Dynacorn 1967 Ford Mustang Fastback Body - 1969 All Over Again

In our June '07 issue, we reported on the then-new Dynacorn reproduction '67-'68 fastback body shells. We've subsequently covered numerous '67-'68s that have been built from the Dynacorn bodies, including Ford Component Sales' retro '67 fastback ("Back to the Future," Nov. '07, p. 22), as built by Classic Design Concepts. There's no doubt that even as we commence festivities on the Mustang's 45th Anniversary, '67-'70s remain among the most desirable and best-looking Mustangs of all time. In fact, '67-'68s are about the hottest of all, and that's why Dynacorn started with those cars. For additional reference, you can check out the story on the '67 bodies on our website at www.mustang monthly.com.

But for those who prefer '69-'70s, your time has come. Dynacorn is now offering brand-new Ford licensed reproduction '69 fastback body shells; they should be available by the time you read this.

We recently stopped in at Dynacorn's Oxnard, California, facility to photograph the details and features of these new bodies. This time, the company happened to have a '69 on wheels, fresh from its debut at the SEMA Show. That enabled us to roll it outside for better pictures. There's a lot of notable highlights on these bodies to investigate, so let's take a look.

Other Details
Dynacorn sales manager Larry Brogdin filled us in on other features incorporated into the Dynacorn body shells. In general, it applies to all three years of bodies that are currently offered: '67, '68, and '69.

"The metal used in these bodies is modern 1006 steel, which has lower impurities and controlled carbon content," says Brogdin. "The more consistent metallurgy allows the different-sized [thickness] steel to weld together with better penetration due to such a similar structure.

"We use modern welding equipment and techniques that do a superior job of permanently bonding the metal together. We have had tests done that show the metal fails before the welds, and we already know that the metal is better to begin with. There are also at least 20 percent more spot welds on our body shells than Ford used to assemble the original cars. We have also wire-welded where we feel it's needed over spot welds.

"On the occasions that SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) gauge metal does not transition to the exact thickness of metric equivalents (by 0.1mm increments), we automatically round up to the next tenth of a millimeter. In many cases [like the floor pan], we add an additional 0.1 mm of thickness after the rounding up. That's on a large structural part that adds rigidity to the entire unibody. We have also added to the roof panel, firewall, and quarter-panels using the 'round-up plus' technique.

"We have made certain parts of the body considerably thicker because we thought it would be a good thing to do. Over the years, we have seen lots of metal failures. Some were just because the metal was not strong enough in a certain situation. The trunk drop-offs, the rear cross rail, and the radiator support are parts that come to mind. They weren't very thick from the factory, but they are on these body shells.

"Structural improvements applied to original '69 Mustangs that were upgrades from previous-year cars are also present on the Dynacorn '69. This includes dual torque boxes, reinforced trunk-hinge arms, and wider and thicker big-block-type shock-tower braces to help prevent cracking of the tower."