Old's Cool - Mustang Auto Parts Shop Feature
If you're a red blooded Aussie and you've got a classic Ford Falcon or Mustang project car sitting in your shed, there's no doubt you would've come across a little shop called Mustang Auto Parts. If you haven't, keep scrolling down if you know what's good for you.
Located on Brisbane's southside, Mustang Auto Parts' showroom and warehouse is somewhat of a classic Falcon and Mustang spare parts nirvana. Upon entry to the car park, you can tell straight away the guys who work there are die-hard car enthusiasts, so you're in good hands.
Walk into the showroom and you'll be greeted by the friendly team and a bunch of old school Ford memorabilia, accessories and parts.
Richy, the Manager of Mustang Auto Parts, was kind enough to take us for a quick tour around the shop and show us all the cool stuff he had around, including his '65 Ford Mustang, appropriately titled "DAP R", but we'll get to this in a bit.
As you can see, the warehouse has hundreds of parts available and ready to ship at any given time.
Amidst the endless isles of parts was the work area where Richy's XW Falcon lived. Some of this car is made of reproduction parts, but you'd be none the wiser if you saw it up close. This is a true testament as to how high quality their parts actually are. We won't go into detail on this car, but you can follow the build on the Mustang Auto Parts blog here.
Tucked away in its own designated spot was Richy's prized '65 Mustang Coupe. We took the opportunity to roll this masterpiece out into the sunshine to take a closer look.
Straight away, the vehicle's presence commanded attention with its deep, gloss black paint; showing off its beautiful body lines and contours:
One of the many things we noticed immediately were the 5 stud SSR Longchamp XR4 rims. Being Japanese-made, this rim choice probably wouldn't be at the top of the list for most old school Mustang enthusiasts, but they suit the car really, really well.
Looking good does come at a cost though. Richy told us he had mistakenly ordered the rims without checking their fitment first and ended up spending additional time and money “customizing” the Mustang to make them fit. Money worth spending, in our eyes. They look great!
The retrimmed, bright red interior and wooden Nardi steering wheel also really popped against the gloss black paint job.
Looking a little further inside the car revealed some more cool handmade parts like this custom spun fuel filler spout in the boot..
.. with custom piping / plumbing by their in-house mechanic, Nikita.
Nikita also worked his magic in the engine bay:
The number plate combo "DAP R" (dapper) suits the car to the T, in our opinion. Not only is it trim and proper...
Here's a run down of the Mustang and a few words from Richy.
Vehicle: 1965 Ford Mustang Coupe
Specs:
- Unopened 302 Windsor
- Edelbrock Carby & Intake
- Extractors to twin exhaust
- Aeroflow oil cooler
- 4 Speed toploader
- McLeod hydraulic throwout
- Hurst shifter
- Shortened 9inch
- Trutrac LSD
- Cobra Automotive front suspension kit
- Power assisted 14:1 steering box
- Bump steer correcting tie rods
- Mike Maier rear suspension kit including panhard bar
- Bilstein shocks all round
- Kelsey Hays 4 pot front
- 2.5” GTHO rear drums
- WIlwood pedal box & masters
- Reinforced chassis rails
- Custom cowl to strut braces
- Cams spec roll cage
- Nardi steering wheel
- Kirkey bucket seats
- Custom floor mounted handbrake
- Baffled 1970 fuel tank
- Holley fuel pump
- Fuel filler delete
- 15” SSR Longchamps built by Barrel Bros
- Toyo R888R
Name: Richy Martinez
Age: 31
Profession: Spare Parts
Question 1: At what age did your love of cars begin?
Answer: hrmm hard to say. Mum loves to tell stories of when I was young, she would give me toy cars to play with and when she came back I’d have them pulled apart. She would ask why I did that, and I would just say I wanted to know what was inside.
Question 2: What is your favourite automotive manufacturer and why?
Answer: Hrmm that’s a tough one. Probably Shelby during the 1960s because he built race inspired cars for the street.
Question 3: Out of all the cars you have ever owned, what was your most memorable one and why?
Answer: My old S13 Silvia. I learnt a lot about driving in that car and it was my most reliable car to date!
Question 4: What is your most memorable vehicle-related moment?
Answer: Also, a really tough one! But probably hiring an S15 in Tokyo and driving it to Gunma to find all the initial-D passes.
Question 5: Do you have any other car projects on the horizon? If so, what are they and what’re your plans?
Answer: I’m currently building a 1970 Ford XW Falcon – Check the Mustang Auto Parts Blog for more details. :-D
Question 6: What is your dream vehicle if you don’t already own it?
Answer: Ferrari F40.
Question 7: If you were to start building this car again, what would you do differently?
Answer: Test fit! Test fit! Test fit!
Question 8: What are the top 3 modifications on your car and why?
Answer:
- Wheels! Adding some Japanese flair has been the biggest head turner.
- Panhard bar addition – This has completely changed how the rear end handles.
- Chassis Mods (reinforced sills, roll cage, torque boxes, cowl/cowl to strut braces, etc – Strengthening the weak chassis makes all the suspension and steering work properly.
Question 9: What’re your future plans for the Mustang?
Answer: I’ve always wanted a high revving 289 Windsor for this car but at the time of the build it wasn’t in the budget.
Question 10: If you could give advice to any car enthusiasts wanting to pick up an oldschool Mustang, what would it be?
Answer: Do your research or have someone who knows what they are looking at inspect the car. Unfortunately, there’s been 40+ years of potential neglect, rust, accidents, dodgy repairs, etc.
Special mentions or people you would like to thank:
Nikita Kromin – He made this car happen.
My wife Amy – Her patience is incredible.
If you'd like to see more, check out these links:
https://www.instagram.com/ravenblack65/
https://www.instagram.com/i.am.richy/
https://mustangautoparts.com.au/
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