Models
1966 Mustang GT Convertible | Car 97
Transcript +
Hi, I'm Tom Scarpello of Revology Cars, and this is car number 97. A 1966 Mustang GT convertible in Silver Blue Metallic with blue and white Nappa leather interior. Today I'm going to take you on a walk-around of this car and then we're going to go for a drive. Let's get started!
Okay, ‘66 Mustang GT convertible. This car is very authentic looking. At the front of the GT model with the fog lamps, we use halogen lamps. We used to offer an LED for the fog lamp cars, but the LED that we were buying is no longer in production. That was a casualty of GE spinning off its headlamp business, but you still get excellent lighting. Significantly better than the original sealed beams that came on these cars back in the ‘60s.
On the side, most of the cars that we build, the ‘65-’66 models, we'll put a 5.0 badge on it to indicate the displacement of the engine. This one, the client preferred the 289 badges so that it looks more original. Styled steel wheels were an option on the ‘65 and ‘66 Mustang. A lot of the GTs had them. This is styled aluminum in a 16x8, so it looks very similar to the original styled steel, but of course, it's a larger wheel, which allows a larger brake package than the original car had.
And as we make our way to the back of the car, the ‘66 GTs also had the unique gas cap, and they had the exhaust tips that exited through the rear valance, those were louvered back in ‘65-66. These don't have louvers. They're slightly larger to try to create less back pressure because obviously, we've got an engine that is about twice as powerful as that original high-performance 289 engine that was optional.
On the inside, this is our Deluxe interior. So, the Deluxe interior in ‘65 and ‘66 was also called the Pony interior because it features these running ponies on the seat. In the case of the Revology pony interior, these ponies are embossed. We had a different video on that; we showed the embossing process. So, the original pony interior had a unique door panel as well as seats. And it was kind of a scalloped panel with a stainless molding that went all the way around the trim panel. The problem was they never fit very well.
In 1965 they noted that they had a problem with the fit of that molding. And in ‘66, they came out with a fix, but it's kind of interesting you go back and look at one of the assembly manuals from 1966, and you see what the fix was. They actually drilled a hole into the back of the door, and they ran a sheet metal screw into it to hold that trim piece down. So, it's hard to imagine nowadays that that was actually considered a legitimate fix for a production vehicle, but that's how it was back then. So, we've gone away from that design completely.
We designed our own panel. The armrest is a 3D printed piece that we wrap in leather. So, the whole thing, it fits really well. It matches the contour of the door, and obviously, we don't have issues with like rattle and squeak, as you go over a bump. I mean, you can't have things making noise. It's a big part of designing things for the car. So that it's not just beautiful to look at but also functional!
You go like six months, and it's hot, hot, hot, hot. And all of a sudden, boom, you get a cold snap like this, but you still have the top down because it is a convertible, and that's what you do when you have a convertible. So, I got the heat on, top-down, and it's not so bad with the sun shining. The convertible is really designed to be a top-down car. With an automatic it's the right setup. You're just kind of cruising, enjoying the whole experience of top-down motoring. Ride quality is firm but not harsh. Comfort is important. Quietness is important, which is one of the reasons that we use the Ford 8.8 Rear end.
The Ford 8.8 is the current production ring and pinion. It's quiet. It can handle the high output. Quality is consistent. It's taken an awful lot of work to come up with our configuration of our rear suspension to use the 8.8, but it's really, really been worth it. I really cannot believe that so many people are still using the Ford 9-inch in high-end builds. Their after-market units are just not made to the same quality standard as the Ford OEM units. It's why we use OEM. OEM is the best overall combination of quality, cost, and performance!
SPECIFICATION
