There’s Bad, There’s Badass, and There’s Paulo’s Mustang
Full Disclosure: Aside from blogging about cars every week, I also write professionally-or at least as professional as I get-for Canadian Hot Rods & Classics, a Victoria, BC magazine that covers every aspect of the hot rodding scene in Canada. Being that CHRC is one of a very few print magazines that’s thriving in Canada right now, it’s really an honour to be a freelance contributor to them. Today’s post is an extension of an article I wrote for the current issue, available on news stands across the great white north.
Being bad-ass in today’s day and age is something of a misnomer. From crappy action movies like the XXX franchise, to extreme gardening, it seems like anything that was boring last week is now marketed as being for the righteous motherf*****rs of the world. It seems like being a badass just isn’t what it used to be.
That’s what makes Paulo Callisto’s ‘65 Mustang fastback so truly badass. To look at it just makes you think that someone really did a great restoration and threw a reasonable body kit on it. Sure, it sits a lot lower, but that’s an easy enough fix on any car. Besides that, it’s a grey car for crying out loud. No, not dark silver-it’s definitely grey.
At least, that’s what you think before Paulo cranks up the motor. All peace and quiet is lost as the rumble of a V8 motor turns to a roar, along with the high-pitched scream of a centrifugical supercharger. It’s enough to scare the hedge clippers right off of an extreme gardener.
The sound you’re hearing is that of a 331 cubic inch Iron Horse V8 engine, which Paulo built from the ground up. The block, a cast-iron version of the Ford Aluminator advertised in magazines, was brought into Canada at a cost of $20,000. Yes, just for the block. Add to that a Holley Systemax fuel injection setup, fed by a Vortech supercharger. All that fuel/air mixture is sparked off by an MSD ignition setup, and vented by as little muffler as possible. In total, the motor spits fire to the tune of 750-825 horsepower, depending on the amount of boost.
Nothing else is what it seems, either. To someone who doesn’t know Mustangs, the interior looks stock. To anyone who knows how sparse an original 60’s interior should be, it’s a hospitality suite at the Hilton. Not only are there comfy leather seats all around, the new console (and all the gauges) take up every inch of space not used for legs. The B&M shifter controlling a C4 automatic is tucked into this console so perfect that it looks factory, much like the stereo and the billet inserts around the speedo and tach. In fact, the only thing that didn’t look factory-Ford built this day was Paulo’s cellphone, which he left on the seat.
There isn’t an inch of this ride that doesn’t scream “Bad Ass MoFo” in one way or another. Even the grey paint is a shade from Aston-Martin’s colour book, recently seen on James Bond’s DBS in Casino Royale. Even the big stereo (to compete with the big motor) hides its huge subwoofers in the trunk.
Cars that scream “look at me!” are easy to find in parking lots, and easier to find in rear-view mirrors. It’s cars like Paulo’s-hard to find and impossible to catch-that give our passion a positive direction for the future. Because if we aren’t building’em like this, the extreme gardeners win.
Don’t forget to pick up your copy of Canadian Hot Rods & Classics before they’re sold out. Or better yet,visit their website to order your subscription. And if you still have room on your bookshelf, get yourself a copy of the first SundayCruiseFever.com book, “Class of 2008.” It’s jammed full of amazing cars, trucks, and bikes, including pictures of this bitchin’ Mustang. Available online from December 1st!
Want this unique content in your magazine, newspaper, newsletter or website? Contact Jordan Morningstar at (204) 997.8827, or jordan.morningstar-at-gmail.com to find out about licensing images and text for your media outlet.
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