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The Mustang in Black (MIB) was built by the author and was featured in Mustang Monthly and Mustang and Fords magazine back in the mid-2000s. Not only was the 1968 chassis fitted with a 99 Cobra engine, but the complete drivetrain and electronics package were incorporated to demonstrate the new technology would work in the older chassis.
The 320-hp 4.6 DOHC engine was fitted to the 1968 engine bay and fits under the stock hood. In addition the suspension was installed in the chassis. Rather than apply a lot of chrome and polish, the designers decided to go for a look that would say, “This is how SVT would have built it had it been around in 1968.” One journalist said it best: “What makes this car over the top is its understatement.”
The donor vehicle for the project was a 1999 Mustang Cobra convertible that had been wrecked but was a complete, driving vehicle. The goal was to use as many of the systems from the donor vehicle as possible, and graft them into the 1968 Mustang fastback chassis. Most of the parts on MIB have a Ford part number on them. The car’s powerplant is a naturally aspirated 32-valve DOHC V-8 that makes 320 hp. No modifications were needed to the engine and the only aftermarket improvement to the engine was the inclusion of the K&N Cobra air filter, which fit the 1968 chassis perfectly. Other than the air filter, every original system is as it was when the car left the Ford assembly plant.
The original Tremec T-45 5-speed transmission and clutch assembly were used, as they were low mileage and still in good shape. The first clutch system used the original fork and throwout bearing mated to a Ron Morris Performance cable clutch conversion, which used the sheath in the cable assembly to pull the clutch forward. This was later replaced with a hydraulic throwout bearing and clutch master cylinder. With the placement of the engine in the engine compartment, only a minor trim of about an inch was necessary at the front of the transmission shifter hole to make the Tremec fit. With the addition of the 1968 console, an offset shifter handle was used and the modification was completely hidden.
When deciding on the suspension, the builders avoided using the original suspension or a conversion to an aftermarket Mustang II. They wanted this car to perform and ride like a new car, so the front MacPherson Strut suspension was used and the rear was adapted to run the new-for-1999 Cobra independent rear suspension. Rather than cutting the suspension to work in the chassis, the chassis was designed to bolt the new components in as original, so none of the Ford geometry was changed in the conversion. This also means that any type of aftermarket improvements made to the SN-95 Mustang suspension would bolt up to the 1968 Mustang. The only changes to the front suspension were the addition of Hotchkis caster/camber plates, a set of Koni Sport struts, and the front coils were cut down by one coil. The remainder is all Ford. The only change to the independent rear suspension was a set of Koni adjustable coil-over shocks and Hypercoil springs.
The complete factory K-member and front MacPherson strut suspension were grafted to the original 1968 chassis via a new set of frame rails and major surgery. The donor car was a convertible, and the original 1999 Cobra convertible under-chassis brace was modified to tie into the factory 1968 Mustang torque boxes and thus provide additional chassis stiffening.
The original 1999 hydroboost braking system was nearly a bolt-in solution and all the original hoses were used. Because the original computer and all four original ABS wheels were still in place, the Bosch ABS unit was also used and functions in the car. Brakes are all stock 1999 Cobra, 13 inches up front and 11 inches in the rear.
The computer system is the stock EEC-V Cobra computer with only a change to bypass the PATS system and the upgrade of the K&N filter. The use of the factory computer and wiring harness allowed the use of the electronic speed control and factory traction control defeat circuit (cleverly hidden in the 1968 reverse lockout pull in the shifter handle). The stock Cobra exhaust was stretched to match the longer 1968 chassis, and the outlets were custom bent to match the original GT exhaust cutouts. The car retains the sound of the 1999 Cobra.
The 1968 chassis was then fitted with every available option in 1968: deluxe interior and exterior, tilt-away steering, upper and lower consoles, fold-down rear seat, and air conditioning. The modern A/C components were combined with the original underdash components, and the speed control circuit was grafted to an original 1968 speed/turn signal stalk and underdash control switch.
Components not taken from the original donor car include the Alpine stereo and remote CD player (the original AM radio is still in the car; the Alpine deck is hidden in the center console and operated by remote), aftermarket power windows and locks designed for the early Mustang chassis, and a custom-made speedometer from an AutoMeter 160-mph digital unit with a stock-style Mustang face. The original (and rare) 1968 deluxe seats with headrests were eventually replaced with matching black and charcoal high-back seats from a 2003 Mach I.
The car is painted in BASF Glasurit paint, with a custom C stripe that matches the charcoal on the Bullitt rims purchased from the Roush factory from some of its conversion cars. No Shelby styling cues on this car, rather it is full Mustang. While the running horse is still installed in the grille, the corral was removed and a pair of Hella Black Magic fog lights are installed in the grille (attached to a stock 1968 fog light switch).
In keeping with the “factory” look, the stamped-steel shock towers from the SN-95 Cobra were incorporated into the 1968 chassis. Because the 1999 chassis is wider, the towers are inset similar to the 1969–1970 Boss 429s. The front suspension was not altered, so the factory geometry remains. Hotchkis caster/camber plates were installed.
The stock 1999 Cobra fuel pump was fitted into a replacement 1968 Mustang fuel tank. In 1999 Ford went to a returnless fuel system, and by mounting the pump into the stock tank the engineers were able to take advantage of the returnless design.
MIB can be taken to any Ford dealer and serviced: during the final build stage, the car was taken to the dealer for a DTC (diagnostic test code) cooling fan test, and the scanner detected a problem with an oxygen sensor that happened to be unplugged!
The builders of MIB succeeded in showing the world that all the technology from the newer cars could be incorporated into a conversion project, not just the engine. The editor of Mustang Monthly described the ride simply: “The senses struggle with conflict because the view from behind the steering wheel is all vintage, yet mashing the 1968 accelerator pedal results in the smooth, powerful rush that comes only from a modern four-valve modular engine.”
As a result, in 2009 Mustang Monthly selected MIB as one of its 45 Most Significant Mustangs of All Time.
A custom, fully adjustable transmission mount was designed to allow 6 inches of movement in three axis. With this mount and with the front strut system, no tunnel trimming was necessary with this T-45 transmission. A 1-inch cut was trimmed out for the shifter location, but the shifter still works with the 1968 stock console. The factory Cobra H-pipe was used with the stock oxygen sensors.
