Velocity Ford Mustang review: what does a restomodded '67 pony car feel like in 2024?

Holy retro pony, Batman!

It’s something isn’t it? You’re looking at a classic 1967 Ford Mustang fastback coupe. They sure don’t make them like this anymore. Only, they do, because you’re also looking at a brand new Mustang built by Velocity Restorations, restorers of classic American vehicles with a modern touch.

Explain how it’s modernized.

Velocity specializes in restoring vintage versions of the Ford Mustang, Bronco and pickup trucks, as well as with other vehicles like classic Chevrolet Blazers and old Scouts, to name a few. Along with the full-on restorative process, Velocity updates the powertrain, electrical system and HVAC with modern hardware likely to, y’know, work.

It also adds a couple modern amenities like a bluetooth-capable radio or an infotainment system with a backup camera in some trim levels. There’s also custom hardware for the suspension, a new braking system and a full interior restoration.

Sounds like it’s actually a brand new car.

Essentially, yes, it’s a custom car housed within the body of a 1967 Mustang, which some sticklers for exact authenticity might take issue with, so those overly concerned with provenance would do well to look elsewhere. It’s very easy to get real 'ship of Theseus' about this whole thing and miss out on a very fascinating build of a car often viewed with the rosiest of tinted glasses.

This particular Mustang is an example of Velocity’s “Signature” series, a trim level with the bulk of what Velocity offers, with the “Street” series adding a few more luxury touches and a couple extra modern gizmos.

Under the hood is Ford’s prolific third-gen 5.0-liter Coyote V8, stuffed in an engine bay that’s way too small for it, supported by custom hardware like new headers, a radiator and so on, with the battery being sent to the rear of the car due to lack of space. This 460hp engine is married to Ford’s 10-speed automatic transmission, but customers can order their cars with a six-speed manual if they so choose, which they certainly should for reasons that will be explained later.

It all rests on a custom Roadster Shop Spec chassis with a nine-inch rear axle from Ford, Fox coilover springs for the suspension, disc brakes all round via Baer and a custom fuel tank. 17in aluminum wheels round out the package as does a performance exhaust system.

What’s it like driving this Frankenstein’s monster of a Mustang?

Let’s start with a big positive - this build of a ’67 Mustang is absolutely stunning. Its black paint with contrasting aluminum 17in wheels is beautiful and menacing at the same time. Rounded out by the yellow fog lamps, the Mustang looked classically rugged. Plus, it's fitted with an engine more powerful than it was ever meant to have to back up its presence. In short, it is a build of the classic Mustang as we envision it in our heads rather than how it actually performed back in its day.

With that said, the mix of new parts and vintage hardware takes a bit of time to wrap one’s head around, so climbing into Velocity’s monster Mustang for the first time is wrought with a great deal of apprehension. The interior is well-restored but simple, with an off the shelf bluetooth radio unit, modern rear-view mirror and digital gauges being the only parts that betray the “mod” part of the restomod.

Window handles are powered, but look like the retro cranks, and everything else functions like it used to, including the lights, window wipers and side mirrors that refused to stay in one place. The centerpiece is a gorgeous wooden steering wheel that adds an enhanced tactile element to proceedings, making you nostalgic for an era you probably weren’t even a part of.

On startup, the 5.0 gives the Mustang an exciting, tremendous shimmy that feels powerful but has a nasty habit of rattling any component not bolted down to move or fall off. It may sound like a dig, but most of these are charming quirks of driving a vintage car. Indeed, much of our time with the Velocity Mustang was spent appreciating many of the modern car functions we take for granted, while also enjoying the time in a beautifully analog vehicle that feels like a living, breathing entity.

What were some of the difficulties driving it?

Some difficulties stemmed from driving a vehicle that just feels a bit incompatible on today’s roads while most was just the learning curve of adapting to a car that is, essentially, a one-off melding of parts that normally don’t belong together. Nothing can be taken for granted. How big is the gas tank? Does this gauge even work or is it just for show? If so, is it properly calibrated? Same for the speedo. What brakes do I have and are they even functional? Because of this, you’re behind the wheel maintaining a hawk-eyed vigilance on everything, because nothing can be assumed to work right.

Those who have spent time in vintage cars know that this is par for the course, and mercifully, the Velocity Mustang eventually proves that it recreates the classic car experience without the need to emulate that part of it.

If there is a non-quirky, old-fashioned thumbs-down to be found in the car, it’s the use of Ford’s 10-speed, which louses up brand new Mustangs, let alone this one. A new Mustang with this transmission is made more dull, acts too busy for sporty driving, and can’t even be properly used in manual mode. Here, it’s even worse. The gearbox is hesitant, slow and very, very clunky during routine shifts. The gauge will tell you it can be slotted to manual, but it only goes into a more aggressive “sport” mode that just makes you look like someone’s learning to drive stick on a rare and expensive sports car.

Most egregiously, it sucks some of the fun out of having that 5.0-liter up front. Due to the overabundance of gears, putting your foot down for a raucous rev is a tease, the transmission never fully allowing you to let loose. All in all, it just overcomplicates the car’s driving behavior and is a near-unforgivable grievance in an otherwise spectacular car, and any of the issues mentioned would be on the driver, not the build.

How is it to drive otherwise?

It’s a good thing the Velocity Mustang is just so damn charming. Get past the miserable gearbox and you’ve got a car that just can’t help but put smiles on faces. The car’s quirks become part of the character and adapting to them sort of bonds you to it. Transmission aside, the engine is still uproarious and lays down plenty of power to the rear with frightening ease and you quickly learn to respect the fact that all the digital safeties we’re accustomed to aren’t here to bail you out of trouble.

Having a modern brake system and a sport suspension is more in service of bringing such an old car to conventional standards rather than making it particularly dynamic. It’ll make it around a corner, but carefully and is really enjoyed on long stretch of rural highway, with the windows down and with you belting along with your favorite tunes.

In a more urban setting, the Mustang’s a bit nerve-wracking to drive at first, given the limited visibility and the need for lightning-fast reflexes on city streets, but we found that most folks were extremely respectful of the Mustang’s space. Drive it around New York, a place where everyone has seen it all, and you’ll have people walk up to you at red lights just to talk about the car. Other drivers are happy to give way when normally any concession is unheard of, just for another glimpse of the car or the chance to shout a complement over.

There’s something to be said about a car that’s not only yours to enjoy, but also makes everyone else’s day, too. That alone makes this Mustang worth it.