The formula is simple. 1) Take a derelict donor platform… something with intrinsic (if not realized) value. And 2) Combine it with the shell of some uniquely cool (and compatible) old car with palpable heritage, nostalgia, & character. This is the TredWear #horseforce project, and it began as a severely rusty 1972 Mustang Mach 1.
We drug this Mustang Mach 1 out of a junkyard for $500.00.
The rear valence was so deteriorated, that the rear bumper was pulled-off bare-handed. From a ‘restoration’ standpoint, this Mustang Mach 1 was beyond saving. That was true. But we had other plans for the Mach 1. We began looking for a donor chassis.
For the donor: We found a 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII…
The Lincoln Mark VIII has the 32-valve 4.6 cobra motor. We found a good-running example for $2,500. It wasn’t beautiful, but it was solid where we needed it to be solid. Add some innovative/crafty bodywork, and pick some wheels & tires with the right attitude… and the results are surprising! Truly more than the sum of its parts.
The Lincoln Mark VIII was chosen because…
Underneath the commonly tattered & tired surface of Lincoln Mark VIIIs these days, still lies a potent drivetrain with strong aftermarket support. Body-swapping allows us to modernize the project all at once, without spending a ton of money (and hours) fabricating & adapting parts. In short – it makes the rust on the Mustang Mach 1 cosmetic rather than crippling.
Take two vehicles that were written-off, morph them together, and give them new life as one.
That’s the strategy. And believe it or not, we can do it for less than the interest that most people pay when financing their forgettable new vehicles. Yes, cars are expensive these days… but they don’t have to be. Don’t let that be your barrier. Because when planned wisely, a hobbyist can pull-off such a feat in their own garage with minimal tools. Plus – getting creative has always been the essence of hotrod culture. Let’s speak freely for a second. At TredWear…
We feel that the woke state of our society & its elite planners is misguided at best…
And intrusively destructive at worst. Hot-rodding and & culture represent true environmentalism through resurrection, re-imagination, and conservation. The elites have created a throwaway society… where nothing is made to last. A society where nothing is repaired, and quality is a lost art. The framework of modern society is consumption, conformity, and monthly withdrawals. Car culture, however, stands as a bulwark against this decay. We seek out the antecedents in these misguided modern trends, and we promote them.
Car culture represents freedom on every level…
Which makes it dangerous for the fear mongers & power grabbers. The ability to repair & resurrect machinery is similarly powerful. Our throwaway society is powerless & vulnerable by comparison. As gearheads, we never sought to make an environmental statement, but we hate waste! And we hate how this ‘sustainability campaign’ has become manipulated, marketed, transparent, & hypocritical.
Go to a junkyard… and observe hundreds-of-thousands, if not millions of dollars in waste. It’s sitting there rotting, because the population is not educated on how to retrieve it. Furthermore, they are encouraged not to retrieve it. In fact in many cases, they’re incentivized to discard it. I think as a response…
Our TredWear builds have become increasingly low-buck.
The survival & growth of car culture depend on promotion of relatable & inclusive elements. Anyone can drive something cool with a six-figure budget. That’s no great accomplishment. But can you pull it off for $5,000? Now there’s a challenge.
We are TredWear USA…
TreadWear consists of Lee Clayton, myself (Michael Hunt), and Ronnie Evans. We created the ‘permanent tire graphic’ segment about a dozen years ago to solve a problem with shrinking availability of white letter tires & whitewalls (see tire decals on this car). Our first love is all things automotive. We’ve always been drawn to vintage motorsports & Americana car culture. And tire letters have always been a symbolic piece of that heritage. At TredWear, we make sure that a few hours are set aside each workday… for shop time. It’s our way of keeping ourselves creative, grounded, and in-touch with the sport/hobby we love.
1972 Mustang Mach 1
Body-swapped on 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII
Cobra spec 32-valve 4.6 V8
Independent rear suspension w/ Super Coupe limited slip
Custom grille surround, front & rear valance, taillights, & bumper delete
8” fender flares
Custom HORSE FORCE side pipes
Paint & patina by Mother Nature & Michael Hunt
And of course… TredWear permanent tire graphics
And so it begins…
Cue in the 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII…
Mach 1… Meet Mark 8
Not exactly lego…
While the welder is out… may as well widebody.
Moving to the front fenders…
Touchups & details…
Challenger Taillights w/ drop-down fluorescent lighting housing…
Interior w/ original dash, Lincoln gauges, and Porsche seats…
Miscellaneous progress…
Block it out…
DIY paint job…
Could be a winner boy you move mighty well…
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All I can say is Masterpiece !…….Killlller Job !..Parts of it look like a Javelin…….I Built an ’85 IROC Camaro widebody , side exhaust and on and on……….I always knew there was promise in those 3rd Gen mustangs !
65 to 73 were all first gen Mustangs (there were no 64’s as all had 65 VINs). All the same basic chassis.
2nd gen 74 to 78 Mustang II (Pinto platform).
3rd gen Fox body was 79 to 93. 4th SN 95/99 was 94-04. 5th S197 05 to 14. 6th S550 was 15 to 23.
The 2024 is 7th gen S650 (Ford’s designations).
Cool first gen “Big Horse” conversion.
Love the Stang! When I was a child back in the early 60’s my friends all wanted corvettes, Not Me, I wanted a Fastback Mustang! We’ll that and a Ford Bronco lol. Still would l love to have one like you have. Never got one and looking back when I see these MACH 1′, BOSS’S AND SHELBY’S I feel like boy I really missed out, but oh well, That’s Life lol. Wish you much success in the future!
Great car story until your misguided and or ignorant use of the term Woke. Have you considered looking up a term that apparently you don’t understand? Try using the little device in your pocket you know the one that literally has access to the definitions of most of the words used on planet Earth. Or just stay ignorant. Trump loves his ignorant followers!
I’ve loved this car since I first saw it but had missed the history on how it got here until today. Amazing work and so cool with the wide-body treatment, use of the late model chassis and taillight mod, among many other changes. Would love to see pics of the interior and how it was done to blend in with the rest of the conversion.
I’ve always been a huge fan of the first gen “Big Horse” 71 to 73 Mustangs and owned somewhere around 9 or more of them since 1983 (along with a few 66’s, 97 and 2k verts) and currently restoring a 71 Mach. These years, particularly 71 and 72 are my favorite years.
On a negative note, I agree with Shaun in his statement about the term Woke. Leave it out of commentary as it simply takes away from a good story. It is over-used, mis-applied as it is here and too often spoken to state somebody’s political stance without actually saying it. Nobody cares who you follow or what you believe socially.
Reading car mags, articles, attending car shows used to be something where everyone left politics and social grievances at the entryway and got along. Now it’s all about who can out-insult the other or wear the largest political billboard to prove they are a follower. Leave it out of articles, car shows, etc.
Love the build!!!
I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around what exactly the front bumper is. Is it a completely fabricated part or is the original bumper chopped and fabricated on top of or is it part of the valance panel? It looks amazing, just want to know what it started out as.
Thanks,
Found the Horse Force series on YouTube, it explained everything. Thanks for the video it is great!!!