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It’s custom, classic, and streamlined, with a hint of stock. In fact, the more you look, the more subtle features you see. Greg Hoffman’s 1966 Mustang fastback blends the best hotrod features into one extraordinary ride. Don’t let this award-winner fool you—it’s no trailer queen. Greg built it to be driven.

With a fuel-injected 5.0L, this classic pony easily pulls ahead of the pack. The modern powerplant is topped off with a Holley High-Flow EFI throttle body, Pro-M Racing custom cold air intake, and a Ford Racing GT-40 EFI intake manifold. The mirror-finish is courtesy of Greg’s meticulous hand-polishing and a lot of old-fashioned elbow grease.

Greg’s no stranger to modified Mustangs and he knew just what he needed to stop this custom in its tracks. Those SSBC calipers and Turbo slotted rotors tucked behind the Foose Legend wheels rein in the Mustang’s speed.

Greg streamlined the profile by adding Shelby style quarter windows and late-model door handles from a 1994-98 Mustang. “The bulky push-button handles and quarter louvers messed up the flow of things,” Greg says, “so I ditched them!”

Greg’s wishlist for the interior was simple, “I wanted it classic, custom, and comfortable,” Greg says. The cockpit prominently displays all three features with TMI sport seats, factory door panels, a custom center console, smoothed dash, and a Vintage Air climate control system.

This is the last thing you want lurking in your rearview mirror! The Mustang’s front end is toughened up with a custom cowl induction hood and a slatted billet grille.

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This story originally ran in the Summit Racing catalog and first appeared on SummitRacing.com on 4/8/2011.

Over 600,000 Mustangs were produced in 1966, and you won’t find a single one that’ll compare to Greg Hoffman’s ’66 fastback. It combines classic and late-model styling so well that you’d swear it’s a concept that Ford has kept secret. Originally slated for a complete restoration, this Mustang was saved by a smoking deal and good ol’ fashioned creativity.

“I’ve always had a Mustang parked in the garage. I got my first one when I was 17, and have owned almost every generation since,” Greg said.

Through the years, he tinkered with his stable of muscle cars but stayed true to their factory design. He bought the ’66 over a decade ago and set out for a total restoration.

“I hunted down matching parts and trim for who knows how long,” Greg said. The constant search kept the project puttering along, but a well-timed phone call shifted it into overdrive!

“A buddy of mine called me up and said he found a brand new fuel injected 5.0L for pretty cheap,” Greg said, “A smoking deal like that really got me thinking!”

That’s all it took for him to switch gears on this build. He sold the factory components that took him years to stockpile and began his very first custom street machine. “Stock Mustangs are a dime a dozen. I wanted it to be the only one of its kind,” Greg said.

Most of the groundwork, like replacing floor pans and body panels, was completed during the initial resto project, so Greg got right to work customizing all that fresh steel. For a touch of late-model styling, he swapped out the chrome push-button exterior door handles with a set from a 1994-98 Mustang.

“Cutting up new door panels was a little difficult to stomach, but I think it turned out pretty nice,” Greg said. We couldn’t agree more. The late-model handles blend with the original body curves and lines as if they should have rolled off the showroom floor that way.

Greg smoothed the Mustang’s profile even more with sleek, Shelby style quarter windows and he balanced it all out with an aggressive-looking custom slatted billet grille and low-profile cowl induction hood. To top it off, Greg’s father, Gary, sprayed the entire body (floor pans and all) with PPG Lime Gold. Look familiar? That “Legend Lime” color was available on 2005-06 Mustangs.

“I don’t even like green, but that color looks just right,” Greg said.

A rack-and-pinion conversion and spring kit give the ’Stang a lower center of gravity and enhanced agility so Greg can conquer the curves with confidence. Getting him through the twists is a set of Foose Legend wheels wrapped in Nitto NT 555 tires. Greg continued the chassis update with a beefy Ford 8-inch rear end, SSBC calipers and slotted rotors on all four corners to step up the stopping power, and a pair of subframe connectors to tie it all together.

With the body under wraps and chassis tamed, it was time to drop in the 5.0L that got the whole project going. Greg kept the engine close to stock but added a few performance goodies, including a high-flow EFI throttle body, custom cold air intake with 75mm mass airflow meter, and a GT-40 EFI intake manifold.

