This is where it all began:...
This is where it all began: a $15,995 replacement body shell from Dynacorn International. It took several months, a huge shopping list of readily available aftermarket parts, and CDC's talented and motivated build team to transform it into what you're seeing on these pages.
By now, many of you are aware that California-based Dynacorn International has started stamping out new, complete '67 (and some '68) fastback replacement body shells under the licensing approval of Ford Restoration Licensing. This is creating quite a stir throughout the Mustang community, as folks begin visualizing how they might now be able to build the '67 Mustang of their dreams from an all-new sheetmetal foundation instead of a worn-out, rusty hulk. In this build-it-as-you-want-it vein, a number of Dynacorn unibodies have become the basis for a veritable fleet of diverse project fastbacks destined for this year's SEMA show in Las Vegas. These projects, crafted by some of the most respected aftermarket firms across the country, will range from comparatively mild to decidedly wild. They will only scratch the surface when it comes to the diversity of rides that can be created by revisiting the future of model-year '67. For these builders and interested enthusiasts, the only limiting factors will be imagination and budget.
Why did Dynacorn choose the second-generation body style instead of starting off with a '65 or '66? There can be no argument that the '67 and '68 models are sought-after classics in their own right. Perhaps more important, they were the first factory Mustangs with an engine bay of sufficient width to swallow a big-block. This fact will no doubt result in some creative "new" '67s, as the choice of potent Ford powerplants available these days-either in pushrod or overhead-cam form-far exceeds what the factory had on hand back in the day.
That brings us to our striking Brittany Blue cover car, one of a mild/wild pair of '67s from Classic Design Concepts in Novi, Michigan. The seed was planted when Ford announced the approval of the Official Licensed Product designation to Dynacorn. Immediately, everyone's thoughts turned to SEMA, and a quality builder was targeted by Ford Restoration to make the dream come true.
Perhaps best known for OEM-quality enhancements for Fox-and-up Mustangs, CDC is headed by George Huisman, a dedicated vintage Mustang/ Cougar guy of long standing. He just happens to be possessed with one of the finest senses of style in the automotive aftermarket. George is obsessed with getting the details right. This particular car-by far the more stock of CDC's two SEMA project '67s-was spec'd out by Ford Component Sales, yet it clearly illustrates George's eye for detail with what might be described as an "enhanced factory" appearance. Ford Restoration Licensing, a part of Ford Component Sales, is essentially the company's licensing caretaker, and most of the parts used on or in this vehicle comes from a Ford licensee. The rumor is, the company doesn't issue that sanction lightly, nor without due consideration of a supplier's quality standards.
At a glance, CDC's creation could easily be mistaken for a code 63B GT fastback, fresh off the '67 assembly-line, with only the sharpest eyes noting that its Styled Steel wheels are 15 inches in diameter instead of the original's 14s. Then again, the hand-rubbed finish is clearly (pun intended) unlike anything the factory was capable of applying in 1967. Just a step beyond stock was what was sought during this project, and the cornucopia of original-style parts flowing from the licensed aftermarket went a long way toward making it happen. Equally important were the skills and dedication of Classic's build team, who worked long and hard to bring it together in the nick of time for our photo shoot.
Not content to simply slap together a nonfunctional show queen, the crew at CDC took great pains to make this repro-GT as driveable and reproducible as it is handsome, with such amenities as power rack-and-pinion steering, power disc brakes on all four corners, and A/C from Vintage Air. Even so, the overall visual impression is that of a factory-fresh '67 GT miraculously recovered from a time capsule.