his builds, past and present, seems to be this aesthetic of intense modification. Huge wheels, extra wide body kits, and air bags that allow for mere microscopic wheel fitment.

As far as Mustangs go, specifically here in the SF Bay Area, Irving’s car is in a class mostly on its own. “A lot of the Mustang community here keeps their cars more on the stock side, cosmetically. They’re more into power than looks,” Irving told us. Whether you’re into the numbers or the aesthetics, none is more correct than the other. It’s merely a question of personal preference.

This Widebody Mustang has been wrapped in a muted gray to cover the original black paint. It has been dropped dramatically on its Heritage Hokkaido wheels, thanks to a sleek and minimally presented Air Lift kit. The kit is tucked up nicely in the trunk so that the space is still practical and usable.

Inside the cockpit, we’re met with a mostly stock interior with the exception of a pair of Braum Advan Series race seats. Fortunately, Ford did it right when they designed this interior, so not much needs to be changed. Since this car is part show car-part daily driver, it’s probably best that it isn’t taken too far anyway.

“I’m about to hit three years with this car,” Irving explained during our shoot. “I bought it as a daily driver, but knowing how much I like to build cars, it stayed stock for all of two months after I got it.”

Building a car like this is just half of the story. Irving’s time is spent between his career as a barber and his “career” as a builder and shower. When well known events like Wekfest and Stancenation come to the Bay Area, chances are Irving is in attendance with his build. The show community at these events is vast and full of enormous variety, which is why cars like this Mustang can easily find a home in that space.

“I like to see kids’ faces when they see my car—they’re one of the reasons why I do shows.”

Controversy aside, it’s important to remember that every builder is their own artist. It’s hardly different from taking pencil to paper. “What I enjoy about building and showing is that your car is your own canvas,” Irving remarked. “You get to customize your car with your own taste, with no one preventing you from doing so.” One of his favorite things about the community and modding cars is the expression of his style, and the reactions from others who see his creations.

If there’s one thing to be taken from Irving’s story, he wanted it to be this: “If you see yourself owning a car and you have a vision for it, make your vision come true. Don’t let anyone stop you from doing what you like. At the end of the day, it’s your car, not their’s.”

Whether or not you like the “new wave” of car building, Irving’s mantra is tough to argue with. What you build is a projection of your personality and style. That said, do what makes you happy, and enjoy the journey.