Greg polished every piece by hand. A single glimpse of the engine bay proves that all the elbow grease was worthwhile. The legendary 5.0L sound has been amped up with JBA Cat4ward headers and Flowmaster Super 44 Series mufflers with a custom X-pipe.

Greg wanted the interior to match the body—a classic foundation with modern touches. He started by smoothing the dash and building a custom center console. A pair of vinyl sport seats and a climate control system make summer road trips cool and comfortable. The custom interior is finished off with a Sony sound system, Rockford Fosgate speakers, Auto Meter Carbon Fiber Ultra-Lite analog gauges, and trim from Billet Specialties and Lokar.

Since completion, this extraordinary Mustang has been cruising highways all over the nation. Greg and his wife, Cindy, spend a good part of the year traveling to countless cruise-ins.

“We’ve won some awards, but I didn’t build the car for that. It was made to drive and enjoy,” says Greg, “We’ve put 2,400 miles on it in just a few months and plan on racking up even more.”

Well Greg and Cindy, the next time you fire up the ’66 and hit the road, drive a few extra miles for us. After 13 years of hard work, you deserve every second of cruising time.

FAST SPECS

Chassis

Frame: Stock with Total Control Products subframe connectors, painted PPG Lime Gold (Legend Lime)
Front Suspension: Stock with Grab-A-Trak 620 coil springs, KYB Gas-a-Just shocks, Grab-A-Trak 1 1/8-inch stabilizer bar, stock control arms lowered 1-inch

Rear Suspension: Grab-A-Trak Mid Eye leaf springs with KYB Gas-a-Just shocks
Rear Axle: Ford 8-inch with a Summit Racing Street & Strip® ring-and-pinion set
Brakes: SSBC 4-piston calipers with Turbo slotted rotors (front), SSBC single-piston calipers with Turbo slotted rotors (rear)
Wheels and Tires: Foose Legend wheels (17 x 7 fronts, 17 x 8 rears) wrapped in Nitto NT 555 tires (235/45ZR17 fronts, 245/45ZR17 rears)
Other Items: Flaming River Classic Mustang rack-and-pinion conversion kit

Engine and Transmission

Engine: 1994-95 Mustang GT stock 5.0L crate engine
Induction: Ford Racing GT-40 EFI intake manifold, Holley High-Flow EFI throttle body, Pro-M Racing custom cold air intake with 75mm mass airflow meter
Ignition: MSD Pro-Billet Ready-To-Run EFI distributor, MSD Blaster TFI coil, Ford Racing wires
Exhaust: JBA Cat4ward headers, Flowmaster Super 44 Series mufflers, custom fabricated X-pipe
Transmission: Ford T-5, 10 1/2-inch Ford Racing clutch disc and pressure plate
Other Items: Summit Racing High Performance electric fuel pump, March Performance 1994-95 5.0L Mustang pulley kit, BBK billet aluminum adjustable fuel regulator, custom fit Northern radiator, CVR mini starter, Tuff Stuff one-wire chrome-plated alternator

Body

Modifications: Custom molded 1994-98 Mustang exterior door handles, filled cowl vents/trunk lock/door locks, Shelby style quarter windows, custom fiberglass cowl induction hood, custom billet grille
Paint Color: PPG Lime Gold (Legend Lime)
Body Work By: Greg Hoffman
Paint By: Gary Hoffman

Interior

Modifications: Smoothed inner door shells and dashboard with custom fiberglass center console, painted PPG Lime Gold (Legend Lime)
Components: TMI Products black vinyl sport seats; Sony sound system with Rockford Fosgate speakers; Vintage Air Gen-II Compac universal climate control system; Auto Meter Ultra-Lite analog gauges; Lokar billet gas pedal assembly and pedal pads; Billet Specialties air conditioning vents, billet window cranks, interior door handles, door lock knobs, and rearview mirror
Interior By: Greg Hoffman

Special Thanks To: Gary Hoffman, Cindy Hoffman, Glenn Hatcher, A&L Custom Muffler, and H&K Towing

Photography By: Todd Biss